JP2002151461A - Liquid processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a reliable liquid processing apparatus in which an accident occurred at a liquid processing section has little effect on other mechanisms or processing sections in the liquid processing system. SOLUTION: The liquid processing apparatus 1 for liquid processing an article, e.g. a wafer W held rotatably, while rotating by supplying a specific processing liquid thereto comprises a rotor 24, i.e., a holding means for containing a wafer W, a slidable processing chamber 26 containing the rotor 24, and nozzles 54 and 56 disposed in the processing chamber 26 and supplying a specific processing liquid to a wafer W held by the rotor 24. A cleaning unit 3 containing the processing chamber 26 has an enclosed structure and is isolated substantially from the outside.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid processing apparatus used for performing predetermined liquid processing and drying processing on various substrates such as a CD substrate.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in a semiconductor device manufacturing process, a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter, referred to as a "wafer") as a substrate is washed with a predetermined chemical solution or a cleaning solution such as pure water.
Contaminants such as particles, organic contaminants, and metal impurities are removed from the wafer, and droplets are removed from the wafer by an inert gas such as nitrogen (N2) gas or a highly volatile and hydrophilic IPA vapor. Is used for drying the wafer. As such a cleaning apparatus, a plurality of wafers are subjected to wafer cleaning /
There is a known type that is accommodated in a drying chamber and processed in a batch system.

Conventionally, the wafer cleaning / drying chamber itself has a sealed structure so as to prevent leakage of the processing solution, but the cleaning processing chamber in which the wafer cleaning / drying chamber is disposed has a sealed structure. I never did.

[0004]

However, there has been a case where a chemical leaks from a joint or the like of a member constituting a wafer cleaning / drying chamber, and the leaked chemical leaks from a cleaning processing chamber. There is a possibility that it may adhere to the mechanical system, electric system, and the like disposed in the vehicle and cause a failure. Further, when the wafer rotating at a high speed is damaged, and when the wafer cleaning / drying chamber is damaged due to wafer fragments, there is a problem that the processing liquid leaks and the same accident as described above occurs.

Further, the wafer cleaning / drying chamber is damaged by the wafer fragments, and the wafers and the wafer cleaning / drying chamber fragments are scattered to other adjacent processing units or driving mechanisms, or the leaked processing liquid is ignited. If a fire occurs, the entire liquid processing apparatus may be damaged, and there is a problem that the time and cost for restoring the cleaning apparatus increase.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems of the prior art, and has excellent reliability in which an accident occurring in the liquid processing chamber hardly affects other mechanisms and processing units in the liquid processing apparatus. It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid processing apparatus.

[0007]

That is, the present invention provides the first aspect.
As an invention, a liquid processing unit that performs a liquid processing by supplying a predetermined processing liquid to the processing object while rotating the processing object rotatably held, and a liquid processing chamber that houses the liquid processing unit, A liquid processing apparatus, wherein the liquid processing chamber has a closed structure and is substantially isolated from the outside.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid processing unit for performing a liquid processing by supplying a predetermined processing liquid to a processing object while rotating a processing object disposed rotatably, and the liquid processing unit. A liquid processing chamber to be stored, provided below the liquid processing unit,
A processing object standby chamber in which a processing object delivery mechanism that transfers the processing object between the liquid processing unit and the liquid processing unit by vertical driving is disposed, and the liquid processing chamber and the processing object standby chamber An opening for transporting the object to be processed, which is provided on a partition wall therebetween,
A liquid processing apparatus comprising: a shutter for opening and closing the opening; and, in a state where the shutter is closed, the liquid processing chamber has a closed structure as a result, and is substantially isolated from the outside. I will provide a.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid processing section for supplying a predetermined processing liquid to a processing object while rotating a processing object arranged rotatably to perform a liquid processing, and the liquid processing section. A liquid processing chamber for storing, a container loading / unloading unit for loading / unloading a container capable of storing the workpiece, and a transport mechanism for transporting the workpiece between the container loading / unloading unit and the liquid processing chamber. The liquid processing chamber has an opening for carrying in and out the object to be processed, and a shutter for opening and closing the opening,
The liquid processing apparatus is characterized in that the liquid processing chamber has a closed structure as a result when the shutter is closed, and is substantially isolated from the outside.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid processing unit for performing a liquid processing by supplying a predetermined processing liquid to a processing object while rotating the processing object disposed rotatably, and the liquid processing unit. A liquid processing chamber to be stored, provided below the liquid processing unit,
A processing object standby chamber in which a processing object delivery mechanism that transfers the processing object between the liquid processing unit and the liquid processing unit by vertical driving is disposed, and the liquid processing chamber and the processing object standby chamber An opening for transporting an object provided on a partition wall for partitioning the object, a shutter for closing the opening for transporting the object, and a container capable of accommodating the object. A container loading / unloading section for loading / unloading, located between the processing object standby chamber and the container loading / unloading section, where the container can be placed, and between the processing object standby chamber; A container relay unit provided with a first container transport mechanism for delivering the container at;
A second container transport mechanism that transports the container between the container relay unit and the container carry-in / out unit, and in a state where the shutter is closed, the liquid processing chamber becomes a sealed structure as a result. And a liquid processing apparatus, which is substantially isolated from the outside.

