# US 2017/0254589 A1 · Substrate processing apparatus, substrate processing method, and storage medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0254589 A1 - Document ID: US20170254589A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/441,864 - Filed: 2017-02-24 - Published: 2017-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-03 - Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited - Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited - Inventors: Gentaro Goshi; Hiromi Kiyose; Satoshi Biwa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170254589A1 ## CPC - F26B 21/40: using gases other than air - H10P 72/0414: {using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles} - F26B 5/00: Drying solid materials or objects by processes not involving the application of heat (separating liquids from solids by straining B01D; replacing liquids in wet solids by other liquids, e.g. water by spirit, B01D12/00; drying by electrophoresis B01J) - F26B 9/06: in stationary drums or chambers - H10P 70/80: {Cleaning only by supercritical fluids} - H10P 72/0402: {Apparatus for fluid treatment (H10P72/0441, H10P72/0448 take precedence)} - H10P 72/0406: {for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like} - H10P 72/0408: {for drying} - F26B: DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM (drying devices for combines A01D41/133; racks for drying fruit or vegetables A01F25/12; drying foodstuffs A23; drying hair A45D20/00; body-drying implements A47K10/00; drying household articles A47L; drying gases or vapours B01D; chemical or physical processes for dewatering or like separating liquids from solids B01D43/00; centrifugal apparatus B04; drying ceramics C04B33/30; drying yarns or fabrics in association with some other form of treatment D06C; drying frames for laundry without heating or positive air circulation, domestic laundry-or spin-driers, wringing or hot pressing laundry D06F; furnaces, kilns, ovens F27) - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract Provided is a substrate processing apparatus including a processing container configured to receive a substrate on which a dry preventing liquid is filled and perform a supercritical processing on the substrate; a fluid supply line connected to the processing container and configured to supply a processing fluid to the processing container; a fluid discharge line connected to the processing container and configured to discharge the processing fluid in the processing container; and a first circulation line connected to an upstream side and a downstream side of the processing container, and provided independently from the fluid supply line and the fluid discharge line to circulate the processing fluid in the processing container. The first circulation line is provided with a first reservoir tank that receives the processing fluid from the processing container and has a capacity larger than that of the processing container. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a processing container configured to receive a substrate on which a dry preventing liquid is filled and perform a supercritical processing on the substrate; a fluid supply line connected to the processing container and configured to supply a processing fluid to the processing container; a fluid discharge line connected to the processing container and configured to discharge the processing fluid in the processing container; and a first circulation line connected to an upstream side and a downstream side of the processing container, and provided independently from the fluid supply line and the fluid discharge line to circulate the processing fluid in the processing container, wherein the first circulation line is provided with a first reservoir tank that receives the processing fluid from the processing container and has a capacity larger than that of the processing container. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first reservoir tank has a capacity such that the dry preventing liquid filled on a plurality of substrates is not saturated even when the dry preventing liquid is dissolved in the processing fluid of a supercritical state or a subcritical state in the first reservoir tank. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluid supply line is provided with a booster pump to supply the processing fluid to the processing container, the first circulation line is provided with a first circulation pump having an ejection flow rate higher than that of the booster pump to circulate the processing fluid in the processing container, and the first reservoir tank is provided at an upstream side of the first circulation pump. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first reservoir tank is provided with a fluid discharge device to discharge the processing fluid. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a second circulation line connected at an upstream side and a downstream side of the processing container, and provided independently from the first circulation line to circulate the fluid in the processing container, wherein the second circulation line is provided with a second reservoir tank that receives the processing fluid from the processing container and has a capacity larger than that of the processing container. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein a downstream-side switch valve is provided at a downstream side of the processing container to switch the first circulation line and the second circulation line. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing container is provided with a fluid supply header connected to the fluid supply line and a fluid discharge header connected to the fluid discharge line so as to form a laminar flow of the processing fluid in the processing container. ### Claim 8 A substrate processing method, comprising: carrying a substrate on which a dry preventing liquid is filled into a processing container; supplying a processing fluid to the processing container through a fluid supply line; performing a supercritical processing on the substrate in the processing container using the processing fluid; discharging the processing fluid in the processing container through a fluid discharge line; and circulating the processing fluid in the processing container by a first circulation line that is provided independently from the fluid supply line and the fluid discharge line, wherein the processing fluid from the processing container is received by a first reservoir tank that is provided in the first circulation line and has a capacity larger than that of the processing container. ### Claim 9 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores a program which, when executed, causes a computer to execute a substrate processing method, the substrate processing method including: carrying a substrate on which a dry preventing liquid is filled into a processing container; supplying a processing fluid to the processing container through a fluid supply line; performing a supercritical processing on the substrate in the processing container using the processing fluid; discharging the processing fluid in the processing container through a fluid discharge line; and circulating the processing fluid in the processing container by a first circulation line that is provided independently from the fluid supply line and the fluid discharge line, wherein the processing fluid from the processing container is received by a first reservoir tank that is provided in the first circulation line and has a capacity larger than that of the processing container.