Substrate treatment apparatus and substrate treatment method

Abstract

The inventive substrate treatment apparatus includes a change controlling unit which changes at least one of a protection liquid application position relative to a liquid droplet nozzle and a protection liquid incident angle relative to the liquid droplet nozzle, the protection liquid application position being a position at which the protection liquid is applied on an upper surface of the substrate, the protection liquid incident angle being an angle at which the protection liquid is incident on the liquid application position; wherein the change controlling unit controls the liquid application position and the incident angle in a first condition when the spraying region is located on an upper surface center portion of the substrate, and controls the liquid application position and the incident angle in a second condition when the spraying region is located on an upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A substrate treatment apparatus comprising:
 a substrate holding unit which horizontally holds a substrate;   a rotation unit which rotates the substrate held by the substrate holding unit about a vertical rotation axis;   a liquid droplet nozzle which generates droplets of a treatment liquid to be sprayed to a spraying region on an upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit;   a protection liquid nozzle which spouts a protection liquid to the upper surface of the substrate to form a liquid film of the protection liquid on the upper surface of the substrate so that, with the spraying region covered with the protection liquid film, the treatment liquid droplets impinge on the spraying region;   a nozzle moving unit which, while maintaining the liquid droplet nozzle and the protection liquid nozzle in predetermined positional relation, moves the liquid droplet nozzle and the protection liquid nozzle so as to move the spraying region between an upper surface center portion of the substrate and an upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate; and   a change controlling unit which changes at least one of a protection liquid application position relative to the liquid droplet nozzle and a protection liquid incident angle relative to the liquid droplet nozzle according to a position of the spraying region on the upper surface of the substrate, the protection liquid application position being a liquid application position at which the protection liquid spouted from the protection liquid nozzle is applied on the upper surface of the substrate, the protection liquid incident angle being an incident angle at which the protection liquid spouted from the protection liquid nozzle is incident on the liquid application position;   wherein the change controlling unit controls the liquid application position and the incident angle in a first condition when the spraying region is located on the upper surface center portion of the substrate, and controls the liquid application position and the incident angle in a second condition different from the first condition when the spraying region is located on the upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate.   
     
     
         2 . The substrate treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first condition is such that, with the spraying region located on the upper surface center portion of the substrate, the protection liquid spouted from the protection liquid nozzle spreads over the entire spraying region,   wherein the second condition is such that, with the spraying region located on the upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate, the protection liquid spouted from the protection liquid nozzle spreads over the entire spraying region.   
     
     
         3 . The substrate treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the protection liquid nozzle includes a first protection liquid nozzle and a second protection liquid nozzle,   wherein a position and an attitude of the first protection liquid nozzle relative to the liquid droplet nozzle is such that, with the spraying region located on the upper surface center portion of the substrate, the protection liquid spouted from the first protection liquid nozzle spreads over the entire spraying region,   wherein a position and an attitude of the second protection liquid nozzle relative to the liquid droplet nozzle is such that, with the spraying region located on the upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate, the protection liquid spouted from the second protection liquid nozzle spreads over the entire spraying region,   wherein the change controlling unit includes a spouting controlling unit which spouts the protection liquid only from the first protection liquid nozzle without spouting the protection liquid from the second protection liquid nozzle when the spraying region is located on the upper surface center portion of the substrate, and spouts the protection liquid only from the second protection liquid nozzle without spouting the protection liquid from the first protection liquid nozzle when the spraying region is located on the upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate.   
     
     
         4 . The substrate treatment apparatus according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the spouting controlling unit stops spouting the protection liquid from the second protection liquid nozzle when the spraying region is moved from the upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate to the upper surface center portion of the substrate and, in synchronism with the stop of the spouting of the protection liquid from the second protection liquid nozzle, starts spouting the protection liquid from the first protection liquid nozzle,   wherein the spouting controlling unit stops spouting the protection liquid from the first protection liquid nozzle when the spraying region is moved from the upper surface center portion of the substrate to the upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate and, in synchronism with the stop of the spouting of the protection liquid from the first protection liquid nozzle, starts spouting the protection liquid from the second protection liquid nozzle.   
     
     
         5 . The substrate treatment apparatus according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the spouting controlling unit stops spouting the protection liquid from the second protection liquid nozzle when the spraying region is moved from the upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate to the upper surface center portion of the substrate, and starts spouting the protection liquid from the first protection liquid nozzle prior to the stop of the spouting of the protection liquid from the second protection liquid nozzle,   wherein the spouting controlling unit stops spouting the protection liquid from the first protection liquid nozzle when the spraying region is moved from the upper surface center portion of the substrate to the upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate, and starts spouting the protection liquid from the second protection liquid nozzle prior to the stop of the spouting of the protection liquid from the first protection liquid nozzle.   
     
