JP3349622B2 - Substrate surface treatment equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a surface treatment apparatus for a substrate such as a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus used for performing a surface treatment on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a surface treatment apparatus for a substrate, for example, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in which a photoresist film is formed on the surface of a semiconductor wafer, and the photoresist film formed on the surface of the semiconductor wafer is exposed and developed. It is required that the surrounding environment where the processing is performed be kept clean and constant. Therefore, although the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is installed in a clean room, further, in order to increase the cleanliness of the atmosphere, the upper portion of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus itself, or alternatively to the upper part of the semiconductor manufacturing instrumentation <br/> location, An air conditioner that blows clean air (clean air) downward may be provided. And, by the down flow of the clean air blown downward from the air conditioner, the atmosphere of the substrate processing section where the spin coater for treating the surface of the substrate, the spin developer and the like are disposed and the substrate transport section where the substrate is transported are cleaned and clean. I try to keep it constant.

Below the substrate processing section and the substrate transport section, a piping unit provided with a processing liquid tank, an air valve, a flow meter, etc., a processing liquid supply pipe, and a built-in unit provided with a controller, a power supply and the like. And a storage box for storing a device storage unit or the like in which various other devices are stored. Then, the clean air supplied to the substrate processing section passes along with the particles floating in the atmosphere and the solvent vapor generated in the substrate processing section through the exhaust pipe provided inside the storage box. It is discharged from the lower part of the storage box. On the other hand, the clean air that has flowed down to the substrate transfer section flows into the storage box as it is along with the particles floating in the atmosphere, passes through the internal space of the storage box, and from the exhaust port provided at the lower part of the storage box. Is discharged. The exhaust air from the storage box flows into a dirty zone provided below the floor on which the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is installed.

[0004]

In the above-described semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, there is nothing obstructing the downflow above the substrate transfer section, but a piping unit is provided inside the storage box below the substrate transfer section. Clean air that has flowed down to the substrate transfer section through the internal space of the storage box is not easily discharged from the exhaust port at the lower part of the storage box because the cleaning solution supply pipe, the processing liquid supply pipe, the built-in unit, the device storage unit, and the like are stored. For this reason, there is a problem that the particles floating in the atmosphere are not discharged to the outside of the apparatus due to the downflow, but cause the particles to adhere to the substrate surface.

In order to make it easier for the clean air flowing into the storage box to be discharged from the lower part of the storage box,
A fan is installed on the bottom wall of the storage box, but the maintenance is extremely poor. In addition, the opening on the floor surface serving as an entrance to the dirty zone under the floor is usually opposed to an exhaust outlet of an exhaust pipe which is connected to the substrate processing unit at one end and is guided to the lower part of the storage box through the inside of the storage box. There is often no floor opening just below the fan mounted on the bottom wall of the storage box. For this reason, even if a fan is installed on the bottom wall surface of the storage box, there is a problem that the exhaust from the storage box to the dirty zone below the floor is not sufficiently performed.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and clean air flowing down from above the substrate transport unit and flowing from the substrate transport unit into the storage box below the substrate transport unit is provided inside the storage box. It is an object of the present invention to provide a substrate surface treatment apparatus which can be quickly discharged from an exhaust port at a lower portion of a storage box through the storage box and can prevent particles from adhering to the surface of the substrate.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a storage box having an exhaust opening formed below is provided below the substrate processing section and the substrate transfer section, and the storage box is provided inside the housing.
In a substrate surface treatment apparatus which stores a piping unit in which a processing tank is disposed and in which clean air flowing down from above the substrate transfer unit is discharged from the exhaust opening through the storage box, The piping unit
The air suction side opening is provided in the housing of
At the bottom of the body, facing the exhaust opening of the storage box
Thus, the air discharge side opening is provided, a fan is attached to the piping unit, and the direction of exhaust from the piping unit is set to the direction of the exhaust opening at the lower part of the storage box.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the surface treatment apparatus according to the first aspect, the piping unit can be pulled out of a storage box or can be detachably mounted in the storage box.

