Apparatus and method for supplying liquid and apparatus for processing substrate

Abstract

A liquid supply apparatus comprises a pump mechanism for pumping out a liquid to a conduit, a flowmeter for measuring a flowrate of the liquid flowing through the conduit, and a controller for controlling these mechanisms. The pump mechanism comprises a flexible chamber made of resin, a pressure chamber housing the flexible chamber, and an electro-pneumatic regulator for adjusting pressure in a space between the pressure chamber and the flexible chamber. The flexible chamber comprises a bellows. In the liquid supply apparatus, while pressure is applied to the flexible chamber of the pump mechanism and the liquid in the flexible chamber is pumped out to the conduit, the pressure applied to the flexible chamber is controlled by the controller on the basis of a flowrate of the liquid measured by the flowmeter. This makes it possible to supply the liquid of a small flowrate while controlling the flowrate accurately.

1 . A liquid supply apparatus for supplying a liquid, comprising: 
 a pump mechanism for pumping out a liquid to a conduit by applying pressure to a flexible chamber to reduce a volume of said flexible chamber;    a flowmeter placed in a downstream side of said pump mechanism for measuring a flowrate of said liquid flowing through said conduit; and    a controller for sending an electrical signal to said pump mechanism, said electrical signal controlling pressure applied to said flexible chamber so that said flowrate of said liquid flowing through said conduit is adjusted to a predetermined flowrate on the basis of a flowrate of said liquid obtained by said flowmeter.    
     
     
         2 . The liquid supply apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 said flexible chamber is made of resin.    
     
     
         3 . The liquid supply apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 said flexible chamber comprises a bellows.    
     
     
         4 . The liquid supply apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 said pump mechanism comprises    a pressure chamber housing said flexible chamber; and    an electro-pneumatic regulator for adjusting pressure in a space between said pressure chamber and said flexible chamber.    
     
     
         5 . The liquid supply apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 said flexible chamber comprises a bellows, and    said pump mechanism comprises    a pressure chamber housing said flexible chamber; and    an electro-pneumatic regulator for adjusting pressure in a space between said pressure chamber and said flexible chamber, wherein    one end of said flexible chamber is fixed to said pressure chamber and the other end is made free.    
     
     
         6 . The liquid supply apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein 
 said pump mechanism further comprises a displacement sensor for detecting a displacement of said other end with respect to said pressure chamber.    
     
     
         7 . The liquid supply apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein 
 said pump mechanism further comprises a leakage sensor located on an inner side of a bottom of said pressure chamber for detecting a leakage of said liquid from said flexible chamber.    
     
     
         8 . The liquid supply apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 said pump mechanism comprises    a motor where an output torque is controlled; and    a press mechanism for applying pressure to said flexible chamber by a torque outputted from said motor.    
     
     
         9 . The liquid supply apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 another pump mechanism which has the same structure as said pump mechanism, wherein    compression of one chamber of said flexible chamber of said pump mechanism and another flexible chamber of said another pump mechanism and concurrent expansion of the other chamber of said flexible chamber and said another flexible chamber are performed alternately to said flexible chamber and said another flexible chamber by control of said controller.    
     
     
         10 . The liquid supply apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein 
 before compression of said one chamber is stopped, expansion of said other chamber is stopped and compression of said other chamber is started.    
     
     
         11 . The liquid supply apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 said flowmeter is a differential pressure flowmeter, and    said differential pressure flowmeter comprises    a round tube provided as a part of said conduit in which a flow of said liquid with a Reynolds number less than or equal to 2000 is formed;    a first pressure sensor placed between said pump mechanism and said round tube for measuring a pressure of said liquid flowing into said round tube; and    a second pressure sensor placed in a downstream side of said round tube for measuring a pressure of said liquid flowing out of said round tube.    
     
     
         12 . The liquid supply apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein 
 said round tube is made of resin.    
     
     
         13 . A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising: 
 a first conduit through which a first liquid flows;    a second conduit through which a second liquid flows, said second conduit connected to said first conduit;    a liquid supply apparatus installed on an upstream side of said second conduit for supplying said second liquid; and    a process bath, located in a downstream side of a connected point of said first conduit and said second conduit, for storing a processing liquid which is a mixture of said first liquid and said second liquid, in which a substrate being dipped, wherein    said liquid supply apparatus comprises    a pump mechanism for pumping out said second liquid to a conduit connected to said second conduit by applying pressure to a flexible chamber to reduce a volume of said flexible chamber;    a flowmeter placed in a downstream side of said pump mechanism for measuring a flowrate of said second liquid flowing through said conduit; and    a controller for sending an electrical signal to said pump mechanism, said electrical signal controlling pressure applied to said flexible chamber so that said flowrate of said second liquid flowing through said conduit is adjusted to a predetermined flowrate on the basis of a flowrate of said second liquid obtained by said flowmeter.    
     
     
         14 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein 
 said flexible chamber is made of resin.    
     
     
         15 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein 
 said flexible chamber comprises a bellows.    
     
     
         16 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein 
 said pump mechanism comprises    a pressure chamber housing said flexible chamber; and    an electro-pneumatic regulator for adjusting pressure in a space between said pressure chamber and said flexible chamber.    
     
