Abstract: A surface modifying apparatus is configured to modify a bonding surface of a substrate to be bonded to another substrate by plasma of a processing gas. The surface modifying apparatus includes a processing vessel; a measuring unit; and a controller. The processing vessel is configured to accommodate the substrate therein. The measuring unit is configured to measure a value indicating an amount of moisture in the processing vessel. The controller is configured to determine whether or not bonding strength between the substrate and the another substrate, when it is assumed that the substrate modified in the processing vessel is bonded to the another substrate, is good based on the value indicating the amount of moisture in the processing vessel measured by the measuring unit.

Abstract: A surface modifying method of modifying a bonding surface of a substrate to be bonded to another substrate by plasma of a processing gas includes an adjusting process and a modifying process. In the adjusting process, an amount of moisture in a processing vessel is adjusted by supplying a humidified gas into the processing vessel allowed to accommodate the substrate therein. In the modifying process, the bonding surface of the substrate is modified by forming the plasma of the processing gas in the processing vessel in a state that the amount of moisture in the processing vessel is adjusted.

Abstract: A substrate processing method capable of suppressing particles from remaining on a surface of a substrate is provided. In the substrate processing method, a liquid film of a protection liquid is formed on the surface of the substrate, and the substrate is dried by using a supercritical fluid so that the protection liquid is removed from the surface of the substrate. After the substrate is dried, the particles remaining on the surface of the substrate is removed.

Abstract: In a substrate processing method, as a liquid film forming process, a liquid film of a processing liquid covering a surface of a substrate W is formed by supplying the processing liquid onto the surface of the substrate W while rotating the substrate W at a first rotation number. After the liquid film forming process, as a supply stopping process, a rotation number of the substrate W is set to be of a value equal to or less than the first rotation number and a supply of the processing liquid onto the substrate W is stopped. After the supply stopping process, as a liquid amount adjusting process, a liquid amount of the processing liquid forming the liquid film is reduced by setting the rotation number of the substrate W to a rotation number larger than the first rotation number.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of cleaning a substrate processing apparatus in which a substrate having a surface wet by a liquid is brought into contact with a supercritical fluid so as to perform a drying process of drying the substrate. The method includes a cleaning gas filling process and an exhausting process. The cleaning gas filling process fills a cleaning gas containing isopropyl alcohol in the substrate processing apparatus. The exhausting process exhausts the cleaning gas from an inside of the substrate processing apparatus after the cleaning gas filling process.

Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid processing method of drying a substrate held horizontally after supplying deionized water to the substrate. The liquid processing method includes: supplying the deionized water to a front surface of the substrate; supplying a first solvent to the front surface of the substrate after supplying the deionized water; supplying a water-repellent agent to the front surface of the substrate to impart water-repellency to the front surface of the substrate; supplying a second solvent to the front surface of the substrate to which water-repellency is imparted; and removing the second solvent from the front surface of the substrate. A specific gravity of the first solvent is smaller than a specific gravity of the water-repellent agent, and a specific gravity of the second solvent is larger than the specific gravity of the water-repellent agent.

Abstract: A liquid processing method can remove pure water existing within a pattern of a substrate and replace the pure water with a solvent rapidly. The liquid processing method of supplying the pure water onto the substrate, which is horizontally held and has the pattern formed on a surface thereof, and drying the substrate includes a pure water supplying process of supplying the pure water onto the surface of the substrate; a heated solvent supplying process of supplying, after the pure water supplying process, the solvent in a liquid state, which is heated to a temperature equal to or higher than a boiling point of water, onto the surface of the substrate on which the pure water exists; and a removing process of drying the substrate by removing the solvent form the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment to the present disclosure includes: a main body which has therein a processing space capable of accommodating the substrate; a holding unit which holds the substrate in the main body; a supply unit which is provided at a side of the substrate held by the holding unit and supplies the processing fluid into the processing space; a discharge unit which discharges the processing fluid from an inside of the processing space; and a flow path limiting unit which limits a lower end of a flow path at an upstream side which is formed while the processing fluid flows from the supply unit to the discharge unit. Further, an upper end of the flow path limiting unit is disposed at a position higher than the upper surface of the substrate held by the holding unit.

Abstract: During at least part of a time period for a pressure increasing step of increasing a pressure inside a processing container from a pressure lower than a critical pressure of a processing fluid to a pressure higher than the critical pressure, pressure increasing is performed by supplying the processing fluid into the processing container from a fluid supply source while discharging the processing fluid from the processing container at a controlled discharge flow rate. Particles attached to the surfaces of members inside the processing container travel upward by the supply of the processing fluid into the processing container from the fluid supply source. The particles are discharged along with the processing fluid from the processing container.

Abstract: A substrate processing method capable of suppressing particles from remaining on a surface of a substrate is provided. In the substrate processing method, a liquid film of a protection liquid is formed on the surface of the substrate, and the substrate is dried by using a supercritical fluid so that the protection liquid is removed from the surface of the substrate. After the substrate is dried, the particles remaining on the surface of the substrate is removed.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus performs: a pressure raising process of raising a pressure within the processing container to a processing pressure higher than a critical pressure of the processing fluid, after the substrate is accommodated in the processing container; and a circulation process of supplying the processing fluid to the processing container and discharging the processing fluid from the processing container while keeping a pressure at which the processing fluid is maintained in the supercritical state, within the processing container. In the pressure raising process, the supply of the processing fluid from the second fluid supply unit is stopped and the processing fluid is supplied from the first fluid supply unit into the processing container until at least the pressure within the processing container reaches the critical pressure. In the circulation process, the processing fluid is supplied into the processing container from the second fluid supply unit.

