# US 11,079,679 B2 · Substrate processing method and recording medium capable of suppressing non-uniformity in degree of progression of processing depending on position on substrate > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,079,679 B2 - Document ID: US11079679B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/656,925 - Filed: 2019-10-18 - Published: 2020-02-13 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2016-12-02 - Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited - Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited - Inventors: Yusaku Hashimoto; Takeshi Shimoaoki; Masahiro Fukuda; Kouichirou Tanaka - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11079679B2 ## CPC - G03F 7/3021: {from a wafer supported on a rotating chuck} - B05D 1/002: {the substrate being rotated} - B05D 1/40: Distributing applied liquids or other fluent materials by members moving relatively to surface - G03F 7/162: {Coating on a rotating support, e.g. using a whirler or a spinner} - B05D 1/26: performed by applying the liquid or other fluent material from an outlet device in contact with, or almost in contact with, the surface - G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G) - B05D: PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (conveying articles or workpieces through baths of liquid B65G, e.g. B65G49/02) ## Abstract A method includes forming a liquid puddle of a mixed solution of the diluting liquid and the processing liquid; rotating the substrate at a first rotation speed which allows the mixed solution located at a region facing an inner side than an edge of the liquid contact surface to stay between the liquid contact surface and the surface of the substrate and allows the mixed solution located at a region facing an outer side than the edge of the liquid contact surface to be diffused toward an edge of the substrate; rotating the substrate at a second rotation speed smaller than the first rotation speed after the substrate is rotated at the first rotation speed; and moving the nozzle toward the edge of the substrate while discharging the processing liquid from the discharge hole in a state that the substrate is rotated at the second rotation speed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A substrate processing method, comprising: supplying a diluting liquid on a surface of a substrate and forming a liquid puddle of the diluting liquid; bringing, by moving a nozzle having a liquid contact surface facing the surface of the substrate and a discharge hole which is opened at the liquid contact surface and through which a processing liquid is discharged, the liquid contact surface into contact with the liquid puddle of the diluting liquid, and forming a liquid puddle of a mixed solution of the diluting liquid and the processing liquid by discharging the processing liquid from the discharge hole; rotating the substrate at a first rotation speed which allows the mixed solution located at a region facing an inner side than an edge of the liquid contact surface to stay between the liquid contact surface and the surface of the substrate and allows the mixed solution located at a region facing an outer side than the edge of the liquid contact surface to be diffused toward an edge of the substrate; rotating the substrate at a second rotation speed smaller than the first rotation speed after the substrate is rotated at the first rotation speed; and moving the nozzle toward the edge of the substrate while discharging the processing liquid from the discharge hole in a state that the substrate is rotated at the second rotation speed, wherein the bringing of the liquid contact surface includes: moving the nozzle close to the surface of the substrate in a state that the discharge hole is filled with the processing liquid, wherein the moving of the nozzle close to the surface of the substrate includes: moving the nozzle close to the surface of the substrate while discharging the processing liquid from the discharge hole, wherein the moving of the nozzle close to the surface of the substrate while discharging the processing liquid from the discharge hole includes: moving the nozzle close to the surface of the substrate until a distance between the liquid contact surface and the surface of the substrate becomes 0.5 mm to 2 mm, after the discharging of the processing liquid from the discharge hole is begun in a state that the nozzle is moved and the distance between the liquid contact surface and the surface of the substrate has been 5 mm to 7 mm. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The substrate processing method of claim 1, wherein the first rotation speed is in a range from 300 rpm to 1500 rpm. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The substrate processing method of claim 1, wherein the second rotation speed is in a range from 10 rpm to 100 rpm. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The substrate processing method of claim 1, further comprising: rotating the substrate at a third rotation speed smaller than the first rotation speed when the liquid contact surface is brought into contact with the liquid puddle of the diluting liquid by moving the nozzle and discharging the processing liquid from the discharge hole. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The substrate processing method of claim 4, wherein the bringing of the liquid contact surface includes: bringing the liquid contact surface into contact with the liquid puddle of the diluting liquid at a position where a center of the liquid contact surface is deviated from a rotation center of the substrate, and the forming of the liquid puddle of the mixed solution of the diluting liquid and the processing liquid includes: moving the center of the liquid contact surface close to the rotation center of the substrate by moving the nozzle while discharging the processing liquid from the discharge hole. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The substrate processing method of claim 4, wherein the third rotation speed is equal to or less than 100 rpm. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The substrate processing method of claim 1, wherein the moving of the nozzle toward the edge of the substrate includes: allowing the second rotation speed and a moving speed of the nozzle to satisfy a following expression: 3≤RF/V≤5 (V denotes the moving speed [mm/s] of the nozzle and RF denotes the second rotation speed [rpm]). ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The substrate processing method of claim 1, wherein the nozzle is configured such that an average flow velocity of the processing liquid passing through the liquid contact surface is in a range from 1.2 m/min to 5.5 m/min under a condition that a discharge amount of the processing liquid is set to be 90 ml/min. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The substrate processing method of claim 8, wherein the nozzle has multiple discharge holes arranged in a circumferential direction around a center of the liquid contact surface and inclined in a same direction with respect to the circumferential direction. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The substrate processing method of claim 8, wherein an opening area of the discharge hole is gradually increased as it approaches the liquid contact surface. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The substrate processing method of claim 8, wherein the moving of the nozzle toward the edge of the substrate includes: allowing the average flow velocity of the processing liquid passing through the liquid contact surface to be in the range from 1.2 m/min to 5.5 m/min when the discharging of the processing liquid from the discharge hole is begun. ### Claim 12 (depends on 4) The substrate processing method of claim 4, wherein the forming of the liquid puddle of the mixed solution of the diluting liquid and the processing liquid includes: moving a center of the liquid contact surface close to a rotation center of the substrate by moving the nozzle in a state that the discharging of the processing liquid from the discharge hole is stopped after discharging the processing liquid from the discharge hole. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The substrate processing method of claim 12, wherein the moving of the nozzle toward the edge of the substrate includes: starting the discharging of the processing liquid from the discharge hole while the center of the liquid contact surface is away from the rotation center of the substrate and is being moved toward the edge thereof. ### Claim 14 A substrate processing method, comprising: supplying a diluting liquid on a surface of a substrate and forming a liquid puddle of the diluting liquid; bringing, by moving a nozzle having a liquid contact surface facing the surface of the substrate and a discharge hole which is opened at the liquid contact surface and through which a processing liquid is discharged, the liquid contact surface into contact with the liquid puddle of the diluting liquid, and forming a liquid puddle of a mixed solution of the diluting liquid and the processing liquid by discharging the processing liquid from the discharge hole; rotating the substrate at a first rotation speed which allows the mixed solution located at a region facing an inner side than an edge of the liquid contact surface to stay between the liquid contact surface and the surface of the substrate and allows the mixed solution located at a region facing an outer side than the edge of the liquid contact surface to be diffused toward an edge of the substrate; rotating the substrate at a second rotation speed smaller than the first rotation speed after the substrate is rotated at the first rotation speed; and moving the nozzle toward the edge of the substrate while discharging the processing liquid from the discharge hole in a state that the substrate is rotated at the second rotation speed, wherein the moving of the nozzle toward the edge of the substrate includes: increasing a discharge amount of the processing liquid from the discharge hole while the nozzle is being moved toward the edge of the substrate. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The substrate processing method of claim 14, wherein the nozzle is configured such that an average flow velocity of the processing liquid passing through the liquid contact surface is in a range from 1.2 m/min to 5.5 m/min under a condition that a discharge amount of the processing liquid is set to be 90 ml/min. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The substrate processing method of claim 15, wherein the nozzle has multiple discharge holes arranged in a circumferential direction around a center of the liquid contact surface and inclined in a same direction with respect to the circumferential direction. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The substrate processing method of claim 15, wherein an opening area of the discharge hole is gradually increased as it approaches the liquid contact surface. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The substrate processing method of claim 15, wherein the moving of the nozzle toward the edge of the substrate includes: allowing the average flow velocity of the processing liquid passing through the liquid contact surface to be in the range from 1.2 m/min to 5.5 m/min when the discharging of the processing liquid from the discharge hole is begun.