     
         6 . The substrate treatment apparatus according to  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a first protection liquid supply pipe which supplies the protection liquid to the first protection liquid nozzle;   a first protection liquid valve provided in the first protection liquid supply pipe to switch on and off the supply of the protection liquid to the first protection liquid nozzle;   a second protection liquid supply pipe which supplies the protection liquid to the second protection liquid nozzle; and   a second protection liquid valve provided in the second protection liquid supply pipe to switch on and off the supply of the protection liquid to the second protection liquid nozzle;   wherein the spouting controlling unit closes the second protection liquid valve when the spraying region is moved from the upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate to the upper surface center portion of the substrate, and opens the first protection liquid valve prior to the closing of the second protection liquid valve,   wherein the spouting controlling unit closes the first protection liquid valve when the spraying region is moved from the upper surface center portion of the substrate to the upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate, and opens the second protection liquid valve prior to the closing of the first protection liquid valve.   
     
     
         7 . The substrate treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the protection liquid nozzle is a single protection liquid nozzle,   wherein the change controlling unit includes a position/attitude controlling unit which, when the spraying region is located on the upper surface center portion of the substrate, controls a position and an attitude of the protection liquid nozzle relative to the liquid droplet nozzle in a first position/attitude condition such that the protection liquid spouted from the protection liquid nozzle spreads over the entire spraying region located on the upper surface center portion of the substrate and, when the spraying region is located on the upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate, controls the position and the attitude of the protection liquid nozzle relative to the liquid droplet nozzle in a second position/attitude condition such that the protection liquid spouted from the protection liquid nozzle spreads over the entire spraying region located on the upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate.   
     
     
         8 . A substrate treatment method comprising:
 a substrate holding step of horizontally holding a substrate;   a rotating step of rotating the held substrate about a vertical rotation axis;   a liquid droplet supplying step of spraying droplets of a treatment liquid from a liquid droplet nozzle to a spraying region on an upper surface of the held substrate;   a protection liquid spouting step of spouting a protection liquid from a protection liquid nozzle to the upper surface of the held substrate to form a liquid film of the protection liquid on the upper surface of the held substrate so that, with the spraying region covered with the protection liquid film, the treatment liquid droplets impinge on the spraying region;   a nozzle moving step of, while maintaining the liquid droplet nozzle and the protection liquid nozzle in predetermined positional relation, moving the liquid droplet nozzle and the protection liquid nozzle so as to move the spraying region between an upper surface center portion of the substrate and an upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate; and   a changing step of, simultaneously with the nozzle moving step, changing at least one of a protection liquid application position relative to the liquid droplet nozzle and a protection liquid incident angle relative to the liquid droplet nozzle according to a position of the spraying region on the upper surface of the substrate, the protection liquid application position being a liquid application position at which the protection liquid spouted from the protection liquid nozzle is applied on the upper surface of the substrate, the protection liquid incident angle being an incident angle at which the protection liquid spouted from the protection liquid nozzle is incident on the liquid application position;   wherein the liquid application position and the incident angle are controlled in a first condition when the spraying region is located on the upper surface center portion of the substrate, and controlled in a second condition different from the first condition when the spraying region is located on the upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate.   
     
     
         9 . The substrate treatment method according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein the first condition is such that, with the spraying region located on the upper surface center portion of the substrate, the protection liquid spouted from the protection liquid nozzle spreads over the entire spraying region,   wherein the second condition is such that, with the spraying region located on the upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate, the protection liquid spouted from the protection liquid nozzle spreads over the entire spraying region.   
     
     
         10 . The substrate treatment method according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein the protection liquid nozzle includes a first protection liquid nozzle and a second protection liquid nozzle,   wherein a position and an attitude of the first protection liquid nozzle relative to the liquid droplet nozzle is such that, with the spraying region located on the upper surface center portion of the substrate, the protection liquid spouted from the first protection liquid nozzle spreads over the entire spraying region,   wherein a position and an attitude of the second protection liquid nozzle relative to the liquid droplet nozzle is such that, with the spraying region located on the upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate, the protection liquid spouted from the second protection liquid nozzle spreads over the entire spraying region,   wherein the changing step includes a spouting switching step of spouting the protection liquid only from the first protection liquid nozzle without spouting the protection liquid from the second protection liquid nozzle when the spraying region is located on the upper surface center portion of the substrate, and spouting the protection liquid only from the second protection liquid nozzle without spouting the protection liquid from the first protection liquid nozzle when the spraying region is located on the upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate.   
     
