JP4976110B2 - Processing system, processing method, and recording medium - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a processing system and a processing method for processing an object to be processed such as a semiconductor wafer or glass for an LCD substrate, and further relates to a recording medium for performing the processing method.

For example, in a semiconductor device manufacturing process, a mixed processing fluid of ozone gas and water vapor is supplied to a wafer housed in a processing container as a processing process for removing a resist applied to the surface of a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as “wafer”). In addition, it is known that the resist is oxidized by the mixed processing fluid to be water-soluble and then removed with pure water. A processing system for processing such an object to be processed includes an ozone gas generating unit that generates ozone gas and a water vapor generating unit that generates water vapor, and ozone gas generated by the ozone gas generating unit and the water vapor generating unit It is the structure which mixes water vapor | steam and supplies it in a processing container (for example, patent document 1).
JP 2003-332322 A

  The ozone gas generator generates ozone gas by discharging in an oxygen-containing gas containing oxygen. In general, the ozone gas generated in the ozone gas generating section is at a room temperature. On the other hand, the water vapor generated in the water vapor generating part is, for example, around 110 ° C.

  By the way, it has been found that it is important to supply water vapor in a processing container together with ozone gas in a vaporized state. The reason is that in order to oxidize the resist on the wafer surface with ozone gas, the presence of water vapor is indispensable. If the water vapor is condensed at a reduced temperature, the oxidizing power of ozone gas is significantly reduced. is there. In addition, when water condensed with water vapor enters the processing container, problems such as adhesion of particles to the wafer surface also occur. Therefore, it is desirable to supply water vapor mixed with ozone gas while being vaporized without dew condensation.

  Therefore, it is conceivable that the ozone gas is preheated before the ozone gas generated by the ozone gas generating unit and the water vapor generated by the water vapor generating unit are mixed, so that water vapor is not condensed during mixing. However, if a heater for heating ozone gas is separately provided, a dedicated heater is required, which increases the cost of the apparatus. In addition, a processing system is usually provided with a plurality of processing containers for processing wafers, and if a heater is provided for each of the plurality of processing containers, the apparatus cost becomes higher and the processing system itself becomes larger. End up. Furthermore, it becomes necessary to control a dedicated heater provided separately, and the control becomes complicated.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to make it possible to adjust the temperature of a processing fluid such as ozone gas supplied into the processing container to a desired temperature without providing a separate heater or the like.

In order to achieve such an object, according to the present invention, a processing container that accommodates an object to be processed, a temperature adjusting member that adjusts the temperature of the processing container, a processing fluid generator that generates processing fluid, and a processing fluid are provided. A processing system comprising a main discharge channel to be discharged , wherein the first temperature control channel is in thermal contact with the processing container and connected to the processing fluid generator and the processing container ; A second temperature adjusting flow path that is in thermal contact with the processing vessel and connected to the processing fluid generation section and the main discharge flow path; and a processing fluid generated in the processing fluid generation section A switching valve for switching and supplying the temperature control flow path and the second temperature control flow path, and in the temperature raising step of raising the temperature of the processing container and the object to be processed, the processing fluid is supplied to the second temperature control flow path . Process for supplying the temperature control flow path and processing the object to be processed Characterized by being configured to have a control unit that controls the switching valve so as to supply the processing fluid to the first temperature adjusting passage in the extent, the processing system is provided. In the present invention, the processing fluid generated by the processing fluid generator is passed through a temperature control channel that is in thermal contact with the processing container, thereby adjusting the temperature using the heat of the processing container.

The processing container is composed of a container main body and a lid that can seal the container main body, and the first temperature control flow path and the second temperature control flow path are formed on the container main body or the cover body. At least one of them may be brought into thermal contact. Further, the temperature adjusting member is disposed in thermal contact with the outer surface of the processing container, and the first temperature adjusting flow path and the second temperature adjusting member are disposed between the temperature adjusting member and the processing container . You may arrange | position a temperature control flow path . If the temperature adjusting channel is arranged between the temperature adjusting member and the processing container in this way, the temperature of the processing fluid passed through the temperature adjusting channel can be reliably adjusted. In this case, for example, a groove part may be provided on the outer surface of the processing container, and the first temperature control channel and the second temperature control channel may be disposed in the groove part.

Moreover, the includes a second processing fluid generating section that generates a different second treatment fluid is a treatment fluid, said process fluid supplied to said first temperature adjusting flow path, and the second treatment fluid It is good also as a structure which mixes and supplies in the said processing container. In this case, a third temperature control channel that is in thermal contact with the processing container is provided, and the process fluid supplied to the first temperature control channel and the third temperature control channel are supplied through the third temperature control channel. The second processing fluid may be mixed and supplied into the processing container. The processing fluid is, for example, water vapor. Moreover, the second processing fluid is, for example, ozone gas. As described above, by using the mixed processing fluid of ozone gas and water vapor, the resist on the wafer surface is oxidized and water-soluble.

In addition, according to the present invention, the processing container for storing the object to be processed, the temperature adjusting member for adjusting the temperature of the processing container, the first processing fluid generating unit for generating the first processing fluid, and the second processing. A processing system comprising a second processing fluid generating section for generating a fluid and a main discharge channel for discharging the first processing fluid and the second processing fluid, wherein the processing system is in thermal contact with the processing container; A first temperature control channel connected to the first processing fluid generator and the processing vessel; and a thermal contact with the processing vessel; the first processing fluid generator and the main discharge channel. A third temperature control flow connected to the second processing fluid generator and the first temperature control flow channel, which is in thermal contact with the second temperature control flow channel connected to the processing vessel and the processing container. A first processing fluid generated in the first processing fluid generator and the first temperature control channel A switching valve for switching to and supplying the second temperature control flow path, and in the temperature raising step for raising the temperature of the processing container and the object to be processed, the first processing fluid is adjusted to the second temperature. A processing step of processing the object to be processed by supplying the second processing fluid to the processing container through the first temperature control channel and the third temperature control channel while supplying the second processing fluid to the channel. Then, the first processing fluid is supplied to the first temperature control flow path, and the second processing fluid is mixed with the first processing fluid in the first temperature control flow path, thereby the processing container. A processing system is provided that includes a control unit that controls the switching valve so that the switching valve is supplied.
The processing container includes a container body and a lid that can seal the container body, and the first temperature control channel, the second temperature control channel, and the third temperature control channel are provided. In addition, at least one of the container main body and the lid body may be brought into thermal contact. The temperature adjusting member is disposed in thermal contact with the outer surface of the processing container, and the first temperature adjusting flow path and the second temperature adjusting member are disposed between the temperature adjusting member and the processing container. A temperature control channel and the third temperature control channel may be arranged. In this case, a groove part may be provided on the outer surface of the processing container, and the first temperature control channel, the second temperature control channel, and the third temperature control channel may be disposed in the groove part. Further, the first processing fluid may be water vapor and the second processing fluid may be ozone gas.

