JP2024079047A - Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

To suppress adhesion of particles to a substrate.SOLUTION: A substrate processing apparatus includes a carrier loading platform, a substrate loading platform, a single-wafer processing unit, a first conveyance unit, a lot loading platform, a second conveyance unit, a batch processing unit and a control unit. A carrier storing multiple substrates is placed on the carrier loading platform. The multiple substrates can be placed on the substrate loading platform. The single-wafer processing unit cleans the substrate one by one. The first conveyance unit conveys the substrate one by one between the substrate loading platform and the single-wafer processing unit. A lot containing the multiple substrates can be placed on the lot loading platform. The second conveyance unit conveys the multiple substrates between the carrier, the substrate loading platform and the lot loading platform. The batch processing unit processes the lots by batch. The control unit causes the single-wafer processing unit to clean the substrate before processing the lot in the batch processing unit, and causes the first conveyance unit and the second conveyance unit to carry out the conveyance of the substrate from the single-wafer processing unit to the lot loading platform via the substrate loading platform.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

This disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method.

Conventionally, substrate processing apparatuses have been known that include both a single-wafer processing section (single-wafer processing section) that processes substrates such as semiconductor wafers one by one, and a batch processing section (batch processing section) that processes multiple substrates at once.

Patent No. 4522295

This disclosure provides technology that can suppress particle adhesion to a substrate.

A substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a carrier mounting table, a substrate mounting table, a single wafer processing unit, a first transport unit, a lot mounting table, a second transport unit, a batch processing unit, and a control unit. The carrier mounting table mounts a carrier that accommodates a plurality of substrates. The substrate mounting table is capable of mounting a plurality of substrates. The single wafer processing unit cleans the substrates one by one. The first transport unit transports substrates one by one between the substrate mounting table and the single wafer processing unit. The lot mounting table is capable of mounting a lot including a plurality of substrates. The second transport unit transports the plurality of substrates between the carrier, the substrate mounting table, and the lot mounting table. The batch processing unit processes the lot in a batch. The control unit cleans the substrates in the single wafer processing unit before processing the lot in the batch processing unit, and causes the first transport unit and the second transport unit to transport the substrates from the single wafer processing unit to the lot mounting table via the substrate mounting table.

This disclosure makes it possible to suppress adhesion of particles to the substrate.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the substrate mounting table according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the periphery cleaning processing unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an etching treatment tank according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a process executed by the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a comparison of the number of particles between the comparative example and the example.

Below, a detailed description will be given of a form (hereinafter, "embodiment") for carrying out a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method according to the present disclosure with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiment. Furthermore, each embodiment can be appropriately combined as long as there is no contradiction in the processing content. Furthermore, the same parts in each of the following embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

In addition, in the embodiments described below, expressions such as "constant," "orthogonal," "vertical," and "parallel" may be used, but these expressions do not necessarily mean "constant," "orthogonal," "vertical," or "parallel" in the strict sense. In other words, each of the above expressions allows for deviations due to, for example, manufacturing precision, installation precision, and the like.

In addition, in order to make the explanation easier to understand, the drawings referred to below may show an orthogonal coordinate system in which the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions are defined as being perpendicular to each other, and the positive direction of the Z-axis is the vertically upward direction. Also, the direction of rotation about the vertical axis may be referred to as the θ direction.

Conventionally, there are substrate processing apparatuses that are equipped with both a single-wafer processing section (single-wafer processing section) that processes substrates such as semiconductor wafers one by one, and a batch processing section (batch processing section) that processes multiple substrates at once.

In addition, in this substrate processing apparatus, multiple substrates after being processed in the single-wafer processing section are placed in a container, the container is transported from a stage adjacent to the single-wafer processing section to a stage adjacent to the batch processing section, and the multiple substrates are removed from the container and transported to the batch processing section.

However, in the conventional technology described above, when substrates are stored in a container before being processed in a batch processing unit, there is a risk that particles resulting from contact between the substrate and a holder provided in the container will adhere to the substrate. The particles that adhere to the substrate will remain as foreign matter on the substrate after it has been processed in the batch processing unit, and may cause defects in the substrate.

Therefore, there is a need for technology that can suppress the adhesion of particles to substrates.

<Overview of the Substrate Processing System>
First, a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment includes a carrier loading/unloading section 2, a lot formation section 3, a single wafer processing section 4, a lot transport section 5, a batch processing section 6, and a control section 7.

The carrier loading/unloading section 2 includes a carrier stage 20, a carrier transport mechanism 21, carrier stocks 22 and 23, and a carrier placement table 24.

The carrier stage 20 holds multiple carriers C that have been transported from outside. The carrier C is a container that holds multiple (e.g., 25) wafers W arranged vertically in a horizontal position. The carrier C has a holder inside, which holds the peripheral edge of each wafer W, thereby supporting the multiple wafers W in a horizontal position. The carrier transport mechanism 21 transports the carriers C between the carrier stage 20, the carrier stocks 22 and 23, and the carrier mounting table 24.

