US 12,172,194 B2
Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method
Minako Inukai, Yokohama (JP); and Masatoshi Terayama, Kawasaki (JP)
Assigned to KIOXIA CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by KIOXIA CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Oct. 27, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/496,222.
Application 18/496,222 is a continuation of application No. 17/695,512, filed on Mar. 15, 2022, granted, now 11,833,550.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-154588 (JP), filed on Sep. 22, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0058847 A1, Feb. 22, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B08B 13/00 (2006.01); B08B 3/02 (2006.01); H01L 21/67 (2006.01)
CPC B08B 13/00 (2013.01) [B08B 3/02 (2013.01); H01L 21/67034 (2013.01); H01L 21/67253 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A substrate processing apparatus for cleaning and drying a substrate under processing, comprising:
a liquid nozzle that supplies a liquid onto the substrate under processing to form a liquid layer;
a gas nozzle that supplies a gas onto the substrate under processing to form a dry region;
a controller configured to control the liquid nozzle and the gas nozzle; and
wherein:
the controller is configured to carry out the substrate processing including:
(1) a liquid layer forming step to form and expand the liquid layer on the substrate;
(2) a dry region forming step to form a dry region and to expand the dry region to a predetermined size; and
(3) a dry region expanding step to further expand the dry region from the predetermined size, and
wherein the controller is configured to, in the dry region forming step, while causing the liquid nozzle to supply the liquid and causing the gas nozzle to supply the gas, adjust at least one of a liquid landing position of the liquid on the substrate under processing and a gas landing position of the gas on the substrate under processing to change a difference between (i) a distance from a center of the substrate to the liquid landing position and (ii) a distance from the center of the substrate to the gas landing position from a first difference to a second difference, the second difference being more than the first difference,
form the dry region by controlling a movement speed of an interface of the dry region constituting a boundary between the liquid layer and the dry region to be less than or equal to a predetermined speed.