According to the present invention, there is also provided a processing method for processing a target object by supplying a processing fluid into a processing container adjusted to a predetermined temperature, wherein the temperature of the processing container and the target object is increased. And a processing step for processing the object to be processed. In the temperature raising step, the processing fluid is passed through a second temperature control channel that is in thermal contact with the processing container in advance, A processing fluid adjusted to a temperature is discharged, and in the processing step, the processing fluid is passed through a first temperature control channel that is in thermal contact with the processing container in advance, and the processing fluid is adjusted to a predetermined temperature. Is provided in the processing container.

In this processing method, in the processing step, a processing fluid adjusted to a predetermined temperature and a second processing fluid different from the processing fluid may be mixed and supplied into the processing container. In the processing step, the processing fluid adjusted to a predetermined temperature is mixed with a second processing fluid different from the processing fluid, and is further brought into thermal contact with the processing container before the processing container. It may be supplied inside. The processing fluid is, for example, water vapor , and the second processing fluid is, for example, ozone gas .

  Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a recording medium on which a program that can be executed by a control computer of a processing system is recorded, and the program is executed by the control computer, whereby the processing system includes There is provided a recording medium characterized by performing a processing method.

  According to the present invention, since the temperature of the processing fluid is adjusted using the heat of the processing container, it is not necessary to separately provide a heater or the like for adjusting the temperature of the processing fluid, and the apparatus cost can be reduced. Further, the processing fluid can be easily adjusted to the same temperature as the processing container, so that the heat uniformity in the processing container is improved, and temperature control is facilitated.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on a processing system 1 that performs a process of water-solubilizing and removing a resist applied to the surface of a wafer as an example of an object to be processed. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a processing system 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view thereof. In addition, in this specification and drawing, about the component which has the substantially same function structure, duplication description is abbreviate | omitted by attaching | subjecting the same code | symbol.

  The processing system 1 includes a processing unit 2 that performs resist water solubilization processing and cleaning processing on the wafer W, and a loading / unloading unit 3 that loads the wafer W into and out of the processing unit 2. Is provided with a control computer 19 for giving a control command to each part. 1 and 2, in the horizontal plane, in the horizontal plane, the width direction of the processing unit 2 and the loading / unloading unit 3 is the Y direction, and the arrangement direction of the processing unit 2 and the loading / unloading unit 3 (the direction orthogonal to the Y direction). The X direction and the vertical direction are defined as the Z direction.

  The loading / unloading unit 3 is provided with a mounting table 6 on which a plurality of, for example, 25, substantially disk-shaped wafers W (carriers C) capable of accommodating a substantially horizontal container W (carrier C) can be placed at a predetermined interval. The wafer transfer unit 5 includes an out port 4 and a wafer transfer unit 5 provided with a wafer transfer device 7 that transfers the wafer W between the carrier C mounted on the mounting table 6 and the processing unit 2.

  The wafer W is carried in and out through one side surface of the carrier C, and a lid body that can be opened and closed is provided on the side surface of the carrier C. A shelf plate for holding the wafers W at a predetermined interval is provided on the inner wall, and 25 slots for accommodating the wafers W are formed. One wafer W is accommodated in each slot in a state where the surface (surface on which the semiconductor device is formed) is the upper surface (the surface that is the upper side when the wafer W is held horizontally).

  On the mounting table 6 of the in / out port 4, for example, three carriers can be arranged in a predetermined position in the Y direction. The carrier C is placed with the side surface on which the lid is provided facing toward the boundary wall 8 between the in / out port 4 and the wafer transfer unit 5. A window portion 9 is formed in the boundary wall 8 at a position corresponding to the place where the carrier C is placed, and a window portion opening / closing mechanism that opens and closes the window portion 9 by a shutter or the like on the wafer transfer portion 5 side of the window portion 9. 10 is provided.

  The window opening / closing mechanism 10 can also open and close the lid provided on the carrier C, and simultaneously opens and closes the lid of the carrier C. When the window 9 is opened to allow the wafer loading / unloading port of the carrier C to communicate with the wafer transfer unit 5, it becomes possible to access the carrier C of the wafer transfer device 7 disposed in the wafer transfer unit 5. It is in a state where it can be transported.

  The wafer transfer device 7 disposed in the wafer transfer unit 5 is movable in the Y direction and the Z direction, and is configured to be rotatable about the Z direction as a central axis. Further, the wafer transfer device 7 has an extraction / accommodating arm 11 for gripping the wafer W, and the extraction / accommodating arm 11 is slidable in the X direction. Thus, the wafer transfer device 7 accesses the slots of any height of all the carriers C placed on the mounting table 6, and the upper and lower two wafer transfer units 16 disposed in the processing unit 2, 17, the wafer W can be transferred from the in / out port 4 side to the processing unit 2 side, and conversely from the processing unit 2 side to the in / out port 4 side.

  The processing unit 2 includes two wafer transfer units 16 and 17 for temporarily placing the wafer W in order to transfer the wafer W between the main wafer transfer device 18 as transfer means and the wafer transfer unit 5. Four cleaning units 12, 13, 14, and 15 and six processing units 23a to 23f for water-solubilizing the resist are provided.

