JP2011146592A - Substrate processing apparatus and method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate processing apparatus and method that can prevent a processing liquid supplied onto a substrate from flowing backward. <P>SOLUTION: A substrate W to be processed is moved by a roller conveyor 10 in a substrate advancing direction shown by an arrow FW. Over the surface of the substrate W being moved, a developer is filled by liquid filling nozzles 20 and 30 without any gap, and development processing advances. When a liquid film is formed on the substrate W, a fine differential pressure gage 40 detects an atmospheric pressure difference between a front-side space formed before the liquid filling nozzle 20 and a rear-side space formed behind it. A control unit 90 controls the supply flow rate of air supplied from a fan filter unit 50 to the rear-side space on the basis of the detection results of the fine differential pressure gage 40 so that the rear-side space is higher in pressure than the front-side space. When the rear-side space behind the liquid application nozzle 20 is made higher in pressure than the front-side space, the developer is prevented from flowing backward. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention provides a substrate processing for supplying a processing solution such as a developing solution or an etching solution to a thin plate-like precision electronic substrate (hereinafter simply referred to as “substrate”) such as a glass substrate or a semiconductor wafer for flat panel display (FPD). The present invention relates to an apparatus and a substrate processing method.

  Conventionally, a substrate processing process includes several processes in which a processing liquid is supplied to the upper surface of a substrate to perform liquid processing. For example, in the development processing of the substrate, the development processing is advanced by supplying a developing solution to the upper surface of the substrate to be processed which has been exposed to the pattern after forming the resist film. In the substrate etching process, an etching solution is supplied to the upper surface of the substrate to be processed on which a film such as an oxide film has been formed.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-228561 discloses a technique in which a substrate is moved in a horizontal direction by a roller conveyor, and a developer is supplied to the upper surface of the substrate from two liquid nozzles so as to pour liquid. In the substrate processing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, the developer is fastened to the downstream liquid accumulation nozzle to form a liquid accumulation surface for liquid accumulation on the surface of the substrate, whereby the developer is liquidated at high speed. So that it can be served.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-324751

  However, in the conventional substrate processing apparatus as disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is a possibility that the processing liquid supplied to the upper surface of the substrate flows backward as shown in FIG. In FIG. 6, the substrate W is moved in the direction of the arrow AR6 along the horizontal direction by a roller conveyor (not shown). The developer is supplied from the two liquid buildup nozzles 101 and 102 to the upper surface of the substrate W to be moved. The supplied developer is accumulated on the upper surface of the substrate W. Since the developer is discharged from the liquid buildup nozzles 101 and 102 fixedly installed on the upper surface of the substrate W moved in the direction of the arrow AR6, it is originally downstream of the liquid buildup nozzle 101 on the upper surface of the substrate W (the substrate W is The developer is deposited on the entire front surface in the direction of movement.

  However, the developer may flow backward to the upstream side of the liquid buildup nozzle 101 for some reason. As the cause of the backflow, the liquid nozzle 101 becomes longer as the substrate W becomes larger, and the variation in the gap between the liquid nozzle 101 and the substrate W and the variation in the discharge flow velocity in the longitudinal direction of the liquid nozzle 101 are large. As a result, it is considered that an imbalance is likely to occur in the balance between the liquid pressure and the surface tension of the liquid film accumulated. When such a reverse flow of the developer occurs, the development time is not uniform within the surface of the substrate W, and the development results may vary. Further, when a backflow of the etching solution occurs in the etching process, there is a problem that the etching time becomes nonuniform and uneven etching occurs.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method capable of preventing the backflow of the processing liquid supplied onto the substrate.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention of claim 1 is a substrate processing apparatus for supplying a processing liquid to a substrate, wherein a nozzle having a discharge port for discharging the processing liquid downward is provided below the nozzle. A moving means for moving the substrate relative to the nozzle along the horizontal direction; a front space formed on the front side of the nozzle along the direction in which the substrate moves relative to the nozzle; and Based on the detection result by the differential pressure detection means for detecting the pressure difference between the rear side space and the rear side space formed behind the nozzle, the pressure in the rear side space is changed to the pressure in the front side space. Pressure control means for controlling the pressure difference so as to be relatively higher.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, the pressure control means is a liquid formed on the substrate by a processing liquid discharged from the discharge port of the nozzle onto the substrate. The pressure difference is controlled so that the hydraulic pressure acting on the membrane on the rear side, the surface tension acting on the liquid membrane on the front side, and the sum of the pressure differences between the rear space and the front space are balanced. It is characterized by that.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing apparatus according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, the moving means moves the substrate relative to the nozzle along a first direction, and the nozzle Is characterized in that the processing liquid is discharged from the discharge port in a linear shape extending along a second direction intersecting the first direction.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention, the nozzle is connected to the discharge port in parallel with the substrate, and holds the processing liquid discharged from the discharge port. A liquid buildup surface for forming a liquid film on the top, and along the direction in which the substrate is relatively moved with respect to the nozzle, by the treatment liquid discharged from the discharge port to the rear end of the liquid buildup surface The pressure control means controls the pressure difference so that the ends of the liquid film to be formed coincide with each other.

