Substrate processing apparatus including catalyst pad

A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

• a process chamber;
• a catalyst pad arranged on a bottom surface of the process chamber and including a catalyst layer having a substrate contact surface;
• a substrate holder arranged on the catalyst pad and configured to hold a substrate having a processing surface;
• a supply and discharge unit configured to supply etching processing solution into the process chamber and discharge used processing solution;
• and
• a control unit,
• wherein:
• the catalyst pad has a substrate contact surface whose area is larger than that of the processing surface, and
• the control unit performs control such that with the processing surface of the substrate in contact with the substrate contact surface of the catalyst pad, surface irregularity portions of the substrate are removed to achieve planarization by being immersed in the processing solution within the process chamber.

A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

• a substrate holding head;
• a substrate holder provided on the substrate holding head and configured to hold a substrate;
• a catalyst pad including a base material and a catalyst layer formed on a surface of the base material facing the substrate, the catalyst layer having a substrate contact surface that contacts a processing surface of the substrate;
• a supply and discharge unit configured to supply at least an etching processing solution into a process chamber;
• a transfer mechanism configured to relatively move the substrate holding head with respect to the catalyst pad in a contact/separation direction in which the substrate holding head approaches and separates from the catalyst pad;
• and
• a control unit configured to control the supply and discharge unit and the transfer mechanism,
• wherein:
• the substrate contact surface of the catalyst pad has an area larger than that of the processing surface,
• the supply and discharge unit supplies fresh processing solution to the substrate contact surface while the processing surface of the substrate is pressed against the substrate contact surface of the catalyst pad in the presence of the processing solution supplied into the process chamber,
• the substrate holding head is fixed in position while the processing surface of the substrate is in contact with the substrate contact surface of the catalyst layer,
• the transfer mechanism includes an adjustment drive unit that moves the substrate holding head substantially in the contact/separation direction, in a planar direction substantially orthogonal to the contact/separation direction, and in a rotational direction using the contact/separation direction as a rotation axis,
• the control unit moves the substrate holding head in a separation direction to separate the substrate contact surface from the processing surface, then moves the substrate holding head substantially in at least one of the planar direction and the rotational direction, and then moves the substrate holding head in a contact direction to bring the substrate contact surface into contact with the processing surface,
• the substrate contact surface has a predetermined transfer pattern formed thereon, and
• the control unit drives the transfer mechanism such that an arbitrary pattern shape corresponding to the transfer pattern is formed on the processing surface.