Filter, substrate treatment apparatus and substrate treatment method

Abstract

A filter connectable to an external circulating system, the circulating system being included by a substrate treatment apparatus which etches a substrate with an H 3 PO 4 solution, the filter includes: a chemical feeding port which permits feed of H 3 PO 4 solution containing particles deposited due to etching of a substrate; an H 2 O adding port which permits the addition of H 2 O; a filter film which removes the particles from the H 3 PO 4 solution whose heat distribution is made ununiform by the addition of H 2 O; and a protection member which is disposed between the H 2 O adding port and the filter film and which protects the filter film from bumping of the H 3 PO 4 solution that is causable by the addition of H 2 O.

1 . A filter connectable to an external circulating system, the circulating system being included by a substrate treatment apparatus which etches a substrate with an H 3 PO 4  solution, the filter comprising: 
 a chemical feeding port which permits feed of H 3 PO 4  solution containing particles deposited due to etching of a substrate;    an H 2 O adding port which permits the addition of H 2 O;    a filter film which removes the particles from the H 3 PO 4  solution whose heat distribution is made ununiform by the addition of H 2 O; and    a protection member which is disposed between the H 2 O adding port and the filter film and which protects the filter film from bumping of the H 3 PO 4  solution that is causable by the addition of H 2 O.    
   
   
       2 . A substrate treatment apparatus comprising: 
 a treatment tank which receives a substrate to etch the substrate with an H 3 PO 4  solution;    a circulating system which takes in the H 3 PO 4  solution containing particles deposited in the treatment tank and which removes the particles and returns the H 3 PO 4  solution to the treatment tank;    a pump attached to the circulating system to circulate the H 3 PO 4  solution in the circulating system;    a filter attached to the circulating system, the filter including a chemical feeding port which permits the feed of the H 3 PO 4  solution containing particles deposited by the etching, and a filter film which removes the particles from the H 3 PO 4  solution;    an H 2 O adder attached on an upstream side of the filter film of the filter to add H 2 O to the H 3 PO 4  solution so that a concentration of the H 3 PO 4  solution is maintained within an arbitrary range and to impart an ununiform temperature distribution to the H 3 PO 4  solution; and    a heater attached to the circulating system to heat the H 3 PO 4  solution so that the H 3 PO 4  solution at an arbitrary temperature is supplied to the treatment tank.    
   
   
       3 . The substrate treatment apparatus according to  claim 2 , 
 wherein the H 2 O adder is attached to the circulating system outside the filter.    
   
   
       4 . The substrate treatment apparatus according to  claim 3 , 
 wherein a distance between the H 2 O adder and the filter is in a range in which the H 3 PO 4  solution is supplied to the filter before a heat distribution of the H 3 PO 4  solution is uniformed.    
   
   
       5 . The substrate treatment apparatus according to  claim 2 , 
 wherein the H 2 O adder is an H 2 O adding port provided between the chemical feeding port and the filter film in the filter to permit the addition of H 2 O, and    the filter further includes a protection member which is disposed between the H 2 O adding port and the filter film and which protects the filter film from bumping of the H 3 PO 4  solution that is causable by the addition of H 2 O.    
   
   
       6 . The substrate treatment apparatus according to  claim 2 , which further comprises a filter cleaning line connected to the circulating system between the upstream and downstream side of the filter to feed the filter with cleaning solution.  
   
   
       7 . The substrate treatment apparatus according to  claim 2 , which comprises a plurality of filters connected in parallel to the circulating system.  
   
   
       8 . The substrate treatment apparatus according to  claim 2 , which further comprises a bypass line connected to the circulating system to allow fresh H 3 PO 4  solution to bypass the filter in replacement of H 3 PO 4  solution.  
   
   
       9 . A substrate treatment method using a substrate treatment apparatus which comprises a treatment tank which etches with an H 3 PO 4  solution a substrate to be treated; a circulating system which takes in the H 3 PO 4  solution containing particles deposited by the H 3 PO 4  solution in the treatment tank and which removes the particles and returns the H 3 PO 4  solution to the treatment tank; a pump attached to the circulating system to circulate the H 3 PO 4  solution in the circulating system; a filter which includes an attachment part to be attached to the circulating system and a filter film to remove the particles from the H 3 PO 4  solution; and a heater attached to the circulating system to heat the H 3 PO 4  solution so that the H 3 PO 4  solution at an arbitrary temperature is supplied to the treatment tank, the treatment method comprising: 
 adding H 2 O to the H 3 PO 4  solution on an upstream side of the attachment part of the filter in the circulating system to maintain a concentration of the H 3 PO 4  solution within an arbitrary range and to impart an ununiform concentration distribution to the H 3 PO 4  solution.    
   
   
       10 . The substrate treatment method according to  claim 9 , wherein 
 H 2 O is added to the H 3 PO 4  solution at a position apart from the filter by a distance in a range in which the H 3 PO 4  solution is supplied to the filter before a heat distribution of the H 3 PO 4  solution is uniformed.    
   
   
       11 . The substrate treatment method according to  claim 9 , 
 wherein H 2 O is added to the H 3 PO 4  solution outside of the filter.    
   
   
       12 . The substrate treatment method according to  claim 9 , 
 wherein H 2 O is added to the H 3 PO 4  solution between the attachment part and the filter film of the filer.    
   
   
       13 . The substrate treatment method according to  claim 9 , 
 wherein the filter further includes a protection member which protects the filter film from bumping of the H 3 PO 4  solution that is causable by the addition of H 2 O.    
   
   
       14 . The substrate treatment method according to  claim 9 , which further comprises feeding the filter with cleaning solution to clean the filter.  
   
   
       15 . The substrate treatment method according to  claim 9 , 
 wherein the substrate treatment apparatus comprises a plurality of filters connected in parallel to the circulating system.    
   
   
       16 . The substrate treatment method according to  claim 9 , 
 wherein the substrate treatment apparatus comprises a bypass line connected to the circulating system and    the method further comprises supplying fresh H 3 PO 4  solution through the bypass line to bypass the filter in replacement of H 3 PO 4  solution.