# US 11,998,954 B2 · Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,998,954 B2 - Document ID: US11998954B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/822,184 - Filed: 2022-08-25 - Published: 2023-03-02 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2021-08-26 - Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited - Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited - Inventors: Jun Tamada; Junya Minamida - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11998954B2 ## CPC - B08B 17/02: Preventing deposition of fouling or of dust - H10P 72/0456: {in-line arrangement} - B08B 3/04: Cleaning involving contact with liquid - H10P 72/0402: {Apparatus for fluid treatment (H10P72/0441, H10P72/0448 take precedence)} - H10P 72/0414: {using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles} - H10P 72/0458: {vertical arrangement} - H10P 72/0604: {Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring} - B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A substrate processing apparatus includes a liquid processing unit configured to supply, onto a front surface of a substrate, individual multiple processing liquids different from each other; an exhaust unit configured to exhaust an exhaust gas exhausted from the liquid processing unit to an outside. The exhaust unit includes a main exhaust pipe including a first portion and a second portion, a first individual exhaust pipe, a second individual exhaust pipe, a switching unit and an outside air introduction pipe. The switching unit includes a first switching mechanism, a second switching mechanism, a third switching mechanism provided between the first portion and the second portion of the main exhaust pipe, an outside air introduction pipe connected to the second portion to allow outside air to be introduced into the second portion, and a fourth switching mechanism provided in the outside air introduction pipe. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a liquid processing unit configured to supply, onto a front surface of a substrate, individual multiple processing liquids including a first processing liquid and a second processing liquid different from the first processing liquid; and an exhaust unit configured to exhaust an exhaust gas exhausted from the liquid processing unit to an outside, the exhaust gas including a first exhaust gas exhausted from the liquid processing unit when the substrate is processed with the first processing liquid and a second exhaust gas exhausted from the liquid processing unit when the substrate is processed with the second processing liquid, wherein the exhaust unit includes: a main exhaust pipe configured to allow the exhaust gas to flow therein, the main exhaust pipe including a first portion located on an upstream side and a second portion located on a downstream side of the first portion; a first individual exhaust pipe configured to allow the first exhaust gas to flow therein; a second individual exhaust pipe configured to allow the second exhaust gas to flow therein; and a switching unit configured to selectively communicate the main exhaust pipe with one of the first individual exhaust pipe and the second individual exhaust pipe, and wherein the switching unit includes: a first switching mechanism provided between the first portion and the first individual exhaust pipe and configured to switch between a communication state where the first portion communicates with the first individual exhaust pipe when the first exhaust gas is exhausted from the liquid processing unit and a non-communication state where the first portion does not communicate with the first individual exhaust pipe when the exhaust gas other than the first exhaust gas is exhausted from the liquid processing unit; a second switching mechanism provided between the second portion and the second individual exhaust pipe and configured to switch between a communication state where the second portion communicates with the second individual exhaust pipe when the second exhaust gas is exhausted from the liquid processing unit and a non-communication state where the second portion does not communicate with the second individual exhaust pipe when the exhaust gas other than the second exhaust gas is exhausted from the liquid processing unit; a third switching mechanism provided between the first portion and the second portion of the main exhaust pipe and configured to switch between a closed state where a flow of the first exhaust gas to the second portion is blocked when the first exhaust gas is exhausted from the liquid processing unit and an open state where a flow of the exhaust gas other than the first exhaust gas to the second portion is allowed when the exhaust gas other than the first exhaust gas is exhausted from the liquid processing unit; an outside air introduction pipe connected to the second portion to allow outside air to be introduced into the second portion; and a fourth switching mechanism provided in the outside air introduction pipe and configured to switch between an open state where a flow of the outside air to the second portion is allowed when the first exhaust gas is exhausted from the liquid processing unit and a closed state where the flow of the outside air to the second portion is blocked when the exhaust gas other than the first exhaust gas is exhausted from the liquid processing unit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the multiple processing liquids further include a third processing liquid different from the first processing liquid and the second processing liquid, the exhaust gas further includes a third exhaust gas exhausted from the liquid processing unit when the substrate is processed with the third processing liquid, the exhaust unit further includes a third individual exhaust pipe configured to allow the third exhaust gas to flow therein, the main exhaust pipe further includes a third portion located on a downstream side of the third switching mechanism, and the switching unit further includes a fifth switching mechanism, which is provided between the third portion and the third individual exhaust pipe and configured to switch between a communication state where the third portion communicates with the third individual exhaust pipe when the third exhaust gas is exhausted from the liquid processing unit and a non-communication state where the third portion does not communicate with the third individual exhaust pipe when the exhaust gas other than the third exhaust gas is exhausted from the liquid processing unit, and the switching unit is configured to selectively communicate the main exhaust pipe with any one of the first individual exhaust pipe, the second individual exhaust pipe and the third individual exhaust pipe. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first processing liquid is an organic-based processing liquid, and the second processing liquid is an acid-based processing liquid or an alkali-based processing liquid. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first processing liquid is an organic-based processing liquid, and the second processing liquid is an acid-based processing liquid or an alkali-based processing liquid. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the first exhaust gas is exhausted from the liquid processing unit, a pressure in the second portion is set to be higher than a pressure in the first portion by allowing the third switching mechanism to be in the closed state and the fourth switching mechanism to be in the open state. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein when the first exhaust gas is exhausted from the liquid processing unit, a pressure in the second portion is set to be higher than a pressure in the first portion by allowing the third switching mechanism to be in the closed state and the fourth switching mechanism to be in the open state. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein when the first exhaust gas is exhausted from the liquid processing unit, a pressure in the second portion is set to be higher than a pressure in the first portion by allowing the third switching mechanism to be in the closed state and the fourth switching mechanism to be in the open state. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein when the first exhaust gas is exhausted from the liquid processing unit, a pressure in the second portion is set to be higher than a pressure in the first portion by allowing the third switching mechanism to be in the closed state and the fourth switching mechanism to be in the open state. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the switching unit further includes: a first sensor configured to measure a pressure in the first portion; a second sensor configured to measure a pressure in the second portion; and a regulator provided on an upstream side of the fourth switching mechanism in the outside air introduction pipe, and wherein the regulator is configured to regulate an amount of the outside air introduced into the second portion such that the pressure measured by the second sensor is higher than the pressure measured by the first sensor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the switching unit further includes: a first sensor configured to measure a pressure in the first portion; a second sensor configured to measure a pressure in the second portion; and a regulator provided on an upstream side of the fourth switching mechanism in the outside air introduction pipe, and wherein the regulator is configured to regulate an amount of the outside air introduced into the second portion such that the pressure measured by the second sensor is higher than the pressure measured by the first sensor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 3) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the switching unit further includes: a first sensor configured to measure a pressure in the first portion; a second sensor configured to measure a pressure in the second portion; and a regulator provided on an upstream side of the fourth switching mechanism in the outside air introduction pipe, and wherein the regulator is configured to regulate an amount of the outside air introduced into the second portion such that the pressure measured by the second sensor is higher than the pressure measured by the first sensor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 4) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the switching unit further includes: a first sensor configured to measure a pressure in the first portion; a second sensor configured to measure a pressure in the second portion; and a regulator provided on an upstream side of the fourth switching mechanism in the outside air introduction pipe, and wherein the regulator is configured to regulate an amount of the outside air introduced into the second portion such that the pressure measured by the second sensor is higher than the pressure measured by the first sensor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 5) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the switching unit further includes: a first sensor configured to measure a pressure in the first portion; a second sensor configured to measure a pressure in the second portion; and a regulator provided on an upstream side of the fourth switching mechanism in the outside air introduction pipe, and wherein the regulator is configured to regulate an amount of the outside air introduced into the second portion such that the pressure measured by the second sensor is higher than the pressure measured by the first sensor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 6) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 6, wherein the switching unit further includes: a first sensor configured to measure a pressure in the first portion; a second sensor configured to measure a pressure in the second portion; and a regulator provided on an upstream side of the fourth switching mechanism in the outside air introduction pipe, and wherein the regulator is configured to regulate an amount of the outside air introduced into the second portion such that the pressure measured by the second sensor is higher than the pressure measured by the first sensor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 7) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the switching unit further includes: a first sensor configured to measure a pressure in the first portion; a second sensor configured to measure a pressure in the second portion; and a regulator provided on an upstream side of the fourth switching mechanism in the outside air introduction pipe, and wherein the regulator is configured to regulate an amount of the outside air introduced into the second portion such that the pressure measured by the second sensor is higher than the pressure measured by the first sensor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 8) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 8, wherein the switching unit further includes: a first sensor configured to measure a pressure in the first portion; a second sensor configured to measure a pressure in the second portion; and a regulator provided on an upstream side of the fourth switching mechanism in the outside air introduction pipe, and wherein the regulator is configured to regulate an amount of the outside air introduced into the second portion such that the pressure measured by the second sensor is higher than the pressure measured by the first sensor. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the switching unit is provided above the liquid processing unit. ### Claim 18 (depends on 2) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the switching unit is provided above the liquid processing unit. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the switching unit further includes a sixth switching mechanism provided between the first portion and the first switching mechanism and configured to switch between a communication state where the first portion communicates with the first switching mechanism when the first exhaust gas is exhausted from the liquid processing unit and a non-communication state where the first portion does not communicate with the first switching mechanism when the exhaust gas other than the first exhaust gas is exhausted from the liquid processing unit. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) A substrate processing method of processing a substrate using the substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, the substrate processing method comprising: allowing the first switching mechanism to be in the communication state, the second switching mechanism to be in the non-communication state, the third switching mechanism to be in the closed state and the fourth switching mechanism to be in the open state; processing the substrate with the first processing liquid in the liquid processing unit after the allowing of the first switching mechanism to be in the communication state; allowing the first switching mechanism to be in the non-communication state, the second switching mechanism to be in the communication state, the third switching mechanism to be in the open state and the fourth switching mechanism to be in the closed state; and processing the substrate with the second processing liquid in the liquid processing unit after the allowing of the first switching mechanism to be in the non-communication state.