  Further, the invention of claim 5 is the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a gas supply means for supplying gas to the rear side space, wherein the pressure control means comprises: A gas supply amount supplied from the gas supply unit to the rear space is controlled based on a detection result by the differential pressure detection unit.

  Further, the invention of claim 6 is the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising an exhaust means for exhausting the gas in the front space, wherein the pressure control means Based on the detection result by the differential pressure detecting means, the exhaust means controls the amount of gas exhausted from the front space.

  The invention according to claim 7 is the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the differential pressure detecting means is a processing liquid discharged from the discharge port of the nozzle onto the substrate. When a liquid film is formed on the substrate, the pressure difference between the front side space and the rear side space is detected.

  Further, the invention of claim 8 is a substrate processing method for supplying a processing liquid to a substrate, wherein the processing liquid is discharged downward from the nozzle outlet while the nozzle is below the nozzle. A liquid film forming step of forming a liquid film on the upper surface of the substrate by relatively moving the substrate along the horizontal direction, and a direction in which the substrate is relatively moved with respect to the nozzle in the liquid film forming step. , A differential pressure detection step for detecting a pressure difference between a front side space formed on the front side of the nozzle and a rear side space formed on the rear side of the nozzle, and a detection result in the differential pressure detection step And a pressure control step of controlling the pressure difference so that the air pressure in the rear side space is relatively higher than the air pressure in the front side space.

  In a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing method according to the eighth aspect of the present invention, in the pressure control step, a liquid formed on the substrate by the processing liquid discharged from the discharge port of the nozzle onto the substrate. The pressure difference is controlled so that the hydraulic pressure acting on the membrane on the rear side, the surface tension acting on the liquid membrane on the front side, and the sum of the pressure differences between the rear space and the front space are balanced. It is characterized by that.

  The invention according to claim 10 is the substrate processing method according to claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the pressure control step includes a step of supplying gas to the rear side space and a detection in the differential pressure detection step. And a step of controlling a gas supply amount supplied to the rear space based on the result.

  The invention according to claim 11 is the substrate processing method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the pressure control step includes a step of exhausting the gas in the front space, and the differential pressure detection. And a step of controlling the amount of gas exhausted from the front side space based on the detection result in the step.

  According to the first to seventh aspects of the present invention, the air pressure in the rear space formed on the rear side of the nozzle is relatively higher than the air pressure in the front space formed on the front side of the nozzle. Since the atmospheric pressure difference is controlled, a force from the rear side to the front side acts on the processing liquid supplied onto the substrate, and the backflow of the processing liquid can be prevented.

  In particular, according to the invention of claim 4, the pressure difference is controlled so that the end of the liquid film formed by the processing liquid discharged from the discharge port coincides with the rear end of the liquid buildup surface. It is possible to prevent backward flow from the rear end of the liquid buildup surface.

  According to the eighth to eleventh aspects of the invention, the air pressure in the rear space formed on the rear side of the nozzle is relatively higher than the air pressure in the front space formed on the front side of the nozzle. Since the atmospheric pressure difference is controlled so that a force from the rear side to the front side acts on the processing liquid supplied on the substrate, the backflow of the processing liquid can be prevented.

It is a figure which shows an example of a structure of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is the figure which expanded the vicinity of the liquid nozzle. It is a top view of the board | substrate which moves under the liquid accumulation nozzle. It is a figure which shows the mode of the liquid accumulation to the board | substrate by a liquid accumulation nozzle. It is a figure which shows the other example of a structure of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the state which a process liquid flows backward in the conventional substrate processing apparatus.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

<First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. The substrate processing apparatus 1 is a substrate developing apparatus that performs a developing process by supplying a developing solution to a substrate W that has been subjected to pattern exposure after a resist film is formed. In the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the substrate W to be processed is a rectangular glass substrate for use in a liquid crystal display device. The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a roller conveyor 10, two liquid accumulation nozzles 20 and 30, a fine differential pressure gauge 40, and a fan filter unit (FFU) 50 as main components. In addition, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a control unit 90 that controls these operations. The substrate processing apparatus 1 may be incorporated in-line with a resist coating apparatus, an exposure machine, or the like, and may perform a part of a series of photolithography processes.

