Liquid processing method and liquid processing apparatus

• US 20060233952A1
• Filed: 07/07/2005
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Matsuoka, Nobuaki, Okada, Shinji, Nakashima, Tsunenaga, Urata, Kenji
• Application Number:
  US11/175,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20060233952A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/240
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 11/08 Spreading liquid or other fluent material by manipulating the work, e.g. tilting
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/135 using ink-jet printing

Abstract

In a nozzle unit 4 equipped with processing-liquid nozzles 4A to 4J, an air layer 73 and a solvent layer 74 for processing liquid are successively formed outside a processing-liquid layer 71 included in the tip of each nozzle 4A (4B to 4J). Next, the solvent layer 74 in the nozzle 4A is thrown out into a drain part 62 of a standby unit 6 and subsequently, the processing liquid is supplied from the nozzle 4A to the surface of a wafer W, performing a coating process. After completing the coating process, the processing liquid remaining in the nozzle 4A is sucked and continuously, respective tips of the nozzles 4A to 4J are dipped into respective solvents in solvent reservoir 62A to 62J, respectively. From this state, by sucking in the nozzle 4A, there are newly formed, outside the processing layer 71 in the tip of the nozzle 4A, an air layer 73 and a solvent layer 74. Thus, in supplying a substrate, such as semiconductor wafer, with a processing liquid by use of a nozzle unit having a plurality of processing-liquid nozzles integrated, it is possible to prevent dryness of the processing liquids in the respective nozzles while preventing the nozzle unit from being large-sized.

Claims

1. A liquid processing method with use of a nozzle unit having a plurality of processing-liquid nozzles arranged integrally and also connected to respective processing-liquid supply passages, for supplying a surface of a substrate with a processing liquid via one of the processing-liquid nozzles, the method comprising the steps of:

forming a processing-liquid layer, an air layer and a solvent layer in each tip of the processing-liquid nozzles of the nozzle unit, in order from the side of the processing-liquid supply passages;

subsequently discharging the solvent layer from one of the processing-liquid nozzles of the nozzle unit to a drain part;

supplying the surface of the substrate with a processing liquid through the one processing-liquid nozzle;

sucking the processing liquid remaining in the one processing-liquid nozzle so as to cause a liquid level of the processing liquid in the one processing-liquid nozzle to retreat toward the processing-liquid supply passages;

dipping the tip of at least the one processing-liquid nozzle of the nozzle unit into a solvent in a solvent reservoir for storing the solvent of the processing liquid; and

sucking the one processing-liquid nozzle so as to cause the liquid level of the processing liquid in the one processing-liquid nozzle to further retreat toward the processing-liquid supply passages and also cause the solvent in the solvent reservoir to be sucked into the tip of the one processing-liquid nozzle, thereby forming a processing-liquid layer, an air layer and a solvent layer in the tip of the one processing-liquid nozzle, in order from the side of the processing-liquid supply passages.

2. The liquid processing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the step of supplying the surface of the substrate with the processing liquid through the one processing-liquid nozzle is done by supplying the processing liquid to the substrate during rotating;

the plural processing-liquid nozzles of the nozzle unit are arranged on a straight line passing through a rotational center of the substrate; and

the solvent reservoir and the drain part are arranged on a straight line passing through the rotational center of the substrate.

3. The liquid processing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the step of dipping the tip of at least the one processing-liquid nozzle of the nozzle unit into the solvent is done by dipping respective tips of the processing-liquid nozzles into respective solvent reservoirs provided for every processing-liquid nozzles, respectively.

4. The liquid processing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the step of discharging the solvent layer from the one processing-liquid nozzle is done by moving the processing-liquid nozzles to a common drain part and subsequently discharging the solvent layer from each of the processing-liquid nozzles.

5. The liquid processing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the solvent reservoir and the drain part are arranged in a common container adjacently.

11. A liquid processing apparatus comprising:

a substrate holder for holding a substrate horizontally;

a nozzle unit in which a plurality of processing-liquid nozzles are provided in a common support integrally, the processing-liquid nozzles being connected to respective processing-liquid supply passages to each supply the substrate held by the substrate holder with a processing liquid;

a solvent reservoir for storing a solvent of the processing liquid, the solvent reservoir being arranged so as to allow either part or all of the processing-liquid nozzles of the nozzle unit to dip tips thereof into the solvent;

a drain part arranged so as to allow part of the processing-liquid nozzles of the nozzle unit to discharge the processing liquid;

suck means for sucking the each processing-liquid nozzles of the nozzle unit;

transfer means for transferring the nozzle unit among the solvent reservoir, the drain part and a position to supply the substrate with the processing liquids; and

a controller including a program to control the suck means and the transfer means so as to perform the steps as claimed in claim 1.

12. The liquid processing apparatus as claimed in claim 11, adapted so as to perform a liquid processing while supplying the surface of the substrate rotated by the substrate holder with the processing liquid through the single processing-liquid nozzle, wherein:

the plural processing-liquid nozzles of the nozzle unit are arranged on a straight line passing through a rotational center of the substrate; and

the solvent reservoir and the drain part are arranged on a straight line passing through the rotational center of the substrate.

