Substrate treatment device

Details Substrate treatment device Substrate treatment device

1999-04-23

2001-07-10

Stinson, Frankie L. (Department: 1746)

Cleaning and liquid contact with solids

Apparatus

With means to movably mount or movably support the work or...

C134S164000, C134S902000, C211S041180, C396S644000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06257255

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention concerns a device for the treatment of substrates comprising a container filled with a treatment fluid, having at least one substrate carrier that moves the substrates vertically in a reciprocating manner without a substrate support.
Devices of the aforementioned kind have been known, for instance, from DE 44 13 077 A1 and DE 195 46 990 A1 of the applicant of this present patent application and are described in the German patent applications DE 195 37 879.2, DE 196 16 402.8, DE 196 52 526.8 or DE 196 37 875.3 of the same applicant as well, which have not been published as of the filing date of this application. Devices of the aforementioned kind are being used especially advantageously for the treatment of wafers. To dry the substrates, the substrate carrier is lifted, so that the substrates on the substrate carrier are lifted out of the treatment fluid, for example, a rinsing agent, and may be dried utilizing the Marangoni method. In these devices the substrates are moved in the fluid container independent of substrate support, for example, independent of substrate and wafer cassettes, which are known, e.g., from DE 42 23 327 A1 or DE 34 29 232 A1. When rinsing or drying such substrates, these substrate supports have the disadvantage, among others, that an optimal uniform fluid flow in the fluid container is not possible because the cassette presents a flow obstacle and because the substrates in such a cassette cannot be treated with ultrasound, as suggested, for example, in the as yet unpublished documents DE 197 22 473 A1 or DE 196 16 402. The substrate support or cassette also presents a disadvantage during drying of the substrates for example, wafers, because due to their large surfaces area, edges, corners, and slots they can be dried only with difficulty and with a great time expenditure.
In the conventional devices in which the substrates are reciprocated vertically by a substrate carrier independent of a substrate support or cassette, at least at the outer surfaces of the corresponding substrates and the parallel extending container walls, a relative motion occurs, subjecting the outer surface of the substrates due to this relative motion to electrical charging effects that adversely affect this process, especially, if the substrates are highly sensitive wafers for chip manufacturing. Due to the relative motion between the externally positioned substrates of a substrate package and/or the different materials of the substrates, on the one hand, and the container walls, on the other hand, flow conditions at the side areas of the substrate package differ from the flow conditions between the substrates within the substrate package. Therefore, externally positioned substrates, or at least the side areas of externally positioned substrates facing the container wall, are treated, rinsed or dried less efficiently, so that disadvantages are observed and the productivity of the entire device is unsatisfactory.
Based on this, the object of the invention is the development of a device that can achieve a homogeneous treatment process, for instance, rinsing and drying, for all substrates regardless of their arrangement within the container.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is inventively solved by providing substrate side walls between the substrates and the container walls that extend parallel to the substrates and are vertically movable in a reciprocating manner with the substrates. By the inventive use of substrate side walls that separate each substrate package, the flow conditions at the outer surfaces of the outermost positioned substrates are no different from the conditions between substrates within the substrate package, thus providing the same efficient treatment, rinsing and drying results. These externally positioned substrates must therefore not be rejected as flawed products. Furthermore, no electrical charges are caused by the substrate side walls at the externally positioned substrates because there is no relative motion between the outwardly positioned substrates and the container wall.
Advantageously, the substrate side walls are mechanically connected with the substrate carrier and are vertically movable in a reciprocating manner with it. The arrangement is thus constructively simple.
It is especially advantageous to position a substrate carrier arm outside the substrate area formed by the substrate side walls, wherein the substrate carrier arm is positioned advantageously in an arm slot within one of the container walls. In this manner, the inner volume of the container can be minimized, which is especially advantageous in regard to time savings for filling and draining and, in particular, in regard to the required treatment fluid volume. The savings of treatment fluid, for example, rinsing fluid, are important in particular, in regard to the costly materials required, recycling procedures, and possible environmental harm.
According to another very advantageous embodiment of this invention, inlet jets and/or openings for the introduction of the treatment fluid are provided within the arm slot. In this manner, proper circulation of the treatment fluid within the arm slot and a rinsing of the arm slot is ensured, thus preventing the higher contamination levels of the treatment fluid within the arm slot as well as between the substrate carrier arm and the arm slot.
The inventive device is advantageously used for the drying process utilizing the Marangoni method. As described in detail in the documents and applications of the applicant mentioned above, a gas, advantageously isopropyl alcohol, nitrogen or a gas mixture of these components, is directed, for example, utilizing a hood positioned above the container, onto the fluid surface to improve and shorten the drying process utilizing the Marangoni effect. According to an advantageous embodiment of this invention, a tube within the arm slot and/or substrate carrier arm is provided for the controlled discharge of the gas above the treatment fluid when the gas within the hood is displaced by the lifting of the substrates and substrate side walls.


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