Substrate processing method and substrate processing apparatus

1. A substrate processing method comprising:

a substrate holding step of horizontally holding a substrate having an upper surface on which a first pattern and a second pattern adjacent to each other are formed;

a liquid film forming step of supplying a processing liquid onto the upper surface of the substrate to form a liquid film of the processing liquid covering the upper surface of the substrate;

a liquid film-removed region-forming step of partially eliminating the processing liquid from the liquid film of the processing liquid to form a liquid film-removed region in the liquid film of the processing liquid;

a liquid film-removed region enlarging step of enlarging the liquid film-removed region toward an outer periphery of the substrate;

a hydrogen fluoride atmosphere-holding step of keeping an ambient atmosphere at a boundary between the liquid film-removed region and the liquid film of the processing liquid as an atmosphere of a hydrogen fluoride-containing vapor containing hydrogen fluoride, in parallel with the liquid film-removed region enlarging step, wherein the hydrogen fluoride atmosphere-holding step includes a hydrogen fluoride-containing vapor supply step of supplying the hydrogen fluoride-containing vapor to a surrounding area of the liquid film of the processing liquid;

a step of removing silicon oxides that adhere a tip portion of the first pattern and a tip portion of the second pattern to each other, in parallel with the liquid film-removed region enlarging step; and

a step of removing a residue, which is formed by a reaction of the hydrogen fluoride with the silicon oxides, from the upper surface of the substrate, in parallel with the liquid film-removed region enlarging step.

2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , wherein in the liquid film-removed region enlarging step, the processing liquid included in the liquid film of the processing liquid has a liquid temperature that is higher than room temperature.

3. The substrate processing method according to claim 2 ,

wherein the liquid film of the processing liquid formed in the liquid film forming step includes a processing liquid that is at room temperature; and

the method further comprising, in parallel with the liquid film-removed region enlarging step, a heating step of heating the liquid film of the processing liquid.

4. The substrate processing method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the liquid film of the processing liquid formed by the liquid film forming step includes a liquid film of a hydrofluoric acid-containing solution containing hydrofluoric acid;

the method further comprises a step of disposing, after the liquid film forming step, a facing member opposing an entire region of the upper surface of the substrate at a shielding position proximal to the upper surface of the substrate so as to form a shielded space between the facing member and the upper surface of the substrate; and

the hydrogen fluoride-containing vapor supply step includes a step of evaporating the hydrofluoric acid included in the liquid film of the hydrofluoric acid-containing solution within the shielded space, to supply the hydrogen fluoride-containing vapor to the shielded space.

5. The substrate processing method according to claim 4 , wherein the liquid film of the hydrofluoric acid-containing solution includes a liquid film of a liquid mixture of an organic solvent having a lower surface tension than water, and hydrofluoric acid.

6. The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , wherein

the method further comprises a step of disposing, after the liquid film forming step, a facing member opposing an entire region of the upper surface of the substrate at a shielding position proximal to the upper surface of the substrate so as to form a shielded space between the facing member and the upper surface of the substrate; and

the hydrogen fluoride-containting vapor supply step supplies the hydrogen fluoride-containing vapor to the shielded space, in order to keep the surrounding area of the liquid film of the processing liquid as hydrogen fluoride vapor.

7. The substrate processing method according to claim 6 , wherein the liquid film of the processing liquid includes a liquid film of an organic solvent having a lower surface tension than water.

8. The substrate processing method according to claim 6 , wherein the hydrogen fluoride-containing vapor includes vapor including an organic solvent having a lower surface tension than water, and hydrogen fluoride.

9. The substrate processing method according to claim 8 , wherein the liquid film of the processing liquid includes a liquid film of water.

10. The substrate processing method according to claim 6 , wherein the hydrogen fluoride vapor supply step includes a step of blowing the hydrogen fluoride-containing vapor toward the upper surface of the substrate.

11. A substrate processing method comprising:

a substrate holding step of horizontally holding a substrate having an upper surface on which a first pattern and a second pattern adjacent to each other are formed;

a liquid film forming step of supplying water not containing an organic solvent having a surface tension lower than a surface tension of water onto the upper surface of the substrate to form a liquid film of the water covering the upper surface of the substrate, the liquid film being of the supplied water not containing the organic solvent;

a liquid film-removed region-forming step of partially eliminating the water from the liquid film of the water to form a liquid film-removed region in the liquid film of the water;

a liquid film-removed region enlarging step of enlarging the liquid film-removed region toward an outer periphery of the substrate;

an atmosphere-holding step of keeping an ambient atmosphere at a boundary between the liquid film-removed region and the liquid film of the water as an atmosphere of an organic solvent vapor containing the organic solvent and a hydrogen fluoride-containing vapor containing hydrogen fluoride, in parallel with the liquid film-removed region enlarging step;

a step of removing silicon oxides that adhere a tip portion of the first pattern and a tip portion of the second pattern to each other, in parallel with the liquid film-removed region enlarging step; and

a step of removing a residue, which is formed by a reaction of the hydrogen fluoride with the silicon oxides, from the upper surface of the substrate, in parallel with the liquid film-removed region enlarging step,

wherein the atmosphere-holding step includes a step of discharging the organic solvent vapor and the hydrogen fluoride-containing vapor toward the upper surface of the substrate.

12. The substrate processing method according to claim 11 , further comprising a spin drying step of rotating the substrate at a spin-off drying speed after the liquid film-removed region enlarging step, wherein the organic solvent vapor and the hydrogen fluoride-containing vapor are discharged toward the upper surface of the substrate, in parallel with the spin drying step, at a flow rate that is greater than a flow rate of the organic solvent vapor and the hydrogen fluoride-containing vapor in the atmosphere-holding step.