From the carrier C placed on the carrier mounting table 24, a plurality of unprocessed wafers W are transferred to the batch processing unit 6 side by the substrate transfer mechanism 30 described below. In addition, a plurality of processed wafers W are transferred from the batch processing unit 6 side to the carrier C placed on the carrier mounting table 24 by the substrate transfer mechanism 30.

The lot formation section 3 has a substrate transport mechanism 30 (an example of a second transport section), a substrate mounting table 31, and lot mounting tables 32 and 33, and forms lots. A lot is made up of multiple (e.g., 50) wafers W that are simultaneously processed by combining wafers W contained in one or multiple carriers C. The multiple wafers W that form one lot are arranged at a fixed interval with their plate surfaces facing each other.

The substrate transfer mechanism 30 transfers multiple wafers W between the carrier C placed on the carrier placement table 24, the substrate placement table 31, and the lot placement tables 32 and 33. The substrate transfer mechanism 30 is composed of, for example, an articulated robot, and transfers multiple (for example, 25) wafers W at once. The substrate transfer mechanism 30 can also change the orientation of the multiple wafers W from a horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation during transfer.

The substrate transport mechanism 30 also has a holder that holds the wafers W, and uses a first surface of the holder to remove multiple wafers W from the carrier C before they are cleaned in the single-wafer processing unit 4, and place them in a horizontal position on the substrate placement table 31. The substrate transport mechanism 30 then uses a second surface, which is different from the first surface of the holder, to remove multiple wafers W from the substrate placement table 31 after they have been cleaned in the single-wafer processing unit 4, and place them in a vertical position on the lot placement table 32.

The substrate mounting table 31 is capable of temporarily mounting a plurality of wafers W before being cleaned in the single-wafer processing section 4 and a plurality of wafers W after being cleaned in the single-wafer processing section 4. The substrate mounting table 31 is capable of mounting 25 to 150 wafers W. The substrate mounting table 31 is accessible by both the substrate transfer mechanism 30 and a substrate transfer mechanism 42, which will be described later. Details of the substrate mounting table 31 will be described later.

Lot placement tables 32 and 33 are capable of temporarily placing (waiting) lots being transported between lot formation section 3 and batch processing section 6 by lot transport section 5. Lot placement table 32 places lots formed in lot formation section 3 before being processed, and lot placement table 33 places lots processed in batch processing section 6. Multiple wafers W for one lot are placed in a vertical position on lot placement table 32 and lot placement table 33.

Here, the substrate mounting table 31 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the substrate mounting table 31 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the substrate mounting table 31 has a plurality of shelves 311 arranged in multiple stages with a gap between each other, and supports 312 provided on each of the plurality of shelves 311 to support each of the plurality of wafers W from below.

In this way, the support 312 supports the wafer W from below, thereby preventing contact between the substrate mounting table 31 and the peripheral edge of the wafer W, and suppressing the generation of particles that would otherwise be generated by contact between the substrate mounting table 31 and the peripheral edge of the wafer W.

Returning to the explanation of FIG. 1, the single wafer processing section 4 cleans the wafers W one by one. The single wafer processing section 4 is provided with a plurality of (here, two) peripheral cleaning processing sections 41 and a substrate transport mechanism 42 (first transport section). The multiple peripheral cleaning processing sections 41 and substrate transport mechanisms 42 are aligned along the Y-axis direction. As an example, the substrate transport mechanism 42 is arranged on one side of the lot formation section 3 in the Y-axis direction (here, the positive Y-axis side). In addition, the multiple peripheral cleaning processing sections 41 are aligned along the X-axis direction on the opposite side of the substrate transport mechanism 42 from the lot formation section 3.

The peripheral cleaning processing unit 41 performs peripheral cleaning processing on the peripheral portion of the wafer W. In the embodiment, the peripheral cleaning processing unit 41 performs bevel cleaning processing to clean the bevel portion of the wafer W. The bevel portion refers to an inclined portion formed on the edge face of the wafer W and its periphery. The inclined portions are formed on the upper peripheral portion and the lower peripheral portion of the wafer W, respectively. The peripheral cleaning processing unit 41 cleans the peripheral portion of the wafer W using, for example, a chemical solution. Details of the peripheral cleaning processing unit 41 will be described later.

The substrate transport mechanism 42 transports wafers W one by one between the substrate placement table 31 and the peripheral cleaning processing unit 41.

The substrate transfer mechanism 42 has a holder that holds the underside of the wafer W. The holder holds the underside of the wafer W by vacuum suction. The substrate transfer mechanism 42 is capable of moving in the horizontal and vertical directions and rotating around a vertical axis, and transfers the wafer W using the holder.

Here, the peripheral cleaning processing unit 41 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the peripheral cleaning processing unit 41 according to the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 3, the peripheral cleaning processing unit 41 is a cleaning processing unit that cleans the peripheral portion of the wafer W using a chemical solution, and includes a chamber 410, a substrate holding mechanism 420, a supply unit 430, and a collection cup 440.