  A space between the casings 19 constituting the upper and lower portions of the substrate processing apparatus 1 serves as a transport path for the substrate W. A roller conveyor 10 is provided in the transport path of the substrate W. The roller conveyor 10 moves along the horizontal direction while holding the substrate W to be processed. The roller conveyor 10 includes a plurality of transport rollers 11 arranged in a row. When these transport rollers 11 are rotated in the direction of the arrow AR1 by a rotation drive mechanism (not shown), the substrate W moves in the direction indicated by the arrow FW along the horizontal direction. Hereinafter, a direction indicated by an arrow FW in which the substrate W is moved with respect to the liquid buildup nozzle 20 is a substrate traveling direction.

  Each of the liquid buildup nozzles 20 and 30 is a mechanism for discharging a developer as a processing liquid and depositing it on the upper surface of the substrate W. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the liquid nozzles 20 and 30. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the substrate W that moves below the liquid accumulation nozzles 20 and 30. The liquid buildup nozzle 30 is provided in front of the liquid buildup nozzle 20 along the direction in which the substrate W is moved by the roller conveyor 10. In this specification, the “front side” along the direction in which the substrate W is moved is the downstream side in the substrate traveling direction indicated by the arrow FW, and is the right side on the paper surface of FIGS. Conversely, the “rear side” along the direction in which the substrate W is moved is the upstream side in the substrate traveling direction indicated by the arrow FW, and is the left side on the paper surface of FIGS.

  The liquid build-up nozzles 20 and 30 have discharge ports 21 and 31 that discharge the developer downward. Here, “downward” means below the horizontal direction and does not necessarily mean downward in the vertical direction. The liquid depositing nozzles 20 and 30 discharge the developer supplied from a developer supply source (not shown) downward from the discharge ports 21 and 31, respectively. As the developer, for example, an alkali developer such as TMAH (tetramethylammonium hydroxide) is used.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the discharge ports 21 and 31 are slit-shaped discharge ports having a length at least equal to or greater than the width of the substrate W. In the first embodiment, the substrate traveling direction (first direction) indicated by the arrow FW and the longitudinal direction (second direction) of the slit-shaped discharge ports 21 and 31 indicated by the arrow IP are orthogonal to each other. That is, the liquid accumulation nozzles 20 and 30 discharge the developer in a linear shape extending along a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the substrate W by the roller conveyor 10.

  The liquid build-up nozzle 20 is provided in a posture inclined with respect to the substrate W moved by the roller conveyor 10. The liquid nozzle 20 is formed with a flat liquid surface 23 that is connected to the discharge port 21 via a communication surface 22. The liquid buildup nozzle 20 is fixedly installed so that the liquid buildup surface 23 is parallel to the substrate W moved by the roller conveyor 10, that is, the liquid buildup surface 23 is parallel to the horizontal plane. The liquid build-up surface 23 is for holding the developer discharged from the discharge port 21 and bringing it into contact with the upper surface of the substrate W. The gap between the upper surface of the substrate W moved by the roller conveyor 10 and the liquid deposition surface 23 is 2 mm to 3 mm.

  On the other hand, the liquid accumulation nozzle 30 is provided in a posture facing the substrate W moved by the roller conveyor 10. That is, the liquid accumulation nozzle 30 is fixedly installed so that the discharge direction of the discharge port 31 is perpendicular to the substrate W. The gap between the downstream liquid filling nozzle 30 and the substrate W is larger than the gap between the upstream liquid filling nozzle 20 and the substrate W (more precisely, the gap between the liquid filling surface 23 and the substrate W).

  Since the developer discharged from the discharge port 21 of the liquid build-up nozzle 20 and held on the liquid build-up surface 23 is brought into contact with the substrate W in a surface shape, the liquid is piled up. The liquid can be surely accumulated. Further, if the developer is piled up by the two liquid build-up nozzles 20 and 30, the liquid can be filled more reliably. “Liquid piling” refers to forming a liquid film by supplying a processing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate W.

