JPH11354617A - Substrate processing apparatus and method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To rotate a substrate, such as a silicon wafer in a noncontact condition at a high speed. SOLUTION: A wafer 11 is positioned in an opening 18 which passes through the central part of a holder unit 9, so that the wafer 11 is gripped at its edge. Embedded in the holder unit 5 is a magnet 27. A unit supporting/rotating device 5 includes a thrust support coil 29, a radial support coil 31 and stator coil 33. By utilizing the magnetic forces of the coils, the unit supporting/rotating device 5 supports and rotates the holder unit 9 in a noncontacted condition. Since the coils are disposed close to the holder unit 9, the holder unit 9 can be stably supported and be rotated at a high speed. Furthermore, since the wafer 11 is exposed on its upper and lower sides, treatment fluid can be supplied from a nozzle onto the both surfaces of the wafer 11.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method, and more particularly, to a substrate processing apparatus capable of supporting a substrate in a non-contact state and capable of processing both surfaces of the substrate. The present invention is suitably applied to the manufacture of a semiconductor silicon substrate, but is also applicable to other substrates, for example, a glass substrate for liquid crystal.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the process of forming a semiconductor element on a semiconductor silicon substrate, surface treatments such as etching, surface cleaning, drying, and photoresist coating are performed. In each surface treatment, a dedicated treatment liquid such as a chemical solution or a cleaning liquid is supplied to the surface of the substrate. In the surface treatment of a substrate, high surface treatment performance such as low contamination, processing speed, uniformity of processing, reproducibility, and stability is required. In addition, in relation to productivity, processing devices must be small, simple, inexpensive, and have a high processing capability, and the processing devices must be able to cope with diversification such as modularization and closed systemization. Desired.

[0003] As is well known, a conventional substrate processing apparatus includes:
There are a batch type device and a single wafer type device. In a batch type device,
A plurality of substrates are immersed together in the processing liquid. On the other hand, in the single-wafer method, each substrate is individually processed. Conventionally, batch processing has been common. However, in recent years, the substrate tends to be large, and the diameter of the substrate to be processed has reached 300 mm. In addition, miniaturization of devices made of semiconductor substrates is progressing. Against this background, single-wafer devices are becoming popular.

[0004] Conventional simple and most common single-wafer devices are:
The substrate is fixed to the holder by sucking the back surface of the substrate with a vacuum chuck. Then, the holder is rotated by the motor, and the processing liquid is supplied to the rotating substrate. However, there is a disadvantage in that the back surface of the substrate comes into contact with the substrate holder, thereby causing contamination of the back surface, which may cause defects in subsequent steps. Also, both sides of the substrate cannot be processed simultaneously.

Another conventional device has a rotor that contacts the substrate at the edge of the substrate. When the rotor rotates, the substrate rotates due to the frictional force. However, this method has a disadvantage that a sufficient rotation speed cannot be obtained.
In addition, particles are generated by friction between the rotor and the substrate,
There is a disadvantage that these particles cause contamination.

[0006] The above-mentioned conventional apparatuses are all contact-type apparatuses in which a substrate supporting mechanism and a rotating mechanism are in direct contact with a substrate. It is difficult to completely prevent contamination due to contact with the substrate, which hinders quality improvement. Therefore, supporting the substrate without contacting the substrate,
It is desirable to provide a non-contact type processing device that rotates.

In the above-mentioned conventional apparatus, auxiliary mechanisms such as a rotating shaft, a motor and a vacuum pipe are generally arranged below the substrate holding holder. Therefore, it has been difficult to reduce the size of the processing apparatus, and it has been difficult to arrange the processing chamber vertically or inclinedly.

FIG. 5 of JP-A-4-26118 discloses a non-contact type and single-wafer processing apparatus. The tray 6 on which the substrate 14 is placed is horizontally arranged in the processing chamber. The tray 6 floats in the processing chamber by the action of the magnetic force generated by the electromagnet 7 provided on the ceiling of the processing chamber. The tray 6 is guided in a horizontal direction by a magnetic bearing 20 composed of an electromagnet surrounding the tray 6. Then, the tray 6 is rotated by the action of the electromagnet 22 provided below the tray 6. Therefore, the surface treatment of the substrate 14 can be performed without contacting the tray 6 at all.

[0009]

However, in the processing apparatus described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 4-26118, the tray located at the bottom of the processing chamber floats by the action of the electromagnet provided on the ceiling of the processing chamber. In other words, the tray is suspended from the ceiling using the action of magnetism. In such a configuration, the rotating tray is in a very unstable state. Therefore, there is a disadvantage that unevenness is easily generated in the etching and cleaning processes. In addition, since the tray is held unstable, the tray is likely to come into contact with surrounding members during rotation. When the tray comes into contact with the tray, the tray and the surrounding members are damaged, and the substrate is damaged such as cracks, distortions, and spatters. Particles generated by these damages also cause contamination when processing the substrate later. As described above, even if the conventional apparatus disclosed in the above publication is actually produced, it is difficult to actually perform the substrate processing because the substrate is in an unstable state. In particular, it is difficult to treat a recently enlarged substrate with a conventional apparatus.