In such a liquid processing apparatus of the present invention, the liquid processing chamber in which the liquid processing section such as the processing chamber for performing the liquid processing of the object to be processed has a closed structure is provided. Even if the processing liquid leaks, it is possible to effectively avoid the occurrence of an accident in which the leaked processing liquid flows into or diffuses into another processing unit and damages the other processing unit. Also, in the event that a fire occurs in the liquid processing section due to the ignition of the processing liquid leaked from the processing chamber, the fire extinguishing operation may be performed only in the liquid processing section, and ignition and damage to other processing sections in the liquid processing apparatus may be performed. Is prevented.

Further, in the liquid processing apparatus of the present invention,
Even in the case where an object such as an object to be processed or a processing chamber is damaged in the liquid processing unit and an accident such as scattering of the fragments occurs, the scattered fragments are prevented from scattering from the liquid processing chamber,
It is possible to prevent other processing units and the like constituting the liquid processing apparatus from being damaged by the scattered fragments. Therefore, since the entire liquid processing apparatus can be restored by restoring only the inside of the liquid processing unit such as the damaged processing chamber, the restoration time is shortened, replacement parts and the like are reduced, and the liquid processing apparatus is required for restoration. It is possible to reduce costs.

Further, by making the liquid processing chamber a closed structure, the processing chamber is less susceptible to the influence of other processing units and the external environment, and the liquid processing chamber can be maintained at a constant environment, for example, a constant temperature. Become. This makes it possible to set an environment in which the processing liquid is difficult to cool in the liquid processing chamber in accordance with the temperature of the processing liquid when using a high-temperature processing liquid. Can be implemented.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a liquid processing apparatus of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the accompanying drawings, taking a semiconductor wafer (wafer) cleaning processing apparatus as an embodiment thereof as an example. .

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cleaning apparatus 1, and FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cleaning apparatus 1 includes an in / out port (container loading / unloading unit) 2 for loading / unloading a carrier C, which is a container capable of storing a wafer W, and a wafer W A cleaning processing unit (cleaning processing chamber) 3 for performing cleaning processing, and a wafer transfer unit 9 (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) provided below and separately from the cleaning processing unit 3 below the cleaning processing unit 3. And a carrier relay unit 4 provided between the wafer transfer unit 9 and the in / out port 2 for carrying the carrier C in and out of the wafer transfer unit 9.

The cleaning apparatus 1 includes a carrier cleaning unit 5 for cleaning the carrier C, a carrier stock unit 6 for stocking a plurality of carriers C, a power supply unit 7, and a predetermined liquid supply to the cleaning unit 3. A chemical tank box 8 storing a processing liquid is provided.

The in / out port 2 is movable along a mounting table 10 on which four carriers C can be mounted and a transport path 11 formed along the direction in which the carriers C are arranged.
The carrier C of the mounting table 10 is transported to the carrier relay section 4,
Conversely, it has a first carrier transport mechanism 12 for transporting the carrier C placed on the carrier relay section 4 to the mounting table 10. In the carrier C, for example, 26 wafers W can be stored, and the carrier C is mounted on the mounting table 10 such that the surface of the wafer W is vertically arranged.

The carrier cleaning unit 5 has a carrier cleaning tank 16, and the empty carrier C from which the wafer W is taken out in the wafer transfer section 9 is transferred to the first carrier transport mechanism 12 and a second carrier transport mechanism to be described later. 17 to be conveyed and washed.

The carrier stock unit 6 temporarily holds the carrier C containing the unwashed wafer W or the empty carrier C from which the unwashed wafer W has been taken out, or the wafer C after the washing. This is for waiting in advance for an empty carrier C for storing W, and a plurality of carriers C can be stocked in the vertical direction. The carrier stock unit 6 has a built-in carrier moving mechanism for mounting a predetermined carrier C in the carrier stock unit 6 on the mounting table 10 and stocking the carrier C at a predetermined position therein. .

Next, the carrier relay unit 4, the wafer transfer unit 9, and the cleaning unit 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, as the processing chamber 26 disposed in the cleaning processing unit 3, a double-structured chamber including an outer chamber 26a and an inner chamber 26b that can be housed in the outer chamber 26a is used as an example.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the arrangement of the carrier relay unit 4, the wafer transfer unit 9, and the cleaning unit 3.
5 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the processing chamber 26 provided in the cleaning processing unit 3, and FIG. 4 is a state in which the inner chamber 26b is put out of the outer chamber 26a (the inner chamber 26b in such a state). Is referred to as a “retreat position”), and FIG.
3A shows a state in which the inner chamber 26b is disposed inside (a position of the inner chamber 26b in such a state is referred to as a “processing position”). In FIG. 3, both the outer chamber 26a and the inner chamber 26b are shown. The state at the evacuation position is shown.