  Further, the transport path of the substrate W is divided by partition walls 15, 16, and 17. However, since each of the partition walls 15, 16, and 17 has an opening through which the substrate W passes, the transport path of the substrate W is not completely blocked by the partition walls 15, 16, and 17. Absent. The upper rear end of the upstream liquid filling nozzle 20 is in contact with the partition wall 16.

  In the present embodiment, of the space between the partition wall 16 and the partition wall 17, the space on the front side (downstream side) of the liquid buildup nozzle 20 along the substrate traveling direction, more strictly, the liquid buildup surface. A space in front of the front end 26 of 23 is defined as a “front space”.

  On the other hand, in the space between the partition wall 16 and the partition wall 17, the space on the rear side (upstream side) of the liquid buildup nozzle 20 along the substrate traveling direction, more strictly, the rear end of the liquid buildup surface 23. The space on the rear side of 25 is communicated with the space sandwiched between the partition wall 15 and the partition wall 16 through the opening of the partition wall 16. The space between the partition wall 16 and the partition wall 17 and the space on the rear side of the rear end 25 of the liquid filling surface 23 and the space sandwiched between the partition wall 15 and the partition wall 16 are combined. A space is defined as a “rear side space”. Since the openings for allowing the substrate W to pass through are also formed in the partition wall 15 and the partition wall 17, it can be said that the front space and the rear space are semi-sealed spaces, although they are not completely sealed spaces. The front end 26 and the rear end 25 of the liquid build-up surface 23 are a front end and a rear end, respectively, along the substrate traveling direction indicated by the arrow FW.

  The micro differential pressure gauge 40 detects the atmospheric pressure difference between the front side space and the rear side space. The measurement point of the micro differential pressure gauge 40 in the front space and the rear space can be set at an arbitrary position in each space, but is preferably near the front end 26 and the rear end 25 of the liquid surface 23 as much as possible.

  A fan filter unit 50 is installed on the ceiling of the space between the partition wall 15 and the partition wall 16. The fan filter unit 50 includes a fan for blowing air and a filter for removing particles, and supplies clean air as a downflow to a space sandwiched between the partition wall 15 and the partition wall 16. The supply flow rate of air supplied by the fan filter unit 50 is adjusted by the rotational speed of the fan. Thereby, air is supplied to the rear side space which is a semi-enclosed space, and the rear side space is pressurized.

  The control unit 90 also controls various operation mechanisms (such as the roller conveyor 10 and the fan filter unit 50) provided in the substrate processing apparatus 1. The configuration of the control unit 90 as hardware is the same as that of a general computer. That is, the control unit 90 stores a CPU that performs various arithmetic processes, a ROM that is a read-only memory that stores basic programs, a RAM that is a readable and writable memory that stores various information, control software, data, and the like. It has a magnetic disk. The control unit 90 is also electrically connected to the fine differential pressure gauge 40, and a detection result by the fine differential pressure gauge 40 is transmitted to the control unit 90.

  Next, a processing operation in the substrate processing apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration will be described. The processing operation described below is executed by the control unit 90 executing predetermined processing software stored in a storage unit such as a magnetic disk to control each mechanism of the substrate processing apparatus 1.

  First, the substrate W after pattern exposure is transported horizontally by the roller conveyor 10 from the upstream side to the downstream side (from the left side to the right side in FIG. 1). Before the tip of the substrate W reaches below the liquid buildup nozzle 20, pre-dispensing is performed from the liquid buildup nozzles 20 and 30. Pre-dispensing is a process in which old developer stored in the liquid build-up nozzles 20 and 30 is discharged and discharged in advance. When the pre-dispensing is completed, the discharge flow rate from the liquid build-up nozzles 20 and 30 decreases, and the tip of the substrate W eventually reaches below the liquid build-up nozzle 20 and the liquid buildup of the developer is executed.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state of liquid accumulation on the substrate W by the liquid accumulation nozzle 20. The developer discharged from the discharge port 21 of the liquid build-up nozzle 20 is transmitted to the communication surface 22 due to surface tension, further transferred from the communication surface 22 to the liquid build-up surface 23, and retained on the liquid build-up surface 23. When the tip of the substrate W reaches below the liquid buildup nozzle 20, the developer held on the liquid buildup surface 23 contacts the substrate W in a planar shape. In this state, when the substrate W is further moved in the direction of travel of the substrate indicated by the arrow FW, the developer is sequentially deposited from the front end to the rear end of the substrate W, that is, a liquid film of developer is formed.

