Nozzle, substrate processing apparatus, and substrate processing method

A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

• a substrate holding unit arranged to hold a substrate;
• a nozzle arranged to discharge droplets of a processing liquid toward the substrate held by the substrate holding unit;
• a processing liquid supply unit arranged to supply the processing liquid to a supply port of the nozzle;
• and
• a voltage applying unit arranged to apply voltage to a piezo element of the nozzle;
• the nozzle including:
• a main body and the piezo element;
• the main body including:
• the supply port supplied with the processing liquid;
• a drain port from which the processing liquid supplied to the supply port is drained;
• a processing liquid flow passageway connecting the supply port and the drain port, the processing liquid flow passageway including a plurality of branch flow channels branching out between the supply port and the drain port and collecting together between the supply port and the drain port;
• and
• a plurality of discharge ports forming a plurality of columns respectively corresponding to the plurality of branch flow channels, being aligned along the corresponding branch flow channels, and being connected to the corresponding branch flow channels;
• the piezo element arranged to apply vibration to the processing liquid flowing through the plurality of branch flow channels.

A substrate processing method comprising:

• a step of supplying a processing liquid to a supply port of a nozzle, having a main body in which the supply port is formed and a piezo element, in a state where the nozzle faces a major surface of a substrate;
• and
• a step of applying voltage to the piezo element of the nozzle in parallel to the step of supplying the processing liquid;
• wherein the nozzle is arranged to discharge droplets of the processing liquid toward the substrate,
• the main body includes:
• the supply port supplied with the processing liquid;
• a drain port from which the processing liquid supplied to the supply port is drained;
• a processing liquid flow passageway connecting the supply port and the drain port, the processing liquid flow passageway including a plurality of branch flow channels branching out between the supply port and the drain port and collecting together between the supply port and the drain port;
• and
• a plurality of discharge ports forming a plurality of columns respectively corresponding to the plurality of branch flow channels, being aligned along the corresponding branch flow channels, and being connected to the corresponding branch flow channels;
• and
• the piezo element is arranged to apply vibration to the processing liquid flowing through the plurality of branch flow channels.

A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

• a substrate holding and rotating unit that is arranged to hold and rotate a substrate;
• a nozzle having disposed therein a plurality of columns, in each of which a plurality of discharge ports discharging droplets of a processing liquid are aligned in a single column, and arranged to discharge the droplets of the processing liquid toward the substrate held by the substrate holding and rotating unit;
• and
• a nozzle holding and moving unit being arranged to move the nozzle along a locus, wherein the locus passes through a rotation center of a major surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding and rotating unit when viewed from a perpendicular direction perpendicular to the major surface, and being arranged to hold the nozzle so that the plurality of columns intersect the locus when viewed from the perpendicular direction.

A substrate processing method comprising:

• a substrate holding and rotating step of holding and rotating a substrate;
• and
• a nozzle moving step of moving a nozzle, having disposed therein a plurality of columns, in each of which a plurality of discharge ports arranged to discharge droplets of a processing liquid are aligned in a single column, and discharging the droplets of the processing liquid toward the substrate, along a locus passing through a rotation center of a major surface of the substrate when viewed from a perpendicular direction perpendicular to the major surface;
• wherein in the nozzle moving step, the nozzle is held so that, when viewed from the perpendicular direction, the plurality of columns intersect the locus.