KR20240081353A - Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

(Task) Suppress particles from adhering to the substrate.
(Solution) A substrate processing apparatus includes a carrier table, a substrate stage, a sheetfed processing unit, a first transport unit, a lot tray, a second transport unit, a batch processing unit, and a control unit. have The carrier placement table places carriers containing a plurality of substrates. The substrate mounting table can place multiple substrates. The sheet wafer processing section cleans the substrates one by one. The first transport unit transports the substrates one by one between the substrate mounting table and the sheet wafer processing unit. The lot placement table is capable of placing a lot containing a plurality of substrates. The second transport unit transports a plurality of substrates between the carrier, the substrate mounting table, and the lot mounting table. The batch processing unit processes lots in batches. Before processing the lot in the batch processing unit, the control unit cleans the substrate in the sheet wafer processing unit and transports the substrate from the sheet wafer processing unit through the substrate tray to the lot tray to the first transport unit and the second transport unit.

Description

Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method {SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD}

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

Conventionally, substrate processing is equipped with both a single-wafer processing unit (sheet processing unit) that processes substrates such as semiconductor wafers one by one, and a batch processing unit (batch processing unit) that processes multiple substrates at once. The device is known.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 4522295

The present disclosure provides a technology that can suppress particles from adhering to a substrate.

A substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a carrier table, a substrate table, a sheetfed processing unit, a first transport unit, a lot tray, a second transport unit, and a batch processing unit. , has a control unit. The carrier placement table places carriers containing a plurality of substrates. The substrate mounting table can place multiple substrates. The sheet wafer processing unit cleans the substrates one by one. The first transport unit transports the substrates one by one between the substrate mounting table and the sheet wafer processing unit. The lot placement table is capable of placing a lot containing a plurality of substrates. The second transport unit transports a plurality of substrates between the carrier, the substrate mounting table, and the lot mounting table. The batch processing department processes lots in batches. Before processing the lot in the batch processing unit, the control unit cleans the substrate in the sheet wafer processing unit and transports the substrate from the sheet wafer processing unit through the substrate tray to the lot tray to the first transport unit and the second transport unit.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to suppress particles from adhering to the substrate.

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 a substrate mounting table according to the embodiment.
Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a peripheral edge cleaning processing unit according to the embodiment.
Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a processing tank for etching according to the embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the sequence of processing performed by the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of comparison of the number of particles in comparative examples and examples.

Below, an embodiment (hereinafter referred to as “embodiment”) for implementing the substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Meanwhile, the present disclosure is not limited to this embodiment. Additionally, each embodiment can be appropriately combined as long as the processing contents do not conflict. In addition, in each of the following embodiments, the same parts are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

Additionally, in the embodiments shown below, the expressions "constant", "orthogonal", "perpendicular", or "parallel" may be used, but these expressions are strictly "constant", "orthogonal", "perpendicular" or It does not have to be “parallel.” That is, each of the above expressions allows for differences in manufacturing precision, installation precision, etc., for example.

In addition, in each drawing referred to below, in order to make the explanation easier to understand, the there is. Additionally, the rotation direction with the vertical axis as the rotation center may be called the θ direction.

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

In addition, in this substrate processing apparatus, a plurality of substrates after being processed in the sheet wafer processing unit are stored in a container, the containers are transported from a stage adjacent to the sheet wafer processing unit to a stage adjacent to the batch processing unit, and the plurality of substrates are taken out from the container. Return it to the batch processing department.

However, in the above-described prior art, when a substrate before being processed in a batch processing unit is accommodated in a container, there is a risk that particles resulting from contact between the holding mechanism installed in the container and the substrate may adhere to the substrate. Additionally, particles attached to the substrate remain as foreign matter on the substrate after processing in the batch processing unit and become a cause of problems for the substrate.

Therefore, technology that can prevent particles from adhering to a substrate is expected.

<Overview of substrate processing system>

First, the schematic structure of the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1 . FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a 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 unit 2, a lot forming unit 3, a sheet wafer processing unit 4, and a lot transport unit 5. and a batch processing unit 6 and a control unit 7.