     
         17 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein 
 said liquid supply apparatus further comprises another pump mechanism which has the same structure as said pump mechanism, and    compression of one chamber of said flexible chamber of said pump mechanism and another flexible chamber of said another pump mechanism and concurrent expansion of the other chamber of said flexible chamber and said another flexible chamber are performed alternately to said flexible chamber and said another flexible chamber by control of said controller.    
     
     
         18 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein 
 before compression of said one chamber is stopped, expansion of said other chamber is stopped and compression of said other chamber is started.    
     
     
         19 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein 
 said flowmeter is a differential pressure flowmeter, and    said differential pressure flowmeter comprises    a round tube provided as a part of said conduit in which a flow of said second liquid with a Reynolds number less than or equal to 2000 is formed;    a first pressure sensor placed between said pump mechanism and said round tube for measuring a pressure of said second liquid flowing into said round tube; and    a second pressure sensor placed in a downstream side of said round tube for measuring a pressure of said second liquid flowing out of said round tube.    
     
     
         20 . A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising: 
 a substrate holding part for holding a substrate;    a first conduit through which a first liquid flows;    a second conduit through which a second liquid flows, said second conduit connected to said first conduit;    a liquid supply apparatus installed on an upstream side of said second conduit for supplying said second liquid; and    a processing liquid supply part, located in a downstream side of a connected point of said first conduit and said second conduit, for supplying a processing liquid which is a mixture of said first liquid and said second liquid to said substrate, wherein    said liquid supply apparatus comprises    a pump mechanism for pumping out said second liquid to a conduit connected to said second conduit by applying pressure to a flexible chamber to reduce a volume of said flexible chamber;    a flowmeter placed in a downstream side of said pump mechanism for measuring a flowrate of said second liquid flowing through said conduit; and    a controller for sending an electrical signal to said pump mechanism, said electrical signal controlling pressure applied to said flexible chamber so that said flowrate of said second liquid flowing through said conduit is adjusted to a predetermined flowrate on the basis of a flowrate of said second liquid obtained by said flowmeter.    
     
     
         21 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein 
 said flexible chamber is made of resin.    
     
     
         22 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein 
 said flexible chamber comprises a bellows.    
     
     
         23 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein 
 said pump mechanism comprises    a pressure chamber housing said flexible chamber; and    an electro-pneumatic regulator for adjusting pressure in a space between said pressure chamber and said flexible chamber.    
     
     
         24 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein 
 said liquid supply apparatus further comprises another pump mechanism which has the same structure as said pump mechanism, and    compression of one chamber of said flexible chamber of said pump mechanism and another flexible chamber of said another pump mechanism and concurrent expansion of the other chamber of said flexible chamber and said another flexible chamber are performed alternately to said flexible chamber and said another flexible chamber by control of said controller.    
     
     
         25 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 24 , wherein 
 before compression of said one chamber is stopped, expansion of said other chamber is stopped and compression of said other chamber is started.    
     
     
         26 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein 
 said flowmeter is a differential pressure flowmeter, and    said differential pressure flowmeter comprises    a round tube provided as a part of said conduit in which a flow of said second liquid with a Reynolds number less than or equal to 2000 is formed;    a first pressure sensor placed between said pump mechanism and said round tube for measuring a pressure of said second liquid flowing into said round tube; and    a second pressure sensor placed in a downstream side of said round tube for measuring a pressure of said second liquid flowing out of said round tube.    
     
     
         27 . A liquid supply method for supplying a liquid, comprising the steps of: 
 a) storing a liquid supplied from a liquid supply source in a flexible chamber by expanding said flexible chamber to increase a volume of said flexible chamber in a pump mechanism; and    b) pumping out said liquid to a conduit by applying pressure to said flexible chamber to reduce said volume of said flexible chamber, wherein said step b) comprises    b1) measuring a flowrate of said liquid flowing through said conduit in a downstream side of said pump mechanism; and    b2) controlling pressure applied to said flexible chamber so that said flowrate of said liquid flowing through said conduit is adjusted to a predetermined flowrate on the basis of said flowrate measured in said step b1).    
     
     
         28 . The liquid supply method according to  claim 27 , further comprising the steps of: 
 c) storing said liquid supplied from said liquid supply source in another flexible chamber by expanding said another flexible chamber to increase a volume of said another flexible chamber in another pump mechanism; and    d) pumping out said liquid to said conduit by applying pressure to said another flexible chamber to reduce said volume of said another flexible chamber, wherein said step d) comprises    d1) measuring a flowrate of said liquid flowing through said conduit in a downstream side of said another pump mechanism; and    d2) controlling pressure applied to said another flexible chamber so that said flowrate of said liquid flowing through said conduit is adjusted to said predetermined flowrate on the basis of said flowrate measured in said step d1), wherein    said step a) and said step d) are performed almost concurrently,    said step b) and said step c) are performed almost concurrently, and    said step a) and said step d), and said step b) and said step c) are performed alternately.    
     
     
         29 . The liquid supply method according to  claim 28 , wherein 
 said step b) starts before said step d) ends, and said step d) starts before said step b) ends.