Substrate processing apparatus and method of confirming operation of liquid flowrate control device

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus and a method of confirming operation of a liquid flowrate control device. The apparatus includes a process chamber accommodating a substrate, a liquid source supply system supplying a liquid source into the chamber at a liquid state at room temperature and under atmospheric pressure, a solvent supply system supplying a solvent into the chamber having a vapor pressure greater than the liquid source, a liquid flowrate control device controlling flowrates of the liquid and solvent, and a controller controlling the liquid and solvent supply systems, and the liquid flowrate control device. The controller controls the liquid and solvent supply systems, and the liquid flowrate control device so the solvent is supplied to the liquid flowrate control device to check an operation of the liquid flowrate control device before the liquid source supply system supplies the liquid into the chamber via the liquid flowrate control device.

1 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
 a process chamber accommodating a substrate;   a liquid source supply system supplying a liquid source into the process chamber, the liquid source being at a liquid state at room temperature and under atmospheric pressure;   a solvent supply system supplying a solvent into the process chamber, the solvent having a vapor pressure greater than that of the liquid source;   a liquid flowrate control device controlling flowrates of the liquid source and the solvent; and   a controller controlling the liquid source supply system, the solvent supply system, and the liquid flowrate control device,   wherein the controller controls the liquid source supply system, the solvent supply system, and the liquid flowrate control device in a manner that the solvent is supplied to the liquid flowrate control device to check an operation of the liquid flowrate control device before the liquid source supply system supplies the liquid source into the process chamber via the liquid flowrate control device.   
     
     
         2 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid source is supplied into the process chamber to form a film on the substrate, and
 the controller comprises:   a measuring part monitoring the liquid flowrate control device to measure a flowrate of the solvent flowing into the liquid flowrate control device; and   a comparing part comparing the measured flowrate of the solvent to a threshold value,   wherein the solvent is removed from the process chamber and the liquid source is supplied to form the film on the substrate when the flowrate of the solvent is within a range of the threshold value.   
     
     
         3 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the solvent is removed from the process chamber and a maintenance of the flowrate control device is performed when the flowrate of the solvent is out of the range of the threshold value. 
     
     
         4 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the controller further comprises:
 an alarming part to issue an alarm message when the flowrate of the solvent is out of the range of the threshold value.   
     
     
         5 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the alarm message comprises one of a sound, a display on a screen, and a lighting of an alarm light. 
     
     
         6 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the operation of the liquid flowrate control device is checked during an initial adjustment or at a replacement of the liquid flowrate control device. 
     
     
         7 . A method of confirming an operation of a liquid flowrate control device, the method comprising:
 supplying a solvent into a liquid flowrate control device connected to a process chamber;   monitoring the liquid flowrate control device to measure a flowrate of the solvent flowing into the liquid flowrate control device;   comparing the measured flowrate of the solvent to a threshold value; and   removing the solvent from the process chamber when the flowrate of the solvent is within a range of the threshold value.