High pressure processing apparatus and method

A high pressure processing apparatus for subjecting a substrate to a predetermined process by using a high pressure fluid, comprising:

• a high pressure fluid supply section for converting liquefied carbon dioxide contained in a tank into a supercritical fluid and supplying the supercritical fluid;
• a substrate processing section including a processing chamber to which a primary side conduit and a secondary side conduit are connected, for processing a substrate placed in the processing chamber by allowing the supercritical fluid to be in contact with the substrate, the supercritical fluid being supplied from the high pressure fluid supply section through the primary side conduit;
• a high pressure fluid recovery section connected to the processing chamber via a first valve disposed on the secondary side conduit, for, in order to recycle the supercritical fluid, recovering the supercritical fluid via the first valve after the supercritical fluid is used for processing the substrate in the substrate processing section;
• an atmosphere replacement fluid supply section for supplying an atmosphere replacement fluid into the processing chamber via the primary side conduit, the atmosphere replacement fluid being of same composition as that of the supercritical fluid resulting from vaporizing the liquefied carbon dioxide contained in the tank;
• and
• a discharge section comprising a conduit having a second valve disposed thereon, for discharging a gas inside the processing chamber via the second valve, the conduit diverging from a part of the secondary side conduit and opening to the outside air, the part being at a position between the processing chamber and the first valve, wherein
• during a period from when the processing chamber is closed after the placement of the substrate in the processing chamber to when the supercritical fluid begins to be supplied, in response to the supply of the atmosphere replacement fluid from the atmosphere replacement fluid supply section to the processing chamber via the primary side conduit, the gas inside the processing chamber being allowed to discharge through the secondary side conduit by the discharge section without flowing into the high pressure fluid recovery section, as a result of the first valve being closed and the second valve being opened.

A high pressure processing apparatus for subjecting a substrate to a predetermined process by using a high pressure fluid, comprising:

• a processing chamber for processing a substrate placed therein by allowing the high pressure fluid, which is supplied to an inside of the processing chamber, to be in contact with the substrate;
• a primary side conduit connected to a primary side of the processing chamber;
• a secondary side conduit connected to a secondary side of the processing chamber, the secondary side conduit diverging into at least a first secondary side conduit and a second secondary side conduit;
• a high pressure fluid supply section connected to the primary side conduit, for converting a predetermined processing fluid into a high pressure fluid and supplying the high pressure fluid into the primary side conduit;
• a first valve disposed on the first secondary side conduit;
• a second valve disposed n the second secondary side conduit;
• a high pressure fluid recovery section connected to the first secondary side conduit via the first valve, for recovering the high pressure fluid flowing out of the first secondary side conduit;
• an atmosphere replacement fluid supply section connected to the primary side conduit, for supplying, into the primary side conduit, an atmosphere replacement fluid being of a same composition as that of the high pressure fluid;
• and
• a discharge section connected to the second secondary side conduit via the second valve, for discharging, to an outside of the high pressure processing apparatus, a gas flowing out of the first secondary side conduit.