[0009]

In the substrate surface treating apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, a fan is attached to the piping unit housed in the storage box, and the fan is attached to the piping unit by the fan.
Air is sucked into the housing through the air suction side opening
Air is discharged from the housing through the air discharge side opening
Then, the air discharged from the inside of the casing of the piping unit flows toward the exhaust opening at the lower part of the storage box opposite to the air discharge side opening at the bottom of the casing, so that it flows down from above the substrate transfer part and the atmosphere. Clean air that has flowed into the storage box below from the substrate transfer unit together with the floating particles is forced to flow to the exhaust opening at the bottom of the storage box through the piping unit, and the exhaust at the bottom of the storage box is exhausted. Is quickly discharged together with the particles from the opening .

In the surface treatment apparatus of the invention according to claim 2,
When performing maintenance and inspection work on the fan attached to the piping unit, the piping unit is drawn out of the storage box or removed from the storage box. Thus, maintenance and inspection of the fan can be easily performed.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, and is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing a schematic configuration of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, showing a section cut in a direction orthogonal to a substrate transport path. It is. This semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a spin coater 1
2, a substrate rotation processing unit 10 provided with a spin developer (not shown), a substrate heat treatment unit 14 provided with a hot plate or a cooling plate, and substrate transfer units 16 and 18 for transferring a substrate. However, since their configuration is not directly related to the present invention, the description is omitted.

A fan 2 is provided above the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.
An air-conditioning unit 20 is provided integrally with the substrates 2 and 24 and the filters 26 and 28 for supplying clean air downward to the substrate rotation processing unit 10 and the substrate transport units 16 and 18. Note that the air conditioning unit may be provided on the ceiling surface of a clean room without being provided above the device itself. A storage box 30 is provided below the substrate rotation processing unit 10, the heat treatment unit 14, and the substrate transfer units 16 and 18. Inside the storage box 30, a processing tank, an air valve, and a flow meter are provided in a housing 34. And a processing liquid supply pipe (not shown) for connecting the piping unit 32 to the processing liquid supply nozzle of the substrate rotation processing unit 10, and a built-in controller and a power supply unit. A unit 36 and a device storage unit (not shown) in which various other devices are stored are stored. Further, inside the storage box 30, an exhaust pipe 38 having one end connected to the substrate processing unit 10, a utility connection exhaust box 40 connected to a lower end of the exhaust pipe 38 and fixed to the bottom of the storage box 30, and An exhaust discharge pipe 44 is connected to the utility coupling exhaust box 40 and extends downward through an exhaust opening 42 formed in the bottom wall surface of the storage box 30. Exhaust opening 4 on bottom wall of storage box 30
2 is arranged so as to face an opening 50 on the floor surface, which is an entrance to a dirty zone provided below the floor 48,
The exhaust outlet 46 of the exhaust pipe 44 faces the opening 50 on the floor.

In the storage box 30, clean air flowing from the substrate transfer section 16 is supplied to the piping unit 32.
Is provided. A fan 54 is provided at the bottom of the housing 34 of the piping unit 32 so as to face the exhaust opening 42 of the storage box 30.
And an opening 5 formed in the side surface of the housing 34.
6, the clean air flowing down from the substrate transport unit 16 is introduced into the piping unit 32, and the casing 3
4 through an opening 58 formed in the upper surface of the substrate transport unit 18.
The clean air flowing down from is introduced into the piping unit 32, and the clean air is discharged downward from the lower surface of the housing. In the illustrated example, the fan 54 is provided on the air discharge side of the piping unit 32. However, the fan may be provided on the air suction side (side surface or top surface of the housing) of the piping unit. A fan may be provided on each of the air discharge side and the air suction side.

As shown in FIG. 2, for example, the piping unit 32 is supported by a cable carrier 62 having one end fixed to the fixing portion 60 of the storage box 30 and the other end fixed to the piping unit 32, and has guide rails ( (Not shown) and can be pulled out of the storage box 30 to the outside. Therefore, maintenance and inspection work of the fan attached to the piping unit 32 can be easily performed. Note that the piping unit 32 may be made detachable from the storage box.

