US 12,255,081 B2
Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method
Shinichi Hayashi, Koshi (JP); Hiroaki Inadomi, Koshi (JP); Shota Umezaki, Koshi (JP); Suguru Enokida, Koshi (JP); and Kouji Kimoto, Koshi (JP)
Assigned to TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by Tokyo Electron Limited, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Apr. 4, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/657,821.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-063884 (JP), filed on Apr. 5, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0319876 A1, Oct. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. H01L 21/67 (2006.01); B08B 3/08 (2006.01); B08B 13/00 (2006.01); H01L 21/02 (2006.01); H01L 21/677 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 21/67034 (2013.01) [B08B 3/08 (2013.01); B08B 13/00 (2013.01); H01L 21/02057 (2013.01); H01L 21/67754 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
multiple first substrate processing devices each configured to process a substrate one by one, and perform accumulation of a processing liquid on the substrate;
one or more second substrate processing devices configured to simultaneously process multiple substrates, which are processed in the multiple first substrate processing devices;
a transfer unit comprising a moving base configured to move along a transfer path, and a plurality of supports provided on the moving base and configured to horizontally support and stack the multiple substrates thereon, the transfer unit configured to simultaneously carry the multiple substrates, which are processed in different first substrate processing devices, into a same second substrate processing device, in a state where the processing liquid is accumulated on the multiple substrates; and
a controller configured to control the first substrate processing devices, the one or more second substrate processing devices and the transfer unit,
wherein the processing liquid accumulated on the substrates includes an isopropyl alcohol,
the one or more second substrate processing devices are further configured to dry the substrates by replacing the processing liquid accumulated on the substrates with a supercritical fluid,
the controller is further configured to control the transfer unit to sequentially take the multiple substrates out of the multiple first substrate processing devices and to simultaneously carry the multiple substrates into the same second substrate processing device, and
the controller is further configured to control the multiple first substrate processing devices to simultaneously complete the accumulation of the processing liquid on the multiple substrates.