  The processing unit 2 includes a processing gas generation unit 24 including an ozone gas generation unit 40 that generates ozone gas as a processing fluid to be supplied to the processing units 23a to 23f and a water vapor generation unit 41 that generates water vapor, a cleaning unit 12, A chemical solution storage unit 25 for storing a predetermined processing solution to be fed to 13, 14, and 15 is disposed. On the ceiling of the processing unit 2, a fan filter unit (FFU) 26 for downflowing clean air is disposed in each unit and the main wafer transfer device 18.

  A part of the down flow from the fan filter unit (FFU) 26 flows out toward the wafer transfer unit 5 through the wafer transfer units 16 and 17 and the space above the wafer transfer units 16 and 17. Thereby, intrusion of particles or the like from the wafer transfer unit 5 to the processing unit 2 is prevented, and the cleanliness of the processing unit 2 is maintained.

  Each of the wafer transfer units 16 and 17 is for temporarily placing the wafer W between the wafer transfer unit 5 and the wafer transfer units 16 and 17 are stacked in two upper and lower stages. Yes. In this case, the lower wafer transfer unit 17 is used to place the wafer W so as to be transferred from the in / out port 4 side to the processing unit 2 side, and the upper wafer transfer unit 16 is connected from the processing unit 2 side. It can be used to place the wafer W to be transferred to the in / out port 4 side.

  The main wafer transfer device 18 is movable in the X direction and the Z direction, and is configured to be rotatable about the Z direction as a central axis. The main wafer transfer device 18 has a transfer arm 18a that holds the wafer W, and the transfer arm 18a is slidable in the Y direction. Thus, the main wafer transfer device 18 is disposed so as to be accessible to all the wafer transfer units 16 and 17, the cleaning units 12 to 15 and the processing units 23a to 23f.

  Each of the cleaning units 12, 13, 14, and 15 performs a cleaning process and a drying process on the wafer W that has been subjected to the resist water-solubilization process in the processing units 23a to 23f. The cleaning units 12, 13, 14, and 15 are arranged in two stages, two at the top and two at each stage. As shown in FIG. 1, the cleaning units 12 and 13 and the cleaning units 14 and 15 have a symmetrical structure with respect to the wall surface 27 that forms the boundary, except that they are symmetrical. Each of the cleaning units 12, 13, 14, and 15 has substantially the same configuration.

  On the other hand, each of the processing units 23a to 23f performs a process of water-solubilizing the resist applied to the surface of the wafer W. As shown in FIG. 2, the processing units 23 a to 23 f are arranged in three stages in the vertical direction and two units are arranged in each stage. Processing units 23a, 23c, and 23e are arranged in this order from the top in the left stage, and processing units 23b, 23d, and 23f are arranged in this order from the top in the right stage. As shown in FIG. 1, the processing unit 23a and the processing unit 23b, the processing unit 23c and the processing unit 23d, and the processing unit 23e and the processing unit 23f have a symmetric structure with respect to the wall surface 28 that forms the boundary. However, except for being symmetric, the processing units 23a to 23f have substantially the same configuration.

  Moreover, all the piping systems which supply ozone gas and water vapor | steam as a processing fluid with respect to each processing unit 23a-23f are equipped with the same structure. Then, the piping system and structure will be described in detail next by taking the processing unit 23a as an example.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of the processing unit 23a. The processing unit 23 a is provided with a processing container 30 for storing the wafer W. The processing container 30 is supplied with ozone gas and water vapor as processing fluid from an ozone gas generation unit 40 and a water vapor generation unit 41 installed in the processing gas generation unit 24 described above.

  The ozone gas generation unit 40 is configured to generate ozone gas by discharging in an oxygen-containing gas. The ozone gas generation unit 40 is common to the processing units 23a to 23f included in the processing system 1, and the ozone source flow path 45 directly connected to the ozone gas generation unit 40 includes the respective processing units 23a to 23f. Corresponding ozone main flow paths 46 are connected so as to branch. The ozone main flow path 46 is provided with a needle valve 47 and a flow meter 48 so that the ozone gas generated by the ozone gas generator 40 can be supplied to the processing container 30 of the processing unit 23a at a desired flow rate. ing.

  The downstream side of the ozone main channel 46 is connected via a switching valve 50 to a processing side ozone gas channel 51 that supplies ozone gas to the processing vessel 30 and a bypass side ozone gas channel 52 that bypasses the processing vessel 30 and passes ozone gas. Has been. The switching valve 50 is a three-way valve, and the ozone gas generated by the ozone gas generation unit 40 is supplied to the processing container 30 of the processing unit 23 a via the processing-side ozone gas flow path 51 and without being supplied to the processing container 30. The state is switched to the state of passing through the bypass side ozone gas flow path 52. The downstream side of the bypass-side ozone gas flow path 52 is connected to a main discharge flow path 105 described later via a backflow prevention orifice 53 that prevents backflow of ozone gas.

  The water vapor generating unit 41 is configured to generate water vapor by boiling pure water supplied from the outside. The water vapor generating unit 41 is common to the processing units 23a to 23f included in the processing system 1, and the water vapor source channel 55 directly connected to the water vapor generating unit 41 is connected to each processing unit 23a to 23f. Corresponding water vapor main flow paths 56 are connected so as to be branched.

  An escape passage 59 having a pressure switch 57 and a relief valve 58 is connected to the water vapor source flow passage 55. When the pressure in the water vapor generation unit 41 exceeds the installation pressure value, a part of the water vapor is generated. The air is exhausted from the escape passage 59 to the outside. Thereby, the inside of the water vapor source channel 55 is always kept at a constant water vapor pressure. In addition, a pipe heat retaining heater 60 is attached to the water vapor source flow path 55, and is kept at, for example, 110 to 120 ° C. Thereby, the temperature drop of the water vapor in the water vapor source channel 55 is prevented.

  An orifice 65 and a needle valve 66 are provided in a water vapor main flow channel 56 that is branched from the water vapor source flow channel 55. The orifice 65 and the needle valve 66 function as a flow rate adjusting mechanism for supplying the water vapor generated by the water vapor generating unit 41 to the processing container 30 of the processing unit 23a at a desired flow rate.