  Further, the developing solution is also discharged vertically downward from the discharge port 31 of the liquid nozzle 30, and the developer is further accumulated in the portion where the liquid is accumulated by the liquid nozzle 20. As a result, a liquid film of the developer is reliably formed on the surface of the substrate W moved by the roller conveyor 10 without any gap, and the development process proceeds. The developing process is stopped when a rinsing solution (pure water) is supplied in the next step to dilute the developing solution.

  On the other hand, when a liquid film is formed on the substrate W by the developer discharged from the discharge port 21 of the liquid buildup nozzle 20 onto the substrate W, the fine differential pressure gauge 40 is placed in the front side space under the control of the control unit 90. And the pressure difference between the rear space and the rear side space. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the gap between the liquid buildup surface 23 of the liquid buildup nozzle 20 and the substrate W is filled with the developer, and the front space and the rear side are filled through the gap. There is no communication with the space. Therefore, a slight differential pressure is likely to be generated between the front space and the rear space.

  The pressure difference between the front side space and the rear side space detected by the micro differential pressure gauge 40 is transmitted to the control unit 90. Then, the control unit 90 controls the pressure difference between the two spaces so that the air pressure in the rear space is higher than the air pressure in the front space by a predetermined pressure based on the detection result of the micro differential pressure gauge 40. Specifically, based on the detection result of the differential pressure gauge 40, the air supplied from the fan filter unit 50 to the rear space so that the air pressure in the rear space is 10 Pa to 40 Pa higher than the air pressure in the front space. Control the supply flow rate.

  When the fan filter unit 50 supplies air to the rear side space that is a semi-enclosed space, the rear side space is pressurized more than atmospheric pressure. On the other hand, the air pressure in the front space where neither air supply nor exhaust is performed remains atmospheric pressure. As a result, a pressure difference is generated such that the pressure in the rear space is higher than the pressure in the front space. The controller 90 feedback-controls the supply flow rate of the air supplied from the fan filter unit 50 to the rear space so that the pressure difference is within the range of 10 Pa to 40 Pa.

  When the rear space on the upstream side of the liquid buildup nozzle 20 has a higher pressure than the front space on the downstream side, there is an effect of preventing the back flow of the developer supplied on the substrate W. This will be further described with reference to FIG. In the liquid film of the developer filled in the gap between the liquid build-up surface 23 of the liquid build-up nozzle 20 and the upper surface of the substrate W, the liquid pressure from the inside for breaking the liquid film is constantly acting. . Such a fluid pressure acts toward the entire circumference of the liquid film formed on the substrate W, but in the vicinity of the rear end 25 of the liquid buildup surface 23 where backflow becomes a problem, the arrow in FIG. As shown by AR41, it acts on the rear side of the liquid film (the rear side along the direction in which the substrate W is moved).

  In addition, surface tension that attempts to reduce the surface area as much as possible acts on the liquid film. The surface tension also acts on the entire surface of the liquid film, but in the vicinity of the rear end 25 of the liquid buildup surface 23, it acts on the front side of the liquid film as indicated by an arrow AR42. When there is no pressure difference between the front space and the rear space, the liquid pressure acting on the rear side of the liquid film tends to be greater than the surface tension acting on the front side, so the liquid film collapses. Thus, the reverse flow of the developer toward the rear side (upstream side) as shown in FIG. 6 occurs.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, air is supplied from the fan filter unit 50 to the rear space so that the air pressure in the rear space is higher by 10 Pa to 40 Pa than the air pressure in the front space. Due to this atmospheric pressure difference, as shown by an arrow AR43 in FIG. 4, the liquid film between the liquid buildup surface 23 and the substrate W receives a pressure from the rear side toward the front side. The hydraulic pressure acting on the liquid film on the rear side (the force indicated by the arrow AR41) is equal to the sum of the surface tension acting on the front side of the liquid film (the force indicated by the arrow AR42) and the atmospheric pressure difference (the force indicated by the arrow AR43). If it becomes, it can prevent that a liquid film collapse | crumbles and a developing solution flows backward.

  If the pressure difference between the rear space and the front space is less than 10 Pa, it is difficult to prevent the developer from flowing back due to insufficient pressure toward the front side acting on the liquid film, causing the liquid film to collapse. Become. On the contrary, when the atmospheric pressure in the rear side space is higher than the atmospheric pressure in the front side space by more than 40 Pa, the pressure toward the front side acting on the liquid film becomes too strong, and as a result, the space between the liquid surface 23 and the substrate W is increased. As a result, air enters the liquid film that is formed on the surface of the liquid, and the liquid buildup is hindered. For this reason, the air pressure in the rear side space is set to be 10 Pa to 40 Pa higher than the air pressure in the front side space.