Further, the processing apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 4-26118 has a disadvantage that it is difficult to rotate the substrate at high speed as described below. The reason why the high-speed rotation of the substrate is required is to improve the cleaning effect.
In a so-called rinse dry process, a high-speed rotation of about 2000 rotations per minute is required. Rinse drying is a process in which a trace amount of residual chemical liquid on a substrate is removed by applying ultrapure water to a substrate rotating at high speed, and then a clean gas (eg, nitrogen) is sprayed onto the substrate surface while rotating to dry. This is the processing to be performed. However, in the conventional non-contact type processing apparatus, the substrate is held in an unstable state, and it is considered that the behavior of the substrate becomes unstable particularly when high-speed rotation is performed. Therefore, it is not possible to satisfy recent needs such as improvement of a cleaning effect.

In recent years, with the increase in the degree of integration of semiconductor devices and the diversification of the purpose and processing method of substrate processing, there is an increasing demand for simultaneously processing both surfaces of the substrate. Further, in the case of performing a plurality of processing steps in one processing apparatus, it is possible to perform a double-sided simultaneous processing in one step, and to perform only one of the front side surface or the back side surface in another step, and the like. It is desired to provide a device. However, in the processing apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 4-26118, the substrate is placed on the tray, and the back surface is covered with the tray. Therefore, the conventional apparatus can only process the front side surface, and cannot meet the recent demands as described above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to stably hold a substrate in a non-contact state, whereby the substrate can be easily rotated at high speed. It is another object of the present invention to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of simultaneously processing both surfaces.

[0013]

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate surface by rotating a substrate and supplying a processing fluid to the rotating substrate. A holding unit for holding, a unit supporting and rotating device for supporting and rotating the holding unit,
A processing fluid supply device for supplying a processing fluid to both surfaces of the substrate held by the holding unit, wherein the holding unit is provided with an opening penetrating the unit,
The edge of the substrate disposed in the opening is held by the holding unit, and the unit supporting / rotating device generates a magnetic force at a position close to the holding unit, thereby holding the substrate in a non-contact state. Support the unit,
It is characterized by rotating.

According to the present invention, the holding unit for holding the substrate is provided with the through opening. The substrate is placed in this opening, and the edge of the substrate is held by the holding unit. Therefore, since both surfaces of the substrate are exposed outside the holding unit, it is possible to process both surfaces of the substrate at the same time. Further, the holding unit is supported and rotated in a non-contact state by using a magnetic force by a unit supporting and rotating device. Here, since the unit supporting and rotating device generates a magnetic force at a position close to the holding unit, the holding unit is supported and rotated in a stable state. Therefore, the holding unit can be easily rotated at a high speed. In particular, when the substrate is large, high-speed stability is significantly improved.

Preferably, the unit supporting and rotating device generates a magnetic field for supporting the holding unit and generates a motor magnetic field for rotating the holding unit as a motor rotor. As described above, according to the present invention, the holding unit and the unit supporting / rotating device constitute a motor for rotating the substrate. The holding unit is a rotor, and the unit supporting and rotating device is a stator. Since the substrate is directly held by the holding unit serving as the motor rotor, the processing apparatus can be downsized, and the substrate is supported and rotated in a stable state.

Preferably, the holding unit is disposed substantially horizontally, and the unit supporting and rotating device includes a thrust supporting coil disposed below the holding unit, wherein the thrust supporting coil has a magnetic repulsive force. Is generated to support the holding unit in the thrust direction.
As a result, the stability of substrate support and rotation is greatly improved as compared with a conventional apparatus in which a substrate is levitated by an electromagnet on the ceiling of the processing chamber.

Preferably, the holding unit is disposed substantially vertically or inclined with respect to a horizontal direction,
The unit support and rotation device includes thrust support coils disposed on both sides of the holding unit in the thrust direction, and the thrust support coils generate magnetic repulsion on both sides of the holding unit to move the holding unit in the thrust direction. To support. According to this aspect, it is possible to arrange the substrate processing apparatus vertically or in an inclined manner, which is difficult in the related art.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the holding unit includes a unit main body and a substrate holding jig detachable from the unit main body, and the substrate is held by the substrate holding jig. According to this aspect, for example, the substrate is
It is held by a substrate holding jig outside the processing chamber. Then, the substrate holding jig is carried into the processing chamber and mounted on the unit body. When the processing of the substrate is completed, the substrate holding jig is detached from the unit main body and carried out of the processing chamber. Since it is not necessary to touch the substrate itself when setting the substrate, the substrate can be easily handled without damaging or contaminating the substrate.

According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, there is provided a spray nozzle for spraying a spill-preventive fluid onto one surface of the substrate or an edge thereof, and the other of the substrates is sprayed by the spill-preventive fluid. The processing fluid supplied to the surface is prevented from wrapping around the one surface. According to this aspect, by using the injection nozzle, one side of the substrate can be processed. In addition, by stopping the injection from the injection nozzle, processing on both surfaces of the substrate can be performed. Therefore, it is possible to perform another type of processing including a step of processing only one side of the substrate and a step of simultaneously processing both sides of the substrate with one processing apparatus.