The carrier relay section 4 is provided with a stage 13 on which the second carrier transport mechanism 1 is mounted.
7 are provided. The second carrier transport mechanism 17 has an arm 17a that can place and hold the carrier C and that can move forward and backward with the wafer transfer unit 9 by a telescoping mechanism (not shown). A hole (not shown) is formed at the center so that a wafer holding member 41 to be described later and a support rod 42 for supporting the wafer holding member 41 can pass therethrough.

The carrier transport mechanism 17 includes an arm 1
It has a not-shown reversing mechanism that can change the direction of the carrier C placed on 7a by 180 °. The reversing mechanism rotates the carrier C on the mounting table 10 by rotating the carrier transport arm of the first carrier transport mechanism 12 to the arm 17.
a, the carrier C on the arm 17a
Is used to return the direction of the carrier C since the direction of the carrier C is opposite to the direction of the carrier C. The reversing mechanism is also used similarly when returning the carrier C from the arm 17a to the mounting table 10.

A partition wall 14 is provided between the carrier relay section 4 and the wafer transfer section 9, and the carrier C and the arm 17a pass through the partition wall 14 in order to carry in and out the carrier C and the arm 17a. Possible carrier transport port 1
4a is formed, and the carrier transport port 14a can be opened and closed by the lid 15 on the carrier relay section 4 side. The lid 15 is movable in the horizontal and vertical directions as indicated by an arrow S1 shown in FIG.
The partition wall 1 is moved via the sealing member 18 by a moving / pressing mechanism such as an air cylinder (not shown) for moving the partition wall 1 horizontally.
4, the carrier transport port 14a can be hermetically closed.

Since the carrier relay section 4 and the wafer transfer section 9 can be cut off by using the lid 15, the processing liquid leaks from the processing chamber 26 in the cleaning processing unit 3, for example. Even when an abnormality occurs in the atmosphere of the cleaning processing unit 3, the atmosphere is prevented from spreading to the carrier relay unit 4 via the wafer transfer unit 9, and contamination of the carrier relay unit 4 is avoided. Therefore, it is preferable that the carrier transport port 14a is opened only when the carrier C is carried in and out, and is kept closed at other times.

In the wafer transfer section 9, a wafer holding member 41 for holding the wafer W, a support rod 42 which is vertically disposed to support the wafer holding member 41, and lifts and lowers the wafer holding member 41 via the support rod 42. A wafer delivery mechanism 40 having an elevation drive mechanism (not shown) is provided.

For example, the transfer of the wafer W from the carrier relay unit 4 to the cleaning unit 3 is performed as follows. First, the carrier transfer port 14a is opened, and the arm 17a holding the carrier C in which the wafer W is stored is inserted to a predetermined position of the wafer transfer unit 9, and in this state, the wafer holding member 41 is raised and After the wafer W is held by the wafer holding member 41, a wafer transfer port 19 a, which will be described later, is opened, and the wafer holding member 41 is further pushed up to the cleaning processing unit 3 to hold the wafer W stored in the processing chamber 26. The wafer W is transferred to the barrel rotor 24. Next, the wafer holding member 41 is lowered to close the wafer transfer port 19a, and after confirming that the wafer holding member 41 has moved below the arm 17a, the arm 17a is contracted and returned to the carrier relay section 4. ,
Thereafter, the carrier transport port 14a is closed.

When the wafer holding member 41 holding the wafer W is moved up and down, the line sensor 44 may be too small or too small, the number of the wafers W may be broken, or the line sensor 44 may be held diagonally without being held vertically. The state of the wafer W is monitored, and if there is an abnormality, the processing is interrupted or an alarm is issued.

A partition wall 19 is provided between the cleaning unit 3 and the wafer transfer section 9, and a wafer transfer port 19a is formed in the partition wall 19 so that the wafer W and the wafer holding member 41 can pass therethrough. Have been. Wafer transfer port 19
a can be opened and closed by a lid 21 that can move in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction as indicated by an arrow S2 shown in FIG. The lid 21 is movable in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction as indicated by an arrow S2 shown in FIG. 3, and a moving / pressing mechanism such as an air cylinder or the like (not shown) for moving the lid 21 in the vertical direction. Thus, the wafer transfer port 19a can be hermetically closed by being brought into close contact with the partition wall 19 via the sealing material 22.

By closing and closing the wafer transfer port 19a by using the lid 21, the room in which the wafer transfer section 9 is disposed is cut off from the cleaning processing unit 3. Even when the processing solution leaks from the processing chamber 26 in the cleaning unit 3, if the atmosphere of the cleaning processing unit 3 becomes abnormal, the atmosphere spreads into the room in which the wafer delivery unit 9 is provided, and the wafer delivery unit 9
Is prevented from being contaminated, and various mechanisms and members of the wafer transfer section 9 are not damaged. Accordingly, the wafer transfer port 19a is opened only when the wafer W is loaded and unloaded,
It is preferable that the wafer transfer port 19a be kept closed during liquid processing using the processing chamber 26 and the like.