  In the first embodiment, the liquid pressure acting on the liquid film formed on the substrate W by the developer discharged from the discharge port 21 of the liquid buildup nozzle 20 on the substrate W, and the front of the liquid film The controller 90 controls the pressure difference between the two spaces so that the surface tension acting on the side and the sum of the pressure differences between the rear space and the front space are balanced. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, the end of the liquid film formed by the developer discharged from the discharge port 21 of the liquid buildup nozzle 20 is the liquid buildup surface 23 even while the substrate W is moved. Liquid accumulation proceeds while controlling the atmospheric pressure so as to coincide with the rear end 25, and the backflow of the developer supplied onto the substrate W can be prevented. As a result, the development time within the surface of the substrate W becomes uniform, and variations in the development results can be suppressed.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus of the second embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 1a is a substrate developing apparatus that performs a developing process by supplying a developing solution to a substrate W that has been subjected to pattern exposure after a resist film is formed. The substrate processing apparatus 1a of 2nd Embodiment is equipped with the roller conveyor 10, the two liquid accumulation nozzles 20 and 30, the fine differential pressure gauge 40, and the exhaust flow control valve 60 as main structures. In addition, the substrate processing apparatus 1a includes a control unit 90 that controls these operations.

  In the first embodiment, air is supplied from the fan filter unit 50 to the rear side space to generate a pressure difference. In the second embodiment, air is exhausted from the front side space to generate a pressure difference. Yes. Specifically, in the second embodiment, an exhaust flow rate adjustment valve 60 is provided instead of the fan filter unit 50. The remaining configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 1a of the second embodiment is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment, and the same elements as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals in FIG.

  In the second embodiment, the exhaust duct 61 is connected to the ceiling portion of the space sandwiched between the partition wall 16 and the partition wall 17. The base end portion of the exhaust duct 61 is connected to an exhaust means such as an exhaust pump or an ejector. An exhaust flow rate adjustment valve 60 is interposed in the middle of the route of the exhaust duct 61. When the exhaust flow rate adjustment valve 60 is opened, air is exhausted from the space between the partition wall 16 and the partition wall 17. The exhaust flow rate of the exhausted air is adjusted by the flow rate adjusting valve 60. Thereby, air is exhausted from the front side space which is a semi-enclosed space, and the front side space is decompressed.

  Also in the second embodiment, the substrate W on which pattern exposure has been performed after the resist film is formed is transported in the horizontal direction from the upstream side to the downstream side by the roller conveyor 10. Then, the developing solution is deposited on the surface of the substrate W to be moved by the filling nozzles 20 and 30 without any gap, and the developing process proceeds.

  When a liquid film is formed on the substrate W by the developer discharged from the discharge port 21 of the liquid buildup nozzle 20 onto the substrate W, the fine differential pressure gauge 40 is moved between the front side space and the rear side under the control of the control unit 90. The pressure difference from the side space is detected. The pressure difference between the front side space and the rear side space detected by the micro differential pressure gauge 40 is transmitted to the control unit 90. Then, the control unit 90 controls the pressure difference between the two spaces so that the air pressure in the rear space is higher than the air pressure in the front space by a predetermined pressure based on the detection result of the micro differential pressure gauge 40. Here, in the second embodiment, based on the detection result of the micro differential pressure gauge 40, the front side air pressure is adjusted via the exhaust flow rate adjustment valve 60 so that the atmospheric pressure in the rear side space is 10 Pa to 40 Pa higher than the atmospheric pressure in the front side space. The exhaust flow rate of the air exhausted from the side space is controlled.

  When the air in the front space, which is a semi-enclosed space, is exhausted from the exhaust duct 61, the front space is depressurized from the atmospheric pressure. On the other hand, the air pressure in the rear space where neither air supply nor exhaust is performed remains atmospheric pressure. As a result, an air pressure difference is generated such that the air pressure in the front space is lower than the air pressure in the rear space. The control unit 90 feedback-controls the exhaust flow rate of the air exhausted from the front space via the exhaust flow rate adjustment valve 60 so that the pressure difference is in the range of 10 Pa to 40 Pa.

