US-12622226-B2 - Substrate processing apparatus

US12622226B2US 12622226 B2US12622226 B2US 12622226B2US-12622226-B2

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus A 1 includes: cup 1 for storing processing solution 92 to process substrate 91 ; stage 2 to be raised and lowered along lifting shaft 31 extending in vertical direction z in cup 1 ; mount 4 provided on stage 2 to mount substrate 91 ; and pivoting member 5 attached to mount 4 such that pivoting member 5 is pivotable about pivoting shaft 51 provided along circumferential direction θ centered at lifting shaft 31 . Pivoting member 5 includes holding portion 52 located inward of pivoting shaft 51 in radial direction r, and abutting portion 53 located outward of pivoting shaft 51 in radial direction r. As stage 2 is lowered, abutting portion 53 abuts against cup 1 to cause pivoting of pivoting member 5 , thereby reducing a distance between holding portion 52 and mount 4 with substrate 91 therebetween. These configurations reduce unintended effects in processing substrate 91.

Inventors

Satoshi Ushida
Kenichiro Saito

Assignees

DAIKIN FINETECH, LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20220624
Priority Date: 20210721

Claims (11)

1 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a cup capable of storing a processing solution for processing a substrate; a stage configured to be raised and lowered along a lifting shaft extending in a vertical direction in the cup; a mount provided on the stage and configured to mount the substrate; and a pivoting member pivotably attached to the mount such that the pivoting member is pivotable about a pivoting shaft provided along a circumferential direction centered at the lifting shaft, wherein the pivoting member includes a holding portion located inward of the pivoting shaft in a radial direction, and an abutting portion located outward of the pivoting shaft in the radial direction so that at least a part of the abutting portion protrudes outward of the stage in the radial direction, the holding portion being opposite to the abutting portion with respect to the pivoting shaft, and as the stage is lowered, the abutting portion abuts against the cup to cause pivoting of the pivoting member, thereby reducing a distance between the holding portion and the mount with the substrate therebetween.
2 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cup rotates about the lifting shaft to drain the processing solution outward in the radial direction.
3 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cup includes an upper end, a side surface connected to the upper end, and a bottom surface connected to a lower end of the side surface, and as viewed in the vertical direction, an entirety of the bottom surface is positioned inside the upper end.
4 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the abutting portion abuts against the upper end.
5 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the abutting portion abuts against the side surface.
6 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the abutting portion includes an extending portion extending from the pivoting shaft, and a protrusion coupled to an adjustment portion provided for the extending portion, and the protrusion abuts against the upper end.
7 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the abutting portion includes an extending portion extending from the pivoting shaft, and a protrusion screwed to an adjustment portion provided for the extending portion, and as the stage is lowered, the extending portion abuts against the upper end, and thereafter the protrusion abuts against the side surface.
8 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when the substrate is subjected to a process, a surface of the processing solution is positioned above the substrate.
9 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the lifting shaft is covered with a bellows member in the cup.
10 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a cup capable of storing a processing solution for processing a substrate; a stage configured to be raised and lowered along a lifting shaft extending in a vertical direction in the cup; a mount provided on the stage and configured to mount the substrate; and a pivoting member pivotably attached to the mount such that the pivoting member is pivotable about a pivoting shaft provided along a circumferential direction centered at the lifting shaft, wherein the pivoting member includes a holding portion located inward of the pivoting shaft in a radial direction, and an abutting portion located outward of the pivoting shaft in the radial direction, as the stage is lowered, the abutting portion abuts against the cup to cause pivoting of the pivoting member, thereby reducing a distance between the holding portion and the mount with the substrate therebetween, the cup includes an upper end, a side surface connected to the upper end, and a bottom surface connected to a lower end of the side surface, as viewed in the vertical direction, an entirety of the bottom surface is positioned inside the upper end, and the abutting portion abuts against the upper end.