Another aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing method for holding a substrate using a holding unit, rotating the holding unit, and supplying a processing fluid to the substrate held by the holding unit. Holding the edge of the substrate in a state where the substrate is arranged in an opening penetrating the holding unit, and generating a magnetic force at a position close to the holding unit, thereby holding the holding unit in a non-contact state. The processing fluid is supplied to both sides of the substrate held by the holding unit while being supported and rotated. According to this aspect, the effects of the present invention can be obtained in the form of a substrate processing method.

The present invention is suitably applied to a silicon substrate or silicon wafer processing apparatus in the manufacture of semiconductor devices. Furthermore, the present invention is similarly applicable to other types of substrates processing apparatus, and is suitably applied to, for example, a liquid crystal glass substrate processing apparatus. Further, the substrate to be processed may be circular, square, or another shape.

The processing fluid of the present invention may be a processing liquid,
Processing gas may be used. The treatment liquid is, for example, a chemical liquid or a cleaning liquid (the cleaning liquid may be water). The processing gas is, for example, air, hydrogen fluoride gas, chlorine gas, ammonia, water vapor, nitrogen, or the like. Processing using a mixed gas of hydrogen fluoride gas, water vapor, and nitrogen is known.

Further, the present invention is applicable to any surface treatment for supplying a processing fluid to a substrate. Therefore, the present invention can be applied to a cleaning process, a photoresist coating process, an etching process, and the like. It is also preferable that one device performs a plurality of processes. In addition, it goes without saying that the processing apparatus of the present invention can be applied to substrate drying processing.

[0024]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention (hereinafter, referred to as embodiments) will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to a wet processing apparatus for a silicon wafer.

FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of the substrate processing apparatus. A processing chamber 2 is provided inside the housing 1. The processing chamber 2 is provided with a non-contact type substrate rotation mechanism 3 characteristic of the present invention. Substrate rotation mechanism 3
Includes a holding unit 9 and a unit supporting and rotating device 5. The holding unit 9 holds the silicon wafer 11. The holding unit 9 is supported and rotated by the unit supporting and rotating device 5 in a non-contact state using magnetic force. Here, the holding unit 9 and the unit supporting / rotating device 5
An electric motor is comprised by these. The holding unit 9 functions as a rotor, and the unit supporting and rotating device 5 functions as a stator. The unit supporting and rotating device 5 is horizontally fixed on the plurality of columns 7. As a variant,
The unit supporting and rotating device 5 may be provided integrally with the housing 1.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the unit supporting and rotating device 5 is provided with a hollow pot 13. The pot 13 includes an upper disk 13a, a lower disk 13b, and an outer cylindrical portion 13c that connects the disks. A pot chamber 15 for assembling the holding unit 9 is formed inside the pot 13. Both discs 13a, 13b
However, the upper and lower side walls of the pot chamber 15 are formed, and the outer cylindrical portion 13 c forms the side wall of the pot chamber 15. Both disks 13a, 13b have circular holes slightly larger than the silicon wafer 11 at the center. In other words, the pot 13 is a ring having a circular through opening 14 at the center. A groove (recess) forming the pot chamber 15 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the ring. Note that the opening diameter of the through opening 14 needs to be larger than the diameter of the silicon wafer 11 at least on the side where the silicon wafer 11 is inserted.

The holding unit 9 is incorporated in the pot chamber 15. The dimensions of each part are set so that a small gap is formed between the pot 13 and the holding unit 9 (the gap is shown enlarged in the figure). The holding unit 9 is also a circular ring and has an opening 18 in the center. The opening 18 is a circular through hole, and the size on the upper side is slightly larger than the diameter of the wafer 11.

The holding unit 9 is provided with chuck pins 21 for holding the edge of the wafer 11. In the present embodiment, three chuck pins 21 are provided at equal intervals along the inner peripheral surface of the opening 18. The tip of the chuck pin 21 has a V-shape branched into two. Further, a small disk 22 is provided integrally with the chuck pin 21. The spring 23 housed in the spring housing hole 23a is in contact with the small disk 22. As a result, the chuck pin 21 is pushed toward the center of the opening 18. Thus, the wafer 11 is securely held by the three chuck pins 21. The number and arrangement of the chuck pins are not limited to the configurations shown in FIGS. Further, a chuck pin having a structure different from that of FIG. 2 may be applied.