As described above, the wafer transfer section 9 is provided below the cleaning processing unit 3, and the wafer W is structured to move vertically between the cleaning processing unit 3 and the wafer transfer section 9. However, there is no limitation on the moving direction of the wafer W, and for example, the wafer W may be loaded into the cleaning unit 3 and unloaded from the cleaning unit 3 from the side (lateral) direction or the like. .

Next, the cleaning unit 3 will be described. The cleaning unit 3 is used, for example, to remove and clean a resist mask, a polymer layer that is an etching residue, and the like after the wafer W is etched. A hole 25a is formed in a partition wall 25 which is one of the outer walls of the cleaning processing unit 3, and a rotating shaft 23a is horizontally disposed so as to pass through the hole 25a.

A rotor 24 is mounted on the rotating shaft 23a inside the cleaning processing unit 3 and a motor 23 is mounted outside the cleaning processing unit 3, and the rotation of the motor 23 causes the rotor 24 to rotate. Is possible. Note that, for example, the motor 23
Can be fixed to the partition wall 25 using a motor fixing jig 23b.

The rotating shaft 23a is also provided with a cylindrical support cylinder 3.
The support cylinder 32 is attached to the second vertical wall 34. Support tube 32 and rotating shaft 23
a between the second vertical wall 34 and the tip of the support cylinder 32.
The structure is such that particles and the like generated in the gap between the rotation shaft 23a and the support cylinder 32 due to the rotation of the rotation shaft 23a are not diffused to the rotor 24 side.

On the motor 23 side of the support cylinder 32, a locking member 33 for locking the inner chamber 26b is provided.
The locking member 33 is fixed to the partition wall 25. In this manner, the motor 23 is disposed so as to be separated from the room of the cleaning processing unit 3, so that particles generated in the motor 23 are prevented from entering the cleaning processing unit 3, whereby the cleaning processing unit 3 Pollution is suppressed.

In the rotor 24, locking members 71a, 71b, 72a, 72b are arranged between the disks 70a, 70b, and a plurality of (for example, 26) wafers W which are made vertical by the wafer holding members 73a, 73b. It has a structure that can be held inside it while being arranged in the horizontal direction. The rotating shaft 23a is attached to the disk 70b, and the motor 23
Is rotated, the rotor 24 rotates together with the wafer W held therein via the rotation shaft 23a. 4 and 5, the locking member 71b
72b is located on the back surface of each of the locking members 71a and 72a, and the wafer holding member 73b is
3a.

The outer chamber 26a provided so as to surround the rotor 24 has a cylindrical member 61a and ring members 62a and 62b disposed on the end surfaces of the cylindrical member 61a as constituent members. The body 61a is configured such that the outer diameter on the ring member 62a side is larger than the outer diameter on the ring member 62b side. The outer chamber 26a is slidably disposed between the retracted position shown in FIG. 3 and the processing position shown in FIG.

On the other hand, the inner chamber 26b is
and a substantially cylindrical tubular body 61b having a smaller outer diameter than a.
1b has ring members 67a and 67b disposed on the end surface thereof, and is slidably movable between the retracted position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and the processing position shown in FIG. I have. When the wafer W is loaded and unloaded, the outer chamber 26a and the inner chamber 26b are both located at the retracted position as shown in FIG.

When the outer chamber 26a is at the retracted position, normally, the inner chamber 26b is not at the processing position but is controlled to be at the retracted position. This is because of the configuration of the slide mechanism for holding and sliding the outer chamber 26a and the inner chamber 26b, and the inner chamber 2
This is because interference occurs due to the presence of the drainage pipe 65c disposed below the bottom 6b.

When the outer chamber 26a is in the processing position as shown in FIG.
The space between the frame member 31b and the ring member 62a, which are connected and fixed to the outer wall or the frame or the like of the cleaning processing unit 3, is sealed via a seal material 63a. 67a is sealed via the sealing material 63b. In addition, the sealing material 63a is provided on the frame member 31b,
b is provided on the ring member 62b.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the inner chamber 26b is at the retracted position, the space between the ring member 67a and the end face of the second vertical wall 34 is sealed via the sealing material 68a, and the ring member 67a is The space between the member 62b and the member 62b is sealed via the sealing material 63b. Further, the space between the ring member 67b and the locking member 33 is sealed via the sealing material 68b. And the inner chamber 2
In the case where 6b is moved to the processing position, as shown in FIG. 5, there is a gap between the ring member 67a and a horizontally formed portion of the lid 31a which is one of the members constituting the first vertical wall 31. Sealing is performed via the sealing material 68a, and the space between the ring member 67b and the end face of the second vertical wall 34 is sealed by the sealing material 68a.
b, and the space between the ring member 67b and the ring member 62b is sealed via the sealing material 63b. Note that the sealing member 68a is
7a, and the sealing material 68b is provided on the ring member 67b.