11 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a cup capable of storing a processing solution for processing a substrate; a stage configured to be raised and lowered along a lifting shaft extending in a vertical direction in the cup; a mount provided on the stage and configured to mount the substrate; and a pivoting member pivotably attached to the mount such that the pivoting member is pivotable about a pivoting shaft provided along a circumferential direction centered at the lifting shaft, wherein the pivoting member includes a holding portion located inward of the pivoting shaft in a radial direction, and an abutting portion located outward of the pivoting shaft in the radial direction, as the stage is lowered, the abutting portion abuts against the cup to cause pivoting of the pivoting member, thereby reducing a distance between the holding portion and the mount with the substrate therebetween, the cup includes an upper end, a side surface connected to the upper end, and a bottom surface connected to a lower end of the side surface, as viewed in the vertical direction, an entirety of the bottom surface is positioned inside the upper end, the abutting portion includes an extending portion extending from the pivoting shaft, and a protrusion screwed to an adjustment portion provided for the extending portion, and as the stage is lowered, the extending portion abuts against the upper end, and thereafter the protrusion abuts against the side surface.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus. BACKGROUND ART Various substrate processing apparatuses have been proposed that perform a predetermined process on a substrate made of, for example, a semiconductor such as silicon (Si). Patent document 1 discloses an example of a conventional substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus disclosed in the document performs a lift-off process, which is a process of collectively removing a resist layer formed on a substrate and a metal layer stacked on the resist layer. The substrate processing apparatus includes a cup, a mount, and a pivoting member. The cup stores a processing solution for the lift-off process. The mount is arranged inside the cup, and is provided to mount a substrate thereon. The mount can be raised and lowered relative to the cup. The pivoting member is pivotally supported by the mount. An abutting member is provided inside the cup. When the mount is lowered with the substrate mounted thereon, the pivoting member abuts against the abutting member. This causes the pivoting of the pivoting member, and the substrate is held between the mount and the pivoting member. PRIOR ART DOCUMENT Patent Document Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 2017-147354 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Problem to be Solved by the Invention However, the abutting member may unduly disturb the flow of the processing solution in the cup. In another case, the resist layer and/or the metal layer removed by the lift-off process may adhere to the abutting member. As such, the abutting member may have an unintended effect during a process for the substrate. The present invention has been proposed in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of reducing an unintended effect on a process for a substrate. Means to Solve the Problem Provided by the present invention, a substrate processing apparatus includes: a cup capable of storing a processing solution for processing a substrate; a stage configured to be raised and lowered along a lifting shaft extending in a vertical direction in the cup; a mount provided on the stage and configured to mount the substrate; and a pivoting member pivotably attached to the mount such that the pivoting member is pivotable about a pivoting shaft provided along a circumferential direction centered at the lifting shaft. The pivoting member includes a holding portion located inward of the pivoting shaft in a radial direction, and an abutting portion located outward of the pivoting shaft in the radial direction. As the stage is lowered, the abutting portion abuts against the cup to cause pivoting of the pivoting member, thereby reducing a distance between the holding portion and the mount with the substrate therebetween. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cup rotates about the lifting shaft to drain the processing solution outward in the radial direction. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cup includes an upper end, a side surface connected to the upper end, and a bottom surface connected to a lower end of the side surface, and as viewed in the vertical direction, an entirety of the bottom surface is positioned inside the upper end. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the abutting portion abuts against the upper end. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the abutting portion abuts against the side surface. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the abutting portion includes an extending portion extending from the pivoting shaft, and a protrusion coupled to an adjustment portion provided for the extending portion, and the protrusion abuts against the upper end. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the abutting portion includes an extending portion extending from the pivoting shaft, and a protrusion screwed to an adjustment portion provided for the extending portion, and as the stage is lowered, the extending portion abuts against the upper end, and thereafter the protrusion abuts against the side surface. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, when the substrate is subjected to a process, a surface of the processing solution is positioned above the substrate. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the lifting shaft is covered with a bellows member in the cup. Advantages of the Invention According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce unintended effects on a process for a substrate. Other features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the detailed description given below with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a partial plan view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a partially e