The chuck pin 21 is connected to a chuck magnet 25. The chuck magnet 25 is a permanent magnet, and is fitted in a storage hole 25 a on the outer peripheral surface of the holding unit 9. Further, a chuck release solenoid 26 is embedded in the pot 13. When the wafer 11 is removed, the chuck release solenoid 26 is driven by the chuck magnet 2 by a magnetic force larger than the pressing force of the spring 23.
Attract 5 As a result, the chuck pins 21 move outward, and the wafer 11 can be removed. In addition,
The magnet 25 also has a role of defining the movement range of the chuck pin 21 by abutting on the bottom surface of the storage hole 25a. Here, the chuck pin 21 is an embodiment of the substrate holding piece of the present invention. The spring 23 is one form of an elastic member that presses the substrate holding piece against the substrate. The chuck release solenoid 26 is an example of a release unit that pulls the substrate holding piece to release the substrate holding state.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the wafer 11 is disposed in the opening 18 penetrating the holding unit 9,
The edge of the wafer 11 is held. Therefore, wafer 1
1 are exposed on the upper and lower sides of the substrate rotating mechanism 3. The wafer 11 is securely held by the chuck pins 21 and can be easily and automatically removed.

A large number of rotor magnets 27 are embedded in the holding unit 9 at regular intervals in the circumferential direction.
The rotor magnet 27 is a permanent magnet. On the other hand, the pot 13 of the unit supporting and rotating device 5 is provided with a large number of thrust supporting coils 29, radial supporting coils 31, and stator coils 33 at regular intervals in the circumferential direction.

The thrust support coil 29 is embedded in the lower disk 13 b of the pot 13 and is disposed near the wall of the pot chamber 15. The thrust support coil 29 is an electromagnet, and functions as a thrust bearing that supports the holding unit 9 in the thrust direction. Thrust support coil 2
The holding unit 9 floats in the pot chamber 15 when the holding unit 9 gives a vertical repulsive force to the rotor magnet 27.

The radial support coil 31 is embedded in the outer cylindrical portion 13c of the pot 13, and is located near the side wall of the pot chamber 15. The support coil 31 is also an electromagnet and functions as a radial bearing that supports the holding unit 9 in the radial direction. Due to the horizontal repulsion generated between the support coil 31 and the rotor magnet 27, contact between the holding unit 9 and the side wall surface of the pot chamber 15 is avoided.

In this way, the holding unit 9 is rotatably supported by the two supporting coils 29 and 31 without contacting the pot 13. Further, the pot 13 is provided with a thrust gap sensor 35 and a radial gap sensor 37. An appropriate number of sensors are arranged at appropriate locations, and the position and orientation of the holding unit 9 are obtained from detection signals of these gap sensors. Then, the current supplied to the support coils 29 and 31 is controlled so that the holding unit 9 is located near the center of the pot chamber 15.

The stator coil 33 is connected to the pot 13
And is disposed near the upper wall surface of the pot chamber 15. Due to the magnetic action of the stator coil 33 and the rotor magnet 27, a rotational force for rotating the holding unit 9 in the unit supporting and rotating device 5 is generated. The pot 13 is provided with a rotation sensor 39, which detects the angular position of the holding unit 9. The supply current to the stator coil 33 is controlled based on the detection signal of the sensor 39, and the holding unit 9
Rotates at the target rotation speed. Here, for example, according to the principle of the synchronous motor, an alternating current is supplied to the stator coil 33, and a rotating magnetic field is generated. The rotating magnetic field and the magnetic field generated by the rotor magnet 27 generate a rotor rotational force. The motor control may be performed by applying a well-known motor principle, and a detailed description of the motor control will be omitted.

Further, a current may be supplied to the stator coil 33 according to the principle of an induction motor. In this case, an induction motor is constituted by the unit supporting rotation device 5 and the holding unit 9. If the principle of the cage type motor is applied,
The holding unit 9 can be rotated without using the magnetism of the rotor magnet 27. In that case, the rotor magnet 27 generates magnetism exclusively for floating support of the holding unit 9. In order to obtain high rotation, it is preferable to perform frequency variable inverter control with a high frequency set.

In addition, the processing liquid passage 41 is provided in the pot 13.
Are provided at a plurality of locations. This processing liquid passage 41 is
The processing liquid in the pot chamber 15 is released to the outside.

It is preferable to provide appropriate magnetic shielding means between the coils of the pot 13 as needed. Further, the shapes, numbers, arrangements, and the like of the thrust support coil 29, the radial support coil 31, and the stator coil 33 are not limited to the configurations shown in FIGS. For example,
It is also conceivable to provide the thrust support coil 29 on the upper disk 13a and the stator coil 33 on the lower disk 13b. In this case, the holding unit 9 is supported by a magnetic pulling force from above. It is also preferable to provide the thrust support coils 29 on both the upper disk 13a and the lower disk 13b, so that the holding unit 9 can be supported more reliably. In addition, other types of magnetic generating means, for example, permanent magnets, may be provided instead of the coil.

As for the rotor magnet 27, one permanent magnet may be used for the supporting function and the rotating function. In this case, the magnetic poles of the magnet are arranged so that both functions are realized. Further, the rotor magnet 27 may be divided into a plurality. For example, a thrust support magnet, a radial support magnet, and a rotational force generating magnet are provided. In this case, magnetic shielding means is provided between the magnets as needed.

