Fluid handling – With heating or cooling of the system – Circulating fluid in heat exchange relationship
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-28
2002-08-06
Crispino, Richard (Department: 1734)
Fluid handling
With heating or cooling of the system
Circulating fluid in heat exchange relationship
C165S154000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06427717
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a process solution supplying apparatus for supplying a process solution such as a developing solution or a resist solution to a target substrate to be processed such as a semiconductor wafer or an LCD substrate, particularly, to a process solution supplying apparatus capable of supplying a process solution adjusted at a desired temperature to a target substrate and to a fluid passageway opening-closing valve device used in the particular process solution supplying apparatus.
The photolithography technology employed in the process of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes the step of supplying a process solution such as a developing solution or a resist solution onto the surface of a semiconductor wafer. With progress in the degrees of fineness and integration of a semiconductor circuit pattern in recent years, it is of high importance nowadays to control the temperature of the process solutions at a very high accuracy.
FIG. 1
shows the construction of a conventional developing solution supplying apparatus. As shown in the drawing, the apparatus includes a developing solution supply tube
100
. The upstream end of the tube
100
is connected to a developing solution supply source
101
, with the downstream end being connected to a supply nozzle
102
of a developing device. The developing solution within the developing solution supply source
101
is circulated by a pump
103
through the developing solution supply tube
100
into a temperature adjusting device
104
. A temperature adjusting water
105
is circulated about the developing solution supply tube
100
so as to adjust the developing solution at a desired temperature-within the temperature adjusting device
104
.
A fluid passageway opening-closing valve device
106
is mounted to the developing solution supply tube
100
downstream of the temperature adjusting device
104
to control the flow rate of the temperature-adjusted developing solution supplied to the nozzle
102
. It follows that the temperature-adjusted developing solution is discharged through the nozzle
102
onto a semiconductor wafer at a desired rate. Further, a temperature adjusting water
107
withdrawn from the temperature adjusting device
104
is circulated about the developing solution supply tube
100
in the vicinity of the nozzle
102
so as to control finally the temperature of the developing solution discharged onto the wafer.
However, in the conventional developing solution supply device of the construction described above, the fluid passageway opening-closing valve device
106
is interposed between the temperature adjusting device
104
and the supply nozzle
102
. In addition, a suitable temperature control is not applied to the developing solution in the region of the fluid passageway opening-closing valve
106
. It follows that the developing solution is susceptible to a disturbance to cause the temperature of the developing solution to be changed easily.
A process solution valve provided with a temperature adjusting circuit is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Disclosure (Kokai) No. 6-201065. The process solution valve disclosed in this prior art is considered to be capable of overcoming the above-noted problem. In the process solution valve disclosed in this prior art, a fluid passageway for the temperature adjusting water (temperature adjusting circuit) is arranged in the vicinity of the process solution passageway within the body of the valve so as to allow the temperature of the process solution to be adjusted even within the process solution valve.
To be more specific, the body of the process solution valve is provided with an inlet port of a temperature adjusting water for supplying the temperature adjusting water into the temperature adjusting circuit and a temperature adjusting water outlet port for discharging the temperature adjusting water. These inlet port and outlet port of the temperature adjusting water are arranged in the side surfaces of the valve body so as not to interfere with the inlet port and outlet port of the process solution.
However, even if the particular process solution valve is used as the fluid passageway opening-closing valve device
106
, it is impossible to perform the temperature control of the developing solution continuously.
To be more specific, where the process solution valve disclosed in JP '065 pointed out above is used as the fluid passageway opening-closing valve device
106
, it is certainly possible to adjust the temperature of the developing solution within the fluid passageway opening-closing valve
106
by adding tubes as denoted by dotted lines in FIG.
1
. However, it is impossible to adjust the temperature of the developing solution in region A between the temperature adjusting device
104
and the fluid passageway opening-closing valve device
106
and in region B between the fluid passageway opening-closing valve
106
and the supply nozzle
102
.
It may be possible to overcome the above-noted problem by arranging the temperature adjusting device
104
, the fluid passageway opening-closing valve device
106
and the supply nozzle
102
close to each other. However, it is impossible to arrange these devices very close to each other in view of the required installing positions of these devices and the required arrangement of the developing solution supply tube
100
. In addition, since it is necessary to connect each of the inlet port and the outlet port of the fluid passageway opening-closing valve
106
to the developing solution supply tube
100
by using, for example, nuts
109
and
110
, respectively, a space for inserting a tool must be ensured. Therefore, the devices
104
,
106
and
102
must be arranged apart from each other.
It should also be noted that temperature adjusting manifolds
111
for guiding the temperature adjusting water streams
105
and
107
are arranged in the conventional developing solution supplying apparatus shown in FIG.
1
. Since it is necessary to use many temperature adjusting manifolds
11
, the piping construction is rendered complex and the entire apparatus tends to be rendered bulky.
Further, in the construction employing the process solution valve disclosed in JP '065, the tubes for the temperature adjusting water as denoted by dotted lines in
FIG. 1
must be connected to the inlet port and outlet port of the temperature adjusting water on the side surfaces of the valve body separately from the connecting portions of the developing solution supply tube
100
to the fluid passageway opening-closing valve device
106
. It follows that the piping arrangement is rendered complex, and the apparatus tends to be rendered bulky.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A main object of the present invention, which has been achieved in view of the situation described above, is to provide a process solution supplying apparatus that makes it possible to adjust continuously the temperature of the process solution flowing through a process solution supply tube.
Another object of the present invention is to simplify the construction of a temperature adjusting water supply tube included in a process solution supplying apparatus that permits adjusting the temperature of the process solution.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process solution supplying apparatus for supplying a process solution onto a target substrate to be processed, comprising a process solution supply source, a process solution supply tube having its upstream end connected to the process solution supply source and serving to discharge the process solution from the downstream end thereof onto the target substrate, a fluid passageway opening-closing valve device mounted on a downstream side of the process solution supply tube for opening-closing the process solution supply tube, and a temperature adjusting medium arranged continuously through the fluid passageway opening-closing valve device in a downstream portion of the process solution supply tube including the fluid
Crispino Richard
Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.
Shortsle Kevin P.
Tokyo Electron Limited
LandOfFree
Process solution supplying apparatus and fluid passageway... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Process solution supplying apparatus and fluid passageway..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Process solution supplying apparatus and fluid passageway... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2946899