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

The carrier stage 20 places a plurality of carriers C transported from the outside. The carrier C is a container that accommodates a plurality of wafers W (for example, 25 sheets) side by side up and down in a horizontal position. The carrier C has a holding mechanism therein, and holds a peripheral edge of each wafer W by this holding mechanism, thereby supporting a plurality of wafers W in a horizontal position. The carrier transport mechanism 21 transports the carrier 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 table 24, a plurality of wafers W before processing are transferred to the batch processing unit 6 by the substrate transport mechanism 30, which will be described later. Additionally, a plurality of processed wafers W are loaded into the carrier C placed on the carrier mounting table 24 from the batch processing unit 6 side by the substrate transport mechanism 30 .

The lot forming unit 3 has a substrate transport mechanism 30 (an example of the second transport unit), a substrate holder 31, and lot holders 32 and 33, and forms a lot. The lot consists of a plurality of wafers W (for example, 50 sheets) that are processed simultaneously by combining the wafers W accommodated in one or a plurality of carriers C. A plurality of wafers W forming one lot are arranged at regular intervals with their plates facing each other.

The substrate transport mechanism 30 transports the carrier C placed on the carrier table 24 and a plurality of wafers W between the substrate table 31 and the lot tables 32 and 33. The substrate transport mechanism 30 is comprised of, for example, an articulated robot, and transports a plurality of wafers W (for example, 25 sheets) at a time. Additionally, the substrate transport mechanism 30 can change the posture of the plurality of wafers W from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture during transportation.

In addition, the substrate transport mechanism 30 has a holding body that holds the wafers W, and uses the first surface of the holding body to collect a plurality of wafers from the carrier C before being cleaned in the sheet wafer processing unit 4 ( W) is taken out and placed in a horizontal position on the substrate mounting table 31. Then, the substrate transport mechanism 30 takes out the plurality of wafers W after being cleaned in the sheet wafer processing unit 4 from the substrate holder 31 using the second surface different from the first surface of the holding body. Then, place it on the lot platform 32 in a vertical position.

The substrate mounting table 31 can temporarily place a plurality of wafers W before being cleaned in the sheet wafer processing unit 4 and a plurality of wafers W after being cleaned in the sheet wafer processing unit 4. The substrate mounting table 31 can place 25 to 150 wafers W. Both the substrate transfer mechanism 30 and the substrate transfer mechanism 42, which will be described later, are accessible to the substrate mounting table 31. Details of the substrate mounting table 31 will be described later.

The lot placement tables 32 and 33 can temporarily place (stand by) the lot being transported between the lot forming unit 3 and the batch processing unit 6 by the lot transport unit 5 . The lot placement table 32 places the unprocessed lot formed by the lot forming unit 3, and the lot placement table 33 places the lot processed in the batch processing unit 6. A plurality of wafers W for one lot are placed in a vertical position on the lot table 32 and the lot 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 is installed on a plurality of shelves 311 arranged in multiple stages at intervals from each other and on each of the plurality of shelves 311 to store a plurality of wafers ( It has a support body 312 supporting each of W) from the lower side.

In this way, the support body 312 supports the wafer W from the lower side, so that contact between the substrate table 31 and the peripheral edge of the wafer W is avoided, and the contact between the substrate table 31 and the wafer W is prevented. The generation of particles due to contact with the peripheral edge is suppressed.

Return to the description of Figure 1. The sheet wafer processing unit 4 cleans the wafers W one by one. In the sheet wafer processing unit 4, a plurality (here, two) peripheral edge cleaning processing units 41 and a substrate transport mechanism 42 (first transport unit) are disposed. A plurality of peripheral edge cleaning processing units 41 and substrate transport mechanisms 42 are arranged along the Y-axis direction. As an example, the substrate transport mechanism 42 is disposed on one side of the lot forming unit 3 in the Y-axis direction (here, the Y-axis positive direction side). Additionally, on the opposite side from the lot forming unit 3 with the substrate transport mechanism 42 in between, a plurality of peripheral edge cleaning processing units 41 are arranged side by side along the X-axis direction.

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

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

The substrate transport mechanism 42 has a holding body that holds the lower surface of the wafer W. The holding body holds the lower surface of the wafer W by vacuum adsorption. The substrate transport mechanism 42 is capable of moving in the horizontal and vertical directions and rotating around the vertical axis, and transports the wafer W using a holding body.