  The fact that the front space on the downstream side of the liquid nozzle 20 has a lower pressure than the rear space on the upstream side means that the rear space of the liquid nozzle 20 in the first embodiment has a relatively higher pressure than the front space. Is synonymous with That is, even in the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the end of the liquid film formed by the developer discharged from the discharge port 21 of the liquid nozzle 20 is located after the liquid surface 23. The liquid build-up proceeds while controlling the atmospheric pressure so as to coincide with the end 25, and the backflow of the developer supplied onto the substrate W can be prevented.

<Modification>
While the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention can be modified in various ways other than those described above without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the first embodiment, air is supplied to the rear side space, and in the second embodiment, air is exhausted from the front side space to generate a pressure difference. However, both of these may be combined. good. That is, air is supplied from the fan filter unit 50 to the rear side space to pressurize the rear side space, and the flow rate adjusting valve 60 is opened to exhaust air from the front side space to depressurize the front side space. Also good. Also at this time, the control unit 90 moves from the fan filter unit 50 to the rear space so that the air pressure in the rear space becomes 10 Pa to 40 Pa higher than the air pressure in the front space based on the detection result of the micro differential pressure gauge 40. The supply flow rate of the supplied air and the exhaust flow rate of the air exhausted from the front space through the exhaust flow rate adjustment valve 60 are controlled. Even in this case, the backflow of the developer supplied onto the substrate W can be prevented as in the first and second embodiments. In short, what is necessary is just to make it the atmospheric | air pressure of the back side space of the liquid accumulation nozzle 20 become relatively higher than the atmospheric | air pressure of front side space.

  Further, in each of the above embodiments, the liquid is deposited on the substrate W by the two liquid filling nozzles 20 and 30, but the downstream liquid filling nozzle 30 is not necessarily an essential element. However, in order to reliably deposit liquid on the substrate W, it is preferable to provide the liquid accumulation nozzle 30.

  The movement of the substrate W is not limited to being moved by the roller conveyor 10, and may be moved in the horizontal direction by, for example, a transfer robot or a belt conveyor.

  In each of the above embodiments, the liquid depositing nozzles 20 and 30 are fixedly installed and the substrate W is moved by the roller conveyor 10, but the substrate W is held in a stationary state in a horizontal posture, The liquid filling nozzles 20 and 30 may be slid along the horizontal direction. That is, the substrate W may be moved in the horizontal direction relative to the liquid buildup nozzle 20. Even when the liquid nozzles 20 and 30 are moved with respect to the stationary substrate W, the front side (liquid nozzle 20) along the direction in which the substrate W is relatively moved with respect to the liquid nozzle 20. A front side space is formed on the side opposite to the movement direction of, and a rear side space is formed on the rear side (the same side as the movement direction of the liquid nozzle 20).

  In each of the above embodiments, the developer is discharged from the liquid buildup nozzles 20 and 30 as the processing liquid. However, other types of processing liquids such as an etching liquid are discharged from the liquid buildup nozzles 20 and 30. You may do it. The backflow of the etching solution supplied onto the substrate W can be prevented, and as a result, the occurrence of etching unevenness can be suppressed.

  In each of the above embodiments, the substrate traveling direction and the longitudinal direction of the slit-like ejection ports 21 and 31 are orthogonal to each other. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The crossing angle with 21 and 31 can be arbitrary (except for parallel). That is, the liquid accumulation nozzles 20 and 30 may be installed obliquely with respect to the substrate traveling direction. Even in this case, the liquid build-up nozzles 20 and 30 can discharge the developer in a line extending along the direction intersecting the moving direction of the substrate W by the roller conveyor 10.

  In each of the above embodiments, the upstream liquid buildup nozzle 20 is provided in a posture inclined with respect to the substrate W. However, this may be provided in the same facing posture as the liquid buildup nozzle 30. . Even in this case, the flat bottom surface of the nozzle functions as a liquid buildup surface.

Further, in the first embodiment, air is supplied from the fan filter unit 50 to the rear side space, and in the second embodiment, air is exhausted from the front side space via the exhaust flow rate adjusting valve 60. It is not limited. For example, when the transport path of the substrate W is an atmosphere of nitrogen gas, nitrogen gas (N ₂ ) is supplied to the rear space and the nitrogen gas is exhausted from the front space. That is, in the first embodiment, gas may be supplied to the rear side space, and in the second embodiment, gas may be exhausted from the front side space.

  Further, the fine differential pressure gauge 40 does not necessarily have to be fixedly installed in the substrate processing apparatus, and may be attached to the substrate processing apparatus only when processing conditions such as the supply flow rate of the fan filter unit 50 are determined before the apparatus is operated. good. That is, the fine differential pressure gauge 40 may be temporarily installed in the substrate processing apparatus.