As described above, the sealing members 63a, 63b, 6
Since the portion where the ring member 62b and the like are arranged through the seal members 8a and 68b has a sealing structure, as shown in FIG. 4, when the outer chamber 26a is in the processing position and the inner chamber 26b is in the retracted position, Is the first vertical wall 3
1, second vertical wall 34, cylindrical body 61a, ring member 62a
The closed processing space 51 is formed by 62b and 67a. Further, as shown in FIG.
When both the inner chamber 26a and the inner chamber 26b are at the processing position, a closed processing space 52 is formed by the lid 31a, the second vertical wall 34, the cylindrical body 61b, and the ring members 67a and 67b.

A processing liquid discharge nozzle 54 having a large number of processing liquid discharge ports 53 disposed in a horizontal direction is attached to the upper part of the cylindrical body 61a in a state housed in a nozzle case 57, and the processing liquid is discharged. The liquid discharge nozzle 54 is supplied with a processing liquid such as pure water, IPA, or various chemicals, or a dry gas such as N 2 gas from a processing liquid supply source such as the chemical tank box 8, and is held by the processing liquid discharge port 53 on the rotor 24. The liquid can be discharged toward the processed wafer W.

A processing liquid discharge nozzle 56 having a large number of processing liquid discharge ports 55 disposed in a horizontal direction is mounted on the upper part of the cylindrical body 61b in a state housed in a nozzle case 58. The processing liquid discharge nozzle 56 is supplied with processing liquids such as various chemicals, pure water, and IPA from a processing liquid supply source such as the chemical tank box 8.
5 can be discharged toward the wafer W held by the rotor 24. These processing liquid discharge nozzles 54 and 56
Although only one is shown in each of FIGS. 3 to 5, it is also possible to arrange a plurality of each of them, and it is also necessary to provide them directly above the cylindrical bodies 61 a and 61 b. Absent.

The bottom of the cylindrical body 61a is formed so as to be inclined so that the first vertical wall 31 side becomes lower, and when the liquid processing is performed in the processing space 51 by the outer chamber 26a, the bottom from the processing liquid discharge nozzle 54 is formed. Various processing liquids discharged into the processing space 51 are discharged to the outside through a hole 65a formed in a lower portion of the frame member 31b and a drain pipe 65b provided in communication with the hole 65a. Has become.

The outer chamber 2 is located below the cylindrical body 61a.
When the liquid 6a is slid between the processing position and the retracted position, even if liquid dripping occurs from inside the outer chamber 26a, the liquid receivers 64a and 64 can collect the liquid.
b is provided, thereby preventing the inside of the cleaning processing unit 3 from being contaminated by the dripping processing liquid. Since the dripping from the inside of the outer chamber 26a occurs on the side of the ring member 62a having a low height, the ring member 62a
a, the processing liquid collected in the liquid receiver 64a below the liquid receiver 6a.
4b, and is discharged from the drain. The discharge port of the processing liquid from the liquid receiver 64a (the right end of the liquid receiver 64a in FIG. 4) is always in the slidable range of the outer chamber 26a. 64b.

On the other hand, a groove 69 whose bottom is inclined is formed in the lower part of the cylindrical body 61b so as to protrude from the cylindrical body 61b, and the lower side of the groove 69 is formed below the ring member 67b. The drain port 66 is connected to the drain port 66, and the drain port 65 c is connected to the drain port 66. In this way, in the liquid processing in the processing space 52 by the inner chamber 26b, various processing liquids discharged from the processing liquid discharge nozzle 56 flow into the drain pipe 65c from the groove 69 through the drain port 66, and are discharged. It has become.

The lid 31a is provided with two cleaning liquid discharge nozzles 79a at two places.
The cleaning processing can be performed by discharging a predetermined cleaning liquid onto the surface facing the surface a. The second vertical wall 34 has a cleaning liquid discharge nozzle 79 for cleaning the surface of the disk 70b facing the second vertical wall 34.
b are provided in two places. The cleaning liquid discharged from these cleaning liquid discharge nozzles 79a and 79b is supplied to drain pipes 65b and 65 according to the processing spaces 51 and 52 formed.
c.

