Apparatus and method for processing substrate

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for processing a substrate, comprising a liquid processing step of performing liquid processing on the substrate by supplying a processing liquid onto the substrate in a liquid processing chamber, a transfer step of transferring the substrate from the liquid processing chamber to a drying chamber, and a drying step of drying the substrate in the drying chamber. In the drying step, the substrate is dried while an edge region of the substrate other than a central region of the substrate is supported by a support unit, and in the liquid processing step, the liquid processing is performed on the substrate such that a height of the processing liquid remaining on the edge region of the substrate is greater than a height of the processing liquid remaining on the central region of the substrate when the liquid processing is completed in the liquid processing chamber.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for processing a substrate, the method comprising:
 a liquid processing step for performing liquid processing on the substrate by supplying a processing liquid onto the substrate in a liquid processing chamber;   a transfer step for transferring the substrate from the liquid processing chamber to a drying chamber; and   a drying step for drying the substrate in the drying chamber,   wherein in the drying step, the substrate is dried while an edge region of the substrate excluding a central region of the substrate is supported by a support unit, and   wherein in the liquid processing step, the liquid processing is performed on the substrate such that a height of the processing liquid remaining on the edge region of the substrate is higher than a height of the processing liquid remaining on the central region of the substrate when the liquid processing is completed in the liquid processing chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid processing step comprises:
 a liquid supply step for supplying the processing liquid toward the substrate rotating; and   a liquid level adjustment step for stopping supplying the processing liquid and rotating the substrate after the liquid supply step.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the substrate is rotated at a first speed in the liquid supply step and at a second speed in the liquid level adjustment step, and the second speed is lower than the first speed. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the liquid supply step comprises:
 a first supply step for rotating the substrate at a first speed and supplying the processing liquid toward the substrate at a first flow rate; and   a second supply step for rotating the substrate at a second speed and supplying the processing liquid toward the substrate at a second flow rate,   wherein the first speed is higher than the second speed, and   wherein the first flow rate is greater than the second flow rate.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein in the liquid processing step, a central nozzle and an edge nozzle simultaneously supply the processing liquid onto the substrate,
 wherein the central nozzle supplies the processing liquid onto the central region of the rotating substrate, and the edge nozzle supplies the processing liquid onto the edge region of the rotating substrate, and   wherein a flow rate of the processing liquid supplied by the edge nozzle is greater than a flow rate of the processing liquid supplied by the central nozzle.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein in the liquid processing step, the processing liquid is supplied onto the rotating substrate through a liquid supply nozzle,
 wherein a dispensing location of the processing liquid supplied from the liquid supply nozzle is moved between the central region and the edge region of the substrate, and   wherein a flow rate of the processing liquid supplied onto the edge region of the substrate is modified to be greater than a flow rate of the processing liquid supplied onto the central region of the substrate.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein in the liquid processing step, the substrate is processed by sequentially supplying a first liquid, a second liquid, and a third liquid onto the substrate, and the processing liquid is the third liquid,
 wherein in the drying step, the substrate is dried using a supercritical fluid, and   wherein the third liquid dissolves better in the supercritical fluid than the second fluid.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the third liquid comprises isopropyl alcohol, and
 wherein the supercritical fluid is carbon dioxide.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the substrate is transferred into the drying chamber, with the processing liquid remaining on the substrate. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the first liquid is an etching fluid, and the second liquid neutralizes the first liquid and dissolves better in the third liquid than the first liquid. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the height of the processing liquid on the edge region of the substrate is higher than the height of the processing liquid on the central region of the substrate when the substrate is transferred into the drying chamber. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the second speed ranges from 10 RPM to 100 RPM. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the first speed is 200 RPM or more. 
     