  The reason why both the orifice 65 and the needle valve 66 are provided in the water vapor main flow path 56 as the flow rate adjusting mechanism is as follows. That is, as described above, since the water vapor generating part 41 generates pure water by boiling pure water, the water vapor source channel 55 is always in a constant high pressure state. In such a high pressure state, it is difficult to accurately adjust the flow rate with the general-purpose needle valve 66. Therefore, by interposing the orifice 65, the inside of the steam main channel 56 is maintained at a lower pressure than that in the steam source channel 55, and the flow rate is accurately adjusted by the needle valve 66 on the low pressure side.

  The downstream side of the water vapor main channel 56 is connected via a switching valve 70 to a process side water vapor channel 71 that supplies water vapor to the processing vessel 30 and a bypass side water vapor channel 72 that bypasses the processing vessel 30 and passes water vapor. Has been. The switching valve 70 is a three-way valve, in which the water vapor generated by the water vapor generating unit 41 is supplied to the processing container 30 of the processing unit 23 a via the processing-side water vapor channel 71 and without being supplied to the processing container 30. The state is switched to the state of passing through the bypass-side water vapor channel 72.

  FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the processing container 30. FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the bottom surface of the processing container 30 (container body 80). FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the processing container 30 (container body 80) with the heater 91 removed.

  The processing container 30 includes a hollow cylindrical main body 80 having an open top surface and a closed bottom surface, and a disc-shaped lid 81 that can seal the top opening of the main container body 80. . Both the container body 80 and the lid 81 are made of a material having good thermal conductivity such as aluminum. An O-ring 82 as a sealing member is disposed on the upper surface of the side wall of the container main body 80. When the lid 81 is in close contact with the upper surface of the container main body 80 as shown in FIG. A sealed processing space 83 is formed inside the processing container 30 by the lower surface of the outer edge portion being in close contact with the O-ring 82. A cylinder device 84 that moves the lid 81 up and down relative to the container body 80 is mounted on the upper surface of the lid 81. The inside of the processing container 30 can be sealed by bringing the lid 81 into close contact with the upper surface of the container body 80 by the operation of the cylinder device 84. In the case where the wafer W is carried into and out of the processing container 30, the lid 81 is lifted by operating the cylinder device 84, and the processing body 83 is released from the upper surface of the container main body 80, thereby opening the processing space 83. be able to.

A mounting table 85 for mounting the wafer W stored in the processing container 30 is provided on the bottom upper part of the container main body 80. On both sides of the mounting table 85, an air supply port 86 for supplying ozone gas and water vapor as a processing fluid into the processing vessel 30 and an exhaust port 87 for discharging the ozone gas and water vapor as the processing fluid from the processing vessel 30 are opened. is doing. As will be described later, N ₂ gas as a purge gas can be supplied and discharged into the processing container 30 through the air supply port 86 and the exhaust port 87. Inside the mounting table 85, lifting pins 88 for lifting and lowering the wafer W mounted on the mounting table 85 are provided, and the lifting pins 88 are cylinder devices 89 disposed below the container body 80. It is configured to move up and down during operation.

  A ring-shaped heater 90 is built in the lid 81. A ring-shaped heater 91 is attached to the bottom of the bottom surface of the container body 80. By heating the heater 90 and the heater 91, the temperature of the entire processing container 30 is adjusted, and the processing space 83 is maintained at a desired processing temperature.

Three temperature control channels 95, 96, and 97 are provided on the bottom edge of the bottom surface of the container body 80. Among these, the outermost temperature control channel 95 and the second outermost temperature control channel 96 almost round the outer edge of the bottom surface while making thermal contact with the bottom surface of the container body 80. Is provided. On the other hand, the temperature control channel 97 located on the innermost side is provided so as to make the outer periphery of the bottom surface approximately 3/4 round while thermally contacting the bottom surface of the container body 80. These three temperature control channels 95, 96, and 97 are not limited to the example described here. These three temperature control channels 95, 96, and 97 may be set to a length that can sufficiently control the temperature of ozone gas, water vapor, N _{2, and the} like that pass through them, as will be described later. In addition, the inlet 95a and the outlet 95b of the temperature control channel 95 located on the outermost side, and the inlet 96a and the outlet 96b of the second temperature control channel 96 positioned on the outer side are both processing containers 30. It is located outside the (container body 80). On the other hand, the inlet 96a of the temperature control channel 97 located on the innermost side is positioned outside the processing container 30 (container body 80), but the outlet 96b of the temperature control channel 97 is located inside the processing container 30. The air supply port 86 is open to the (processing space 83).

  As shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 5, three grooves 100, 101, 102 are formed on the outer edge of the bottom surface of the container main body 80. For example, a PFA tube (PFA: tetrafluoroethylene / perfluoroalkoxy vinyl ether copolymer resin) is disposed inside the three grooves 100, 101, 102.

  And in the state which stored temperature control flow paths 95, 96, and 97 in these groove parts 100,101,102, it is a ring shape from the bottom to the outer edge part of the bottom face of the container main body 80 so that the whole groove parts 100,101,102 may be covered. The heater 91 is in close contact. For this reason, the heat of the heater 91 is reliably transmitted to the temperature control flow paths 95, 96, 97 and the container body 80.

  The downstream side of the processing-side ozone gas channel 51 described above is connected to the inlet portion 96 a of the temperature control channel 96. In addition, the outlet portion 96 b of the temperature control channel 96 is connected to the junction 71 ′ with the processing-side water vapor channel 71 described above. Further, the downstream side of the processing-side water vapor channel 71 is connected to the inlet 97a of the temperature control channel 97 further downstream from the junction 71 '.