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

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

The chamber 410 accommodates a substrate holding mechanism 420, a supply unit 430, and a recovery cup 440. A Fun Filter Unit (FFU) 411 that forms a downflow within the chamber 410 is installed on the ceiling of the chamber 410.

The substrate holding mechanism 420 includes a holding portion 421 that holds the wafer W horizontally, a holding member 422 extending in the vertical direction to support the holding portion 421, and a holding member 422. It is provided with a driving unit 423 that rotates around the vertical axis.

The holding unit 421 is connected to a suction device (not shown) such as a vacuum pump, and uses the negative pressure generated by the suction of this suction device to adsorb the lower surface of the wafer W to level the wafer W. keep it as As the holding portion 421, for example, a porous chuck or an electrostatic chuck can be used.

The holding portion 421 has an adsorption area with a smaller diameter than that of the wafer W. As a result, the chemical liquid discharged from the lower nozzle 432 of the supply unit 430, which will be described later, can be supplied to the lower peripheral edge 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 through 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 to the upper surface peripheral edge of the wafer W held in the substrate holding mechanism 420 . Additionally, the lower nozzle 432 discharges the chemical liquid supplied from the chemical liquid supply source 453 to the lower peripheral edge of the wafer W held in the substrate holding mechanism 420 . As the chemical solution, at least one chemical solution selected from deionized water, SC1 (mixture of ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, and water), hydrogen peroxide water, ozone water, dilute hydrofluoric acid (DHF), hydrofluoric acid, and SPM (mixture of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide) can be used. there is. Hydronitric acid is a mixed solution of hydrofluoric acid (HF) and nitric acid (HNO ₃ ).

Additionally, the supply unit 430 is provided with 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 solution to the wafer W can be changed.

The recovery cup 440 is arranged to surround the substrate holding mechanism 420 . At the bottom of the recovery cup 440, there is 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. is formed.

The peripheral edge cleaning processing unit 41 is configured as described above, and holds the lower surface of the wafer W by holding the holding unit 421, and then rotates the holding unit 421 using the driving unit 423 to remove the wafer W. Rotate (W). Then, the peripheral edge cleaning processing unit 41 discharges the chemical liquid from the upper nozzle 431 toward the upper peripheral edge of the rotating wafer W, and also discharges the chemical liquid from the lower nozzle 432 toward the lower surface of the rotating wafer W. Discharge the chemical solution toward the peripheral edge. As a result, contamination such as particles attached to the bevel portion of the wafer W is removed.

Meanwhile, after performing the peripheral edge cleaning process, the peripheral edge cleaning unit 41 discharges a rinse liquid such as deionized water from the upper nozzle 431 and the lower nozzle 432 to the bevel portion of the wafer W. Rinsing treatment to wash away the remaining chemical solution may be performed. Additionally, the peripheral edge cleaning processing unit 41 may perform a drying process for drying the wafer W by rotating the wafer W after the rinsing process.

In addition, here, a case is exemplified where the peripheral edge cleaning processing unit 41 performs peripheral cleaning processing to clean the peripheral portion of the wafer W using a chemical solution. However, the peripheral edge cleaning processing does not necessarily require using a chemical solution. does not exist. For example, the peripheral edge cleaning processing unit 41 may clean the peripheral edge of the wafer W using a mixed fluid or a brush instead of a chemical solution. Additionally, for example, the peripheral edge cleaning unit 41 may clean the peripheral edge of the wafer W using at least one of a chemical solution, a mixed fluid, and a brush. As a 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, for example, at least one of TMAH (TetraMethylAmmonium Hydroxide), choline aqueous solution, SC1 (mixture of ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, and water), and functional water. As the brush, for example, a brush having a sponge-type cleaning member containing polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) can be used.

Return to the description of Figure 1. The lot transport unit 5 has a lot transport mechanism 50, and transports the lot between the lot placement tables 32 and 33 of the lot forming unit 3 and the batch processing unit 6 or inside the batch processing unit 6. Perform return. The lot transport mechanism 50 has a rail 51, a moving body 52, and a substrate holding body 53.

