Cleaning and liquid contact with solids – Apparatus – Automatic controls
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-26
2004-08-17
Stinson, Frankie L. (Department: 1746)
Cleaning and liquid contact with solids
Apparatus
Automatic controls
C134S066000, C134S153000, C134S158000, C134S161000, C134S902000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06776173
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid processing apparatus used for applying a predetermined liquid processing or drying processing to various substrates such as a semiconductor wafer and a LCD substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
In, for example, the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, used are a wafer cleaning apparatus for cleaning a semiconductor wafer (wafer) used as a substrate with a predetermined chemical liquid or a pure water for removing from the wafer the contaminants such as particles, an organic contaminant and metallic impurities, and a wafer drying apparatus for removing liquid droplets from the wafer by using an inert gas such as a nitrogen gas (N
2
gas) or an IPA vapor having a high volatility and a high hydrophilic nature so as to dry the wafer.
Known are a single wafer type cleaning apparatus or drying apparatus in which the wafers are processed one by one and a batch type cleaning apparatus or drying apparatus in which a plurality of wafers are housed in a wafer cleaning chamber or a wafer drying chamber for processing these wafers in a batch system.
Known as a single wafer cleaning apparatus is an apparatus called scrubber, in which a wafer is held at its peripheral portion or back surface and a process liquid is spurted to the front and back surfaces of the wafer while rotating the wafer within a horizontal plane, or a brush or the like, which is kept rotated, is scanned on the front surface of the wafer.
However, where a cleaning treatment is performed with the wafer held horizontal, a problem is generated that, when the wafer is rotated after the cleaning treatment for removing the cleaning liquid attached to the wafer, it is difficult to remove the cleaning liquid satisfactorily. Also, where the cleaning treatment is performed with the wafer held horizontal, the inner volume of the cleaning process chamber is increased in general, with the result that the amount of the exhaust gas is increased when the cleaning process chamber is exhausted. Therefore, the temperature of the chemical liquid used tends to be lowered, leading to an additional problem that it is rendered difficult to use a chemical liquid of a high temperature. Further, where the cleaning process chamber is of a hermetic structure for the control of the atmosphere, another problem is generated that the control program for controlling the opening-closing mechanism of the cleaning process chamber and the delivery mechanism to the cleaning process chamber of the wafer is rendered complex. In addition, where the wafer is disposed horizontal, it is difficult to superpose a plurality of wafers one upon the other in a vertical direction for processing the wafers.
On the other hand, a wafer cleaning apparatus
500
shown in, for example,
FIG. 31
is known as a batch type cleaning process apparatus. As shown in the drawing, the wafer cleaning apparatus
500
comprises a process chamber
502
forming a wafer cleaning chamber
501
. A rotor
505
arranged to be capable of holding a wafer W and rotatable is movable into and out of the process chamber
502
through a wafer delivery port
503
formed forward of the process chamber
502
. Delivery of the wafer W can be performed between the rotor
505
and wafer chucks
509
a
,
509
b
of a transfer arm, with the rotor
505
moved forward of the process chamber
502
. A reference numeral
507
shown in
FIG. 31
represents a driving mechanism for moving back and forth and rotating the rotor
505
. A reference numeral
508
represents a rotary shaft. A reference numeral
504
represents a lid of the process chamber
502
. Further, a reference numeral
506
shown in
FIG. 31
represents a holding member of the rotor
505
.
However, in the wafer cleaning apparatus
500
shown in
FIG. 31
, it is necessary to control the operation of the apparatus
500
in a manner to prevent the collision between the wafer chucks
509
a
,
509
b
and the holding member
506
of the rotor
505
, leading to a problem that the operating program is rendered complex.
In recent years, the wafer size is increased from 200 mm&phgr; to 300 mm&phgr; in accordance with progress in the miniaturization, degree of integration and mass production of semiconductor devices. A container capable of housing wafers in a vertical state was used for storing and transferring the wafers when it comes to the wafers of 200 mm&phgr;. However, a container housing the wafers in a horizontal state has come to the used when it comes to the wafers of 300 mm&phgr; because the wafer is large and heavy.
Even where the wafers are transferred in a horizontal state, it is desirable to carry out the cleaning treatment itself of the wafers, with the wafers held substantially vertical as in the prior art. Under the circumstances, it is necessary to arrange, for example, a posture changing mechanism for changing the posture of the wafer between the horizontal state and the vertical state in the conventional apparatus in which the wafers were held substantially vertical for the transfer including the wafer cleaning apparatus
500
shown in FIG.
31
. As a result, problems are generated that the transfer mechanism of the wafers is rendered complex and that the wafers tend to be contaminated and broken because the number of times of transplanting the wafers among the mechanisms handling the wafers is increased.
It should also be noted that, if the mechanism and member of each section handling the wafers is rendered bulky to conform with the size of the wafer without changing the construction of the conventional cleaning process apparatus, it is unavoidable for the entire cleaning process apparatus to be rendered bulky. Under the circumstances, it is highly desirable to improve the construction of the apparatus so as to suppress the enlargement of the apparatus as much as possible. It is also highly desirable to suppress the enlargement of the cleaning process apparatus in respect of the single wafer cleaning process apparatus.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A first object of the present invention is to provide a liquid processing apparatus capable of carrying out the liquid processing such as the cleaning of a substrate with a high precision and with a high efficiency.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a liquid processing apparatus, which is basically an apparatus for applying a liquid processing to a single substrate and capable of easily coping with the processing of a plurality of substrates.
Further, a third object of the present invention is to provide a compact liquid processing apparatus, which permits suppressing the enlargement of the processing apparatus when the design of the apparatus is changed for applying a liquid processing to a substrate having a large outer diameter.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid processing apparatus, in which a process liquid is supplied to a substrate for performing a liquid processing, comprising a substrate rotating device including a holder for holding a substrate and a rotating device for rotating said holder; a posture changing mechanism for changing the posture of said substrate rotating device such that a state of the substrate held by said holder changes between substantially vertical and substantially horizontal; a process chamber for applying a predetermined liquid processing to the substrate held substantially vertical by said holder; and a position adjusting mechanism for relatively adjusting the positions of said process chamber and said holder such that said holder is housed in said process chamber.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid processing apparatus, in which a process liquid is supplied to a substrate for performing a liquid processing, comprising: a holder for holding substantially in parallel a plurality of substrates a predetermined distance apart from each other; a container delivery section for delivering a container having a plurality of substrates housed the
Perrin Joseph L
Smith , Gambrell & Russell, LLP
Stinson Frankie L.
Tokyo Electron Limited
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