Drying and gas or vapor contact with solids – Process – Gas or vapor contact with treated material
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-14
2003-11-18
Wilson, Pamela A (Department: 3749)
Drying and gas or vapor contact with solids
Process
Gas or vapor contact with treated material
C034S381000, C034S527000, C034S232000, C134S008000, C134S061000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06647642
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid processing apparatus and a liquid processing method for applying a predetermined liquid processing or a predetermined drying processing to various substrates such as a semiconductor wafer and an LCD substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the manufacturing process of, for example, a semiconductor device, used is a wafer cleaning apparatus for cleaning a semiconductor wafer used as a substrate with a cleaning liquid such as a predetermined chemical liquid or a pure water so as to remove contaminants such as particles, an organic contaminant, and metal impurities from the wafer or for drying the wafer by removing liquid droplets from the wafer by using an inert gas such as a nitrogen gas (N
2
) or a volatile and highly hydrophilic IPA vapor.
Known is a cleaning-drying apparatus of this type, in which a plurality of wafers are subjected to the processing in a batch system. For example, a container housing a plurality of wafers such that the main surfaces of these wafers are held substantially parallel is disposed in a predetermined position of a cleaning-drying apparatus. The plural wafers housed in the container are simultaneously taken out by using a transfer mechanism so as to be transplanted onto a rotor for holding the wafers. Then, a predetermined liquid processing is applied to the wafers held by the rotor within a chamber, followed by applying a drying processing to these wafers. Finally, the wafers after the drying processing are transferred again into the container by using the transfer mechanism.
The process between the cleaning step and the drying step is carried out in general such that the chemical liquid used for the processing with the chemical liquid is washed away by using IPA, followed by applying a water cleaning processing using a pure water and subsequently applying a drying processing using an IPA gas or a nitrogen gas.
In recent years, there are increasing demands for omitting the step of washing away the chemical liquid with IPA so as to shorten the process step and, thus, to improve the through-put and for omitting the use of IPA so as to reduce the processing cost. However, the chemical liquid is left attached to, for example, the inner wall of the chamber after the processing with the chemical liquid. Also, the chemical liquid is not completely discharged after the processing with the chemical liquid so as to remain to some extent in the bottom portion of the chamber. If a water wash is applied under such a state after the processing with the chemical liquid, the chemical liquid is diluted with the pure water so as to form, for example, a strongly alkaline aqueous solution. If the strongly alkaline aqueous solution remains within the chamber for a considerably long time, the wafer tends to receive damage.
Also, the chamber forming the process space for applying a liquid processing has a sealing structure so as to prevent the process liquid from being scattered to the outside during the liquid processing. In general, a sealing material such as rubber is used for forming the sealing structure. It is necessary to renew the sealing material abruptly or periodically because the sealing material is deteriorated by, for example, the chemical liquid or is deteriorated with time. However, the conventional liquid processing apparatus is not sufficiently satisfactory in operability and maintenance capability. For example, it is necessary to detach the chamber itself for renewing the sealing material.
Further, it is required to maintain a high quality of the substrate and to improve the reliability of the substrate by decreasing the amount of the particles attached to the main surface of the substrate and by preventing the traces of the droplets of the chemical liquid from remaining on the main surface of the substrate during the processing with a chemical liquid and during the drying processing. However, the requirement has not yet been satisfied sufficiently.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A first object of the present invention is to provide a liquid processing apparatus and a liquid processing method that prevent damage from being done to the substrate by the mixing of process liquids. A second object of the present invention is to provide a liquid processing apparatus that permits performing a liquid processing without using a process liquid used in the past as an intermediate liquid for preventing different process liquids from being mixed with each other. A third object of the present invention is to provide a liquid processing apparatus that facilitates the renewal of the sealing material and the maintenance. Further, a fourth object of the present invention is to provide a liquid processing apparatus capable of maintaining a high cleanliness on the main surface of the substrate and a liquid processing method using the particular liquid processing apparatus.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid processing apparatus for performing a liquid processing by supplying a process liquid to a plurality of substrates, comprising a rotor capable of holding said plural substrates a predetermined distance apart from each other, a chamber capable of housing said rotor and arranged slidable between a process position and a retreat position, a process liquid spurting nozzle for spurting said process liquid onto the substrates housed in said chamber, and a cleaning mechanism for cleaning said chamber, wherein said cleaning mechanism includes a process space-forming member positioned inside said chamber in its retreat position and forming a cleaning process space in the clearance between said chamber and said process space-forming member, a cleaning liquid spurting nozzle for spurting the cleaning liquid into said cleaning process space, and a gas spurting nozzle for spurting a drying gas into said cleaning process space.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid processing method for performing a liquid processing by supplying a process liquid to the substrates held by a rotor capable of holding a plurality of substrates a predetermined distance apart from each other by using a liquid processing apparatus including a fixed substantially cylindrical outside chamber, a substantially cylindrical inside chamber capable of being housed inside said outside chamber and slidable between a process position and a retreat position, and a cleaning mechanism for cleaning said inside chamber in its retreat position, said method comprising a first step for applying a liquid processing to said substrates by using said inside chamber in its process position, and a second step of applying a liquid processing to said substrates by using said outside chamber with said inside chamber by moving said inside chamber to its retreat position, and a third step of cleaning said inside chamber by said cleaning mechanism at a predetermined timing in its retreat position.
As described above, a cleaning mechanism of the chamber is utilized in the liquid processing apparatus and the liquid processing method of the present invention. This is advantageous in the case where the liquid processing is carried out by consecutively using a plurality of process liquids. Specifically, when it is undesirable for the process liquid used in the preceding stage to be mixed in a certain process liquid, it is possible to clean the chamber before the liquid processing is carried out by changing the process liquid. As a result, it is possible to prevent the process liquid from being contaminated so as to set forth the characteristics of the process liquid, leading to the liquid processing with a high accuracy. It follows that it is possible to maintain a high quality of the cleaned substrate.
Incidentally, in the case of using a chamber of a double wall structure comprising an inside chamber and an outside chamber, it is possible to carry out a liquid processing with a certain process liquid by using one of these chambers, followed by ca
Kamikawa Yuji
Sakaguchi Taichi
LandOfFree
Liquid processing apparatus and method does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Liquid processing apparatus and method, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Liquid processing apparatus and method will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3127385