The rail 51 is disposed along the The moving body 52 is configured to be movable along the rail 51 while holding the plurality of wafers W. The substrate holding body 53 is installed on the moving body 52 and holds a plurality of wafers W arranged back and forth in a vertical position.

The batch processing unit 6 performs an etching process, a cleaning process, a drying process, etc. on a lot formed of a plurality of wafers W arranged front and rear in a vertical position. The batch processing unit 6 includes a plurality of etching processing units 60 (here, two), a cleaning processing unit 70, a substrate holding body cleaning processing unit 80, and a drying processing unit 90 along the rail 51. are placed side by side.

The etching processing unit 60 performs etching processing on the lot. The cleaning processing unit 70 performs cleaning processing 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 drying processing on the lot. Meanwhile, 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 unit 60 is provided with 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 a processing liquid for etching (hereinafter also referred to as “etching liquid”) is stored. Details of the treatment tank 61 will be described later.

In the treatment tank 62, a treatment liquid for rinsing (for example, deionized water) is stored. In the lot lifting mechanisms 63 and 64, a plurality of wafers W forming the lot are held side by side back and forth in a vertical position.

The etching processing unit 60 holds the lot transported by the lot transport unit 5 with the lot lifting mechanism 63 and immerses it in the etching liquid of the processing tank 61 to perform etching treatment.

The lot that has been etched in the processing tank 61 is transported to the processing tank 62 by the lot transport unit 5 . Then, the etching processing unit 60 holds the conveyed lot with the lot lifting mechanism 64 and performs rinsing treatment by immersing the lot in the rinse liquid of the processing tank 62. The lot that has been rinsed in the processing tank 62 is transported to the processing tank 71 of the cleaning processing section 70 by the lot conveying section 5.

The cleaning processing unit 70 includes a processing tank 71 for cleaning, a processing tank 72 for rinsing, and lot lifting mechanisms 73 and 74. In the cleaning treatment tank 71, for example, SC1 (a mixed solution of ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, and water) is stored as a cleaning treatment liquid.

In the rinsing treatment tank 72, a rinsing treatment liquid (for example, deionized water) is stored. In the lot lifting mechanisms 73 and 74, a plurality of wafers W for one lot are held side by side back and forth in a vertical position.

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

The lot that has been washed in the processing tank 71 is transported to the processing tank 72 by the lot transport unit 5 . Then, the cleaning processing unit 70 holds the conveyed lot with the lot lifting mechanism 74 and performs rinsing treatment by immersing the lot in the rinse liquid of the processing tank 72 . The lot that has been rinsed in the processing tank 72 is transported to the processing tank 91 of the drying processing section 90 by the lot conveying section 5.

The drying processing unit 90 has a processing tank 91 and a lot lifting mechanism 92. A processing gas for drying (eg, IPA (isopropyl alcohol), etc.) is supplied to the treatment tank 91. In the lot lifting mechanism 92, a plurality of wafers W for one lot are held side by side back and forth in a vertical position.

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

The substrate holder cleaning processing unit 80 supplies a cleaning processing liquid to the substrate holder 53 of the lot transfer mechanism 50 and further supplies dry gas, thereby performing a cleaning process on the substrate holder 53. do it

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

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

As a method of adjusting the silicon concentration in the etching solution, a method of dissolving silicon by immersing a dummy substrate in an aqueous phosphoric acid solution (seasoning) or a method of dissolving a silicon-containing compound such as colloidal silica in an aqueous phosphoric acid solution can be used. Additionally, the silicon concentration may 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 with an open top, and stores the etching liquid inside. A lot formed by a plurality of wafers W is immersed in the inner tank 101. The outer tank 102 has an open upper side and is disposed around the upper part of the inner tank 101. The etchant overflowing from the inner tank 101 flows into the outer tank 102 .

Additionally, the treatment tank 61 is provided with a phosphoric acid aqueous solution supply section 103, a silicon supply section 104, and a DIW supply section 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 source 131 supplies an aqueous phosphoric acid solution whose phosphoric acid concentration has been concentrated to a desired concentration. The phosphoric acid aqueous solution supply line 132 connects the phosphoric acid aqueous solution source 131 and the outer tank 102, and supplies the phosphoric acid aqueous solution from the phosphoric acid aqueous solution source 131 to the outer tank 102.

