SUBSTRATE LIQUID PROCESSING APPARATUS, SUBSTRATE LIQUID PROCESSING METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20170358470A1
• Filed: 06/08/2017
• Published: 12/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Tanaka, Hiroshi, Hirayama, Tsukasa, Inada, Takao
• Granted Patent: US 10,643,874 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67017 Apparatus for fluid treatment H01L21/67126, H01L21/6715 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67086 with the semiconductor substrates being dipped in baths or vessels
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67248 Temperature monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67253 Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring

Abstract

A substrate liquid processing apparatus includes a liquid processing unit, a processing liquid circulating line, and a boiling state detecting unit provided in a processing bath of the liquid processing unit. The controller controls a supply pump of the processing liquid circulating line based on a signal from the boiling state detecting unit, and adjusts a pressure of a supplied phosphoric acid aqueous solution in a flow path so as to adjust the boiling state of the phosphoric acid aqueous solution to a desired state.

Claims

1. A substrate liquid processing apparatus comprising:

a liquid processing unit configured to store a processing liquid and substrates and process the substrates using the processing liquid, the processing liquid including a phosphoric acid aqueous solution;

a processing liquid supply unit including a supply pump configured to supply the processing liquid to the liquid processing unit;

a boiling state detecting unit provided in the liquid processing unit and configured to detect a boiling state of the processing liquid; and

a controller configured to control the supply pump based on a signal from the boiling state detecting unit and adjust a pressure of the processing liquid in a flow path supplied from the processing liquid supply unit to the liquid processing unit.

2. The substrate liquid processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the boiling state of the processing liquid is intense based on the signal from the boiling state detecting unit, the controller increases the pressure of the processing liquid from the supply pump to suppress the boiling state of the processing liquid in the flow path, and

when the boiling state of the processing liquid is gentle, the controller decreases the pressure of the processing liquid from the supply pump to promote the boiling state of the processing liquid in the flow path.

3. The substrate liquid processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing liquid supply unit includes a processing liquid circulating line connected to the liquid processing unit, and

the supply pump is provided in the processing liquid circulating line.

4. The substrate liquid processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing liquid supply unit is connected to a phosphoric acid aqueous solution supply unit configured to supply the phosphoric acid aqueous solution, and a pure water supply unit configured to supply pure water.

5. A method of performing a liquid processing on substrates, the method comprising:

processing the substrates using a processing liquid including a phosphoric acid aqueous solution in a liquid processing unit that stores the processing liquid and the substrates;

supplying the processing liquid to the liquid processing unit by a processing liquid supply unit including a supply pump;

detecting a boiling state of the processing liquid by a boiling state detecting unit provided in the liquid processing unit; and

controlling the supply pump based on a signal from the boiling state detecting unit by a controller and adjusting a pressure of the processing liquid in a flow path supplied from the processing liquid supply unit to the liquid processing unit.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein when the boiling state of the processing liquid is intense based on the signal from the boiling state detecting unit, the controller increases the pressure of the processing liquid in the flow path from the supply pump to suppress the boiling state of the processing liquid, and

when the boiling state of the processing liquid is gentle, the controller decreases the pressure of the processing liquid in the flow path from the supply pump to promote the boiling state of the processing liquid.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the processing liquid supply unit includes a processing liquid circulating line connected to the liquid processing unit, and

the supply pump is provided in the processing liquid circulating line.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the processing liquid supply unit is connected to a phosphoric acid aqueous solution supply unit configured to supply the phosphoric acid aqueous solution, and a pure water supply unit configured to supply pure water.

9. A storage medium causing a computer to execute a method of performing a liquid processing on substrates, the method comprising:

processing the substrates using a processing liquid including a phosphoric acid aqueous solution in a liquid processing unit that stores the processing liquid and the substrates;

supplying the processing liquid to the liquid processing unit by a processing liquid supply unit including a supply pump;

detecting a boiling state of the processing liquid by a boiling state detecting unit provided in the liquid processing unit; and

controlling the supply pump based on a signal from the boiling state detecting unit by a controller and adjusting a pressure of the processing liquid in a flow path supplied from the processing liquid supply unit to the liquid processing unit.