     
         11 . The substrate treatment method according to  claim 10 ,
 wherein the spouting switching step includes the steps of:   stopping spouting the protection liquid from the second protection liquid nozzle when the spraying region is moved from the upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate to the upper surface center portion of the substrate and, in synchronism with the stop of the spouting of the protection liquid from the second protection liquid nozzle, starting spouting the protection liquid from the first protection liquid nozzle; and   stopping spouting the protection liquid from the first protection liquid nozzle when the spraying region is moved from the upper surface center portion of the substrate to the upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate and, in synchronism with the stop of the spouting of the protection liquid from the first protection liquid nozzle, starting spouting the protection liquid from the second protection liquid nozzle.   
     
     
         12 . The substrate treatment method according to  claim 10 ,
 wherein the spouting switching step includes the steps of:   stopping spouting the protection liquid from the second protection liquid nozzle when the spraying region is moved from the upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate to the upper surface center portion of the substrate, and starting spouting the protection liquid from the first protection liquid nozzle prior to the stop of the spouting of the protection liquid from the second protection liquid nozzle; and   stopping spouting the protection liquid from the first protection liquid nozzle when the spraying region is moved from the upper surface center portion of the substrate to the upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate, and starting spouting the protection liquid from the second protection liquid nozzle prior to the stop of the spouting of the protection liquid from the first protection liquid nozzle.   
     
     
         13 . The substrate treatment method according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein the protection liquid nozzle is a single protection liquid nozzle,   wherein the changing step includes a position/attitude shifting step of, when the spraying region is located on the upper surface center portion of the substrate, shifting a position and an attitude of the protection liquid nozzle relative to the liquid droplet nozzle into a first position/attitude condition such that the protection liquid spouted from the protection liquid nozzle spreads over the entire spraying region located on the upper surface center portion of the substrate and, when the spraying region is located on the upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate, shifting the position and the attitude of the protection liquid nozzle relative to the liquid droplet nozzle into a second position/attitude condition such that the protection liquid spouted from the protection liquid nozzle spreads over the entire spraying region located on the upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate.   
     
     
         14 . A substrate treatment apparatus comprising:
 a substrate holding unit which horizontally holds a substrate;   a rotation unit which rotates the substrate held by the substrate holding unit about a vertical rotation axis;   a liquid droplet nozzle which generates droplets of a treatment liquid to be sprayed to a spraying region on an upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit;   a first protection liquid nozzle which spouts a protection liquid to the upper surface of the substrate;   a second protection liquid nozzle which spouts the protection liquid to the upper surface of the substrate;   a protection liquid supplying unit which supplies the protection liquid to the first and second protection liquid nozzles;   a nozzle moving unit which moves the liquid droplet nozzle and the first and second protection liquid nozzles;   a protection liquid spouting controlling unit which controls the protection liquid supplying unit to spout the protection liquid to the upper surface of the substrate from both of the first and second protection liquid nozzles to form a liquid film of the protection liquid on the upper surface of the substrate so that, with the spraying region covered with the protection liquid film, the treatment liquid droplets impinge on the spraying region; and   a nozzle movement controlling unit which, while maintaining the liquid droplet nozzle and the first and second protection liquid nozzles in predetermined positional relation with the protection liquid spouted from the first and second protection liquid nozzles, moves the liquid droplet nozzle and the first and second protection liquid nozzles so as to move the spraying region between an upper surface center portion of the substrate and an upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate;   wherein a position and an attitude of the first protection liquid nozzle relative to the liquid droplet nozzle are set in a first position/attitude condition such that a liquid application state defined for the first protection liquid nozzle relative to the liquid droplet nozzle by at least one of a liquid application position at which the protection liquid spouted from the first protection liquid nozzle is applied on the upper surface of the substrate and an incident angle at which the protection liquid spouted from the first protection liquid nozzle is incident on the liquid application position for the first protection liquid nozzle is a first liquid application state;   wherein a position and an attitude of the second protection liquid nozzle relative to the liquid droplet nozzle are set in a second position/attitude condition such that a liquid application state defined for the second protection liquid nozzle relative to the liquid droplet nozzle by at least one of a liquid application position at which the protection liquid spouted from the second protection liquid nozzle is applied on the upper surface of the substrate and an incident angle at which the protection liquid spouted from the second protection liquid nozzle is incident on the liquid application position for the second protection liquid nozzle is a second liquid application state different from the first liquid application state.   
     