Returning to FIG. 1, inside the processing chamber 2, a first multi-nozzle 43 and a second multi-nozzle 45 are provided above and below the substrate rotating mechanism 3, respectively. Each of the multi-nozzles 43 and 45 is connected to the first chemical liquid tank 4.
7. The second chemical liquid tank 49, the pure water tank 51, and the nitrogen gas tank 53 are individually connected by pipes. Then, each of the multi-nozzles 43 and 45 selectively supplies the first chemical solution, the second chemical solution, pure water, and nitrogen gas to the center of the wafer 11 according to the processing process. Both nozzles 43, 45
It is not necessary to spray the processing liquid, and it is only necessary to discharge the processing liquid with an appropriate intensity. In particular, the second multi-nozzle 45 may discharge the processing liquid with such a strength that the processing liquid can sufficiently reach the upper wafer 11.

In the present embodiment, substrate processing is mainly performed using a processing liquid, but the present invention is not limited to such substrate processing. The present invention is similarly applicable to a process of supplying a processing gas to a substrate. For example, it is conceivable to use a mixed gas of hydrogen fluoride gas, steam and nitrogen.

Further, a plurality of nitrogen gas injection nozzles 55 are provided below the substrate rotating mechanism 3, and the nitrogen gas injection nozzles 55 are connected to a nitrogen gas tank 57 via pipes. The nitrogen gas injection nozzle 55 is a ring-shaped nozzle arranged to form a circle along the inner peripheral portion of the holding unit 9. The nitrogen gas injection nozzle 55 is disposed so as to face the outside of the ring and obliquely upward. The ejection target is the outer peripheral edge of the wafer 11 and its periphery. The nitrogen gas injection nozzle 55
It is used when processing only the upper surface (front surface) of No. 1. The first multi-nozzle 43 supplies the processing liquid to the upper surface of the wafer 11 and injects nitrogen gas from the nitrogen gas injection nozzle 55 to the edge of the wafer 11. As a result, the processing liquid is prevented from flowing to the lower surface (back surface) of the wafer 11, and processing on only the upper surface is performed. In addition, instead of nitrogen gas,
Other gas (including air) or pure water may be used.

In the processing chamber, a plurality of wafer moving devices 59 are installed along the edge of the wafer 11.
The wafer moving device 59 is an embodiment of the vertical moving means of the present invention for moving a substrate in a direction perpendicular to the surface thereof. The wafer moving device 59 includes a moving pin 61 that moves up and down.
Having. The lifting and lowering of the pins raise and lower the wafer, respectively.

Further, a transfer gate 63 is provided on a side wall of the housing 1. When the transfer gate 63 is opened, an actuator (not shown) moves the transfer tray 65, and the transfer tray 65 moves in and out of the processing chamber 2. The transfer tray 65 is for carrying the wafer 11 into and out of the processing chamber 2, and the wafer 11 is placed on the transfer tray 65.

In addition, an exhaust port 67 for discharging gas in the processing chamber 2 is provided at an upper portion of the housing 1, and a drain 69 for discharging a processing solution is provided at a lower portion of the housing 1. Have been.

FIG. 4 is a control block diagram of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. The entire processing device is controlled by the control CPU 71. The control CPU 71 sets the wafer 11 on the substrate rotating mechanism 3 in a preparation stage. First, the control CPU
71 outputs a control signal to the gate drive circuit 73 to open the transport gate 63. Further, the control CPU 71
Outputs a control signal to the transport tray drive circuit 75 to carry the transport tray 65 on which the wafer 11 is placed into the processing chamber 2. The transport tray 65 is stopped above the opening 18 of the holding unit 9. The moving pin 61 of the wafer moving device 59 is moved upward by the moving pin driving circuit 77, and the silicon wafer 11 is supported by the moving pin 61. The transport tray drive circuit 75 carries out the transport tray 65, and the transport gate drive circuit 73 closes the transport gate 63. The moving pin drive circuit 77 lowers the moving pin 61,
The silicon wafer 11 is moved to the height of the holding unit 9.

Next, the control CPU 71 outputs a control signal to the chuck pin drive circuit 79 to stop the generation of the magnetic force of the chuck release solenoid 26. Thus, the chuck pins 21 are pressed against the silicon wafer 11 by the spring 23, and the silicon wafer 11 is chucked.
When the chuck open / close sensor 26a confirms that the chuck is completed, the moving pin driving circuit 77
1 is moved further to the standby position below.

Next, the control CPU 71 outputs a control signal to the unit floating support drive circuit 81. The drive circuit 81 supplies a current to the thrust support coil 29 and the radial support coil 31, thereby
The holding unit 9 floats in the pot chamber 15. As described above, the holding unit 9 is rotatably supported in the thrust direction and the radial direction without contacting the pot 13. Also, the thrust gap sensor 3
5 and the detection signal of the radial gap sensor 37, the position and orientation of the holding unit 9 are obtained. Then, the current control based on the detection result adjusts the attitude of the holding unit 9 and the like. This control is continued even during unit rotation.

The control CPU 71 sends a set value of the unit rotation speed to the motor drive circuit 83. The motor drive circuit 83 supplies a motor current to the stator coil 33, whereby the holding unit 9 rotates at the set number of revolutions. The motor current is controlled based on the detection signal of the rotation sensor 39.