The cleaning liquid discharge nozzles 79a and 79b
Is an atmosphere adjusting gas such as N
2 gas, argon (Ar) gas, carbon dioxide (CO2)
It can also be used for the purpose of supplying various gases such as gas and oxygen (O2) gas. As will be described later, the atmosphere adjusting gas thus supplied to the processing spaces 51 and 52 is supplied to the gas exhaust mechanism 80 provided in the lid 31a.
This is performed using

Subsequently, taking the outer chamber 26a as an example,
The slide mechanism will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6A shows the slide mechanism 90 and the outer chamber 26.
FIG. 6B is a plan view of FIG. The slide mechanism 90 has a guide 93 formed with a convex portion 93a extending in the longitudinal direction, a linear drive mechanism 94 such as an air cylinder, and a concave portion 92a formed to fit with the convex portion 93a. Guide 9 connected to mechanism 94
3 has a connecting jig 92 that moves along the longitudinal direction. The longitudinal end of the guide 93 can be fixed to, for example, a frame or the like forming the cleaning unit 3.

In order to prevent particles or the like generated from the linear drive mechanism 94 from diffusing, the linear drive mechanism 94 is used.
A cover 95a having a seal structure is attached to the cover member 95. In order to prevent diffusion of particles and the like generated from a fitting portion between the concave portion 92a and the convex portion 93a, a seal member 95a is provided.
b is attached to the guide 93.

A cylindrical body holding jig 91 is fixed to the cylindrical body 61a, and the cylindrical body holding jig 91 is fixed to a connecting jig 92 by screws 91a. Thus, by driving the linear drive mechanism 94, the outer chamber 26a
Can be slid in the longitudinal direction of the guide 93. Note that one end of the guide 93 has stoppers 96a and 96
b is provided, and the stopper 96a contacts the connecting jig 92 to position the outer chamber 26a at the processing position.
The stopper 96 b is provided with a contact portion 92 provided on the connecting jig 92.
b and the outer chamber 26a is positioned at the retracted position.

The slide mechanism of the inner chamber 26b can be configured similarly to the slide mechanism 90 of the outer chamber 26a, for example, by providing a guide in a gap between the outer chamber 26a and the inner chamber 26b.

Next, the structure of the first vertical wall 31 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 and a perspective view of the first vertical wall 31 shown in FIG. I do. The first vertical wall 31 includes a lid 31a and a frame member 31b, and a gas exhaust mechanism 80 is disposed on the lid 31a.

The lid 31a is formed on the frame member 31b by using a hinge mechanism 85 provided so as to connect the frame 75a, which is a part of the frame forming the cleaning unit 3, to the lid 31a. The window 31c can be opened and closed, and the cover 3 is provided near the window 31c.
1a can be moved in the horizontal direction by a predetermined distance, and the window portion 31c is fully opened by the rotation driving about the hinge mechanism 85 (see FIGS. 3 to 5).
When the right side is viewed from the left side of each drawing, the lid 31a is the window portion 31c.
(The state where the whole window part 31c looks open without blocking)
It is possible to retreat to a position where

The lid 31a is formed by fastening the lid 31a to the frame member 31b with bolts 78a using a rotatable fixing jig 78 provided on a frame 75b provided to face the frame 75a. , Lid 31a
Is fixed to the frame member 31b so that the window 31c can be hermetically closed. In several places (four places in FIG. 7), the lid 31a can be more securely fixed to the frame member 31b using the bolts 77.

The gas exhaust mechanism 80 provided on the lid 31a
Are "Exhaust 1" and "Exhaust 2" shown in FIGS.
And two types of gas exhaust lines, which are selectively used depending on the atmosphere of the processing spaces 51 and 52 and the type of chemical solution used. The gas to be exhausted passes through the pipe members 83 and 84 from the processing spaces 51 and 52 and is exhausted from a predetermined gas exhaust line. The pipe holding member 81 provided with the pipe member 83 has a lid 31a. By pulling out the pin 82 fixing the pipe holding member 81 to the cover member 31a, it can be easily separated from the lid 31a, so that the pipe member 83 and the pipe member 84 can be easily attached and detached while maintaining the sealing property. It has a simple structure.

In this way, when the lid 31a has to be moved to open and close the window 31c, the gas is easily exhausted so that the piping of the gas exhaust mechanism 80 does not hinder the moving operation of the lid 31a. The mechanism 80 can be removed and retracted, and the lid 31a can be easily moved. Conversely, the pipe holding member 81 can be easily attached to a predetermined position of the lid 31a in which the window 31c is closed and closed.

The cleaning processing unit 3 in which the processing chamber 26 is disposed is provided around the partition wall 14b (see FIG. 3), the partition wall 19, and the partition wall 19 provided on the first vertical wall 31 side. Lid 21 for closing the wafer transfer port 19a provided, a vertically provided partition wall 25, a horizontally provided top plate wall 25b, a side wall forming a boundary with the power supply unit 7 and the chemical tank box 8 side, and this side wall. It has a structure surrounded by another side wall which is a part of the outer wall of the cleaning apparatus 1 facing the wall.

As shown in FIG. 3, a fire sensor 50 for detecting the occurrence of a fire inside the cleaning processing unit 3 is provided. When the fire sensor 50 detects a fire, a fire extinguishing mechanism (not shown) extinguishes the fire. A chemical or extinguishing gas is injected. Such fires are, for example, IP
During processing using a flammable solvent such as A, the rotating wafer W may be broken or otherwise scattered around and may be damaged.