  Further, the substrate W to be processed by the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device, but a glass substrate for another flat panel display such as a plasma display panel (PDP). Or a semiconductor wafer.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,1a Substrate processing apparatus 10 Roller conveyor 11 Conveying roller 15, 16, 17 Partition wall 20, 30 Liquid nozzle 21, 31 Discharge port 23 Liquid surface 25 Rear end 26 Front end 40 Fine differential pressure gauge 50 Fan filter unit 60 Exhaust flow rate Regulating valve 61 Exhaust duct 90 Control unit

Claims (11)

A substrate processing apparatus for supplying a processing liquid to a substrate,
A nozzle having a discharge port for discharging the treatment liquid downward;
A moving means for moving the substrate relative to the nozzle in a horizontal direction below the nozzle;
A pressure difference between a front side space formed on the front side of the nozzle and a rear side space formed on the rear side of the nozzle is detected along the direction in which the substrate is moved relative to the nozzle. Differential pressure detecting means for
Pressure control means for controlling the pressure difference so that the air pressure in the rear space is relatively higher than the air pressure in the front space based on the detection result by the differential pressure detection means;
A substrate processing apparatus comprising: The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1,
The pressure control means includes a liquid pressure acting on the liquid film formed on the substrate by the processing liquid discharged from the discharge port of the nozzle on the substrate and a surface acting on the liquid film on the front side. The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the pressure difference is controlled so that tension and a sum of pressure differences between the rear side space and the front side space are balanced. In the substrate processing apparatus of Claim 1 or Claim 2,
The moving means moves the substrate relative to the nozzle along the first direction,
The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the nozzle discharges a processing liquid from the discharge port in a linear shape extending along a second direction intersecting the first direction. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein
The nozzle is connected to the discharge port in parallel with the substrate, and has a liquid surface for forming a liquid film on the substrate by holding the processing liquid discharged from the discharge port.
The pressure control is performed so that the end of the liquid film formed by the processing liquid discharged from the discharge port coincides with the rear end of the liquid build-up surface along the direction in which the substrate is moved relative to the nozzle. A substrate processing apparatus characterized in that means controls the pressure difference. In the substrate processing apparatus in any one of Claims 1-4,
Further comprising gas supply means for supplying gas to the rear space,
The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the pressure control unit controls a gas supply amount supplied from the gas supply unit to the rear space based on a detection result by the differential pressure detection unit. In the substrate processing apparatus in any one of Claims 1-5,
Further comprising exhaust means for exhausting the gas in the front space,
The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the pressure control means controls a gas exhaust amount exhausted from the front space by the exhaust means based on a detection result by the differential pressure detection means. In the substrate processing apparatus in any one of Claims 1-6,
The differential pressure detecting means detects a pressure difference between the front space and the rear space when a liquid film is formed on the substrate by the processing liquid discharged from the discharge port of the nozzle onto the substrate. A substrate processing apparatus that detects the substrate. A substrate processing method for supplying a processing liquid to a substrate,
A liquid film that forms a liquid film on the upper surface of the substrate by discharging the processing liquid downward from the nozzle outlet and moving the substrate relative to the nozzle along the horizontal direction below the nozzle. Forming process;
In the liquid film forming step, along the direction in which the substrate is relatively moved with respect to the nozzle, a front space formed on the front side of the nozzle and a rear side formed on the rear side of the nozzle A differential pressure detection step for detecting a pressure difference with the side space;
Based on the detection result in the differential pressure detection step, a pressure control step for controlling the pressure difference so that the air pressure in the rear side space is relatively higher than the air pressure in the front side space;
A substrate processing method comprising: The substrate processing method according to claim 8, wherein
In the pressure control step, the liquid pressure acting on the liquid film formed on the substrate by the processing liquid discharged from the discharge port of the nozzle on the substrate and the surface acting on the liquid film on the front side The substrate processing method, wherein the pressure difference is controlled so that the tension and the sum of the pressure differences between the rear side space and the front side space are balanced. In the substrate processing method of Claim 8 or Claim 9,
The pressure control step includes
Supplying gas to the rear space;
A step of controlling a gas supply amount to be supplied to the rear space based on a detection result in the differential pressure detection step;
A substrate processing method comprising: In the substrate processing method in any one of Claims 8-10,
The pressure control step includes
Exhausting the gas in the front space;
A step of controlling the amount of gas exhausted from the front space based on the detection result in the differential pressure detection step;
A substrate processing method comprising:

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