Solution processing apparatus, solution processing method, and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium

• US 9,109,934 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2013
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Satoh, Takami, Ando, Ryoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Harshad R
• Application Number:
  US13/864,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20130283929A1
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: 738/612.7, 738/612.8, 222/72, 118/663
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 11/1013 responsive to flow or pressure of liquid or other fluent material B05C11/101 takes precedence; control of flow in general G05D7/00; control of fluid pressure in general G05D16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/66 by measuring frequency, phase shift or propagation time of electromagnetic or other waves, e.g. using ultrasonic flowmeters

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an apparatus is configured to perform a solution process by supplying a processing solution from a processing solution supply source to the substrate held on a substrate holder via a flow path member and a nozzle at a flow rate equal to or less than 1 mL/sec. The apparatus includes a solution transfer unit configured to transfer the processing solution to the nozzle, and mounted to the flow path member, and an ultrasonic flowmeter mounted to the flow path member at a downstream side from the solution transfer unit. In this embodiment, a lower limit of a flow rate range which is measured by the ultrasonic flowmeter is equal to or less than 1 mL/sec.

Claims

1. An apparatus configured to perform a solution process by supplying a processing solution from a processing solution supply source to the substrate held on a substrate holder via a flow path member and a nozzle, the apparatus comprising:

a solution transfer unit configured to transfer the processing solution to the nozzle, and mounted to the flow path member;

an ultrasonic flowmeter mounted to the flow path member at a downstream side from the solution transfer unit;

a bubble detection unit configured to detect a bubble in the processing solution based on a variation of flow rates measured by the ultrasonic flowmeter;

a bubble trap mounted to the flow path member at a downstream side from the ultrasonic flowmeter;

a valve mounted to the flow path member at a downstream side from the bubble trap; and

a control unit configured to control the bubble to be discharged by closing the valve and supplying the processing solution to the bubble trap if a number of times when the ultrasonic flowmeter detects the bubble exceeds a threshold,

wherein a lower limit of a flow rate range which is measured by the ultrasonic flowmeter is equal to or less than 1 mL/sec, and

wherein the ultrasonic flowmeter includes;

a first piezoelectric element and a second piezoelectric element, which are spaced apart from each other in a flow direction of the processing solution, and are formed in a circular shape to surround a periphery of the flow path member; and

a measuring unit configured to measure the flow rate of the processing solution, based on a variation of ultrasonic propagation times between when ultrasonic is propagated from the first piezoelectric element to the second piezoelectric element and when the ultrasonic is propagated from the second piezoelectric element to the first piezoelectric element.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flow path member between the first piezoelectric element and the second piezoelectric element is formed in a cylindrical shape having an inner diameter of 2 mm or less.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cumulated value monitoring unit configured to obtain a cumulated discharge value by cumulating the flow rates detected by the ultrasonic flowmeter during a cumulated time until the processing solution is discharged from the nozzle, and to output an alarm if the cumulated discharge value exceeds a threshold corresponding to the number of times when the processing solution has been discharged from the nozzle.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing solution is supplied from the processing solution supply source to the substrate at a flow rate equal to or less than 1 mL/sec.

5. A method for performing a solution process by supplying a processing solution from a processing solution supply source to the substrate held on a substrate holder via a flow path member and a nozzle, the method comprising:

measuring a flow rate of the processing solution by an ultrasonic flowmeter mounted to the flow path member;

detecting a bubble based on a variation in the flow rate; and

controlling the bubble to be discharged by closing the valve and supplying the processing solution to the bubble trap using a bubble trap and a valve when the number of times when the ultrasonic flowmeter detects the bubble exceeds a threshold,

wherein a lower limit of the flow rate which is measured by the ultrasonic flowmeter is equal to or less than 1 mL/sec,

wherein the flow rate of the processing solution is measured using a first piezoelectric element and a second piezoelectric element which are spaced apart from each other in a flow direction of the processing solution and are formed in a circular shape to surround a periphery of the flow path member, based on a variation of ultrasonic propagation times between when ultrasonic is propagated from the first piezoelectric element to the second piezoelectric element and when the ultrasonic is propagated from the second piezoelectric element to the first piezoelectric element, and

wherein the bubble trap is mounted to the flow path member at a downstream side from the ultrasonic flowmeter, and the valve is mounted to the flow path member at a downstream side from the bubble trap.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

obtaining a cumulated discharge value by cumulating the flow rates detected by the ultrasonic flowmeter during a cumulated time until the processing solution is discharged from the nozzle, and

outputting an alarm if the cumulated discharge value exceeds a threshold corresponding to the number of times when the processing solution has been discharged from the nozzle.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the processing solution is supplied from the processing solution supply source to the substrate at a flow rate equal to or less than 1 mL/sec.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute a method for performing a solution process by supplying a processing solution from a processing solution supply source to the substrate held on a substrate holder via a flow path member and a nozzle, the method comprising:

measuring a flow rate of the processing solution by an ultrasonic flowmeter mounted to the flow path member;

detecting a bubble based on a variation in the flow rate; and

controlling the bubble to be discharged by closing the valve and supplying the processing solution to the bubble trap using a bubble trap and a valve when the number of times when the ultrasonic flowmeter detects the bubble exceeds a threshold,

wherein a lower limit of the flow rate which is measured by the ultrasonic flowmeter is equal to or less than 1 mL/sec,

wherein the flow rate of the processing solution is measured using a first piezoelectric element and a second piezoelectric element which are spaced apart from each other in a flow direction of the processing solution and are formed in a circular shape to surround a periphery of the flow path member, based on a variation of ultrasonic propagation times between when ultrasonic is propagated from the first piezoelectric element to the second piezoelectric element and when the ultrasonic is propagated from the second piezoelectric element to the first piezoelectric element, and

wherein the bubble trap is mounted to the flow path member at a downstream side from the ultrasonic flowmeter, and the valve is mounted to the flow path member at a downstream side from the bubble trap.

9. An apparatus configured to perform a solution process by supplying a processing solution from a processing solution supply source to the substrate held on a substrate holder via a flow path member and a nozzle, the apparatus comprising:

a solution transfer unit configured to transfer the processing solution to the nozzle, and mounted to the flow path member;

an ultrasonic flowmeter mounted to the flow path member at a downstream side from the solution transfer unit;

a bubble detection unit configured to detect a bubble in the processing solution based on a variation of flow rates measured by the ultrasonic flowmeter;

a solution receiving unit configured to receive the processing solution which is discharged from the nozzle by a dummy dispensing; and

a control unit configured to perform the solution processing by discharging the processing solution from the nozzle to the substrate a predetermined number of times, and to perform the dummy dispensing in the solution receiving unit, when the ultrasonic flowmeter detects the bubble,

wherein a lower limit of a flow rate range which is measured by the ultrasonic flowmeter is equal to or less than 1 mL/sec, and

wherein the ultrasonic flowmeter includes;

a first piezoelectric element and a second piezoelectric element, which are spaced apart from each other in a flow direction of the processing solution, and are formed in a circular shape to surround a periphery of the flow path member; and

a measuring unit configured to measure the flow rate of the processing solution, based on a variation of ultrasonic propagation times between when ultrasonic is propagated from the first piezoelectric element to the second piezoelectric element and when the ultrasonic is propagated from the second piezoelectric element to the first piezoelectric element.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the flow path member between the first piezoelectric element and the second piezoelectric element is formed in a cylindrical shape having an inner diameter of 2 mm or less.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a cumulated value monitoring unit configured to obtain a cumulated discharge value by cumulating the flow rates detected by the ultrasonic flowmeter during a cumulated time until the processing solution is discharged from the nozzle, and to output an alarm if the cumulated discharge value exceeds a threshold corresponding to the number of times when the processing solution has been discharged from the nozzle.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processing solution is supplied from the processing solution supply source to the substrate at a flow rate equal to or less than 1 mL/sec.

13. A method for performing a solution process by supplying a processing solution from a processing solution supply source to the substrate held on a substrate holder via a flow path member and a nozzle, the method comprising:

measuring a flow rate of the processing solution by an ultrasonic flowmeter mounted to the flow path member;

detecting a bubble based on a variation in the flow rate; and

controlling to perform a solution process by discharging the processing solution from the nozzle to the substrate a predetermined number of times, and to perform a dummy dispensing in a solution receiving unit, when the ultrasonic flowmeter detects the bubble,

wherein a lower limit of the flow rate which is measured by the ultrasonic flowmeter is equal to or less than 1 mL/sec, and

wherein the flow rate of the processing solution is measured using a first piezoelectric element and a second piezoelectric element which are spaced apart from each other in a flow direction of the processing solution and are formed in a circular shape to surround a periphery of the flow path member, based on a variation of ultrasonic propagation times between when ultrasonic is propagated from the first piezoelectric element to the second piezoelectric element and when the ultrasonic is propagated from the second piezoelectric element to the first piezoelectric element.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

obtaining a cumulated discharge value by cumulating the flow rates detected by the ultrasonic flowmeter during a cumulated time until the processing solution is discharged from the nozzle, and

outputting an alarm if the cumulated discharge value exceeds a threshold corresponding to the number of times when the processing solution has been discharged from the nozzle.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the processing solution is supplied from the processing solution supply source to the substrate at a flow rate equal to or less than 1 mL/sec.