# US 2019/0172734 A1 · 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 2019/0172734 A1 - Document ID: US20190172734A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/207,337 - Filed: 2018-12-03 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-04 - Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited - Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited - Inventors: Takumi Honda; Koji Yamashita; Shinji Tahara; Hironobu Hyakutake - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190172734A1 ## CPC - H10P 72/0426: {with the semiconductor substrates being dipped in baths or vessels} - H10P 50/642: {Chemical etching} - H10P 70/20: {Cleaning during device manufacture} - H10P 72/0416: {with the semiconductor substrates being dipped in baths or vessels} - H10P 72/0456: {in-line arrangement} - H10P 72/0604: {Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring} - H10P 72/13: {Horizontal boat type carrier whereby the substrates are vertically supported, e.g. comprising rod-shaped elements} - H10P 72/15: {Horizontal carrier comprising wall type elements whereby the substrates are vertically supported, e.g. comprising sidewalls} - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract Substrates can be suppressed from being separated from supporting grooves. A substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate holding unit and a processing tub. The substrate holding unit is configured to hold multiple substrates. The processing tub is configured to store a processing liquid therein. The substrate holding unit includes a supporting body, an elevating device and a restriction unit. The supporting body has multiple supporting grooves and is configured to support the multiple substrates with a vertically standing posture from below in the multiple supporting grooves, respectively. The elevating device is configured to move the supporting body between a standby position above the processing tub and a processing position within the processing tub. The restriction unit is configured to be moved up and down along with the supporting body by the elevating device and configured to restrict an upward movement of the substrates with respect to the supporting body. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a substrate holding unit configured to hold multiple substrates; and a processing tub configured to store a processing liquid therein; wherein the substrate holding unit comprises: a supporting body having multiple supporting grooves each of which supports one of the multiple substrates with a vertically standing posture from below, respectively; an elevating device configured to move the supporting body between a standby position above the processing tub and a processing position within the processing tub; and a restriction unit configured to be moved up and down along with the supporting body by the elevating device and configured to restrict an upward movement of the substrates with respect to the supporting body. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate holding unit further comprises: a moving device configured to move the restriction unit between a restriction position where the upward movement of the substrates is allowed to be restricted and a non-restriction position different from the restriction position. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the restriction position is a position which is not in contact with the multiple substrates supported by the supporting body, and the restriction unit restricts the upward movement of the substrates by coming into contact with upper portions of the substrates when the substrates are distanced apart from the supporting body to be moved up. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein a portion of the restriction unit which comes into contact with the upper portions of the substrates is made of a resin. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the restriction unit has multiple restriction grooves in which the upper portions of the multiple substrates supported by the supporting body are placed when the restriction unit is located at the restriction position. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2, further comprising: a control unit configured to control the moving device, wherein the control unit controls the moving device to move the restriction unit from the non-restriction position to the restriction position before the multiple substrates supported by the supporting body are immersed in the processing liquid stored in the processing tub. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a supply unit configured to supply a fluid into the processing tub; and a control unit configured to control the supply unit, wherein the control unit controls the supply unit to decrease a flow rate of the fluid supplied into the processing tub before the multiple substrates supported by the supporting body are immersed in the processing liquid stored in the processing tub. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 7, further comprising: a control unit configured to control the elevating device; and a monitoring device configured to monitor a movement of the processing liquid stored in the processing tub, wherein the control unit controls the elevating device to move the supporting body to the processing position when it is determined, based on a monitoring result by the monitoring unit, that the multiple substrates are allowed to be immersed in the processing liquid stored in the processing tub. ### Claim 9 A substrate processing method, comprising: holding multiple substrates by supporting the multiple substrates with a vertical standing posture from below; immersing the multiple substrates in a processing liquid stored in a processing tub by lowering the multiple substrates from a standby position above the processing tub to a processing position within the processing tub; and locating, before the multiple substrates reach the processing position, a restriction unit, which is configured to restrict an upward movement of the multiple substrates, to a restriction position where the upward movement is to be restricted.