13. The liquid processing apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein:

the nozzle unit further includes a solvent nozzle connected to a solvent supply passage to supply the substrate held by the substrate holder with a solvent for the processing liquid.

14. The liquid processing apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

the plural processing-liquid nozzles and the solvent nozzle are together arranged on a straight line passing through the rotational center of the substrate.

15. The liquid processing apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein:

the solvent reservoir is provided with respect to each of the processing-liquid nozzles, correspondingly.

16. The liquid processing apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein:

the solvent reservoir and the drain part are arranged in a

common container adjacently.

17. The liquid processing apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein:

the drain part is provided corresponding to the solvent nozzle.

6. A liquid processing method with use of a nozzle unit having a plurality of processing-liquid nozzles arranged integrally and also connected to respective processing-liquid supply passages, for supplying a surface of a substrate with a processing liquid via one of the processing-liquid nozzles, the method comprising:

a first step of forming a processing-liquid layer, an air layer and a solvent layer in each tip of the processing-liquid nozzles of the nozzle unit, in order from the side of the processing-liquid supply passages; and

a second step of refilling the solvent layer reduced due to its evaporation after a predetermined time has passed since an execution of the first step;

wherein

the second step includes the steps of;

discharging the solvent layers from the respective processing-liquid nozzles of the nozzle unit to a drain part;

dipping respective tips of the processing-liquid nozzles of the nozzle unit into a solvent in a solvent reservoir for storing the solvent of the processing liquid; and

sucking the processing-liquid nozzles so as to cause liquid levels of the processing liquids in the processing-liquid nozzles to retreat toward the processing-liquid supply passages and also cause the solvent to be sucked into the tips of the processing-liquid nozzles, thereby forming a processing-liquid layer, an air layer and a solvent layer in the each tip of the processing-liquid nozzles, in order from the side of the processing-liquid supply passages.

7. The liquid processing method as claimed in claim 6, wherein:

the step of supplying the surface of the substrate with the processing liquid through the one processing-liquid nozzle is done by supplying the processing liquid to the substrate during rotating;

the plural processing-liquid nozzles of the nozzle unit are arranged on a straight line passing through a rotational center of the substrate; and

the solvent reservoir and the drain part are arranged on a straight line passing through the rotational center of the substrate.

8. The liquid processing method as claimed in claim 6, wherein:

the step of dipping respective tips of the processing-liquid nozzles of the nozzle unit into the solvent for the processing liquid is done by dipping the tips of the processing-liquid nozzles into respective solvent reservoirs provided for every processing-liquid nozzles, respectively.

9. The liquid processing method as claimed in claim 6, wherein:

the step of discharging the solvent layers from the processing-liquid nozzles is done by moving the processing-liquid nozzles to a common drain part and subsequently discharging the solvent layers from the processing-liquid nozzles.

10. The liquid processing method as claimed in claim 6, wherein:

the solvent reservoir and the drain part are arranged in a common container adjacently.

18. A liquid processing apparatus comprising:

a substrate holder for holding a substrate horizontally;

a nozzle unit in which a plurality of processing-liquid nozzles are provided in a common support integrally, the processing-liquid nozzles being connected to respective processing-liquid supply passages to each supply the substrate held by the substrate holder with a processing liquid;

a solvent reservoir for storing a solvent of the processing liquid, the solvent reservoir being arranged so as to allow either part or all of the processing-liquid nozzles of the nozzle unit to dip tips thereof into the solvent;

a drain part arranged so as to allow part of the processing-liquid nozzles of the nozzle unit to discharge the processing liquid;

suck means for sucking the each processing-liquid nozzles of the nozzle unit;

transfer means for transferring the nozzle unit among the solvent reservoir, the drain part and a position to supply the substrate with the processing liquids; and

a controller including a program to control the suck means and the transfer means so as to perform the steps as claimed in claim 6.

19. The liquid processing apparatus as claimed in claim 18, adapted so as to perform a liquid processing while supplying the surface of the substrate rotated by the substrate holder with the processing liquid through the single processing-liquid nozzle, wherein:

the plural processing-liquid nozzles of the nozzle unit are arranged on a straight line passing through a rotational center of the substrate; and

the solvent reservoir and the drain part are arranged on a straight line passing through the rotational center of the substrate.

20. The liquid processing apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein:

the nozzle unit further includes a solvent nozzle connected to a solvent supply passage to supply the substrate held by the substrate holder with a solvent for the processing liquid.

21. The liquid processing apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein:

the plural processing-liquid nozzles and the solvent nozzle are together arranged on a straight line passing through the rotational center of the substrate.

22. The liquid processing apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein:

the solvent reservoir is provided with respect to each of the processing-liquid nozzles, correspondingly.

23. The liquid processing apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein:

the solvent reservoir and the drain part are arranged in a

common container adjacently.

24. The liquid processing apparatus as claimed in claim 23, wherein:

the drain part is provided corresponding to the solvent nozzle.