  Therefore, the ozone gas flowing through the processing-side ozone gas channel 51 is heated to a desired temperature by the heat of the heater 91 when passing through the temperature adjustment channel 96. In addition, the ozone gas that has been heated to a desired temperature when passing through the temperature control flow channel 96 is mixed with the water vapor flowing through the processing-side water vapor flow channel 71 at the junction 71 '. Furthermore, when the mixed gas of ozone gas and water vapor mixed in this way passes through the temperature adjustment flow path 97, the temperature is adjusted again to a desired temperature by the heat of the heater 91. The mixed gas of ozone gas and water vapor whose temperature is adjusted again to a desired temperature in this way is supplied into the processing vessel 30 through the air supply port 86.

  The bypass-side water vapor channel 72 described above is connected to the inlet portion 95 a of the temperature control channel 95. Further, the outlet portion 95b of the temperature control flow path 95 is connected to the second bypass side water vapor flow path 72 '. The downstream side of the second bypass-side steam flow path 72 ′ is connected to a main discharge flow path 105 described below through a steam backflow prevention orifice 73 that prevents the backflow of steam.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a main discharge channel 105 is connected to an exhaust port 87 for discharging ozone gas and water vapor as processing fluid from inside the processing container 30. The main discharge flow path 105 is provided with a switching valve 106, a pressure switch 107, a backflow prevention orifice 108, an air operation valve 109, and a relief valve 110 in this order. Further, in the main discharge channel 105, the downstream side of the bypass-side ozone gas channel 52 and the downstream side of the second bypass-side water vapor channel 72 ′ described above are provided between the backflow prevention orifice 108 and the air operated valve 109. It is connected.

In addition, in this embodiment, an N ₂ gas supply channel 115 is connected in the middle of the processing-side ozone gas channel 51. The _{N 2} gas supply passage 115 is provided so as to branch processing system 1 out of _{N 2} supply source from the _{N 2} gas from the _{N 2} gas source passage 116 for supplying. The N ₂ gas supply channel 115 is provided with an air operated valve 117 that controls the supply of N ₂ gas.

An N ₂ gas discharge channel 118 is connected to the switching valve 106 provided in the main discharge channel 105. The switching valve 106 is a three-way valve, and, as will be described later, ozone gas and water vapor as processing fluid discharged from the processing vessel 30 through the exhaust port 87 are discharged through the main discharge channel 105, as will be described later. The N ₂ gas as the purge gas discharged from the processing vessel 30 through the exhaust port 87 can be switched to a state of being discharged through the N ₂ gas discharge channel 118.

  Note that the processing unit 23a has been described as an example, but the other processing units 23b to 23f have the same configuration.

  Each functional element of the processing system 1 is connected via a signal line to a control computer 19 that automatically controls the operation of the entire processing system 1. Here, the functional elements include, for example, the wafer transfer device 7 provided in the aforementioned loading / unloading unit 3, the window opening / closing mechanism 10, the main wafer transfer device 18 provided in the processing unit 2, four cleaning units 12, 13, 14, 15, the ozone gas generation unit 40 and the water vapor generation unit 41 included in the processing gas generation unit 24, the chemical solution storage unit 25, and the switching valves 50, 70, 106, heaters 90, 91 in the processing units 23 a to 23 f. Means all elements that operate to achieve a given process condition. The control computer 19 is typically a general-purpose computer that can realize an arbitrary function depending on the software to be executed.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the control computer 19 includes a calculation unit 19a having a CPU (central processing unit), an input / output unit 19b connected to the calculation unit 19a, and control software inserted into the input / output unit 19b. And a stored recording medium 19c. The recording medium 19c records control software (program) that is executed by the control computer 19 to cause the processing system 1 to perform a predetermined substrate processing method to be described later. The control computer 19 executes the control software so that various functional conditions of the processing system 1 defined by a predetermined process recipe (for example, the temperature of the processing container 30) are realized. To control.

  The recording medium 19c may be fixedly provided in the control computer 19, or may be detachably attached to a reading device (not shown) provided in the control computer 19 and readable by the reading device. In the most typical embodiment, the recording medium 19 c is a hard disk drive in which control software is installed by a service person of the manufacturer of the processing system 1. In another embodiment, the recording medium 19c is a removable disk such as a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM in which control software is written. Such a removable disk is read by an optical reading device (not shown) provided in the control computer 19. In addition, the recording medium 19c may be in any format of RAM (raNdom access memory) or ROM (read only memory). Further, the recording medium 19c may be a cassette type ROM. In short, any medium known in the technical field of computers can be used as the recording medium 19c. In a factory where a plurality of processing systems 1 are arranged, control software may be stored in a management computer that comprehensively controls the control computer 19 of each processing system 1. In this case, each processing system 1 is operated by a management computer via a communication line and executes a predetermined process.

  Next, processing steps for the wafer W in the processing system 1 configured as described above will be described. First, the wafers W are taken out one by one by the take-out and storage arm 11 from the carrier C placed on the mounting table 6 of the in / out port 4, and the wafer W taken out by the take-out and storage arm 11 is transferred to the lower wafer transfer unit 17. Transport. Then, the main wafer transfer device 18 receives the wafer W from the wafer delivery unit 17 and appropriately carries it into the processing units 23a to 23f by the main wafer transfer device 18. Then, in each of the processing units 23a to 23f, the resist applied to the surface of the wafer W is water-solubilized. The wafer W for which the predetermined resist water-solubilization processing has been completed is appropriately unloaded from the processing units 23a to 23f by the transfer arm 18a. Thereafter, the wafer W is appropriately carried into the respective cleaning units 12, 13, 14, and 15 by the transfer arm 18a, and a cleaning process for removing the water-soluble resist adhering to the wafer W is performed with pure water or the like. . Thereby, the resist applied to the wafer W is peeled off. Each cleaning unit 12, 13, 14, 15 performs a cleaning process on the wafer W, performs a particle / metal removal process by a chemical process as necessary, performs a drying process, and then performs a wafer W process. Is again transported to the upper delivery unit 16 by the transport arm 18a. Then, the wafer W is received from the delivery unit 16 to the take-out storage arm 11, and the wafer W from which the resist has been peeled is stored in the carrier C by the take-out storage arm 11.