The chamber 410 houses a substrate holding mechanism 420, a supply unit 430, and a collection cup 440. A fun filter unit (FFU) 411 that forms a downflow within the chamber 410 is provided on the ceiling of the chamber 410.

The substrate holding mechanism 420 includes a holding part 421 that holds the wafer W horizontally, a support member 422 that extends vertically and supports the holding part 421, and a drive part 423 that rotates the support member 422 around a vertical axis.

The holding part 421 is connected to a suction device (not shown) such as a vacuum pump, and holds the wafer W horizontally by adsorbing the underside of the wafer W using the negative pressure generated by the suction device. As the holding part 421, for example, a porous chuck or an electrostatic chuck can be used.

The holding part 421 has a suction area with a smaller diameter than the wafer W. This allows the chemical liquid discharged from the lower nozzle 432 of the supply part 430 (described later) to be supplied to the peripheral part of the lower surface of the wafer W.

The supply unit 430 includes an upper nozzle 431 and a lower nozzle 432. The upper nozzle 431 is disposed above the wafer W held by the substrate holding mechanism 420, and the lower nozzle 432 is disposed below the wafer W.

A chemical liquid supply source 453 is connected to the upper nozzle 431 and the lower nozzle 432 via a valve 451 and a flow rate regulator 452. The upper nozzle 431 discharges the chemical liquid supplied from the chemical liquid supply source 453 onto the upper peripheral portion of the wafer W held by the substrate holding mechanism 420. The lower nozzle 432 discharges the chemical liquid supplied from the chemical liquid supply source 453 onto the lower peripheral portion of the wafer W held by the substrate holding mechanism 420. As the chemical liquid, at least one chemical liquid selected from deionized water, SC1 (a mixture of ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, and water), hydrogen peroxide water, ozone water, dilute hydrofluoric acid (DHF), hydrofluoric nitric acid, and SPM (a mixture of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water) can be used. Hydrofluoric nitric acid is a mixture of hydrofluoric acid (HF) and nitric acid (HNO ₃ ).

The supply unit 430 also includes a first moving mechanism 433 that moves the upper nozzle 431 and a second moving mechanism 434 that moves the lower nozzle 432. By moving the upper nozzle 431 and the lower nozzle 432 using the first moving mechanism 433 and the second moving mechanism 434, the supply position of the chemical liquid to the wafer W can be changed.

The recovery cup 440 is disposed so as to surround the substrate holding mechanism 420. The bottom of the recovery cup 440 is formed with a drain port 441 for discharging the chemical solution supplied from the supply unit 430 to the outside of the chamber 410, and an exhaust port 442 for exhausting the atmosphere within the chamber 410.

The peripheral cleaning processing unit 41 is configured as described above, and after the underside of the wafer W is suction-held by the holding unit 421, the holding unit 421 is rotated using the drive unit 423 to rotate the wafer W. The peripheral cleaning processing unit 41 then ejects a chemical solution from the upper nozzle 431 toward the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the rotating wafer W, and ejects the chemical solution from the lower nozzle 432 toward the peripheral portion of the lower surface of the rotating wafer W. This removes dirt such as particles adhering to the bevel portion of the wafer W.

After performing the above-mentioned peripheral cleaning process, the peripheral cleaning processing unit 41 may perform a rinse process to wash away any remaining chemical liquid on the bevel portion of the wafer W by ejecting a rinse liquid such as deionized water from the upper nozzle 431 and the lower nozzle 432. After the rinse process, the peripheral cleaning processing unit 41 may also perform a drying process to dry the wafer W by rotating the wafer W.

In addition, here, the peripheral cleaning processing unit 41 performs peripheral cleaning processing to clean the peripheral portion of the wafer W using a chemical liquid, but the peripheral cleaning processing does not necessarily require the use of a chemical liquid. For example, the peripheral cleaning processing unit 41 may clean the peripheral portion of the wafer W using a mixed fluid or a brush instead of a chemical liquid. Also, for example, the peripheral cleaning processing unit 41 may clean the peripheral portion of the wafer W using at least one of a chemical liquid, a mixed fluid, and a brush. As the mixed fluid, for example, a mixed fluid of an inert gas and deionized water or an alkaline aqueous solution can be used. The alkaline aqueous solution may include at least one of TMAH (TetraMethylAmmonium Hydroxide), a choline aqueous solution, SC1 (a mixture of ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, and water), and functional water. As the brush, for example, a brush having a sponge-like cleaning member made of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) can be used.

Returning to the explanation of FIG. 1, the lot transport section 5 has a lot transport mechanism 50, and transports lots between the lot placement tables 32, 33 of the lot formation section 3 and the batch processing section 6, and inside the batch processing section 6. The lot transport mechanism 50 has rails 51, a moving body 52, and a substrate holder 53.

The rails 51 are arranged along the X-axis direction across the lot placement tables 32, 33 of the lot formation section 3 and the batch processing section 6. The moving body 52 is configured to be able to move along the rails 51 while holding multiple wafers W. The substrate holder 53 is provided on the moving body 52 and holds multiple wafers W lined up in a vertical position.