A filter fan unit (FFU) 20 is provided above the cleaning processing unit 3, and clean air is blown into the cleaning processing unit 3. Further, the air is exhausted from an exhaust port 27 provided in the partition wall 25. Here, as described above, the wafer transfer port 1
Since 9 a is sealed by the lid 21, the exhaust in the cleaning unit 3 can be performed only from the exhaust port 27.

In other words, the cleaning unit 3 has a closed structure in a state where the wafer transfer port 19a is closed and closed, and is substantially shut off from the outside. Thus, the cleaning processing apparatus 1 has a structure in which the atmosphere in the cleaning processing unit 3 is not easily transmitted to other processing sections in the cleaning processing apparatus 1 such as the wafer transfer unit 9, the carrier relay unit 4, and the power supply unit 8. For example, a processing liquid leaks from a connection portion or a seal portion of a constituent member of the processing chamber 26, or a broken piece that is scattered due to breakage of the rotating wafer W damages the processing chamber 26, and from a damaged portion thereof. Even when the processing liquid leaks, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the leaked processing liquid flows into another processing unit such as the wafer transfer unit 9 and diffuses to cause damage. In addition, even when a fire occurs in the cleaning processing unit 3, the fire extinguishing operation can be performed only in the cleaning processing unit 3, whereby
It is possible to prevent ignition and damage to other processing units in the cleaning processing apparatus 1 and also prevent diffusion of the fire extinguishing agent in the cleaning processing apparatus 1.

As described above, even if an accident such as damage to the apparatus such as the wafer W and the processing chamber occurs in the cleaning processing unit 3, the processing unit and the like constituting the cleaning processing apparatus 1 are linked in a chain. Since the damage is prevented from spreading, it is possible to restore the entire cleaning processing apparatus 1 by restoring only the damaged cleaning processing unit 3. Therefore, the recovery time of the cleaning processing apparatus 1 is reduced, and replacement is performed. The number of parts and the like is reduced, and the cost required for restoring the cleaning apparatus 1 can be reduced.

Furthermore, if the cleaning unit 3 is made to have a sealed structure, the cleaning unit 3 is less likely to be affected by other processing units and the external environment, and it is easy to maintain the inside of the cleaning unit 3 in a constant environment. Becomes Thus, for example, when a high-temperature processing solution is used, it is possible to set an environment in which the temperature of the cleaning processing unit 3 is raised to a room temperature so that the processing solution is hardly cooled in accordance with the temperature of the processing solution. The characteristics can be extracted and more effective liquid processing can be performed.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible.
For example, in the above embodiment, the case where the processing is performed by the two processing chambers of the outer chamber 26a and the inner chamber 26b has been described. However, the number of chambers may be three or more or one. Further, any of the outer chamber 26a and the inner chamber 26b may be used for cleaning and any of them may be used for drying, and can be used for an application in which both cleaning and drying are continuously performed. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the cleaning process is described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other liquid processes such as a coating process of applying a predetermined coating solution, or processes other than the liquid process, for example, The present invention can be applied to a CVD process, an etching process, and the like. Furthermore, the case where the present invention is applied to a semiconductor wafer has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can be applied to processing of other substrates such as a substrate for a liquid crystal display (LCD).

[0066]

As described above, according to the liquid processing apparatus of the present invention, since the liquid processing chamber accommodating the processing chamber for performing the liquid processing of the object to be processed has a closed structure, the processing liquid leaks from the processing chamber. However, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the leaked processing liquid flows into or diffuses into another processing section and damages the other processing section, thereby improving the reliability of the liquid processing apparatus. Can be In addition, even when an apparatus such as an object to be processed or a processing chamber is damaged and an accident in which fragments are scattered occurs, the fragments do not damage other processing units constituting the liquid processing apparatus. The recovery operation is facilitated, the recovery time is shortened, the number of replacement parts is reduced, and the cost required for recovery of the liquid processing apparatus is reduced. Further, by maintaining the liquid processing chamber in a constant environment, it is possible to obtain an effect that it is possible to perform more effective liquid processing by extracting characteristics of the processing liquid.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a cleaning apparatus which is an embodiment of a liquid processing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the cleaning apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a carrier relay section, a wafer transfer section, and a cleaning processing unit in the cleaning processing apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a processing chamber provided in the cleaning processing unit shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is another sectional view of a processing chamber provided in the cleaning processing unit shown in FIG. 3;

FIGS. 6A and 6B are a front view and a cross-sectional view showing a slide mechanism of an outer chamber constituting the processing chamber.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a first vertical wall shown in FIG. 3;

[Explanation of symbols]

 1; cleaning apparatus 2; in / out port 3; cleaning processing unit 4; carrier relay section 9; wafer delivery section 14; partition wall 14a; carrier transport port 15; lid 19; partition wall 19a; Lid 24; rotor 26a; outer chamber 26b; inner chamber 31; first vertical wall 31a; lid 31b; frame member W; semiconductor wafer (substrate) C; carrier (storage container)

