Substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

A multi-stage substrate processing apparatus in which each processing stage is carried out on a substrate while conveying said substrate includes a processing liquid supply device and a drying device arranged successively along a conveying direction of the substrate. The drying device comprises an air knife for drying a processing liquid on the substrate. A plurality of nozzles for supplying the processing liquid onto the substrate are provided in the processing liquid supply device. At least the nozzle in the final stage among the plurality of nozzles is pointed in an opposite direction to the conveying direction of the substrate. This apparatus shortens tact time of the processed substrate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing an embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. In this embodiment, there is explained the substrate processing apparatus which is arranged between developing process and a drying process to clean and dry the substrate processed in the developing process.

The substrate processing apparatus comprises along a conveyance line L a developing device 2, a processing liquid supply device (cleaning device) 1 and a drying device 3 which are arranged each in given positions. A substrate 4 to be processed is conveyed from a left side to a right side of the drawing along the conveyance line L to be carried out in turn a developing processing, a cleaning processing and a drying processing. The drying device 3 comprises an air knife 20. This air knife 20 is provided for removing a rinsing liquid remaining on a surface of the substrate 4 and is formed to jet out air onto the substrate 4.

The cleaning device 1 is divided into a series of four processing chambers, namely cleaning units (1a-1d) so as to clean and remove a developing solution remaining on the substrate 4 by each of the cleaning units. The first cleaning unit 1a has, on the upper side of the substrate 4, nozzle groups (10a-10d) for example in four rows arranged in the direction of the conveyance line L. Each of the nozzle groups (10a-10d) is arranged along the direction crossing at a right angle the conveyance line L (width direction of the substrate, i.e. the direction crossing the drawing at a right angle). Similarly, on the lower side of the substrate 4 there are nozzle groups (10e-10h) for example in four rows arranged along the conveyance line L. Each of the nozzle groups (10e-10h) on the lower side is also arranged along the direction crossing the conveyance line L at a right angle. Herein, each of the nozzle groups is arranged with a predetermined width.

Each of cleaning nozzles on the upper and the lower sides is connected to a rinsing liquid supply pipe and a predetermined amount of rinsing liquid is supplied through the rinsing liquid supply pipe from a rinsing liquid tank (not shown). The predetermined amount of the rinsing liquid supplied is jetted out through the nozzle onto the surface of the substrate 4, whereby the developing solution remaining on the substrate surface is cleaned and removed.

Second, third, and fourth cleaning units 1b, 1c, 1d are formed substantially similar to the above, cleaning nozzle groups are arranged respectively on the upper side and on the lower side of the conveyed substrate 4 along the conveyance line L. The developing solution on the surface of the conveyed substrate 4 is cleaned by the rinsing liquid. In the drawing, the second and third cleaning units 1b, 1c have nozzle groups arranged each in three rows while the fourth cleaning unit 1d has nozzle groups arranged in four rows.

In this embodiment, particularly, a nozzle in a final stage among a plurality of nozzles is pointed in an opposite direction to the conveying direction of the substrate 4 (for example, 45 degrees-80 degrees).

In this embodiment, the plurality of nozzles as referred to herein are those which are provided within the fourth cleaning unit 1d among the plurality of cleaning units (1a-1d). Namely, a nozzle 11d in the final stage among a plurality of nozzles (11a-11d) provided within the fourth cleaning unit 1d is pointed in an opposite direction to the conveying direction of the substrate 4.

With this construction, the treatment of the rinsing liquid left on the surface of the substrate 4 using an air knife 20 can be shortened. Namely, in the pre-treatment for the air knife 20, the liquid jetted out of the nozzle 11d is possible to push the rinsing liquid on the substrate 4 back to the rear end side in the traveling direction of the substrate 4 so as to have the rinsing liquid fallen down within the fourth cleaning unit 1d. Thereby, the following drying process step by the air knife 20 can be shortened to a considerable extent in comparison for example with the case where the nozzle 11d is not pointed in the opposite direction to the conveying direction of the substrate 4. For example, in the conventional case where the pointing direction is not changed, the speed in the drying device 3 (air knife 20) was 50 mm/sec, while in the construction of this embodiment it was 70-100 mm/sec.

In the embodiment, although only the upper nozzle 11d is pointed to the opposite direction, when considering the back surface of the substrate 4, a nozzle 11h is also pointed to the similar direction, as shown in FIG. 1.

Next, another embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention will be explained hereunder.

The substrate processing apparatus of this embodiment is constructed by having only the cleaning device 1 arranged along the conveyance line of the substrate 4, without provision of the developing device 2 and the drying device 3 in the substrate processing apparatus as shown in FIG. 1. Herein, the construction of each of the devices is similar to the above-mentioned so that repeated explanation will be omitted.

In this embodiment, particularly, a nozzle 10d in a final stage among a plurality of nozzles (10a-10d) provided within the first cleaning unit 1a among the successive cleaning units (1a-1d) is pointed in an opposite direction to the conveying direction of the substrate 4.

