Substrate processing method and substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

A substrate processing method includes a first processing liquid supplying step of supplying a first processing liquid to an upper surface of the substrate, a holding layer forming step of solidifying or curing the first processing liquid to form a particle holding layer on the upper surface of the substrate, a holding layer removing step of peeling and removing the particle holding layer from the upper surface of the substrate, a liquid film forming step of forming, after removing the particle holding layer from the substrate, a liquid film of the second processing liquid, a solidifying step of cooling the liquid film to a temperature not more than a melting point of the sublimable substance to make the liquid film solidify on the substrate and form a solid film, and a sublimating step of sublimating and thereby removing the solid film from the substrate.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
 a substrate holding unit which holds a substrate horizontally;   a first processing liquid supplying unit which supplies, to an upper surface of the substrate, a first processing liquid which contains a solute and a solvent having volatility and has a property of being solidified or cured by volatilization of at least a portion of the solvent to forma particle holding layer on the upper surface of the substrate;   a first heat medium supplying unit which supplies a first heat medium, which heats the substrate, to a lower surface of the substrate;   a peeling liquid supplying unit which supplies a peeling liquid, which peels the particle holding layer from the upper surface of the substrate, to the upper surface of the substrate;   a second processing liquid supplying unit which supplies a second processing liquid, containing a sublimable substance, to the upper surface of the substrate;   a second heat medium supplying unit which supplies a second heat medium, which cools the substrate, to the lower surface of the substrate;   a sublimating unit which sublimates a solid film formed from the second processing liquid;   a first heat medium feeding piping which feeds the first heat medium to the first heat medium supplying unit from a first heat medium supply source;   a second heat medium feeding piping which feeds the second heat medium to the second heat medium supplying unit from a second heat medium supply source;   a first heat medium valve which is interposed in the first heat medium feeding piping; and   a second heat medium valve which is interposed in the second heat medium feeding piping,   wherein the first heat medium supplying unit and the second heat medium supplying unit are configured to switch a heat medium supplied to the lower surface of the substrate between the first heat medium and the second heat medium when the first heat medium valve and the second heat medium valve are operated.   
     
     
         2 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a third heat medium supplying unit which supplies a third heat medium, which heats the substrate, to the lower surface of the substrate;   a third heat medium feeding piping which feeds the third heat medium to the third heat medium supplying unit from a third heat medium supply source:   a third heat medium valve which is interposed in the third heat medium feeding piping;   a removing unit which removes the second processing liquid from the upper surface of the substrate; and   a controller which controls the second processing liquid supplying unit, the third heat medium supplying unit and the removing unit,   wherein the third heat medium supplying unit is configured to switch, together with the first heat medium supplying unit and the second heat medium supplying unit, the heat medium supplied to the lower surface of the substrate among the first heat medium, the second heat medium and the third heat medium when two valves of the first heat medium valve, the second heat medium valve and the third heat medium valve are operated, and   the controller is programed to execute a liquid film forming step of supplying the second processing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate from the second processing liquid supplying unit to form a liquid film of the second processing liquid which covers the upper surface of the substrate, a temperature holding step of supplying the third heat medium to the lower surface of the substrate from the third heat medium supplying unit in parallel with the liquid film forming step to hold a temperature of the liquid film within a temperature range of not less than a melting point of the sublimable substance and less than a boiling point of the sublimable substance, and a film thinning step of removing a portion of the second processing liquid, constituting the liquid film, from the upper surface of the substrate to thin the liquid film by the removing unit while the temperature of the liquid film is within the temperature range.   
     
     
         3 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the controller is programmed to close the third heat medium valve and open the second heat medium valve in the film thinning step to adjust a timing for switching the heat medium supplied to the lower surface of the substrate from the third heat medium to the second heat medium, thereby adjusting a length of a period of the film thinning step. 
     
     
         4 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a heat medium supplying piping which supplies the first heat medium to the first heat medium supplying unit and the second heat medium to the second heat medium supplying unit; and   a lower surface nozzle which functions as the first heat medium supplying unit and the second heat medium supplying unit, and discharges the heat medium in the heat medium supplying piping toward the lower surface of the substrate,   wherein the controller is programed to execute a solidifying step of discharging the second heat medium in the heat medium supplying piping from the lower surface nozzle toward the lower surface of the substrate to cool the liquid film via the substrate to a temperature not more than the melting point of the sublimable substance to make the liquid film solidify to form the solid film, and a heat medium supplying piping heat step of, after the solidifying step, supplying the first heat medium to the lower surface nozzle through the heat medium supplying piping from the first heat medium supply source to discharge the first heat medium from the lower surface nozzle until the substrate is carried out and a next substrate is carried in.   
     
     
         5 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first heat medium supplying unit is configured to supply the first heat medium having a first temperature lower than an alteration temperature of the solute contained in the first processing liquid, and
 The second heat medium supplying unit is configured to supply the second heat medium having a second temperature lower than a melting point of the sublimable substance contained in the second processing liquid.