Abstract: Disclosed is a processing apparatus including a chamber, at least one nozzle, a measuring unit, an opening/closing unit, and a controller. The chamber accommodates a workpiece therein. The nozzle is provided in the chamber to supply a processing fluid toward the workpiece. The measuring unit measures a supply flow rate of the processing fluid supplied to the nozzle. The opening/closing unit performs opening/closing of a flow path of the processing fluid to be supplied to the nozzle. The controller outputs opening and closing operation signals at a preset timing. After outputting the opening operation signal, the controller calculates an integrated amount of the processing fluid based on a measurement result of the measuring unit, and performs an output timing change processing to change a timing of outputting the opening or closing operation signal from the preset timing based on the calculated integrated amount.

Abstract: In a substrate processing method, as a liquid film forming process, a liquid film of a processing liquid covering a surface of a substrate W is formed by supplying the processing liquid onto the surface of the substrate W while rotating the substrate W at a first rotation number. After the liquid film forming process, as a supply stopping process, a rotation number of the substrate W is set to be of a value equal to or less than the first rotation number and a supply of the processing liquid onto the substrate W is stopped. After the supply stopping process, as a liquid amount adjusting process, a liquid amount of the processing liquid forming the liquid film is reduced by setting the rotation number of the substrate W to a rotation number larger than the first rotation number.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus of an exemplary embodiment includes a liquid processing unit, a detection unit, and a post-processing unit. The liquid processing unit supplies a liquid to a substrate to form a liquid film on the substrate. The detection unit detects the amount of a liquid on the substrate to determine whether the amount of the liquid is acceptable or not. The post-processing unit processes the substrate having the liquid film formed thereon.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment to the present disclosure includes: a main body which has therein a processing space capable of accommodating the substrate; a holding unit which holds the substrate in the main body; a supply unit which is provided at a side of the substrate held by the holding unit and supplies the processing fluid into the processing space; a discharge unit which discharges the processing fluid from an inside of the processing space; and a flow path limiting unit which limits a lower end of a flow path at an upstream side which is formed while the processing fluid flows from the supply unit to the discharge unit. Further, an upper end of the flow path limiting unit is disposed at a position higher than the upper surface of the substrate held by the holding unit.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of cleaning a substrate processing apparatus in which a substrate having a surface wet by a liquid is brought into contact with a supercritical fluid so as to perform a drying process of drying the substrate. The method includes a cleaning gas filling process and an exhausting process. The cleaning gas filling process fills a cleaning gas containing isopropyl alcohol in the substrate processing apparatus. The exhausting process exhausts the cleaning gas from an inside of the substrate processing apparatus after the cleaning gas filling process.

Abstract: During at least part of a time period for a pressure increasing step of increasing a pressure inside a processing container from a pressure lower than a critical pressure of a processing fluid to a pressure higher than the critical pressure, pressure increasing is performed by supplying the processing fluid into the processing container from a fluid supply source while discharging the processing fluid from the processing container at a controlled discharge flow rate. Particles attached to the surfaces of members inside the processing container travel upward by the supply of the processing fluid into the processing container from the fluid supply source. The particles are discharged along with the processing fluid from the processing container.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus of the present disclosure includes: a processing container; and a supply line which connects the processing container with a fluid source that delivers a supercritical processing fluid. A first opening/closing valve is provided in the supply line. A first throttle is provided on a downstream side of the first opening/closing valve to change the supercritical processing fluid flowing through the supply line to a gaseous state when a pressure within the processing container is equal to or lower than a critical pressure of the processing fluid. A first filter is provided on a downstream side of the first throttle.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus performs: a pressure raising process of raising a pressure within the processing container to a processing pressure higher than a critical pressure of the processing fluid, after the substrate is accommodated in the processing container; and a circulation process of supplying the processing fluid to the processing container and discharging the processing fluid from the processing container while keeping a pressure at which the processing fluid is maintained in the supercritical state, within the processing container. In the pressure raising process, the supply of the processing fluid from the second fluid supply unit is stopped and the processing fluid is supplied from the first fluid supply unit into the processing container until at least the pressure within the processing container reaches the critical pressure. In the circulation process, the processing fluid is supplied into the processing container from the second fluid supply unit.

Abstract: A liquid processing method can remove pure water existing within a pattern of a substrate and replace the pure water with a solvent rapidly. The liquid processing method of supplying the pure water onto the substrate, which is horizontally held and has the pattern formed on a surface thereof, and drying the substrate includes a pure water supplying process of supplying the pure water onto the surface of the substrate; a heated solvent supplying process of supplying, after the pure water supplying process, the solvent in a liquid state, which is heated to a temperature equal to or higher than a boiling point of water, onto the surface of the substrate on which the pure water exists; and a removing process of drying the substrate by removing the solvent form the surface of the substrate.