The batch processing unit 6 performs processes such as etching, cleaning, and drying on a lot formed of multiple wafers W arranged vertically one behind the other. In the batch processing unit 6, multiple (here, two) etching processing units 60, a cleaning processing unit 70, a substrate holder cleaning processing unit 80, and a drying processing unit 90 are arranged in a line along a rail 51.

The etching processing unit 60 performs an etching process on the lot. The cleaning processing unit 70 performs a cleaning process on the lot. The substrate holder cleaning processing unit 80 performs a cleaning process on the substrate holder 53. The drying processing unit 90 performs a drying process on the lot. Note that the number of etching processing units 60, cleaning processing units 70, substrate holder cleaning processing units 80, and drying processing units 90 is not limited to the example in FIG. 1.

The etching processing section 60 includes a processing tank 61 for etching, a processing tank 62 for rinsing, and lot lifting mechanisms 63 and 64.

The processing tank 61 can accommodate one lot of wafers W arranged in a vertical position, and stores a processing liquid for etching (hereinafter also referred to as "etching liquid"). The processing tank 61 will be described in detail later.

The processing tank 62 stores a processing liquid for rinsing (e.g., deionized water). The lot lifting mechanisms 63 and 64 hold multiple wafers W that form a lot in a vertical position, lined up front and back.

The etching processing section 60 holds the lot transported by the lot transport section 5 with the lot lifting mechanism 63 and immerses it in the etching solution in the processing tank 61 to perform the etching process.

The lot that has been etched in the processing tank 61 is transported to the processing tank 62 by the lot transport unit 5. The etching processing unit 60 then holds the transported lot with the lot lifting mechanism 64 and immerses it in the rinsing liquid in the processing tank 62 to perform a rinsing process. The lot that has been rinsed in the processing tank 62 is transported by the lot transport unit 5 to the processing tank 71 of the cleaning processing unit 70.

The cleaning processing section 70 includes a cleaning processing tank 71, a rinsing processing tank 72, and lot lifting mechanisms 73 and 74. The cleaning processing tank 71 stores a cleaning processing liquid such as SC1 (a mixture of ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, and water).

The rinse processing tank 72 stores a rinse processing liquid (e.g., deionized water). The lot lifting mechanisms 73 and 74 hold multiple wafers W for one lot in a vertical position, lined up front and back.

The cleaning processing section 70 holds the lot transported by the lot transport section 5 with the lot lifting mechanism 73 and performs cleaning processing by immersing the lot in the cleaning solution in the processing tank 71.

The lot that has been cleaned in the processing tank 71 is transported to the processing tank 72 by the lot transport unit 5. The cleaning processing unit 70 then holds the transported lot with the lot lifting mechanism 74 and immerses it in the rinsing liquid in the processing tank 72, thereby performing a rinsing process. The lot that has been rinsed in the processing tank 72 is transported by the lot transport unit 5 to the processing tank 91 of the drying processing unit 90.

The drying processing section 90 has a processing tank 91 and a lot lifting mechanism 92. A drying processing gas (e.g., IPA (isopropyl alcohol)) is supplied to the processing tank 91. The lot lifting mechanism 92 holds a number of wafers W for one lot in a vertical position, lined up front and back.

The drying processing section 90 holds the lot transported by the lot transport section 5 with a lot lifting mechanism 92 and performs a drying process using a drying process gas supplied into the processing tank 91. The lot that has been dried in the processing tank 91 is transported by the lot transport section 5 to the lot placement table 33 of the lot formation section 3.

The substrate holder cleaning processing unit 80 performs cleaning processing on the substrate holder 53 of the lot transport mechanism 50 by supplying a cleaning processing liquid and further supplying a dry gas.

Here, the etching treatment tank 61 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the etching treatment tank 61 according to the embodiment.

In the processing tank 61, an etching process is performed using a specific etching solution to selectively remove the silicon nitride film from the silicon nitride film (SiN) and silicon oxide film (SiO2) formed on the wafer W. In this etching process, a solution in which a silicon (Si)-containing compound is added to an aqueous phosphoric acid (H3PO4) solution to adjust the silicon concentration is used as the etching solution.

Methods for adjusting the silicon concentration in the etching solution include immersing a dummy substrate in an aqueous phosphoric acid solution to dissolve the silicon (seasoning), and dissolving a silicon-containing compound such as colloidal silica in an aqueous phosphoric acid solution. The silicon concentration may also be adjusted by adding an aqueous solution of a silicon-containing compound to the aqueous phosphoric acid solution.

As shown in FIG. 4, the etching treatment tank 61 includes an inner tank 101 and an outer tank 102. The inner tank 101 is a box-shaped tank that is open at the top and stores an etching liquid therein. A lot formed of multiple wafers W is immersed in the inner tank 101. The outer tank 102 is open at the top and is disposed around the upper portion of the inner tank 101. Etching liquid that overflows from the inner tank 101 flows into the outer tank 102.

The treatment tank 61 also includes a phosphoric acid aqueous solution supply unit 103, a silicon supply unit 104, and a DIW supply unit 105.