In this embodiment, since the two supporting coils 29 and 31 generate magnetic force at a position close to the holding unit 9 in the processing chamber, the holding unit 9 is stably supported in a non-contact state. . Therefore, a large silicon substrate (for example, a diameter of 300 mm or more) can be rotated at a rotation speed of 2000 or more per minute.

After the holding unit 9 starts rotating, the control CPU 71 outputs a control signal to the first multi-nozzle 43 and the second multi-nozzle 45 to supply a processing liquid or a nitrogen gas to the silicon wafer 11. As an example, consider the case where an etching process is performed.
It is sent from the first chemical liquid tank 47 to both nozzles 43 and 45,
It is supplied to the center of both sides of the wafer 11. The etchant spreads over the entire wafer 11 by centrifugal force to form a uniform film, thereby performing the etching.

Next, the control CPU 71 stops the supply of the etching solution and waits until all the etching solution is discharged from the drain 69. Then, a cleaning liquid for neutralization is sent from the second chemical liquid tank 49 to both nozzles 43 and 45. Then, a film of the cleaning liquid is formed in the same manner as described above, and the silicon wafer 11 is cleaned. The cleaning removes substances such as particles and metal molecules.

After the cleaning is completed and all the cleaning liquid is drained from the drain 69, the control CPU 71 performs a rinsing dry process. The silicon wafer 11 is rotated at a high speed of about 2000 rotations per minute. Then, the pure water in the pure water tank 51 is supplied to the central portions on both sides of the silicon wafer 11. The pure water removes the trace residual chemical solution in the previous process. next,
Nitrogen gas is injected onto the wafer 11 and the silicon wafer 11
Is dried.

Here, as an example, the procedure for performing processing from etching to drying has been described. However, the processing apparatus of the present embodiment can be similarly used for any other processing. A processing liquid according to the processing content is used, and the number of revolutions is adjusted according to the processing content.

When only the upper surface of the wafer 11 is processed, the second multi-nozzle 45 is not used. instead,
Nitrogen gas is injected from the nitrogen gas injection nozzle 55. As a result, the processing liquid on the surface of the silicon wafer 11 does not flow around the lower surface. Therefore, processing of only the upper surface of the wafer 11 is performed reliably. It is preferable that the nitrogen gas injection nozzle 55 is provided above the substrate rotation mechanism 3. As a result, only the lower surface of the silicon wafer 11 can be processed.

When the processing of the wafer 11 is completed, the control CPU
Reference numeral 71 stops the current supply to the thrust support coil 29, the radial support coil 31, and the stator coil 33, whereby the holding unit 9 stops. The stop position is adjusted so that the chuck pin 21 of the holding unit 9 and the chuck release solenoid 26 of the pot 13 face each other when stopped.

The moving pin driving circuit 77 raises the moving pins 61 to the height of the wafer 11. In accordance with the instruction from the control CPU 71, the chuck release solenoid 26
5, the chuck pin 21 moves outward,
The chuck state is released. The wafer 11 has the moving pins 6
1 and move upward. The transfer gate 63 is opened, and the transfer tray 65 is carried in. Moving pin 61
Is lowered, the wafer 11 is placed on the transfer tray 65. Then, the transport tray 65 is carried out of the processing chamber 2.

The main advantages of the embodiment described above will be described. In the present embodiment, the support coils 29 and 31 are provided in the substrate processing chamber 2 at a position close to the holding unit 9. Due to the magnetic force generated at the close position,
The holding unit 9 is supported in a non-contact state and an extremely stable state. Therefore, the wafer 11 can be rotated at a high speed without causing a cause of contamination such as particles.

The opening 1 penetrating the holding unit 9
Since the wafer 11 is arranged on 8 and the edge of the wafer 11 is gripped, the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer 11 are exposed outside the substrate rotating mechanism. Therefore, simultaneous processing of both sides of the substrate is possible. If necessary, simultaneous double-sided processing or single-sided processing can be performed. Further, the chemical solution treatment and the spin dry treatment can be continuously performed by one apparatus.

The structure of the substrate rotating mechanism 3 of the present embodiment is simple, and the height of the mechanism 3 may be about 60 to 100 mm. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size of the device, meet the demand for space saving, and provide an inexpensive and high-performance device.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the processing apparatus of the present embodiment is a closed system, so that the atmosphere in the processing chamber can be easily controlled and the emission of harmful vapor can be reliably prevented.

[Second Configuration of Substrate Rotation Mechanism] FIGS. 5 and 6 show a second configuration of the substrate rotation mechanism. In the second configuration, chuck pins for gripping a wafer are different from the configurations in FIGS. 2 and 3. As shown in FIG.
The chuck pin 93 of the holding unit is
And a weight portion 97. The tip of the pin arm 95 has a V-shape and is branched into two. A connecting portion 99 between the arm portion 95 and the weight portion 97 is rotatably supported by the holding unit.

When the holding unit is stopped and is not holding the wafer 11, the weight 97 is separated from the holding unit due to the weight of the weight 97, as shown in the right half of FIG. When the wafer 11 is placed on the tip of the pin arm 95, the pins 93 rotate, and the weight portion 97 comes into contact with the holding unit (the left half of FIG. 5; substrate setting state).
When the holding unit rotates, a centrifugal force acts on the weight portion 97. This ensures that the wafer 11 is chucked.