     
         15 . The substrate treatment apparatus according to  claim 14 ,
 wherein the first position/attitude condition is such that, with the spraying region located on the upper surface center portion of the substrate, the protection liquid spouted from the first protection liquid nozzle spreads over the entire spraying region,   wherein the second position/attitude condition is such that, with the spraying region located on the upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate, the protection liquid spouted from the second protection liquid nozzle spreads over the entire spraying region.   
     
     
         16 . The substrate treatment apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the protection liquid spouting controlling unit controls the protection liquid supplying unit to spout the protection liquid at predetermined spouting flow rates from the first and second protection liquid nozzles irrespective of a position of the spraying region on the upper surface of the substrate. 
     
     
         17 . The substrate treatment apparatus according to  claim 14 ,
 wherein the protection liquid supplying unit includes a flow rate regulating unit which regulates flow rates of the protection liquid to be supplied to the first and second protection liquid nozzles,   wherein the protection liquid spouting controlling unit includes a spouting flow rate controlling unit which controls the flow rate regulating unit,   wherein the spouting flow rate controlling unit changes spouting flow rates of the protection liquid to be spouted from the first and second protection liquid nozzles according to a position of the spraying region on the upper surface of the substrate.   
     
     
         18 . The substrate treatment apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein the spouting flow rate controlling unit sets the spouting flow rates of the protection liquid to be spouted from the first and second protection liquid nozzles at higher flow rate levels when the spraying region is located on the upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate than when the spraying region is located on the upper surface center portion of the substrate. 
     
     
         19 . The substrate treatment apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein spouting flow rates of the protection liquid to be spouted from the first and second protection liquid nozzles are set so as to satisfy a flow rate ratio of 1:1. 
     
     
         20 . A substrate treatment method comprising:
 a substrate holding step of horizontally holding a substrate;   a first position/attitude setting step of setting a first protection liquid nozzle in a first position/attitude condition such that a liquid application state defined for the first protection liquid nozzle relative to a liquid droplet nozzle by at least one of a liquid application position at which a protection liquid spouted from the first protection liquid nozzle is applied on an upper surface of the substrate and an incident angle at which the protection liquid spouted from the first protection liquid nozzle is incident on the liquid application position for the first protection liquid nozzle is a first liquid application state;   a second position/attitude setting step of setting a second protection liquid nozzle in a second position/attitude condition such that a liquid application state defined for the second protection liquid nozzle relative to the liquid droplet nozzle by at least one of a liquid application position at which a protection liquid spouted from the second protection liquid nozzle is applied on the upper surface of the substrate and an incident angle at which the protection liquid spouted from the second protection liquid nozzle is incident on the liquid application position for the second protection liquid nozzle is a second liquid application state different from the first liquid application state;   a rotating step of rotating the held substrate about a vertical rotation axis;   a liquid droplet supplying step of spraying droplets of a treatment liquid from the liquid droplet nozzle to a spraying region on the upper surface of the held substrate;   a protection liquid spouting step of spouting the protection liquid to the upper surface of the substrate from both of the first and second protection liquid nozzles to form a liquid film of the protection liquid on the upper surface of the held substrate so that, with the spraying region covered with the protection liquid film, the treatment liquid droplets impinge on the spraying region; and   a nozzle moving step of, while maintaining the liquid droplet nozzle and the first and second protection liquid nozzles in predetermined positional relation with the protection liquid spouted from the first and second protection liquid nozzles, moving the liquid droplet nozzle and the first and second protection liquid nozzles so as to move the spraying region between an upper surface center portion of the substrate and an upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate.   
     
     
         21 . The substrate treatment method according to  claim 20 ,
 wherein the first position/attitude condition is such that, with the spraying region located on the upper surface center portion of the substrate, the protection liquid spouted from the first protection liquid nozzle spreads over the entire spraying region,   wherein the second position/attitude condition is such that, with the spraying region located on the upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate, the protection liquid spouted from the second protection liquid nozzle spreads over the entire spraying region.   
     
     
         22 . The substrate treatment method according to  claim 20 , wherein the protection liquid spouting step includes the step of spouting the protection liquid at predetermined spouting flow rates from the first and second protection liquid nozzles irrespective of a position of the spraying region on the upper surface of the substrate. 
     
     
         23 . The substrate treatment method according to  claim 20 , wherein spouting flow rates of the protection liquid to be spouted from the first and second protection liquid nozzles are changed according to a position of the spraying region on the upper surface of the substrate in the protection liquid spouting step. 
     
     
         24 . The substrate treatment method according to  claim 23 , wherein the spouting flow rates of the protection liquid to be spouted from the first and second protection liquid nozzles are set at higher flow rate levels when the spraying region is located on the upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate than when the spraying region is located on the upper surface center portion of the substrate in the protection liquid spouting step.