Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Differential fluid etching apparatus – With microwave gas energizing means
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-01
2001-05-22
Osele, Mark A. (Department: 1734)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Differential fluid etching apparatus
With microwave gas energizing means
C156S247000, C156S272200, C156S583200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06235144
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus for and methods of removing, in time of manufacture, resist patterns which have become unnecessary from surfaces of articles such as semiconductor wafers, glass substrates for photo masks, glass substrates for liquid crystal displays and substrates for optical disks.
2. Description of the Related Art
When manufacturing a semiconductor device, for example, a resist solution is applied to a semiconductor substrate such as a silicon wafer. A predetermined resist pattern is formed thereon through a usual photographic process. The resist pattern is used as a mask in various processes including ion injection, etching and doping. Subsequently, the resist pattern no longer needed is removed to form a predetermined circuit. Then, the resist solution is applied again to form a next circuit. This cycle is repeated. Generally, unnecessary resist patterns are removed by oxygen plasma ashing or by treatment with an organic solvent.
When resist patterns are removed by ashing, the operation may be time-consuming, and impurity ions in the resist could mix into the semiconductor substrate. Use of the organic solvent poses the problem of impairing work environment.
A method of removing unnecessary resist patterns without the above-noted inconveniences has been proposed as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,759,336, for example. With this method, adhesive tape is applied to a surface of a resist pattern on a substrate, and this adhesive tape is separated along with the resist pattern from the substrate.
The above method of removing resist patterns with adhesive tape has the advantage of removing unwanted resist patters without contaminating substrates with impurities as in the conventional ashing technique. However, this method has the following drawback.
When a resist pattern is removed with adhesive tape, the adhesive may remain, though in a small quantity, on a substrate surface. Such adhesive remnants could adversely affect the subsequent wafer processing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention has been made having regard to the state of the art noted above, and its object is to provide an apparatus for and a method of reliably removing unnecessary resist patterns with adhesive tape from articles such as semiconductor wafers, without leaving adhesive remnants on the articles.
The above object is fulfilled, according to this invention, by a resist removing apparatus for removing a resist pattern from a surface of an article by applying an adhesive tape to the surface of the article having the resist pattern formed thereon, and separating the adhesive tape from the surface of the article, the apparatus comprising an adhesive tape applying mechanism for applying the adhesive tape to the surface of the article, an adhesive tape separating mechanism for separating the adhesive tape from the surface of the article, and an adhesive removing mechanism for removing adhesive remnants left on the surface of the article after the adhesive tape is separated therefrom.
According to this invention, the adhesive tape applying mechanism first applies the adhesive tape to the surface of the article, and then the adhesive tape separating mechanism separates the adhesive tape from the surface of the article. The unwanted resist pattern is separated along with the adhesive tape from the surface of the article. Subsequently, the article receives treatment in the adhesive removing mechanism to have remnants of the adhesive removed from the surface of the article. Thus, remnants of the adhesive of the adhesive tape left on the surface of the article, if any, are removed therefrom reliably. This apparatus carries out a process of removing the unwanted resist pattern with the adhesive tape with increased effect.
Preferably, the adhesive removing mechanism includes a heater for heating the article, and an ozonic atmosphere generator for providing an ozonic atmosphere for the surface of the article. With this construction, the surface of the article heated contacts ozone. Consequently, the adhesive remnants are eliminated from the surface of the article by the oxidizing and decomposing action of ozone.
It is also preferred that the adhesive removing mechanism includes a heater for heating the article, and an ultraviolet irradiating mechanism for irradiating the surface of the article with ultraviolet rays. With this construction, the surface of the article heated is irradiated with ultraviolet rays. Consequently, the adhesive remnants are decomposed and eliminated from the surface of the article by ultraviolet rays.
Further, it is preferred that the adhesive removing mechanism includes a heater for heating the article, an ozonic atmosphere generator for providing an ozonic atmosphere for the surface of the article, and an ultraviolet irradiating mechanism for irradiating the surface of the article with ultraviolet rays in the ozonic atmosphere. The article is heated, and the article surface is placed in an ozonic atmosphere and irradiated with ultraviolet rays. With this construction, the surface of the article heated contacts ozone and is irradiated with ultraviolet rays. Consequently, the adhesive remnants are eliminated from the surface of the article simply and effectively by the oxidizing action of ozone and the decomposing action of ultraviolet rays.
In another aspect of this invention, there is provided a resist removing method for removing a resist pattern from a surface of an article by applying an adhesive tape to the surface of the article having the resist pattern formed thereon, and separating the adhesive tape from the surface of the article. This method comprises the steps of applying the adhesive tape to the surface of the article, heating the article having the adhesive tape applied thereto, cooling the article heated, separating the adhesive tape from the surface of the article cooled, and removing adhesive remnants left on the surface of the article after the adhesive tape is separated therefrom.
According to this method, the article is heated after the adhesive tape is applied thereto. Consequently, the adhesive of the adhesive tape flows into recesses of the resist pattern on the article surface, thereby enlarging an area of contact between the adhesive and resist pattern. The article is thereafter cooled, and then the adhesive tape is separated. Thus, curing of the adhesive is promoted to facilitate resist separation. After the adhesive tape is separated, remnants of the adhesive are removed from the surface of the article. Such a method facilitates resist separation, and efficiently removes the adhesive remnants from the surface of the article.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4341592 (1982-07-01), Shortes et al.
patent: 5246526 (1993-09-01), Yamaguchi et al.
patent: 5370846 (1994-12-01), Yokomi et al.
patent: 5466325 (1995-11-01), Mizuno et al.
patent: 5651860 (1997-07-01), Li
patent: 5759336 (1998-06-01), Yamamoto et al.
patent: 6099675 (2000-08-01), Yamamoto et al.
patent: 6-267893 (1994-09-01), None
Kuroda Shigeji
Matsushita Takao
Miyamoto Saburo
Namikawa Makoto
Toyoda Eiji
Arent Fox Kintner & Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
Nitto Denko Corporation
Osele Mark A.
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