With this construction, similar to the above mentioned case, for example the contaminated rinsing liquid on the surface of the substrate 4 can be prevented from entering and being mixed in the second cleaning unit 1b. Therefore, it is also possible to improve the recycling rate of the rinsing liquid.

Namely, in the cleaning device 1 is carried out the recycling as shown hereunder. Not shown in the drawing but there are three tanks (the first-the third) each reserving a rinsing liquid. First, a fresh liquid (new rinsing liquid) is supplied to the fourth cleaning unit 1d. Secondly, the rinsing liquid used in the fourth cleaning unit 1d is collected in the first tank thereby to be used in the third cleaning unit 1c. Then, the rinsing liquid used in the third cleaning unit 1c is collected in the second tank thereby to be used in the second cleaning unit 1b. Further, the rinsing liquid used in the second cleaning unit 1b is collected in the third tank thereby to be used in the first cleaning unit 1a. Then, lastly, the rinsing liquid used in the first cleaning unit 1a is discharged into a drain side. By carrying out the recycling like this, the consumption of the rinsing liquid is lessened.

However, in this case, the rinsing liquid to be used in the first cleaning unit 1a is the most contaminated rinsing liquid. Therefore, in the case where the substrate 4 is transferred from the first cleaning unit 1a to the second cleaning unit 1b, if the contaminated rinsing liquid remains on the substrate 4, such contaminated rinsing liquid enters and is mixed in the cleaning units (1b-1d) successive to the first cleaning unit 1a so as to result in a decline in the recycling rate.

However, in this embodiment, the final nozzle 10d among the plurality of nozzles (10a-10d) in the first cleaning unit 1a is pointed opposite to the conveying direction of the substrate 4. Therefore the rinsing liquid contaminated within the first cleaning unit 1a can be discharged into the drain side so that the contaminated rinsing liquid can be prevented from entering and being mixed in the second cleaning unit 1b. Then, since the rinsing liquid, which is collected in the cleaning units (1b-1d) following the first cleaning unit 1a, is prevented from being contaminated, the recycling rate of the rinsing liquid can be improved.

In this embodiment, although only the nozzle (nozzle group) 10d among the upper nozzle groups (10a-10d) is changed the direction thereof, the final nozzle (nozzle group) 10h among the lower nozzle groups (10e-10h) may be changed the direction thereof in like manner.

In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the direction of the nozzle in each of the cleaning units is changed with respect to one nozzle in the upper side and one nozzle in the lower side. However, it is not limited to one nozzle each in the upper side and in the lower side, but the change in the direction may be made with respect to a plurality of nozzles in each of the upper and the lower sides.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments but may be otherwise variously modified without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Claims

1. A multi-stage substrate processing apparatus in which each processing stage is carried out on a substrate while conveying said substrate, comprising: a processing liquid supply device;a drying device arranged in series with said processing liquid supply device along a conveying direction of said substrate, said drying device comprising an air knife for drying a processing liquid on said substrate; anda plurality of nozzles for supplying the processing liquid onto said substrate being provided in said processing liquid supply device,wherein at least the nozzle in a final stage among the plurality of nozzles is pointed in an opposite direction to the conveying direction of said substrate.

2. A multi-stage substrate processing apparatus in which each processing stage is carried out on a substrate while conveying said substrate, comprising: a processing liquid supply device having a plurality of processing chambers which are arranged in series along a conveying direction of said substrate; anda plurality of nozzles for supplying a processing liquid to said substrate being arranged in each of said processing chambers,wherein at least the nozzle in a final stage among the plurality of nozzles arranged in at least one of said processing chambers is pointed in an opposite direction to the conveying direction of said substrate.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein two of the nozzles in the final stage among the plurality of nozzles are pointed in the opposite direction to the conveying direction of said substrate, one said nozzle pointed in the opposite direction supplies the processing liquid onto an upper surface of said substrate, and the other said nozzle pointed in the opposite direction supplies the processing liquid onto a lower surface of said substrate.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle pointed in the opposite direction supplies the processing liquid onto an upper surface of said substrate such that residual processing liquid remaining on the upper surface of the substrate is pushed back to a rear end side of the substrate by the supplied processing liquid.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein others of the plurality of nozzles is pointed in an opposite substantially perpendicular to the conveying direction of said substrate.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein two of the nozzles in the final stage among the plurality of nozzles are pointed in the opposite direction to the conveying direction of said substrate, one said nozzle pointed in the opposite direction supplies the processing liquid onto an upper surface of said substrate, and the other said nozzle pointed in the opposite direction supplies the processing liquid onto a lower surface of said substrate.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the nozzle pointed in the opposite direction supplies the processing liquid onto an upper surface of said substrate such that residual processing liquid remaining on the upper surface of the substrate is pushed back to a rear end side of the substrate by the supplied processing liquid.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein others of the plurality of nozzles is pointed in an opposite substantially perpendicular to the conveying direction of said substrate.