The flow rate regulator 133 is installed in the phosphoric acid aqueous solution supply line 132 and adjusts the supply amount of the 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 rate regulator 143.

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

The flow rate regulator 143 is installed in the silicon supply line 142 and adjusts the supply 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. By adjusting the supply amount of the silicon-containing compound aqueous solution by the flow rate regulator 143, the silicon concentration of the etching solution is adjusted.

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 moisture evaporated by heating the etching liquid.

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

The flow rate regulator 153 is installed in the DIW supply line 152 and adjusts the supply amount of DIW supplied to the external tank 102. The flow regulator 153 is composed of an on-off valve, a flow control valve, a flow meter, etc. By adjusting the supply amount of DIW by the flow rate regulator 153, the temperature, phosphoric acid concentration, and silicon concentration of the etching liquid are adjusted.

Additionally, the treatment tank 61 is provided with a circulation section 106. The circulation unit 106 circulates the etching liquid between the inner tank 101 and the outer tank 102. The circulation unit 106 includes a circulation line 161, a plurality of processing liquid 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 disposed inside the inner tank 101.

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

The circulation unit 106 sends the etching liquid from the outer tank 102 into the inner tank 101 via the circulation line 161 and a plurality of processing liquid supply nozzles 162. The etching solution sent into the inner tank 101 overflows from the inner tank 101 and flows out into the outer tank 102 again. In this way, the etching liquid circulates between the inner tank 101 and the outer tank 102.

On the other hand, the circulation section 106 may heat the etching liquid with the heater 164 to bring the etching liquid into a boiling state.

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

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

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

Examples of storage media 8 that can be read by a computer include hard disks (HD), flexible disks (FD), compact disks (CD), magnet optical disks (MO), and memory cards.

<Specific operation of substrate processing device 1>

Next, the processing sequence performed by the substrate processing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 5 . FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the sequence of processing performed by the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment. Each process shown in FIG. 5 is executed under control by the control unit 7.

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

The processing of step S101 will be explained with reference to FIG. 1. First, the carrier transport mechanism 21 takes out the carrier C from the carrier stage 20 and places it on the carrier placement table 24. Then, the substrate transport mechanism 30 takes out the plurality of wafers W from the carrier C placed on the carrier table 24, and changes the posture of the plurality of wafers W taken out from the horizontal posture to the vertical posture. Change to , and place the plurality of 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 body 312 (see FIG. 2).

At the stage where the loading process is completed, particles resulting from contact between the holding mechanism in the carrier C and the peripheral edge of the wafer W are attached to the peripheral edge (bevel portion) of the wafer.

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

The processing of step S102 will be explained with reference to FIG. 1. First, the substrate transport mechanism 42 takes out one wafer W from the substrate mounting table 31 and holds the holding portion 421 of the substrate holding mechanism 420 (see FIG. 3) in the peripheral edge cleaning processing portion 41. ) (see FIG. 3) delivers the wafer (W).

The peripheral edge cleaning processing unit 41 supplies a chemical solution to the upper and lower peripheral edges of the wafer W while rotating the holding portion 421 of the substrate holding mechanism 420 . As a result, particles attached to the bevel portion of the wafer W are removed.

Next, the substrate processing apparatus 1 transfers the wafer W from the sheet wafer processing unit 4 to the lot placement table 32 through the substrate placement table 31 using the substrate transfer mechanism 42 and the substrate transfer mechanism 30. ) to form a lot containing a plurality of wafers W (for example, 25 sheets) after cleaning (step S103).

The processing of step S103 will be explained with reference to FIG. 1. First, the substrate transport mechanism 42 takes out one cleaned wafer W from the peripheral edge cleaning processing unit 41 of the sheet wafer processing unit 4 and places it on the substrate placing table 31. By repeating this operation 25 times or more, 25 or more cleaned wafers W are placed on the substrate mounting table 31. Then, the substrate transport mechanism 30 takes out a plurality of wafers W (for example, 25 sheets) from the substrate holder 31, and changes the posture of the plurality of wafers W taken out from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture. Change to , and place the plurality of wafers W on the lot placement table 32. By repeating this operation twice, a lot is formed.