The phosphoric acid aqueous solution supply unit 103 has a phosphoric acid aqueous solution supply source 131, a phosphoric acid aqueous solution supply line 132, and a flow rate regulator 133.

The phosphoric acid aqueous solution supply source 131 supplies an aqueous phosphoric acid solution having a desired phosphoric acid concentration. The phosphoric acid aqueous solution supply line 132 connects the phosphoric acid aqueous solution supply source 131 to the outer tank 102 and supplies the aqueous phosphoric acid solution from the phosphoric acid aqueous solution supply source 131 to the outer tank 102.

The flow regulator 133 is provided in the phosphoric acid aqueous solution supply line 132 and adjusts the amount of phosphoric acid aqueous solution supplied to the outer tank 102. The flow regulator 133 is composed of an on-off valve, a flow control valve, a flow meter, etc.

The silicon supply unit 104 has a silicon supply source 141, a silicon supply line 142, and a flow regulator 143.

The silicon supply source 141 is a tank that stores an aqueous solution of a silicon-containing compound. The silicon supply line 142 connects the silicon supply source 141 to the outer tank 102 and supplies the aqueous solution of a silicon-containing compound from the silicon supply source 141 to the outer tank 102.

The flow regulator 143 is provided in the silicon supply line 142 and adjusts the amount of the silicon-containing compound aqueous solution supplied to the outer tank 102. The flow regulator 143 is composed of an on-off valve, a flow control valve, a flow meter, etc. The flow regulator 143 adjusts the amount of the silicon-containing compound aqueous solution supplied, thereby adjusting the silicon concentration of the etching solution.

The DIW supply unit 105 has a DIW supply source 151, a DIW supply line 152, and a flow rate regulator 153. The DIW supply unit 105 supplies DIW (DeIonized Water) to the outer tank 102 to replenish the moisture evaporated by heating the etching solution.

The DIW supply line 152 connects the DIW supply source 151 to the outer bath 102, and supplies DIW at a predetermined temperature from the DIW supply source 151 to the outer bath 102.

The flow regulator 153 is provided in the DIW supply line 152 and adjusts the amount of DIW supplied to the outer bath 102. The flow regulator 153 is composed of an on-off valve, a flow control valve, a flow meter, etc. The flow regulator 153 adjusts the amount of DIW supplied, thereby adjusting the temperature, phosphoric acid concentration, and silicon concentration of the etching solution.

The treatment tank 61 also includes a circulation unit 106. The circulation unit 106 circulates the etching solution between the inner tank 101 and the outer tank 102. The circulation unit 106 includes a circulation line 161, a plurality of treatment solution supply nozzles 162, a filter 163, a heater 164, and a pump 165.

The circulation line 161 connects the outer tank 102 and the inner tank 101. One end of the circulation line 161 is connected to the outer tank 102, and the other end of the circulation line 161 is connected to a plurality of processing liquid supply nozzles 162 arranged inside the inner tank 101.

The filter 163, heater 164, and pump 165 are provided in the circulation line 161. The filter 163 removes impurities from the etching solution flowing through the circulation line 161. The heater 164 heats the etching solution flowing through the circulation line 161 to a temperature suitable for the etching process. The pump 165 sends the etching solution in the outer tank 102 to the circulation line 161. The pump 165, heater 164, and filter 163 are provided in this order from the upstream side.

The circulation section 106 sends the etching liquid from the outer tank 102 into the inner tank 101 via the circulation line 161 and multiple processing liquid supply nozzles 162. The etching liquid sent into the inner tank 101 overflows from the inner tank 101 and flows back into the outer tank 102. In this way, the etching liquid circulates between the inner tank 101 and the outer tank 102.

In addition, the circulation unit 106 may bring the etching liquid to a boiling state by heating the etching liquid using the heater 164.

Returning to the explanation of FIG. 1, the control unit 7 controls the operation of each part of the substrate processing apparatus 1 (the carrier loading/unloading unit 2, the lot formation unit 3, the single wafer processing unit 4, the lot transport unit 5, the batch processing unit 6, etc.). The control unit 7 controls the operation of each part of the substrate processing apparatus 1 based on signals from switches, various sensors, etc.

The control unit 7 is, for example, a computer, and has a computer-readable storage medium 8. The storage medium 8 stores programs that control the various processes executed in the substrate processing apparatus 1.

The control unit 7 controls the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 by reading and executing a program stored in the storage medium 8. The program may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium 8, or may be installed in the storage medium 8 of the control unit 7 from another storage medium.

Examples of computer-readable storage media 8 include hard disks (HD), flexible disks (FD), compact disks (CD), magnetic optical disks (MO), and memory cards.

<Specific Operation of Substrate Processing Apparatus 1>
Next, a procedure of a process performed by the substrate processing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flow chart showing the procedure of a process performed by the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment. Each process shown in Fig. 5 is performed under the control of the control unit 7.

As shown in FIG. 5, the substrate processing apparatus 1 performs a loading process in which multiple wafers W are removed from the carrier C and placed on the substrate placement table 31 (step S101).

