SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD

• Main Authors: MARUMOTO HIROSHI, TSUKANO KENTO, GOSHI GENTARO, EGASHIRA KEISUKE
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: 27.09.2018
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce time required for whole drying treatment in a drying method using treatment fluid in a supercritical state.SOLUTION: A substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment which performs drying treatment for dehydrating a substrate by using treatment fluid in a supercritical state and comprises: a treatment container where drying treatment is performed; a forced exhaust system provided in an exhaust flow path to exhaust the treatment fluid from the treatment container, for forcedly exhausting air in the treatment container to reduce a pressure in the treatment container; and a control part for controlling the forced exhaust system. When the pressure in the treatment container is reduced from a first pressure where the treatment fluid is in the supercritical state to an atmosphere pressure through a second pressure lower than the first pressure, the control part causes the forced exhaust system not to operate from the first pressure to the second pressure but causes the forced exhaust system to operate from the second pressure to the atmosphere pressure.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1 【課題】超臨界状態の処理流体を用いた乾燥方法において、乾燥処理全体に要する時間を短くすること。【解決手段】実施形態に係る基板処理装置は、超臨界状態の処理流体を用いて基板を乾燥させる乾燥処理が行われる基板処理装置であって、乾燥処理が行われる処理容器と、処理容器内から処理流体を排出する排出流路に設けられ、処理容器内を強制排気して減圧する強制排気機構と、強制排気機構を制御する制御部と、を備え、制御部は、処理容器内を処理流体が超臨界状態である第１圧力から、第１圧力より低い第２圧力を経て、大気圧まで減圧する場合において、第１圧力から第２圧力までは強制排気機構を動作させず、第２圧力から大気圧まで強制排気機構を動作させる。【選択図】図１