In this way, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment includes a sheet wafer processing unit ( In 4), the wafer (W) is cleaned. Then, the substrate processing apparatus 1 transfers the wafer W from the sheet wafer processing unit 4 to the lot tray 32 through the substrate tray 31 using a substrate transport mechanism 42 and a substrate transport mechanism 30. ) and run it. For this reason, the wafer W after being cleaned in the sheet wafer processing unit 4 is not accommodated in the carrier C but is transported to the lot placement table 32. As a result, according to the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment, it is possible to avoid contact between the holding mechanism in the carrier C and the peripheral edge of the wafer W after cleaning, preventing particles from adhering 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 basis, not on a per wafer (W) basis.

The processing of step S104 will be explained with reference to FIG. 1. First, the lot transfer mechanism 50 receives the lot from the lot placement table 32 and transfers it to the lot lifting mechanism 63 of the etching processing unit 60. The etching processing unit 60 holds the lot delivered from the lot transport mechanism 50 with the lot lifting mechanism 63 and immerses it in the etching liquid of the processing tank 61 to perform etching treatment.

The lot that has been etched in the processing tank 61 is transported to the processing tank 62 by the lot conveyance mechanism 50 . Then, the etching processing unit 60 holds the conveyed lot with the lot lifting mechanism 64 and performs rinsing treatment by immersing the lot in the rinse liquid of 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 processing of step S105 will be explained with reference to FIG. 1. First, the lot transfer mechanism 50 receives the lot from the lot lift mechanism 64 and delivers it to the lot lift mechanism 73 of the cleaning processing unit 70 . Then, the cleaning processing unit 70 holds the lot delivered from the lot transport mechanism 50 with the lot lifting mechanism 73 and performs cleaning processing by immersing the lot in the cleaning liquid of the processing tank 71 .

The lot that has been washed in the processing tank 71 is transported to the processing tank 72 by the lot transport mechanism 50 . Then, the cleaning processing unit 70 holds the conveyed lot with the lot lifting mechanism 74 and performs rinsing treatment by immersing the lot in the rinse liquid of the processing tank 72 .

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

The processing of step S106 will be explained with reference to FIG. 1. First, the lot transport mechanism 50 receives the lot from the lot lift mechanism 74 and delivers it to the lot lift mechanism 92 of the drying processing unit 90. Then, the drying processing unit 90 holds the lot delivered from the lot transfer mechanism 50 with the lot lifting mechanism 92 and performs drying processing using the drying process gas supplied into the processing tank 91. .

Next, the substrate processing apparatus 1 performs an unloading process to accommodate the plurality of wafers W forming the dry lot in the carrier C (step S107).

The processing of step S107 will be explained with reference to FIG. 1. First, the lot transfer mechanism 50 receives the lot after drying from the lot lifting mechanism 92 . Then, the lot transfer mechanism 50 places the received lot on the lot placement table 33. Then, the substrate transport mechanism 30 takes out a plurality of wafers W forming a lot from the lot holder 33 and changes the posture of the plurality of wafers W taken out from a vertical posture to a horizontal posture. , a plurality of wafers (W) are accommodated in the carrier (C) placed on the carrier mounting table (24).

<Experiment results>

Next, using FIG. 6, experimental results of a comparative example in which cleaning is not performed in the sheetfed processing unit 4 and an example according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of comparison of the number of particles in comparative examples and examples. The comparative example shown in FIG. 6 is a case in which the process in step S102 in FIG. 5 is not performed, that is, cleaning in the sheet wafer processing unit 4 is not performed. In addition, in the comparative example, in step S103 of FIG. 5, a plurality of wafers W are respectively taken out from the two carriers C by the substrate transfer mechanism 30, and the plurality of wafers W accommodated in each carrier C are (W) forms a lot. Additionally, in FIG. 6, black dots represent results obtained by measuring the number of particles for a plurality of wafers W.

As shown in Figure 6, in the comparative example, the median and maximum values of the distribution of the number of particles were greater than 85. In contrast, in the examples, the median and maximum values of the distribution of the number of particles were smaller than 85. In this way, in the Example, the number of particles was able to be reduced compared to the Comparative Example.