The process of step S101 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. First, the carrier transport mechanism 21 removes the carrier C from the carrier stage 20 and places it on the carrier mounting table 24. Then, the substrate transport mechanism 30 removes multiple wafers W from the carrier C placed on the carrier mounting table 24, changes the posture of the multiple wafers W removed from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture, and places the multiple wafers W on the substrate mounting table 31. At this time, each shelf 311 (see FIG. 2) of the substrate mounting table 31 supports each wafer W from below on the support 312 (see FIG. 2).

When the loading process is completed, particles resulting from contact between the holder in the carrier C and the peripheral edge of the wafer W adhere to the peripheral edge (bevel) of the wafer.

For this reason, the substrate processing apparatus 1 cleans the wafers W one by one in the single-wafer processing section 4. That is, the peripheral cleaning processing section 41 of the single-wafer processing section 4 performs peripheral cleaning processing on the peripheral portion of the wafer W (step S102).

The process of step S102 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. First, the substrate transfer mechanism 42 removes one wafer W from the substrate placement table 31 and transfers the wafer W to the holding part 421 (see FIG. 3) of the substrate holding mechanism 420 (see FIG. 3) in the peripheral cleaning processing unit 41.

The peripheral cleaning processing unit 41 supplies a chemical solution to the upper and lower peripheral edges of the wafer W while rotating the holding part 421 of the substrate holding mechanism 420. This removes particles adhering to the bevel portion of the wafer W.

Then, the substrate processing apparatus 1 causes the substrate transfer mechanism 42 and the substrate transfer mechanism 30 to transfer the wafers W from the single wafer processing section 4 to the lot placement stage 32 via the substrate placement stage 31, forming a lot including multiple (e.g., 25) wafers W after cleaning (step S103).

The process of step S103 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. First, the substrate transfer mechanism 42 removes one cleaned wafer W from the peripheral cleaning processing unit 41 of the single wafer processing unit 4 and places it on the substrate placement table 31. By repeating this operation 25 times or more, 25 or more cleaned wafers W are placed on the substrate placement table 31. Then, the substrate transfer mechanism 30 removes multiple (e.g., 25) wafers W from the substrate placement table 31, changes the posture of the removed multiple wafers W from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture, and places the multiple wafers W on the lot placement table 32. By repeating this operation twice, a lot is formed.

In this manner, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment cleans the wafer W in the single wafer processing section 4 before processing the lot in the batch processing section 6 (etching section 60, cleaning section 70, drying section 90, etc.). Then, the substrate processing apparatus 1 causes the substrate transfer mechanism 42 and the substrate transfer mechanism 30 to transfer the wafer W from the single wafer processing section 4 to the lot placement table 32 via the substrate placement table 31. Therefore, the wafer W after being cleaned in the single wafer processing section 4 is transferred to the lot placement table 32 without being accommodated in the carrier C. As a result, according to the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment, contact between the holder in the carrier C and the peripheral portion of the wafer W after cleaning can be avoided, and adhesion of particles to the wafer W can be suppressed.

Next, the substrate processing apparatus 1 performs an etching process on the formed lot (step S104). The etching process is performed on a lot-by-lot basis, not on a single wafer W basis.

The process of step S104 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. First, the lot transport mechanism 50 receives the lot from the lot placement table 32 and passes it to the lot lift mechanism 63 of the etching processing unit 60. The etching processing unit 60 holds the lot passed from the lot transport mechanism 50 with the lot lift mechanism 63 and immerses it in the etching solution in the processing tank 61 to perform the etching process.

The lot that has been etched in the processing tank 61 is transported to the processing tank 62 by the lot transport mechanism 50. The etching processing unit 60 then holds the transported lot with the lot lift mechanism 64 and performs a rinse process by immersing the lot in the rinse liquid in the processing tank 62.

Next, the substrate processing apparatus 1 performs a cleaning process on the lot processed by the etching processing unit 60 (step S105).

The process of step S105 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. First, the lot transport mechanism 50 receives the lot from the lot lift mechanism 64 and passes it to the lot lift mechanism 73 of the cleaning processing unit 70. The cleaning processing unit 70 then holds the lot passed from the lot transport mechanism 50 with the lot lift mechanism 73 and performs a cleaning process by immersing the lot in the cleaning solution in the processing tank 71.

The lot that has been cleaned in the processing tank 71 is transported to the processing tank 72 by the lot transport mechanism 50. The cleaning processing unit 70 then holds the transported lot with the lot lift mechanism 74 and performs a rinse process by immersing the lot in the rinsing liquid in the processing tank 72.

Next, the substrate processing apparatus 1 performs a drying process on the lot that has been processed by the cleaning processing unit 70 (step S106).

The process of step S106 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. First, the lot transport mechanism 50 receives the lot from the lot lift mechanism 74 and passes it to the lot lift mechanism 92 of the drying processing unit 90. The drying processing unit 90 then holds the lot passed from the lot transport mechanism 50 in the lot lift mechanism 92 and performs a drying process using a drying process gas supplied into the processing tank 91.