The built-in unit 36 is usually provided with a heat radiating fan. By taking the exhaust direction into account, the air inside the storage box 30 can be smoothly exhausted from the exhaust opening 42. It is advisable to use a radiating fan. Also, in the built-in unit 36,
The fan may be attached separately from the heat-dissipating fan, or the fan may be attached to a device storage unit or the like.

In the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus having the above configuration, the clean air blown downward from the air conditioning unit 20 is supplied to the substrate rotation processing unit 10 and the substrate transport units 16 and 18. The clean air supplied to the substrate rotation processing unit 10 flows into the exhaust pipe 38 together with the particles floating in the atmosphere and the solvent vapor generated in the substrate processing unit 10, and flows through the exhaust pipe 38. It flows downward, flows into the utility exhaust box 40, passes through the exhaust discharge pipe 44 from the utility exhaust box 40, and is discharged downward from the exhaust outlet 46 thereof. Into the dirty zone on the side. On the other hand, the substrate transport unit 1
The clean air supplied to 6 and 18 flows into the storage box 30 together with the particles floating in the atmosphere. Then, the clean air flowing down from the substrate transport unit 16 is supplied to the piping unit 32 by the auxiliary fan 52.
, Is sucked into the piping unit 32 through the opening 56 of the housing 34, and the clean air flowing down from the substrate transfer unit 18 passes through the opening 58 of the housing 34 as it is, It is sucked into 32. The clean air drawn into the piping unit 32 flows through the piping unit 32 and is discharged downward from the discharge port of the fan 54. The clean air discharged downward from the piping unit 32 is discharged to the outside of the storage box 30 through the exhaust opening 42 provided at a position facing the fan 54, and the dirty air below the floor from the opening 50 on the floor surface. Flow into the zone. As described above, the clean air that has flowed into the storage box 30 from the substrate transfer units 16 and 18 flows quickly through the storage box 30 and
The air is exhausted together with the particles from the dirty zone under the floor.

[0018]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the substrate surface treating apparatus is used, it flows down from above the substrate transfer section and flows into the storage box below the substrate transfer section together with floating particles in the atmosphere. Clean air is blown into the housing of the piping unit by a fan attached to the piping unit.
Piping unit sucked through the air suction side opening
Through the inside of the housing and through the air discharge side opening from inside the housing
And is forced to flow toward the exhaust opening at the bottom of the storage box, and is quickly exhausted out of the storage box together with the particles. This eliminates the possibility of causing particles to adhere, and can prevent quality degradation due to particles adhering to the substrate surface.

In the surface treatment apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention,
Maintenance and inspection work for the fan attached to the piping unit is facilitated, and maintenance is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of the present invention, and is a view schematically showing a schematic configuration of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in a vertical cross section cut in a direction orthogonal to a substrate transport path.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a configuration for pulling a piping unit out of a storage box in the apparatus shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Substrate rotation processing part 14 Substrate heat treatment part 16, 18 Substrate conveyance part 20 Air conditioning unit 30 Storage box 32 Piping unit 38 Exhaust pipe 42 Exhaust opening 50 Floor opening 54 Fan 62 Cable carrier

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H01L 21/304 H01L 21/02

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] An exhaust opening is formed below a substrate processing section for surface-treating a substrate and a substrate transport section for transporting the substrate.
A storage unit is provided, and a piping unit in which a processing tank is disposed inside the housing is stored in the storage box, and clean air flowing down from above the substrate transfer unit flows through the storage box. In the surface treatment apparatus for a substrate that is to be discharged through the exhaust opening , an air suction side opening is provided in a housing of the piping unit,
At the bottom of the housing of the piping unit, the exhaust of the storage box
An air discharge side opening is provided so as to face the opening , a fan is attached to the piping unit, and the direction of exhaust from the piping unit is the same as the direction of the exhaust opening at the bottom of the storage box. A surface treatment apparatus for a substrate, comprising: 2. The substrate surface treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the piping unit can be pulled out of the storage box or can be detached from the storage box.