<Other variations>

In the above-described embodiment, an etching process of removing the silicon oxide film of the wafer W using an etching solution containing phosphoric acid or the like is exemplified as a process by the batch processing unit 6. However, the processing by the batch processing unit 6 is not limited to the exemplified etching treatment, etc. For example, the batch processing unit 6 may perform any etching process as long as it is an etching process to remove the film or an etching process to form a pattern. For example, the process by the batch processing unit 6 may be an etching process to remove the W (tungsten) film or Mo (molybdenum) film of the wafer W using an etching solution containing phosphoric acid, acetic acid, nitric acid, etc. Additionally, for example, the processing by the batch processing unit 6 may be an etching treatment that removes the polysilicon film of the wafer W using an etching solution containing SC1 (a mixed solution of ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, and water) or the like.

As described above, the substrate processing apparatus (as an example, the substrate processing apparatus 1) according to the embodiment includes a carrier holder (as an example, the carrier holder 24) and a substrate holder (as an example, the substrate holder 31). )), a sheetfed processing unit (as an example, a peripheral edge cleaning processing unit 41), a first transport unit (as an example, a substrate transport mechanism 42), and a lot tray (as an example, a lot tray 32), A second transport unit (for example, the substrate transport mechanism 30), a batch processing unit (for example, an etching processing unit 60, a cleaning processing unit 70, and a drying processing unit 90), and a control unit (for example, the control unit 7). have The carrier placement table places a carrier (as an example, a carrier C) that accommodates a plurality of substrates (as an example, a wafer W). The substrate mounting table can place multiple substrates. The sheet wafer processing section cleans the substrates one by one. The first transport unit transports the substrates one by one between the substrate mounting table and the sheet wafer processing unit. The lot placement table is capable of placing a lot containing a plurality of substrates. The second transport unit transports a plurality of substrates between the carrier, the substrate mounting table, and the lot mounting table. The batch processing unit processes lots in batches. Before processing the lot in the batch processing unit, the control unit cleans the substrate in the sheet wafer processing unit and transports the substrate from the sheet wafer processing unit through the substrate tray to the lot tray to the first transport unit and the second transport unit. Therefore, according to the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment, it is possible to suppress particles from adhering to the substrate.

In addition, the substrate mounting table includes a plurality of shelves (shelf bodies 311 as an example) arranged in multiple stages at intervals from each other, and a support body installed on each of the plurality of shelves and supporting each of the plurality of substrates from the lower side. (As an example, a support body 312) may be provided. Therefore, according to the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment, the generation of particles due to contact between the substrate mounting table and the peripheral edge portion of the substrate is suppressed.

Additionally, the substrate placement table may be capable of placing 25 or more or 150 or more of the above-described substrates. Therefore, according to the substrate processing device according to the embodiment, transport of the substrate from the sheet wafer processing unit through the substrate mounting table to the lot mounting table can be made efficient.

Additionally, the first transport unit may have a holding body that holds the lower surface of the substrate. Additionally, the holding body may hold the lower surface of the substrate by vacuum adsorption. Therefore, according to the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment, the substrate can be transported efficiently by the first transport unit.

Additionally, the second transport unit may have a holding body that holds the substrate. Then, the second transport unit may use the first surface of the holding body to take out a plurality of substrates from the carrier before being cleaned in the sheet wafer processing unit and place them on the substrate tray. The second transport unit may use a second surface different from the first surface of the holding body to take out a plurality of substrates after being cleaned in the sheet wafer processing unit from the substrate tray and place them on the lot tray. Therefore, according to the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment, contamination on a plurality of substrates after being cleaned in the sheet wafer processing unit can be suppressed.

Additionally, the sheet wafer processing unit may have a peripheral edge cleaning processing unit (peripheral edge cleaning processing unit 41 as an example) that cleans the peripheral edge of the substrate. Additionally, the peripheral edge cleaning processing unit may clean the peripheral 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 according to the embodiment, particles can be removed from the peripheral edge of the substrate.