  Next, the operation modes of the processing units 23a to 23f will be described on behalf of the processing unit 23a. First, in the processing container 30, the lid body 81 is raised by the operation of the cylinder device 84, and the processing body 83 is opened by separating the lid body 81 from the upper surface of the container body 80. In this state, the wafer W is loaded by the transfer arm 18 a of the main wafer transfer device 18 and is placed on the mounting table 85. When the wafer W is mounted on the mounting table 85 as described above, the wafer W is received in a state where the lifting pins 88 provided in the mounting table 85 are raised by the operation of the cylinder device 89, and then the lifting pins are moved. 88 is lowered to place the wafer W on the mounting table 85. Then, after the transfer arm 18a is withdrawn, the lid 81 is lowered to form a sealed processing space 83.

After carrying in the wafer W in this way, first, a temperature raising step for raising the temperature of the processing container 30 and the wafer W is performed. That is, in this temperature raising step, the temperature of the processing container 30 and the wafer W is raised by operating the heaters 90 and 91. Further, the ozone gas generated by the ozone gas generation unit 40 is supplied to the processing container 30 of the processing unit 23a from the processing side ozone gas flow path 51 through the temperature control flow paths 96 and 97 by switching the switching valve 50. On the other hand, the water vapor generated by the water vapor generating section 41 is passed through the bypass-side water vapor channel 72 by the switching valve 70, passes through the temperature adjustment channel 95 and the second bypass-side water vapor channel 72 ′, and passes through the main discharge channel 105. To discharge. In the temperature raising step, the air operated valve 117 provided in the N ₂ gas supply channel 115 is closed and the supply of N ₂ gas is stopped. The switching valve 106 provided in the main discharge channel 105 switches to a state in which the ozone gas discharged from the processing container 30 through the exhaust port 87 is discharged through the main discharge channel 105.

  In addition, in the ozone gas generation part 40, the ozone gas generated by discharging in oxygen-containing gas is supplied with the preset pressure of 100-300 kPa, for example. And the flow rate of ozone gas is set to 2-5 liter / min, for example with the needle valve 47 provided in the ozone main flow path 46. FIG.

  On the other hand, the water vapor generating unit 41 supplies water vapor generated by boiling pure water at a set pressure of, for example, 80 to 95 kPa. And the flow rate of water vapor | steam is set to 2-5 g / min with the needle valve 66 provided in the water vapor | steam main flow path 56, for example.

  Thus, in the temperature raising step, the temperature of the processing container 30 and the wafer W is raised to a predetermined temperature while replacing the inside of the processing space 83 with an ozone atmosphere. In this case, the predetermined temperature for raising the temperature of the processing container 30 and the wafer W is, for example, 100 to 110 ° C. In the temperature raising step, ozone gas is supplied from the processing-side ozone gas flow channel 51 into the processing space 83 through the temperature control flow channel 96 and the temperature control flow channel 97 on the bottom surface of the container body 80. For this reason, the ozone gas heated up while passing through the temperature control channel 96 and the temperature control channel 97 is supplied into the processing space 83.

  In the temperature raising step, high-temperature water vapor generated by the water vapor generating part 41 passes through the orifice 65 and the needle valve 66 provided in the water vapor main channel 56, so that the orifice 65 and the needle valve 66 are also set to a predetermined temperature. Maintained.

  Further, in the temperature raising step, ozone gas discharged from the processing container 30 through the exhaust port 87 is discharged through the main discharge channel 105. Further, the water vapor passed through the bypass-side water vapor flow path 72 is discharged to the main discharge flow path 105 through the temperature control flow path 95 and the second bypass-side water vapor flow path 72 ′. Thus, the mixed gas of ozone gas and water vapor is exhausted to the outside from the main discharge flow path 105 through the air operation valve 109 and the relief valve 110. The set pressure of the relief valve 110 provided in the main discharge channel 105 is set to 50 to 75 kPa, for example.

  Further, in the temperature raising process, the ozone gas that has passed through the processing space 83 and the water vapor that has passed through the temperature control flow path 95 pass through the relief valve 110 provided in the main discharge flow path 105, so that the relief valve 110 is also predetermined. Maintained at a temperature of

  In this way, the processing vessel 30 and the wafer W are heated to a predetermined temperature (for example, 100 to 110 ° C.), and further provided in the orifice 65 and the needle valve 66 provided in the water vapor main flow path 56 and the main discharge flow path 105. The relief valve 110 is maintained at a predetermined temperature, and the temperature raising process is completed.

  Next, a processing step for processing the wafer W stored in the processing container 30 is performed. That is, the water vapor generated by the water vapor generating unit 41 is supplied to the processing container 30 of the processing unit 23 a through the processing-side water vapor channel 71 by switching the switching valve 70.

  In this case, the orifice 65 and the needle valve 66 provided in the water vapor main channel 56 are already in a stable state at a predetermined temperature in the above-described temperature raising step. For this reason, the flow rate adjustment by the orifice 65 and the needle valve 66 is performed with high accuracy, and in the processing step, the supply amount of water vapor supplied to the processing container 30 through the processing-side water vapor channel 71 is constant.

  Further, in the processing step, ozone gas is mixed from the processing-side ozone gas flow channel 51 through the temperature control flow channel 96 with respect to the water vapor that has flowed through the processing-side water vapor flow channel 71 and has a high temperature of about 110 ° C., for example. For this reason, when the ozone gas is mixed at the junction 71 ′, the water vapor flowing through the processing-side water vapor channel 71 is not cooled, and the dew condensation of the water vapor is prevented.

  Further, the mixed gas of ozone gas and water vapor mixed at the junction 71 ′ in this way is further supplied to the inside of the processing container 30 through the temperature control flow path 97 and the air supply port 86. In this case, the temperature of the mixed gas of ozone gas and water vapor is adjusted to the same predetermined temperature as that of the processing container 30 while passing through the temperature adjusting flow path 97. For this reason, the mixed gas of ozone gas and water vapor can be always supplied to the inside of the processing container 30 at a stable temperature without dew condensation.

