# US 2021/0280429 A1 · Substrate processing system 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 2021/0280429 A1 - Document ID: US20210280429A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/260,584 - Filed: 2019-07-18 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Earliest claimed: 2018-07-26 - Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited - Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited - Inventors: Satoshi OOKAWA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210280429A1 ## CPC - H10P 50/00: Etching of wafers, substrates or parts of devices - B05B 12/122: {responsive to presence or shape of target (B05B12/124 takes precedence)} - B24B 7/228: {for grinding thin, brittle parts, e.g. semiconductors, wafers (grinding edges of thin, brittle parts B24B9/065)} - G01B 11/06: for measuring thickness {; e.g. of sheet material (thickness measurement by thermal means G01B21/085)} - G01K 1/02: Means for indicating or recording specially adapted for thermometers - H10P 50/642: {Chemical etching} - H10P 52/00: Grinding, lapping or polishing of wafers, substrates or parts of devices - H10P 72/0414: {using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles} - H10P 72/0424: {using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles} - H10P 72/0472: {comprising at least one polishing chamber} - H10P 72/0602: {Temperature monitoring} - H10P 72/0604: {Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring} - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D) - B24B: MACHINES, DEVICES, OR PROCESSES FOR GRINDING OR POLISHING (grinding of gear teeth B23F, of screw-threads B23G1/36; by electro-erosion B23H; abrasive or related blasting B24C; tools for grinding, buffing or sharpening B24D; polishing compositions C09G1/00; abrasives C09K3/14; electrolytic etching or polishing C25F3/00; grinding arrangements for use on assembled railway tracks E01B31/17); DRESSING OR CONDITIONING OF ABRADING SURFACES; FEEDING OF GRINDING, POLISHING, OR LAPPING AGENTS - G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS - G01K: MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (radiation pyrometry G01J5/00) ## Abstract A substrate processing system configured to process a substrate includes an etching apparatus configured to etch the substrate; and a control device configured to control the etching apparatus. The etching apparatus includes a liquid supply nozzle configured to supply a processing liquid onto the substrate; a thickness measurement device provided as one body with the liquid supply nozzle, and configured to measure a thickness of the substrate without being in contact with the substrate; and a moving mechanism configured to move the liquid supply nozzle and the thickness measurement device in a horizontal direction. The control device controls the liquid supply nozzle, the thickness measurement device and the moving mechanism such that the thickness of the substrate is measured by the thickness measurement device while the liquid supply nozzle and the thickness measurement device are being moved in the horizontal direction. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A substrate processing system configured to process a substrate, comprising: an etching apparatus configured to etch the substrate; and a control device configured to control the etching apparatus, wherein the etching apparatus comprises: a liquid supply nozzle configured to supply a processing liquid onto the substrate; a thickness measurement device provided as one body with the liquid supply nozzle, and configured to measure a thickness of the substrate without being in contact with the substrate; and a moving mechanism configured to move the liquid supply nozzle and the thickness measurement device in a horizontal direction, and wherein the control device controls the liquid supply nozzle, the thickness measurement device and the moving mechanism such that the thickness of the substrate is measured by the thickness measurement device while the liquid supply nozzle and the thickness measurement device are being moved in the horizontal direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein the processing liquid is an etching liquid, and the control device controls the liquid supply nozzle, the thickness measurement device and the moving mechanism such that the thickness of the substrate is measured by the thickness measurement device in an etching processing of the substrate with the etching liquid supplied from the liquid supply nozzle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein the processing liquid is a rinse liquid, and the control device controls the liquid supply nozzle, the thickness measurement device and the moving mechanism such that the thickness of the substrate is measured by the thickness measurement device in a rinsing processing of the substrate, which is performed after an etching processing of the substrate, with the rinse liquid supplied from the liquid supply nozzle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein the processing liquid includes an etching liquid and a rinse liquid, and the control device controls the liquid supply nozzle, the thickness measurement device and the moving mechanism such that the thickness of the substrate is measured by the thickness measurement device in an etching processing of the substrate with the etching liquid supplied from the liquid supply nozzle and in a rinsing processing of the substrate, which is performed after the etching processing of the substrate, with the rinse liquid supplied from the liquid supply nozzle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The substrate processing system of claim 4, wherein the etching liquid and the rinse liquid are supplied to the liquid supply nozzle while being switched, and the thickness of the substrate is measured by the common thickness measurement device in each of the etching processing and the rinsing processing. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The substrate processing system of claim 4, wherein the liquid supply nozzle comprises a first liquid supply nozzle configured to supply the etching liquid and a second liquid supply nozzle configured to supply the rinse liquid, and the thickness measurement device is provided in each of the first liquid supply nozzle and the second liquid supply nozzle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein the etching apparatus comprises a temperature measurement device configured to measure a temperature of the substrate, and the control device corrects a measurement of the thickness of the substrate in the thickness measurement device based on temperature measurement data of the temperature measurement device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein the control device controls an etching condition of the etching apparatus based on thickness measurement data obtained by the thickness measurement device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The substrate processing system of claim 1, further comprising: a grinding apparatus configured to grind a surface of the substrate, wherein the etching apparatus etches the surface of the substrate ground by the grinding apparatus, and the control device controls a grinding condition of the grinding apparatus based on thickness measurement data obtained by the thickness measurement device before or after an etching processing. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The substrate processing system of claim 1, further comprising: a polishing apparatus configured to polish, after a surface of the substrate is etched by the etching apparatus, the surface of the substrate, wherein the control device controls a polishing condition of the polishing apparatus based on thickness measurement data obtained by the thickness measurement device after an etching processing. ### Claim 11 A substrate processing method of processing a substrate, comprising: etching the substrate by using an etching apparatus, wherein the etching apparatus comprises: a liquid supply nozzle configured to supply a processing liquid onto the substrate; a thickness measurement device provided as one body with the liquid supply nozzle, and configured to measure a thickness of the substrate without being in contact with the substrate; and a moving mechanism configured to move the liquid supply nozzle and the thickness measurement device in a horizontal direction, and wherein in the etching of the substrate, the thickness of the substrate is measured by the thickness measurement device while the liquid supply nozzle and the thickness measurement device are being moved in the horizontal direction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The substrate processing method of claim 11, wherein the processing liquid is an etching liquid, and in the etching of the substrate, the thickness of the substrate is measured by the thickness measurement device in an etching processing of the substrate with the etching liquid supplied from the liquid supply nozzle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The substrate processing method of claim 11, wherein the processing liquid is a rinse liquid, and in the etching of the substrate, the thickness of the substrate is measured by the thickness measurement device in a rinsing processing, which is performed after an etching processing of the substrate, with the rinse liquid supplied from the liquid supply nozzle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The substrate processing method of claim 11, wherein the processing liquid includes an etching liquid and a rinse liquid, and in the etching of the substrate, the thickness of the substrate is measured by the thickness measurement device in an etching processing of the substrate with the etching liquid supplied from the liquid supply nozzle and in a rinsing processing of the substrate, which is performed after the etching processing of the substrate, with the rinse liquid supplied from the liquid supply nozzle. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The substrate processing method of claim 14, wherein the etching liquid and the rinse liquid are supplied to the liquid supply nozzle while being switched, and in the etching of the substrate, the thickness of the substrate is measured by the common thickness measurement device in each of the etching processing and the rinsing processing. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The substrate processing method of claim 14, wherein the liquid supply nozzle comprises a first liquid supply nozzle configured to supply the etching liquid and a second liquid supply nozzle configured to supply the rinse liquid, the thickness measurement device is provided in each of the first liquid supply nozzle and the second liquid supply nozzle, and in the etching of the substrate, the thickness of the substrate is measured by the thickness measurement device in the etching processing of the substrate with the etching liquid supplied from the first liquid supply nozzle and in the rinsing processing of the substrate, which is performed after the etching processing of the substrate, with the rinse liquid supplied from the second liquid supply nozzle. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The substrate processing method of claim 11, wherein the etching apparatus comprises a temperature measurement device configured to measure a temperature of the substrate, and in the etching of the substrate, a measurement of the thickness of the substrate in the thickness measurement device is corrected based on temperature measurement data of the temperature measurement device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The substrate processing method of claim 11, wherein in the etching of the substrate, an etching condition for the substrate is controlled based on thickness measurement data obtained by the thickness measurement device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The substrate processing method of claim 11, further comprising: grinding a surface of the substrate, wherein in the etching of the substrate, the ground surface of the substrate is etched, and a grinding condition for the substrate is controlled based on thickness measurement data obtained by the thickness measurement device before or after an etching processing. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The substrate processing method of claim 11, further comprising: polishing, after a surface of the substrate is etched, the surface of the substrate, wherein in the etching of the substrate, a polishing condition for the substrate is controlled based on thickness measurement data obtained by the thickness measurement device after an etching processing.