The configuration of FIGS. 5 and 6 has the advantage that it is simpler than the first configuration.

[Third Configuration of Substrate Rotation Mechanism] FIG. 7 shows a third configuration of the substrate rotation mechanism. Holding unit 1
Reference numeral 01 is divided into a unit main body 103 and a substrate holding jig 107 detachable from the unit main body 103. The unit main body 103 has a substantially trapezoidal cross-sectional shape. Accordingly, unit body 103 has two parallel opposing surfaces that extend substantially along the surface of wafer 11. Both opposing surfaces have different sizes, the upper surface being larger than the lower surface. The substrate holding jig 107 is a circular ring. Three or more chuck pins 10 are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the substrate holding jig 107.
9 are provided, and the wafer 11 is chucked by these chuck pins 109. The substrate holding jig 107
The clip 111 is attached to the attachment area 113 on the upper side surface of the unit main body 103.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 7, the pot 13 'covers the upper surface (the region other than the mounting region 113) of the unit body 103, and the portion surrounded by the lower surface and the outer peripheral surface 115. In the groove). Outer peripheral surface 11
The shape of the pot 13 ′ is set according to the inclination of 5. 2, a rotor magnet 27 ', a thrust support coil 29', a radial support coil 31 ', and a stator coil 33' are provided. With this configuration,
The holding unit 101 is held in a stable state without contacting the pot 13 '.

In the processing apparatus having the substrate rotating mechanism shown in FIG. 7, the wafer 11 is chucked to the substrate holding jig 107 outside the processing chamber. Then, a transfer arm (not shown) grasps the substrate holding jig 107, carries it into the processing chamber, and places it on the mounting area 113 of the unit main body 103. Then, the substrate holding jig 107 is fixed by the clip 111. After the processing, the transfer arm carries the substrate holding jig 107 out of the processing chamber.

Therefore, according to the third configuration, it is not necessary for the transfer mechanism to touch the wafer 11 itself when carrying the wafer. Therefore, the substrate can be easily handled without damaging or contaminating the substrate.

Further, as shown in FIG.
03 has a substantially trapezoidal cross-sectional shape, so that the holding unit 101 can be downsized. Since the weight of the holding unit 101 may be small, high-speed rotation is facilitated. This configuration can also contribute to miniaturization and weight reduction of the entire device.

[Fourth Configuration of Substrate Rotation Mechanism] FIG. 8 shows a fourth configuration of the substrate rotation mechanism. Holding unit 1
01 ″ is divided into a unit main body 103 ″ and a substrate holding jig 107 as in FIG. Unit body 10
3 ″ has a substantially trapezoidal cross-sectional shape. However, the inclination angle of the outer peripheral surface 121 of the unit main body 103 ″ (ie,
The angle of inclination with respect to the surface of the wafer 11) is approximately 45 degrees, which is smaller than the configuration in FIG.

The side wall surface 125 of the pot chamber 123 of the pot 13 "is also inclined corresponding to the inclination of the outer peripheral surface 121 of the unit body 103". Along the side wall surface 125, a thrust / radial support coil 127 is provided. The thrust / radial support coil 127 gives a repulsive force to the outer peripheral surface 121 (the rotor-side permanent magnet 129) of the holding unit 101 ″.
The holding unit 101 ″ is supported in the thrust direction and the radial direction.

As in the other configurations described above, the rotating force of the holding unit 101 ″ is generated by the action of the magnetic force between the stator coil 131 and the rotor magnet 129.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 8, the coil 127 generates a supporting force in the thrust direction and the radial direction. Therefore, downsizing and cost reduction are possible, and the control configuration can be simplified.

[Fifth Configuration of Substrate Rotation Mechanism] FIG. 9 shows a fifth configuration of the substrate rotation mechanism. In this configuration,
A substrate rotation mechanism is arranged vertically. As described above, the substrate rotating mechanism 3 of the present embodiment can be arranged not only horizontally but also vertically. In addition, the substrate rotation mechanism may be arranged at an angle.

The configuration of each part in FIG. 9 is almost the same as the first configuration shown in FIG. However, in order to ensure the support in the thrust direction, thrust support coils 29 are provided on both sides of the holding unit 9.

[Sixth Configuration of Substrate Rotating Mechanism] The substrate to be processed may not be circular. FIG. 10 shows a holding unit 135 suitable for processing a square substrate 133. The substrate 133 is a glass substrate for a liquid crystal. According to the shape of the substrate 133, the holding unit 135 includes:
A rectangular opening 137 is provided (however, a circular opening may be provided). Each side of the substrate 133 is
It is gripped by the chuck pin 139. Preferably, the holding unit 135 is provided with holes or weights for balance adjustment. The above-mentioned holding unit 135 is incorporated in the processing apparatus of FIG. 1, and the square substrate 133 is processed.