  Thus, in the processing step, a mixed gas of ozone gas and water vapor is supplied to the wafer W at a constant processing temperature inside the processing container 30 heated to a predetermined temperature. As a result, the resist applied to the surface of the wafer W is oxidized, and the water-solubilization treatment is efficiently performed.

  In the processing step, the mixed gas of ozone gas and water vapor discharged from the processing container 30 through the exhaust port 87 is discharged through the main discharge channel 105. In this case, the relief valve 110 provided in the main discharge channel 105 is already in a stable state at a predetermined temperature in the above-described temperature raising step. For this reason, the flow rate adjustment by the relief valve 110 is performed with high accuracy, and the processing of the wafer W inside the processing container 30 is performed more stably.

Thus, after the predetermined resist water solubilization process is completed, a purge process is performed in which the inside of the processing container 30 is replaced with an N ₂ gas atmosphere. That is, the ozone gas generated by the ozone gas generation unit 40 is switched to the state where it is passed through the bypass-side ozone gas flow path 52 without being supplied to the processing container 30 by switching the switching valve 50. Further, the water vapor generated by the water vapor generating part 41 is switched to the state where it is passed through the bypass-side water vapor channel 72 without being supplied to the processing container 30 by switching the switching valve 70.

In the purge process, the air operation valve 117 provided in the N ₂ gas supply channel 115 is opened, and N ₂ gas is supplied to the processing container 30 through the processing-side ozone gas channel 51. The switching valve 106 provided in the main discharge path 105 switches the N ₂ gas discharged from the processing vessel 30 through the exhaust port 87, in a state to be discharged through the N ₂ gas discharge channel 118. Thus, in the purge process, N ₂ gas is supplied into the processing container 30 and the inside of the processing container 30 is replaced with an N ₂ gas atmosphere.

  In the purge process, the high-temperature water vapor generated in the water vapor generation unit 41 continues to pass through the orifice 65 and the needle valve 66 provided in the water vapor main flow path 56, so that the temperature of the orifice 65 and the needle valve 66 is increased. Maintained in a state. Further, the water vapor passed through the bypass-side water vapor flow path 72 is discharged to the main discharge flow path 105 via the temperature control flow path 95 and the second bypass-side water vapor flow path 72 '. For this reason, the relief valve 110 provided in the main discharge flow path 105 is also maintained in a heated state, and stable control is performed.

In the purge process, the N ₂ gas heated through the temperature control channel 96 and the temperature control channel 97 is supplied into the processing container 30. For this reason, the processing container 30 is also maintained in a heated state.

In this way, after the inside of the processing container 30 is replaced with the N ₂ gas atmosphere by the purge process, the lid body 81 is raised by the operation of the cylinder device 84 in the processing container 30, and the lid body 81 is separated from the upper surface of the container body 80. Thus, the processing space 83 is opened. In this state, the lift pins 88 are raised by the operation of the cylinder device 89, the wafer W is lifted from the mounting table 85, the transfer arm 18a of the main wafer transfer device 18 is moved below the wafer W, and the wafer W is received. Then, the wafer W is unloaded from the processing container 30.

  Although the processing in the processing unit 23a has been described as a representative, the same processing is performed in the other processing units 23b to 23f.

  In such a processing system 1, since the temperature of ozone gas and water vapor as the processing fluid is adjusted using the heat of the processing container 30, it is not necessary to separately provide temperature adjusting means such as a heater, and the apparatus cost can be kept low. Can do. In addition, since ozone gas and water vapor are adjusted to the same temperature as the processing container 30 and supplied into the processing container 30, the heat uniformity in the processing container 30 is improved and temperature control is facilitated. In addition, the resist water-solubilization treatment for the wafer W can be performed stably. Therefore, the uniformity and reliability of resist stripping by the cleaning process in each of the subsequent cleaning units 12, 13, 14, and 15 and the uniformity and reliability of the entire etching process including the process in the processing system 1 are improved.

  As mentioned above, although an example of the suitable embodiment of the present invention was shown, the present invention is not limited to the form explained here. For example, the example in which the flow path that is in thermal contact with the processing container 30 is disposed on the bottom surface of the container main body 80 has been described, but the processing container 30 is in thermal contact with the side surface of the container main body 80 or the upper surface of the lid 81. You may arrange the flow path to do. In addition, a flow path that is in thermal contact with the processing container 30 may be disposed on the bottom surface or the wall surface of the container body 80, the interior of the lid 81, or the like.

  Further, the processing fluid applied in the present invention may be other processing gases besides ozone gas and water vapor, and the present invention can be widely applied to processing processes using various processing fluids. Further, the object to be processed is not limited to a semiconductor wafer, but may be other LCD substrate glass, a CD substrate, a printed substrate, a ceramic substrate, or the like.

  The present invention can be applied to, for example, cleaning processing of, for example, semiconductor wafers and glass for LCD substrates.

It is a top view of the processing system concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is a side view of the processing system concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is a schematic block diagram of a processing unit. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the schematic structure of a processing container. It is a partial expanded sectional view of the bottom face of a processing container. It is a bottom view of a processing container in the state where a heater was removed.

Explanation of symbols

C carrier W wafer 1 processing system 2 processing unit 3 loading / unloading unit 4 in / out port 5 wafer transfer unit 6 mounting table 7 wafer transfer device 11 take-out storage arm 12, 13, 14, 15 cleaning unit 16, 17 wafer transfer unit 18 Main wafer transfer device 19 Control computer 23a to 23f Processing unit 24 Processing gas generation unit 25 Chemical solution storage unit 30 Processing container 40 Ozone gas generation unit 41 Water vapor generation unit 45 Ozone source channel 46 Ozone main channel 47 Needle valve 48 Flow meter 50 Switching valve 51 Treatment-side ozone gas flow path 52 Bypass-side ozone gas flow path 55 Water vapor source flow path 56 Water vapor main flow path 57 Pressure switch 58 Relief valve 59 Relief flow path 60 Piping heat retaining heater 65 Orifice 66 Needle valve 70 Switching valve 71 Process-side water vapor Flow path 72 Bypass side water vapor flow path 80 Container body 81 Cover body 83 Processing space 85 Mounting table 86 Air supply port 87 Exhaust port 90.91 Heater 95, 96, 97 Temperature control flow channel 100, 101, 102 Groove 105 Main discharge flow Path 106 switching valve 107 pressure switch 109 air operated valve 110 relief valve 115 N ₂ gas supply flow path 116 N ₂ gas source flow path 117 air operated valve 118 N ₂ gas discharge flow path