     
         14 . An apparatus for processing a substrate, the apparatus comprising:
 a liquid processing chamber configured to perform liquid processing on the substrate by supplying a processing liquid onto the substrate;   a drying chamber configured to remove the processing liquid from the substrate;   a transfer unit configured to transfer the substrate between the liquid processing chamber and the drying chamber; and   a controller configured to control the liquid processing chamber, the drying chamber, and the transfer unit,   wherein the liquid processing chamber comprises:   a cup having a processing space inside;   a support unit configured to support and rotate the substrate in the processing space; and   a liquid supply unit configured to supply the processing liquid onto the substrate,   wherein the drying chamber comprises:   a body having an inner space inside;   a support configured to support an edge region of the substrate in the inner space;   a fluid supply unit configured to supply a fluid for drying into the inner space; and   an exhaust unit configured to exhaust the fluid in the inner space, and   wherein the controller is configured to control the liquid processing chamber, the drying chamber, and the transfer unit to sequentially perform a liquid processing step for performing liquid processing on the substrate by supplying the processing liquid onto the substrate in the liquid processing chamber, a transfer step for transferring the substrate from the liquid processing chamber to the drying chamber, and a drying step for drying the substrate in the drying chamber and to allow a height of the processing liquid remaining on the edge region of the substrate to be higher than a height of the processing liquid remaining on a central region of the substrate when the liquid processing is completed in the liquid processing chamber in the liquid processing step.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to control the liquid processing chamber such that the liquid processing step comprises a liquid supply step for rotating the substrate and supplying the processing liquid toward the substrate and a liquid level adjustment step for rotating the substrate and stopping supplying the processing liquid after the liquid supply step. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to control the liquid processing chamber such that a rotating speed of the substrate in the liquid supply step is higher than a rotating speed of the substrate in the liquid level adjustment step. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the liquid supply unit comprises:
 a central nozzle configured to supply the processing liquid onto the central region of the substrate; and   an edge nozzle configured to supply the processing liquid onto the edge region of the substrate,   wherein the controller is configured to control the liquid processing chamber such that the edge nozzle supplies the processing liquid onto the edge region of the rotating substrate at the same time that the central nozzle supplies the processing liquid onto the central region of the rotating substrate, and a flow rate of the processing liquid supplied by the edge nozzle is greater than a flow rate of the processing liquid supplied by the central nozzle in the liquid supply step.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein in the liquid processing step, the substrate is processed by sequentially supplying a first liquid, a second liquid, and a third liquid onto the substrate, and the processing liquid is the third liquid,
 wherein in the drying step, the substrate is dried using a supercritical fluid,   wherein the third liquid dissolves better in the supercritical fluid than the second fluid, and   wherein the substrate is transferred into the drying chamber, with the processing liquid remaining on the substrate.   
     
     
         19 . A method for processing a substrate, the method comprising:
 a liquid processing process of performing liquid processing on the substrate by supplying a processing liquid onto the substrate in a liquid processing chamber;   a liquid level adjustment process of adjusting a level of the processing liquid remaining on the substrate after the liquid processing process; and   a drying process of removing the processing liquid from the substrate,   wherein the liquid level adjustment process is performed by rotating the substrate while the supply of the processing liquid onto the substrate is stopped.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein in the liquid level adjustment process, the level of the processing liquid remaining on the substrate is adjusted by controlling a rotating speed of the substrate. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the rotating speed of the substrate in the liquid level adjustment process is a first set speed when the level of the processing liquid on the substrate that is set before the drying process is a first level,
 wherein the rotating speed of the substrate in the liquid level adjustment process is a second set speed when the level of the processing liquid on the substrate that is set before the drying process is a second level, and   wherein the first level is higher than the second level, and the first set speed is lower than the second set speed.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the liquid processing process and the liquid level adjustment process are performed in the liquid processing chamber,
 wherein the drying process is performed in a drying chamber, and   wherein the substrate on which the liquid level adjustment process is completely performed in the liquid processing chamber is transferred into the drying chamber by a transfer robot.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the rotating speed of the substrate in the liquid level adjustment process is lower than that of the substrate in the liquid processing process. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein in the liquid processing process, the substrate is processed by sequentially supplying a first liquid, a second liquid, and a third liquid onto the substrate, and the processing liquid is the third liquid,
 wherein in the drying step, the substrate is dried using a supercritical fluid, and   wherein the third liquid dissolves better in the supercritical fluid than the second fluid.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein a height of the processing liquid on an edge region of the substrate is higher than a height of the processing liquid on a central region of the substrate when the substrate is transferred into the drying chamber.