[Application] In the present embodiment, the substrate rotating mechanism may be thin, so that the processing chamber (chamber) can also be thin. By utilizing this fact, it is also preferable to make the substrate processing apparatus multilayer. For example, horizontally disposed processing apparatuses are stacked. In addition, for example, vertically arranged processing devices are arranged. With such an arrangement, a system including a plurality of substrate processing apparatuses can be made compact.

[0078]

As described above, according to the present invention, the substrate can be stably rotated in a non-contact state. Therefore, the substrate can be rotated at a high speed under the condition that the generation of particles and the like is extremely small. Further, simultaneous processing on both sides of the substrate or processing on one side can be selectively performed. Therefore, high processing quality can be obtained even in a background where the size of the substrate is increasing and the substrate specifications and processing contents are diversifying.

Further, as described above, the processing apparatus of the present invention can realize high processing capability with a small, simple, and inexpensive configuration. Furthermore, according to the present invention,
The advantage is that it is easy to cope with diversification of devices such as modularization and closed systemization.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a substrate rotating mechanism of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a substrate rotating mechanism of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a control block diagram of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a second configuration of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a second configuration of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a third configuration of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view illustrating a fourth configuration of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing a fifth configuration of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view illustrating a sixth configuration of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

1 housing, 2 processing chamber, 3 substrate rotation mechanism, 5
Unit support rotating device, 9 holding unit, 11 silicon wafer, 13 pot, 15 pot chamber, 18 opening, 21 chuck pin, 27 rotor magnet, 29
Thrust support coil, 31 Radial support coil, 33
Stator coil, 43 first multi-nozzle, 45 second multi-nozzle, 55 nitrogen gas injection nozzle, 59 wafer moving device, 63 transfer gate, 65 transfer tray.

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate surface by rotating a substrate and supplying a processing fluid to the rotating substrate, a holding unit for holding the substrate, and a unit for supporting and rotating the holding unit. A supporting and rotating device; and a processing fluid supply device for supplying a processing fluid to both surfaces of the substrate held by the holding unit. The holding unit is provided with an opening penetrating through the unit. The edge of the substrate arranged in the portion is held by the holding unit, and the unit supporting and rotating device generates a magnetic force at a position close to the holding unit, thereby holding the holding unit in a non-contact state. A substrate processing apparatus characterized by supporting and rotating. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the unit supporting / rotating device generates a magnetic field for supporting the holding unit, and rotates the holding unit as a rotor of the motor. A substrate processing apparatus for generating a magnetic field. 3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holding unit is disposed substantially horizontally, and the unit supporting / rotating device includes a thrust supporting coil disposed below the holding unit. The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the thrust support coil supports the holding unit in a thrust direction by generating a magnetic repulsive force. 4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holding unit is disposed substantially vertically or inclined with respect to a horizontal direction, and the unit supporting / rotating device is arranged in a thrust direction of the holding unit. A thrust support coil disposed on both sides of the holding unit, wherein the thrust support coil supports the holding unit in the thrust direction by generating magnetic repulsion on both sides of the holding unit. 5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holding unit includes a substrate holding piece and an elastic member that presses the substrate holding piece toward an edge of the substrate. Is provided with release means for releasing the holding state of the substrate, wherein the release means pulls the substrate holding piece with a pulling force greater than a pressing force of the elastic member. . 6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the substrate released from the holding state by the release unit is:
A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a vertical moving unit that moves in a direction perpendicular to a substrate surface; and an unloading unit that carries out the substrate moved by the vertical moving unit out of a substrate processing chamber. 7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holding unit includes a unit main body and a substrate holding jig detachable from the unit main body, and the substrate is held by the substrate holding jig. A substrate processing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. 8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the unit supporting / rotating device is provided with a through-opening at a position corresponding to the opening of the holding unit; The opening diameter of the through-opening of the unit supporting / rotating device is arranged at the opening of the holding unit through the through-opening of the rotating device,
A substrate processing apparatus, wherein the diameter is set to be larger than the diameter of the substrate at least on the side where the substrate is inserted. 9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an outer peripheral surface of the holding unit is provided to be inclined with respect to a substrate surface, and the unit supporting / rotating device includes an inclined outer periphery of the holding unit. A substrate processing apparatus, wherein the holding unit is supported in both a thrust direction and a radial direction by generating a magnetic force substantially perpendicular to a surface. 10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a spray nozzle for spraying a run-in preventing fluid onto one surface of the substrate or an edge thereof, and The substrate processing apparatus is characterized in that the spraying prevents the processing fluid supplied to the other surface of the substrate from flowing around to the one surface. 11. A substrate is held by using a holding unit,
A substrate processing method for rotating the holding unit and supplying a processing fluid to the substrate held by the holding unit, wherein the substrate is disposed in an opening penetrating the holding unit, and an edge of the substrate is arranged. Holding the unit, generating a magnetic force at a position close to the holding unit, supporting and rotating the holding unit in a non-contact state, and supplying a processing fluid to both surfaces of the substrate held by the holding unit A substrate processing method. 12. A substrate to be processed using the substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or the substrate processing method according to claim 11.