Claims (19)

A processing system comprising a processing container for storing an object to be processed, a temperature adjusting member for adjusting the temperature of the processing container, a processing fluid generating unit for generating a processing fluid, and a main discharge channel for discharging the processing fluid. And
A first temperature control flow path that is in thermal contact with the processing vessel and connected to the processing fluid generator and the processing vessel ;
A second temperature adjusting flow path that is in thermal contact with the processing vessel and connected to the processing fluid generation section and the main discharge flow path;
A switching valve for switching and supplying the processing fluid generated in the processing fluid generator to the first temperature control channel and the second temperature control channel ;
In the temperature raising step of raising the temperature of the processing container and the object to be processed, the processing fluid is supplied to the second temperature control flow path, and in the processing step of processing the object to be processed, the processing fluid is supplied to the first temperature control channel. A processing system comprising a control unit that controls the switching valve so as to be supplied to a temperature control flow path . The processing container is composed of a container main body and a lid capable of sealing the container main body,
2. The processing system according to claim 1, wherein the first temperature control channel and the second temperature control channel are in thermal contact with at least one of the container body or the lid. . The temperature adjusting member is disposed in thermal contact with the outer surface of the processing container,
3. The processing system according to claim 1, wherein the first temperature control flow path and the second temperature control flow path are arranged between the temperature control member and the processing container. 4. . The processing system according to claim 3, wherein a groove portion is provided on an outer surface of the processing container, and the first temperature adjustment flow path and the second temperature adjustment flow path are arranged in the groove portion. A second processing fluid generator for generating a second processing fluid different from the processing fluid;
Said process fluid supplied to said first temperature adjusting flow path is mixed with the second treatment fluid, characterized by being configured to supply into the processing chamber, according to claim 1 to 4 A processing system according to any one of the above. Providing a third temperature control flow channel in thermal contact with the processing vessel;
Said process fluid supplied to said first temperature adjusting flow path, it said and said second processing fluid supplied mixed through the third temperature adjusting flow path and configured to supply into the processing chamber The processing system according to claim 5, wherein: The processing system according to claim 1, wherein the processing fluid is water vapor . The processing system according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the processing fluid is water vapor and the second processing fluid is ozone gas . A processing container that accommodates an object to be processed, a temperature adjusting member that adjusts the temperature of the processing container, a first processing fluid generating unit that generates a first processing fluid, and a second processing fluid that generates a second processing fluid A processing system comprising a generator and a main discharge channel for discharging the first processing fluid and the second processing fluid,
A first temperature control flow channel that is in thermal contact with the processing vessel and connected to the first processing fluid generator and the processing vessel;
A second temperature adjusting flow path that is in thermal contact with the processing vessel and connected to the first processing fluid generating section and the main discharge flow path;
A third temperature adjusting flow path that is in thermal contact with the processing vessel and connected to the second processing fluid generator and the first temperature adjusting flow path;
A switching valve for switching and supplying the first processing fluid generated in the first processing fluid generator to the first temperature control channel and the second temperature control channel;
In the temperature raising step of raising the temperature of the processing container and the object to be processed, the first processing fluid is supplied to the second temperature control flow path, and the second processing fluid is supplied to the first temperature control flow. Supply to the processing vessel through a channel and the third temperature control channel,
In the processing step of processing the object to be processed, the first processing fluid is supplied to the first temperature control channel, and the second processing fluid is supplied to the first temperature control channel in the first temperature control channel. A processing system comprising a control unit that controls the switching valve so as to be mixed with a processing fluid and supplied to the processing container. The processing container is composed of a container main body and a lid capable of sealing the container main body,
The first temperature control channel, the second temperature control channel, and the third temperature control channel are in thermal contact with at least one of the container body or the lid. The processing system according to claim 9. The temperature adjusting member is disposed in thermal contact with the outer surface of the processing container,
The first temperature control channel, the second temperature control channel, and the third temperature control channel are arranged between the temperature control member and the processing container. Item 11. The processing system according to Item 9 or 10. A groove portion is provided on an outer surface of the processing container, and the first temperature control channel, the second temperature control channel, and the third temperature control channel are arranged in the groove portion. Item 12. The processing system according to Item 11. The processing system according to claim 9, wherein the first processing fluid is water vapor and the second processing fluid is ozone gas. A processing method for processing a target object by supplying a processing fluid into a processing container adjusted to a predetermined temperature,
A temperature raising step for raising the temperature of the processing container and the object to be processed;
A processing step of processing the object to be processed,
In the temperature raising step, the processing fluid is passed through a second temperature control channel that is in thermal contact with the processing container in advance, and the processing fluid adjusted to a predetermined temperature is discharged,
In the processing step, the processing fluid is passed through a first temperature control channel that is in thermal contact with the processing container in advance, and the processing fluid adjusted to a predetermined temperature is supplied into the processing container. And processing method. 15. The processing step according to claim 14, wherein the processing fluid adjusted to a predetermined temperature and a second processing fluid different from the processing fluid are mixed and supplied into the processing container. Processing method. In the processing step, a processing fluid adjusted to a predetermined temperature is mixed with a second processing fluid different from the processing fluid, and further, the processing fluid is brought into thermal contact with the processing container, and then the processing fluid is put into the processing container. The processing method according to claim 15, wherein the processing method is supplied. The processing method according to claim 14, wherein the processing fluid is water vapor. The processing method according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the processing fluid is water vapor and the second processing fluid is ozone gas. A recording medium on which a program that can be executed by a control computer of a processing system is recorded,
19. A recording medium characterized in that the program is executed by the control computer to cause the processing system to perform the processing method according to any one of claims 14 to 18.

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