Next, the substrate processing apparatus 1 performs an unloading process to place the multiple wafers W that form the lot after the drying process into a carrier C (step S107).

The process of step S107 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. First, the lot transfer mechanism 50 receives the lot after drying processing from the lot lift mechanism 92. The lot transfer mechanism 50 then places the received lot on the lot placement stage 33. The substrate transfer mechanism 30 then removes the multiple wafers W that form the lot from the lot placement stage 33, changes the posture of the multiple wafers W that have been removed from a vertical posture to a horizontal posture, and stores the multiple wafers W in a carrier C placed on the carrier placement stage 24.

<Experimental Results>
Next, experimental results of a comparative example in which cleaning is not performed in the single wafer processing unit 4 and an example according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a comparison of particle counts between the comparative example and the example. The comparative example shown in FIG. 6 is a case in which the process of step S102 in FIG. 5 is not performed, that is, cleaning is not performed in the single wafer processing unit 4. In addition, in the comparative example, in step S103 in FIG. 5, a plurality of wafers W are taken out from two carriers C by the substrate transport mechanism 30, and a lot is formed by the plurality of wafers W accommodated in each carrier C. In addition, in FIG. 6, black dots indicate the results obtained by measuring the particle counts for a plurality of wafers W.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the comparative example, the median and maximum of the particle count distribution were greater than 85. In contrast, in the example, the median and maximum of the particle count distribution were less than 85. Thus, in the example, the particle count was reduced compared to the comparative example.

<Other Modifications>
In the above-described embodiment, the processing by the batch processing unit 6 is exemplified by an etching process for removing a silicon oxide film of the wafer W using an etching solution containing phosphoric acid or the like, but the processing by the batch processing unit 6 is not limited to the exemplified etching process. For example, the batch processing unit 6 may perform any etching process as long as it is an etching process for removing a film or an etching process for forming a pattern. For example, the processing by the batch processing unit 6 may be an etching process for removing a W (tungsten) film or a Mo (molybdenum) film of the wafer W using an etching solution containing phosphoric acid/acetic acid/nitric acid or the like. In addition, for example, the processing by the batch processing unit 6 may be an etching process for removing a polysilicon film of the wafer W using an etching solution containing SC1 (ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, and water mixture) or the like.

As described above, the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment (for example, the substrate processing apparatus 1) has a carrier mounting table (for example, the carrier mounting table 24), a substrate mounting table (for example, the substrate mounting table 31), a single wafer processing section (for example, the peripheral cleaning processing section 41), a first transport section (for example, the substrate transport mechanism 42), a lot mounting table (for example, the lot mounting table 32), a second transport section (for example, the substrate transport mechanism 30), a batch processing section (for example, the etching processing section 60, the cleaning processing section 70, and the drying processing section 90), and a control section (for example, the control section 7). The carrier mounting table mounts a carrier (for example, the carrier C) that accommodates multiple substrates (for example, the wafer W). The substrate mounting table can mount multiple substrates. The single wafer processing section cleans the substrates one by one. The first transport section transports the substrates one by one between the substrate mounting table and the single wafer processing section. The lot mounting table can mount a lot including multiple substrates. The second transport unit transports multiple substrates between the carrier, the substrate placement table, and the lot placement table. The batch processing unit processes lots in bulk. The control unit cleans the substrates in the single wafer processing unit before the lot is processed in the batch processing unit, and causes the first transport unit and the second transport unit to transport the substrates from the single wafer processing unit to the lot placement table via the substrate placement table. Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment can suppress adhesion of particles to the substrates.

The substrate mounting table may also have a number of shelves (for example, shelf 311) arranged in multiple stages with a gap between them, and a support (for example, support 312) provided on each of the shelves to support each of the substrates from below. Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment suppresses the generation of particles due to contact between the substrate mounting table and the peripheral edge of the substrate.

The substrate mounting stage may be capable of mounting 25 to 150 of the substrates. Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment can efficiently transport substrates from the single-wafer processing section to the lot mounting stage via the substrate mounting stage.

The first transport unit may also have a holder that holds the underside of the substrate. The holder may also hold the underside of the substrate by vacuum suction. Therefore, according to the substrate processing apparatus of the embodiment, the first transport unit can efficiently transport the substrate.

The second transport unit may also have a holder that holds the substrates. The second transport unit may then use a first surface of the holder to remove the multiple substrates from the carrier before they are cleaned in the single-wafer processing unit and place them on the substrate placement table. The second transport unit may then use a second surface, different from the first surface of the holder, to remove the multiple substrates from the substrate placement table after they have been cleaned in the single-wafer processing unit and place them on the lot placement table. Thus, according to the substrate processing apparatus of the embodiment, contamination of the multiple substrates after they have been cleaned in the single-wafer processing unit can be suppressed.

The single wafer processing unit may also have an edge cleaning processing unit (edge cleaning processing unit 41, as an example) that cleans the edge of the substrate. The edge cleaning processing unit may also clean the edge of the substrate using at least one of a chemical solution, a mixed fluid, and a brush. Therefore, according to the substrate processing apparatus of the embodiment, particles can be removed from the edge of the substrate.

The chemical liquid may be at least one selected from deionized water, SC1 (a mixture of ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, and water), hydrogen peroxide, ozone water, dilute hydrofluoric acid (DHF), hydrofluoric nitric acid, and SPM (a mixture of sulfuric acid, hydrogen peroxide, and water). The mixed fluid may be a mixture of an inert gas and deionized water or an alkaline aqueous solution. The brush may have a sponge-like cleaning member made of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). Therefore, according to the substrate processing apparatus of the embodiment, particles can be efficiently removed from the peripheral portion of the substrate.

The batch processing unit may also perform an etching process to remove a film or an etching process to form a pattern. Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment can be applied to a variety of etching processes.

The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. Indeed, the above-described embodiments may be embodied in various forms. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various forms without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Substrate processing apparatus 2 Carrier loading/unloading section 3 Lot formation section 4 Single wafer processing section 5 Lot transport section 6 Batch processing section 7 Control section 8 Storage medium 20 Carrier stage 21 Carrier transport mechanism 22 Carrier stock 24 Carrier placement table 30 Substrate transport mechanism 31 Substrate placement table 32 Lot placement table 33 Lot placement table 41 Edge cleaning processing section 42 Substrate transport mechanism 50 Lot transport mechanism 51 Rail 52 Movable body 53 Substrate holder 60 Etching processing section 61 Processing bath 62 Processing bath 63 Lot lift mechanism 64 Lot lift mechanism 70 Cleaning processing section 71 Processing bath 72 Processing bath 73 Lot lift mechanism 74 Lot lift mechanism 80 Substrate holder cleaning processing section 90 Drying processing section 91 Processing bath 92 Lot lift mechanism C Carrier W Wafer

Claims (13)

a carrier placement table for placing a carrier containing a plurality of substrates;
a substrate mounting table on which a plurality of the substrates can be mounted;
a single-wafer processing section for cleaning the substrates one by one;
a first transport unit that transports the substrates one by one between the substrate placement table and the single substrate processing unit;
a lot placement stage capable of placing a lot including a plurality of the substrates;
a second transport unit configured to transport the substrates between the carrier, the substrate placement table, and the lot placement table;
a batch processing section for processing the lots in a batch;
A control unit for controlling each unit;
The control unit is
cleaning the substrate in the single wafer processing section before processing the lot in the batch processing section;
a substrate processing apparatus configured to cause the first transfer unit and the second transfer unit to transfer the substrate from the single wafer processing unit to the lot mounting table via the substrate mounting table. The substrate mounting table is
A plurality of shelves arranged in multiple stages at intervals from each other;
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a support member provided on each of the plurality of shelves for supporting each of the plurality of substrates from below. The substrate mounting table is
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein 25 to 150 of the substrates can be placed on the substrate processing apparatus. The first transport unit is
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a holder for holding a lower surface of the substrate. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the holder holds the bottom surface of the substrate by vacuum suction. The second conveying unit is
A holder for holding a substrate is provided.
2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein a first surface of the holder is used to remove the plurality of substrates from the carrier before they are cleaned in the single wafer processing unit and place them on the substrate mounting table, and a second surface different from the first surface of the holder is used to remove the plurality of substrates from the substrate mounting table after they have been cleaned in the single wafer processing unit and place them on the lot mounting table. The single wafer processing section includes:
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an edge cleaning processing section for cleaning an edge portion of the substrate. The peripheral cleaning processing unit includes:
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the peripheral portion of the substrate is cleaned using at least one of a chemical solution, a mixed fluid, and a brush. The chemical solution is
9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the chemical solution is at least one selected from the group consisting of deionized water, SC1 (a mixture of ammonia, hydrogen peroxide and water), hydrogen peroxide solution, ozone water, dilute hydrofluoric acid (DHF), hydrofluoric nitric acid (a mixture of hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid), and SPM (a mixture of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide solution). The mixed fluid is
9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the fluid is a mixture of an inert gas and deionized water or an alkaline aqueous solution. The brush is
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising a sponge-like cleaning member made of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The batch processing unit includes:
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an etching process for removing a film or an etching process for forming a pattern is performed. a carrier placement table for placing a carrier containing a plurality of substrates;
a substrate mounting table on which a plurality of the substrates can be mounted;
a single wafer processing section for cleaning the substrates one by one;
a first transport unit that transports the substrates one by one between the substrate placement table and the single substrate processing unit;
a lot placement stage capable of placing a lot including a plurality of the substrates;
a second transport unit configured to transport the substrates between the carrier, the substrate placement table, and the lot placement table;
a batch processing section for processing the lot collectively,
cleaning the substrate in the single wafer processing section before processing the lot in the batch processing section;
causing the first transfer unit and the second transfer unit to transfer the substrate from the single wafer processing unit to the lot mounting table via the substrate mounting table.

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