Cleaning and liquid contact with solids – Apparatus – Movably mounted fluid-holding receptacles
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-27
2003-03-25
Stinson, Frankie L. (Department: 1746)
Cleaning and liquid contact with solids
Apparatus
Movably mounted fluid-holding receptacles
C134S148000, C134S157000, C134S183000, C134S902000, C134S200000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06536452
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a processing apparatus and a processing method for applying a designated treatment on a substrate, such as semiconductor wafer, by supplying a treatment liquid to the substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, in the manufacturing field for semiconductor devices, there are various cleaning apparatuses which clean semiconductor wafers, which will be referred to “wafers” hereinafter, by designated cleaning liquids in order to remove various contamination, for example, particles, organic contaminants, metal impurities, etc. adhering to surfaces of the wafers. Among those apparatuses, there is a widely-used cleaning apparatus which can remove the particles etc. from a plurality of wafers by cleaning them on use of the cleaning liquids. In this apparatus, the wafers are accommodated in a cleaning bath into which the cleaning liquids are supplied.
As the conventional cleaning and drying apparatus of this kind, there is known a cleaning and drying apparatus which includes: one processing chamber provided, on one side thereof, with an opening for loading/unloading the wafers etc. and a door for closing the above opening; a rotor arranged in the chamber to rotate a carrier accommodating the wafers etc. slanted to the horizontal axis; liquid supply means for supplying liquid to the wafers etc.; and gas supply means for supplying gas to the wafers etc. (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,581) In connection, there is also known an apparatus which includes a detachable processing chamber for maintenance. (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,221,360) Further, this cleaning and drying apparatus has a structure where a motor and nozzles are attached to an attachment plate together with the above processing chamber. (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,419) There is also a cleaning and drying apparatus provided, in a drain/exhaust line in communication with a processing chamber, with gas-liquid separating means which separates the processing liquid into liquid and gas for discharge. (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,927) In connection, there is also known a structure where the gas-liquid separating means is equipped with a sensor. (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,199) In the cleaning and drying apparatus, upon closing the processing chamber in which a cassette accommodating the plural wafers etc. are carried in a rotor, it is carried out to rotate the rotor and the wafers while supplying cleaning liquid to the wafers etc. After completing the cleaning process, dry gas is supplied against the wafers etc. rotating together with the rotor, in the drying process. In the modification, there is an apparatus which directly loads the wafers etc. through its front face without using such a cassette. (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,678,320 and 5,784,797)
As another processing apparatus, a single wafer spinning apparatus is also provided with a plurality of processing chambers (cups) opening their upsides. (Japanese Examined Utility Model Publication kokoku No. 4-34902)
In the above-mentioned cleaning and drying apparatuses, however, there are problems of not only hindrance but atmospheric disturbance in drying process due to the residual cleaning liquid used in the cleaning process since both cleaning process and sequent drying process are carried out in the single processing chamber. Of course, these problems arise in case of using one kind of cleaning liquid. Particularly in case of performing the cleaning process while using different kinds of processing liquids, for example, chemicals of resist stripper and polymer remover, solvent of these chemicals (e.g. IPA: isopropyl alcohol), processing liquid of rinsing liquid (e.g. pure water) etc.; the cleaning/drying process while using processing fluid, such as dry gas (inert gas (e.g. N
2
gas) and fresh air); or the cleaning process while supplying an acid cleaning liquid (e.g. SPM), pure water, alkaline cleaning liquid (e.g. APM) in order, then such different kinds of chemicals would react with each other, causing the cross-contamination against the wafers etc.
In order to solve the above problem, it might be supposed to use different processing chambers in accordance with different kinds of processing liquids. However, such a measure would cause the processing efficiency to be deteriorated and additionally, the excessive requirement of footprint may cause the apparatus itself to be large-sized.
Note, although the above-mentioned single wafer spinning apparatus disclosed in Japanese Examined Utility Model Publication kokoku No. 4-34902 can somewhat prevent the processing liquids, such as chemicals of different kinds, from reacting with each other because of several processing chambers (cups), there is a problem of imperfectly preventing the wafers etc. from being contaminated since the cups are opened upward.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a processing apparatus and a processing method, by which it is possible to prevent the objects from being contaminated due to the reaction of treatment liquids of different kinds and also possible to realize the improvement in processing efficiency and the miniaturization of the apparatus.
The first feature of the invention resides in that the processing apparatus comprises a plurality of containers movably arranged so as to occupy both a surrounding position to surround at least one object to be processed and a stand-by position not to surround the object, moving means for moving a designated container of the containers thereby to position the designated container in the surrounding position, and processing means for applying a designated process on the object in the surrounding position.
Therefore, when applying the designated process by using a plurality of processing fluids, it is possible to move different processing chambers to the periphery of the object in accordance with the kinds of processing fluids. Thus, even if the respective processing fluids are remained in the respective processing chambers, there is no possibility of different processing fluid in the identical chamber. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the object from being contaminated by the reaction of different processing fluids.
The second feature of the invention resides in that the plural containers are arranged while engaging each other and also adapted so as to be individually movable to the object, and when applying the designated process on the object in the designated container of the plural containers, then the moving means moves the other container inside the designated container to the stand-by position.
In this case, it is possible to move the plural containers between the surrounding position and the stand-by position with ease and also possible to accommodate the containers compactly. Thus, the whole processing apparatus can be small-sized.
The third feature of the invention resides in that the processing apparatus comprises a pair of first and second walls arranged so as to oppose each other and also separated from each other; a carrier provided on the first wall, for carrying at least one object between the first wall and the second wall; and a plurality of peripheral walls each extending from the first wall to the second wall thereby to define a processing space for processing the object together with the first and second walls; wherein the plural peripheral walls are overlapped while being mutually inserted in each other and are individually adapted so as to be movable between a surrounding position to define the processing space together with the first and second walls and a stand-by position where no object is surround; moving means for moving a designated peripheral wall of the plural peripheral walls thereby to position the designated peripheral in the surrounding position while moving another peripheral wall inside the designated peripheral wall thereby to position the other peripheral wall in the stand-by position; and processing means for applying a designated process on the object in the surrounding posi
Kamikawa Yuji
Kohama Kyouji
Ohno Hiroki
Shimbo Eiji
Toshima Takayuki
Smith , Gambrell & Russell, LLP
Tokyo Electron Limited
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