In addition, the chemical solution may be at least one chemical solution selected from deionized water, SC1 (a mixture of ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, and water), hydrogen peroxide water, ozone water, diluted hydrofluoric acid (DHF), hydrofluoric acid, and SPM (a mixture of sulfuric acid, hydrogen peroxide, and water). good night. Additionally, the mixed fluid may be a mixed fluid of an inert gas and deionized water or an alkaline aqueous solution. Additionally, the brush may have a sponge-type cleaning member containing polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). Therefore, according to the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment, particles can be efficiently removed from the peripheral edge of the substrate.

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

The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. In fact, the above embodiments may be implemented in various forms. In addition, the above-described embodiments may be omitted, replaced, or changed in various forms without departing from the scope of the appended claims and their spirit.

Claims (13)

A substrate processing device, comprising:
A carrier mounting table for placing a carrier accommodating a plurality of substrates,
a substrate mounting table capable of placing a plurality of the substrates;
A sheet wafer processing unit that cleans the substrates one by one,
a first transport unit that transports the substrates one by one between the substrate holder and the sheet wafer processing unit;
a lot placement table capable of placing a lot containing a plurality of the above substrates;
a second transport unit transporting the plurality of substrates between the carrier, the substrate holder, and the lot holder;
A batch processing unit that processes the lots in batches,
Control unit that controls each part
Including,
The control unit,
Before processing the lot in the batch processing section, cleaning the substrate in the sheetfed processing section,
A substrate processing apparatus, wherein the first transport unit and the second transport unit carry out transport of the substrate from the sheet wafer processing unit to the lot tray through the substrate tray. According to paragraph 1,
The substrate mounting stand,
A plurality of shelves arranged in multiple stages at intervals from each other,
A substrate processing apparatus having a support body installed on each of the plurality of shelves and supporting each of the plurality of substrates from below. According to paragraph 1,
The substrate mounting stand,
A substrate processing device capable of mounting 25 or more or 150 or more of the above-described substrates. According to paragraph 1,
The first transport unit,
A substrate processing device having a holding body that holds the lower surface of the substrate. According to clause 4,
The holding body holds the lower surface of the substrate by vacuum adsorption. According to paragraph 1,
The second transport unit,
It has a holding body that holds the substrate,
Using the first surface of the holding body, the plurality of substrates before being cleaned in the sheet wafer processing unit are taken out from the carrier and placed on the substrate mounting table, and a second surface different from the first surface of the holding body is provided. A substrate processing apparatus, wherein the plurality of substrates after being cleaned in the sheet wafer processing unit are taken out from the substrate holder and placed on the lot holder. According to paragraph 1,
The sheetfed processing unit,
A substrate processing apparatus comprising a peripheral edge cleaning processing unit that cleans a peripheral edge portion of the substrate. In clause 7,
The peripheral edge cleaning unit,
A substrate processing device for cleaning the peripheral edge of the substrate using at least one of a chemical solution, a mixed fluid, and a brush. According to clause 8,
The chemical solution is,
At least one chemical solution selected from deionized water, SC1 (mixture of ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, and water), hydrogen peroxide water, ozone water, dilute hydrofluoric acid (DHF), hydrofluoric acid (mixture of hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid), and SPM (mixture of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide) A substrate processing device. According to clause 8,
The mixed fluid is,
A substrate processing device comprising a mixed fluid of an inert gas and deionized water or an alkaline aqueous solution. According to clause 8,
The brush is,
A substrate processing apparatus having a sponge-type cleaning member containing polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). According to paragraph 1,
The batch processing unit,
A substrate processing apparatus that performs an etching process to remove a film or an etching process to form a pattern. A carrier mounting table for placing a carrier accommodating a plurality of substrates,
a substrate mounting table capable of placing a plurality of the substrates;
A sheet wafer processing unit that cleans the substrates one by one,
a first transport unit that transports the substrates one by one between the substrate holder and the sheet wafer processing unit;
a lot placement table capable of placing a lot containing a plurality of the above substrates;
a second transport unit transporting the plurality of substrates between the carrier, the substrate holder, and the lot holder;
Batch processing unit that processes the above lots in batches
A substrate processing method using a substrate processing device comprising:
Before processing the lot in the batch processing section, cleaning the substrate in the sheetfed processing section,
A substrate processing method including a step of carrying out transport of the substrate from the sheet wafer processing unit to the lot tray through the substrate tray to the first transport unit and the second transport unit.