Claims (14)

[Claims] A liquid processing unit configured to supply a predetermined processing liquid to the object to perform liquid processing while rotating the object rotatably held; and a liquid processing chamber accommodating the liquid processing unit. Wherein the liquid processing chamber has a sealed structure and is substantially isolated from the outside. 2. The liquid processing section includes: a holding unit that stores the object to be processed; a processing chamber that stores the holding unit; and an object that is disposed in the processing chamber and held by the holding unit. 2. The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a processing liquid supply mechanism configured to supply a predetermined processing liquid to the apparatus. 3. The processing chamber according to claim 2, wherein the processing chamber is slidable between a processing position and a retracted position.
A liquid processing apparatus according to claim 1. 4. The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processing chamber has a double structure including an inner chamber and an outer chamber. 5. A liquid processing section for supplying a predetermined processing liquid to the object to be processed while rotating the object rotatably disposed, and performing a liquid processing; and a liquid processing chamber for accommodating the liquid processing section. A processing object standby chamber provided below the liquid processing unit and provided with a processing object delivery mechanism that transfers the processing object to and from the liquid processing unit by driving the liquid processing unit in a vertical direction; An opening provided on a partition wall between the processing chamber and the processing object standby chamber for transporting the processing object; and a shutter for opening and closing the opening, wherein the shutter is closed. As a result, in the state, the liquid processing chamber has a sealed structure, and is substantially shut off from the outside. 6. A liquid processing unit for supplying a predetermined processing liquid to the object to be processed while rotating the object to be processed rotatably disposed therein, and performing a liquid processing; and a liquid processing chamber for accommodating the liquid processing unit. A container loading / unloading section for loading / unloading a container capable of storing the workpiece, and a transport mechanism for transporting the workpiece between the container loading / unloading section and the liquid processing chamber, The liquid processing chamber has an opening for loading and unloading the object to be processed, and a shutter for opening and closing the opening. When the shutter is closed, the liquid processing chamber has a hermetic structure. A liquid processing apparatus, which is substantially isolated from the outside. 7. The transport mechanism includes: a support member that holds an object to be processed; and a drive mechanism that drives the support member, wherein the drive mechanism is disposed outside the liquid processing chamber. The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein: 8. A liquid processing section for supplying a predetermined processing liquid to the object to be processed while rotating the object to be processed rotatably disposed therein, and a liquid processing chamber for accommodating the liquid processing section. A processing object standby chamber provided below the liquid processing unit and provided with a processing object delivery mechanism that transfers the processing object to and from the liquid processing unit by driving the liquid processing unit in a vertical direction; An opening for transporting the workpiece provided on a partition wall that partitions the processing chamber and the standby chamber for the workpiece, for transporting the workpiece, and a shutter that seals the opening for transporting the workpiece. A container loading / unloading unit for loading / unloading a container capable of storing the target object, located between the target object waiting room and the container loading / unloading unit, and capable of mounting the container; Further, a first container transport mechanism for transferring the container to and from the object standby chamber is provided. A container relay unit, and a second container transport mechanism that transports the container between the container relay unit and the container loading / unloading unit, and the liquid processing is performed in a state where the shutter is closed. A liquid processing apparatus, wherein the chamber has a closed structure and is substantially isolated from the outside. 9. A container transfer opening for transferring the container, provided on a partition wall that partitions between the container relay chamber in which the container relay unit is provided and the processing object standby chamber, A shutter that seals the container transfer opening, and a state in which a shutter that seals the object transfer opening is closed, and a shutter that closes the container transfer opening is closed. 9. The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the liquid processing chamber and the processing object standby chamber each have a hermetically sealed structure and are substantially isolated from the outside. 10. The liquid processing unit includes: a holding unit that stores the object to be processed; a processing chamber that stores the holding unit; and an object that is disposed in the processing chamber and held by the holding unit. 10. A processing liquid supply mechanism for supplying a predetermined processing liquid to the apparatus.
The liquid treatment apparatus according to any one of the above. 11. The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the processing chamber is slidable between a processing position and a retracted position. 12. The processing chamber, wherein the processing chamber has a double structure including an inner chamber and an outer chamber configured to house the holding unit and to be able to ride between a processing position and a retracted position. The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 10 or 11. 13. The liquid processing apparatus, comprising: a filter fan unit provided above the liquid processing chamber for blowing clean air into the liquid processing chamber; and an exhaust mechanism for exhausting the liquid processing chamber. The liquid processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the atmosphere of the chamber can be controlled. 14. A fire detection sensor for detecting a fire and a fire extinguisher for spraying a fire extinguishing agent to the liquid treatment chamber in response to a signal from the fire detection sensor are provided in the liquid treatment chamber. The liquid processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein: