JP7307410B2 - Semiconductor manufacturing equipment and humidity control method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and a humidity control method.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an exposure apparatus is used as an apparatus for forming an electronic circuit pattern on a substrate in the manufacture of semiconductor devices and the like.

This exposure apparatus is usually equipped with a large-sized gas supply device having a filter in order to keep the gas supplied into the chamber clean.

Further, in some cases, the exposure apparatus is equipped with a humidified air supply device for purging the surface of the optical element with humidified air in order to suppress the occurrence of fogging on the surface of the optical element.

For example, Japanese Patent No. 5574799 (Patent Document 1) discloses a vaporization humidifier that humidifies gas, a first fluid control device that controls the flow rate of a first gas passing through the vaporization humidifier, and a passage A humidified air supply device having a second fluid control device that controls the flow rate of the second gas that is not humidified, a humidifying capacity variable device that changes the humidifying capacity of the evaporative humidifier, a humidity detection unit, and a control calculation unit. Are listed.

Japanese Patent No. 5574799

As described above, the exposure apparatus uses a large-sized gas supply device and a humidified air supply device. In a minimal fab production system, which is a production system that does this, it is difficult to incorporate an apparatus configuration similar to that of an exposure apparatus used in a mega fab production system.

That is, in an exposure apparatus used in a minimal fab production system, it is necessary to house all the equipment necessary for operating the exposure apparatus in a housing. In addition, utilities externally supplied to the exposure apparatus are also limited.

Therefore, exposure equipment used in minimal fab production systems requires gas supply equipment optimized for minimal fab production systems that is ultra-compact, inexpensive, and has the necessary and sufficient functions and performance that are not bound by conventional wisdom. is.

Other problems and novel features will become apparent from the description of the specification and the accompanying drawings.

A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment includes a first filter section for removing particles from dry air supplied to a housing, a chamber supply pipe in which a gas discharge section connects to the inside of the chamber, and a first filter section. A first pipe that supplies the dry air that has passed through the chamber supply pipe to the chamber supply pipe, and at least part of the dry air that has passed through the first filter unit and does not flow through the first pipe is supplied to the chamber supply pipe. and a humidifying pipe provided on the path of the humidifying pipe, supplying at least part of the dry air supplied to the humidifying pipe to the ultrapure water to generate bubbles to humidify at least part of the dry air. a humidification unit, a second filter unit provided on the path of the chamber supply pipe for removing particles from the dry air supplied to the chamber from the first pipe and the humidified gas supplied to the chamber from the humidification pipe; is provided in the housing.

Further, a humidity control method according to one embodiment includes a first removal step of removing particles from dry air supplied to a housing, and and a humidifying step of bubbling ultrapure water with the dry air from which particles have been removed in the first removing step to humidify the dry air. Furthermore, when supplying gas to the chamber, remove particles from dry air that is dry air from which particles have been removed in the first removal step and contains gas that has been humidified in the humidification step, or in the first removal step There is a second removal step of removing particles from dry air from which particles have been removed and which does not contain the gas humidified in the humidification step.

According to one embodiment, it is possible to provide a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and a humidity control method incorporating a gas supply device optimized for a minimal fab production system.

1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an exposure apparatus according to an embodiment when the power is off; FIG. 2 is a graph showing changes in humidity inside a chamber in the exposure apparatus shown in FIG. 1; Continuing from FIG. 1, the exposure apparatus is powered on, the humidity (Hc value) in the chamber exceeds the control value (H2 value) on the upper limit side of the second solenoid valve, and the second solenoid valve is turned off. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the device when maintained; 4 is a graph showing changes in humidity in the chamber of the exposure apparatus shown in FIG. 3; Continuing from FIG. 3, the humidity (Hc value) in the chamber falls below the control value (H1 value) on the lower limit side of the second solenoid valve, and the second solenoid valve is switched ON and maintained in the ON state. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the device when 6 is a graph showing changes in humidity in the chamber of the exposure apparatus shown in FIG. 5; Following FIG. 5, the humidity (Hc value) in the chamber again exceeds the control value (H2 value) on the upper limit side of the second solenoid valve, and the second solenoid valve is switched to the OFF state. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the device when maintained; 8 is a graph showing changes in humidity in the chamber of the exposure apparatus shown in FIG. 7;

First, the main effects of the present invention will be described.

Here, an exposure apparatus according to one embodiment includes a housing, a chamber housed in the housing and performing exposure processing on a wafer placed inside the housing, and dry air housed in the housing and supplied to the housing. a first filter unit (primary filter unit) that removes particles of the By having a second filter section (secondary filter section) that removes particles from the supplied dry air and gas that is at least partially humidified, the exposure apparatus can be used as an exposure apparatus for a minimal fab production system. That is, a highly clean gas can be supplied to a chamber accommodated in a housing, and the wafer can be subjected to exposure processing within the chamber.

The term "dry air" as used herein means a gas from which moisture has been removed by a drying process, and does not produce water even if the pressure fluctuates. As dry air, for example, dried gas in a manufacturing environment in which the exposure apparatus is placed, high-purity nitrogen gas, or the like can be used.

In addition, a humidification pipe (third pipe ), which is housed in a housing and provided on the path of the humidification pipe, supplying at least part of the dry air supplied to the humidification pipe to ultrapure water to generate bubbles, and at least part of the dry air can increase the humidity of the dry air that has been cleaned by the first filter section. In addition, since the dry air can be humidified simply by bubbling the ultrapure water with the dry air, the humidifying device can be constructed with a simple and small device configuration and accommodated in the housing. Furthermore, by using ultrapure water, it is possible to prevent particles from entering the gas and the occurrence of microbial contamination.

The ultrapure water referred to here refers to water having a specific resistance of 18 MΩ·cm or more, a TOC of less than 10 μg/L, a fine particle of 1/L or less, and a viable cell count of 1/mL or less.

Also, a first pipe housed in the housing that supplies dry air that has passed through the first filter unit to the chamber supply pipe; Of the dry air that does not flow through the piping, the humidifying piping that supplies at least part of it to the chamber supply piping, and the dry air that is housed in the housing, provided on the path of the humidifying piping, and supplied to the humidifying piping a humidifying unit that supplies at least a portion of the dry air to ultrapure water to generate bubbles to humidify at least a portion of the dry air; and a second filter unit that removes particles from the humidified gas supplied from the humidification pipe to the chamber. The cleanliness of the enhanced gas can be enhanced.

In addition, when a solenoid valve (second solenoid valve) is provided at the gas inflow part of the humidification pipe and switches ON/OFF according to the humidity in the chamber to control the supply of dry air to the humidification part (second solenoid valve). In addition, it is possible to change the route for supplying the dry air cleaned by the first filter unit based on the humidity in the chamber.

In addition, it is provided at the gas inflow part of the humidification pipe and passes through the electromagnetic valve that switches ON/OFF according to the humidity in the chamber and controls the supply of dry air to the humidification part, and the first filter part. A first pipe that supplies dry air to the chamber supply pipe, a first flow rate adjustment unit that is provided on the path of the first pipe and adjusts the flow rate of the gas, and a first filter unit. , in the case of having a humidification pipe that supplies at least part of the dry air that does not flow through the first pipe to the chamber supply pipe, the first pipe and the humidification pipe can be connected via an electromagnetic valve. Dry air that has passed through the first filter section can be supplied to the path. That is, by adjusting the flow rate of the gas flowing through the first pipe with the first flow rate adjusting unit, it becomes possible to flow the dry air through the electromagnetic valve and the downstream humidification pipe. As a result, dry air and humidified gas can be mixed in the chamber supply pipe, and the humidity of the gas supplied from the pipe to the chamber side can be increased. Furthermore, by adjusting the flow rate of the gas flowing through the first pipe with the first flow rate adjusting unit, the flow rate of the gas flowing through the humidification pipe can also be adjusted. That is, the accuracy of adjusting the humidity in the gas supplied into the chamber is improved, and as a result, the accuracy of adjusting the humidity inside the chamber can be improved.

At least part of the dry air that is housed in the housing and that passes through the first filter unit and does not flow through the first pipe when the solenoid valve is turned off is supplied to the chamber supply pipe. In the case of having a second pipe, when the solenoid valve is turned off according to the humidity in the chamber, the dry air that has passed through the first filter part is sent to the two routes of the first pipe and the second pipe. can be supplied.

At least part of the dry air that is housed in the housing and that passes through the first filter unit and does not flow through the first pipe when the solenoid valve is turned off is supplied to the chamber supply pipe. In the case of having a second pipe and a second flow rate adjusting unit that is provided on the path of the second pipe and adjusts the flow rate of the gas, the solenoid valve is turned on to connect the first pipe and the humidifying The total amount of gas supplied to the chamber via the pipe and the total amount of gas supplied to the chamber via the first pipe and the second pipe can be made close to each other by turning off the solenoid valve. That is, by adjusting the flow rate of the gas flowing through the second pipe in the second flow rate adjusting unit, the flow rate of the gas flowing through the second pipe can be adjusted so as to approach the flow rate of the gas flowing through the humidification pipe. becomes. As a result, the amount of gas supplied to the chamber when the solenoid valve is turned on and the amount of gas supplied to the chamber when the solenoid valve is turned off are brought close to each other, and the amount of gas required to keep the chamber clean is reduced to the minimum required. It can be kept to a limited amount.

Further, it has a first temperature measuring means for measuring the temperature in the chamber and a second temperature measuring means for measuring the temperature of the ultrapure water, and the solenoid valve is connected to the first temperature measuring means and the second temperature measuring means. If it is configured to be controllable based on the measurement result of the temperature measuring means, temperature information can be used as a parameter for controlling the solenoid valve, including temperature information, humidity measurement value information and humidity It becomes possible to correct the information of fluctuation prediction. As a result, it is possible to control the solenoid valve according to the humidity in the chamber with higher accuracy.

Further, in the humidity control method of one embodiment, in the humidification process, according to the humidity in the chamber accommodated in the housing and in which the wafer is processed, dry air from which particles have been removed in the first removal process is used for ultra-pure air. By bubbling water to humidify the dry air, it is possible to increase the humidity of the dry air that has been cleaned in the first removal step. In addition, by using ultrapure water, it is possible to suppress the contamination of gas with particles and the occurrence of microbial contamination.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Embodiments for carrying out the invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.
In all the drawings for explaining the embodiments, members having the same function are denoted by the same or related reference numerals, and repeated description thereof will be omitted.

Also, when there are a plurality of similar members (sites), a symbol may be added to the generic code to indicate individual or specific sites. In addition, in the following embodiments, as a general rule, descriptions of the same or similar parts will not be repeated unless particularly necessary.

In addition, in the drawings used in the embodiments, hatching may be omitted even in cross-sectional views in order to make the drawings easier to see. Further, even a plan view may be hatched to make the drawing easier to see.

Also, in cross-sectional views and plan views, the size of each part does not correspond to the size of the actual device, and in order to make the drawings easier to understand, there are cases where a specific part is illustrated relatively large. Also, even when the cross-sectional view and the plan view correspond to each other, there are cases where a specific part is shown relatively large in order to make the drawing easier to understand.

As a manufacturing system for semiconductor devices, etc., the manufacturing process is composed of a plurality of portable unit processing units with a uniform appearance, and these unit processing units can be easily rearranged in a flow shop method or a job shop method. Thus, a minimal fab production system has been proposed that enables small-lot production and high-mix production to be appropriately handled.

A unit processing apparatus basically manufactures one device on a half-inch wafer (exactly 12.5 mm in diameter).

In the current semiconductor manufacturing system, as the diameter of wafers increases (12 inches or more), the size of the equipment itself increases and the cost increases. It is said that a huge investment fund of 100 billion yen is required.

In addition, although a system using large-diameter wafers is efficient for mass production, when the equipment is operated for high-mix low-volume production, problems such as the operating rate will cause problems such as the number of pieces required by the user. manufacturing cost becomes very high.

On the other hand, in the minimal fab production system, wafers with an extremely small diameter of about half inch are to be processed, and it is expected that the equipment investment will be extremely small, about 1/1000 of the current semiconductor manufacturing system.

In addition, the minimal fab production system is expected to become a production system suitable for high-mix low-volume production because of its low operating cost.

In this minimal fab production system, unit processing units with uniform external shapes are used.

This unit processing apparatus is responsible for one of the individual processes (single process) in the processing steps of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and is, for example, a wafer cleaning apparatus, a resist coating apparatus, a wafer exposure apparatus, a developing apparatus, and a wafer cleaning apparatus. It can be a device or an ion implanter.

Then, these unit processing apparatuses are arranged in the order of the semiconductor manufacturing recipe (in the order of the processing flow). Wafers, which are workpieces, are sequentially transported between the arranged unit processing apparatuses, and the corresponding processing is sequentially performed in each unit processing apparatus.

In the present embodiment, an exposure apparatus, which is a unit processing apparatus used in a minimal fab production system, is exemplified, but the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to, for example, a resist coating apparatus. can.

(Embodiment)
<<Overall Configuration of Exposure Device>>
The configuration of the exposure apparatus according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, an exposure apparatus A, which is an example of the exposure apparatus according to the present embodiment, includes a housing 1, a primary filter section 2, a humidification adjustment section 3, a secondary filter section 4, and a chamber 5. It has

Also, the primary filter section 2 , the humidification adjustment section 3 , the secondary filter section 4 , and the chamber 5 are housed in the housing 1 . The primary filter part 2 and the secondary filter part 4 are members that improve the cleanliness of the gas supplied to the chamber 5 .

The humidification adjustment unit 3 is a part that adjusts the humidity of the gas supplied to the chamber 5 according to the humidity inside the chamber 5 . Also, the chamber 5 is a processing unit for performing an exposure process on wafers for semiconductor manufacturing inside thereof.

The exposure apparatus A also has a dry air supply unit 6 that supplies dry air, which is obtained by drying the air in the factory environment where the exposure apparatus A is installed, to the inside of the housing 1 .

The exposure apparatus A also has a dry air supply pipe 7 , a regulator 8 and a pressure gauge 9 . The dry air supply pipe 7 is a pipe serving as a path through which dry air flows.

Also, the regulator 8 is a control member for adjusting the pressure of the dry air supplied to the housing 1 to a constant pressure used in the exposure apparatus A. FIG. A pressure gauge 9 is a member for measuring the pressure of dry air controlled by the regulator 8 .

Further, in the exposure apparatus A, a first electromagnetic valve 10 is provided downstream of the primary filter section 2 on the path of the dry air supply pipe 7 . The first solenoid valve 10 is interlocked with the power supply of the exposure apparatus A, and is a valve member that opens and closes the dry air supply pipe 7 according to the ON/OFF of the power supply of the exposure apparatus A.

Further, the exposure apparatus A is provided with a speed controller 11 downstream of the first electromagnetic valve 10 on the path of the dry air supply pipe 7 . The speed controller 11 is a control member for adjusting the total amount of gas supplied from the chamber supply pipe 12 into the chamber 5 . The chamber supply pipe 12 here corresponds to the chamber supply pipe in the claims of the present application.

Here, as the dry air supplied to the inside of the housing 1, it is not always necessary to use the air in the factory environment that has undergone a drying process, and any gas from which moisture has been removed is sufficient. For example, nitrogen of high purity (eg, 99.99% to 99.9999% purity) used in semiconductor manufacturing can be used as dry air. However, from the standpoint of manufacturing costs, it is preferable to employ dry air supplied to the inside of the housing 1 that is obtained by subjecting air in a factory environment to a drying process.

When high-purity nitrogen is adopted as the dry air supplied to the inside of the housing 1, the dissolved oxygen in the supplied gas is reduced, and the ultrapure water 33a of the humidification adjustment unit 3, which will be described later, is added. The growth of microorganisms such as bacteria in the tank 33 can be suppressed. Furthermore, by supplying high-purity nitrogen into the chamber 5, favorable effects can be obtained in terms of the lithography process, such as suppression of oxidation of the resist on the wafer.

≪Primary filter section≫
The primary filter unit 2 is a member that removes particles and oil mist contained in dry air supplied from the outside of the housing 1 . The primary filter section 2 also has a filter 20 , a pressure switch 21 and a mist separator 22 . Note that the filter 20 and the mist separator 22 referred to here correspond to the first filter section in the claims of the present application.

The filter 20 is a member that removes particles contained in the dry air supplied to the inside of the housing 1, and is configured to be able to collect particles with a particle diameter of 5 μm or more.

Also, the pressure switch 21 is an interlock switch for emergency stopping the operation of the exposure apparatus A when the pressure of the dry air supplied to the exposure apparatus A does not satisfy the conditions necessary for the operation of the exposure apparatus A. . For example, when the pressure of the dry air supplied to the exposure apparatus A becomes less than the set value, the operation of the exposure apparatus A is emergency stopped.

Also, the mist separator 22 is a member that removes particles and oil mist contained in the dry air that has passed through the filter 20 . The mist separator 22 is configured to collect particles having a particle diameter of 0.3 μm or more.

Here, the filter 20 does not necessarily need to be configured to be able to collect particles with a particle size of 5 μm or more, and the particle size of particles that can be collected can be changed as appropriate. However, since the period during which the filter 40 in the secondary filter unit 4 described later can be used can be lengthened, the particle diameter of the particles that can be collected by the filter 20 is close to the particle diameter of the particles that can be collected by the filter 40, and , is preferably set to a value larger than the particle diameter of particles that can be collected by the filter 40 . In addition, since the combination of the filter 20, the mist separator 22 and the filter 40 can sufficiently improve the cleanliness of the gas supplied to the chamber 5, the filter 20 has a particle diameter of 1 μm or more, and It is preferably configured to be able to collect particles in the range of 10 μm or less.

Moreover, the mist separator 22 does not necessarily need to be configured to be able to collect particles with a particle size of 0.3 μm or more, and the particle size of the particles that can be collected can be changed as appropriate. However, the particle diameter of the particles that can be collected by the mist separator 22 is smaller than the particle diameter of the particles that can be collected by the filter 20 in order to lengthen the period during which the filter 40 in the secondary filter unit 4, which will be described later, can be used. , and is preferably set larger than the particle diameter of particles that can be collected by the filter 40 . In addition, the combination of the filter 20, the mist separator 22, and the filter 40 can sufficiently improve the cleanliness of the gas supplied to the chamber 5. Therefore, the mist separator 22 has a particle diameter of 0.1 μm or more. And, it is preferable to be configured to be able to collect particles in the range of 1 μm or less.

≪Humidification control section≫
The humidification adjustment section 3 of the exposure apparatus according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, the humidification adjustment unit 3 includes a first pipe 30, a second pipe 31, a third pipe 32, a tank 33, a bubbling part 34, and a second electromagnetic valve 35. have.

In addition, the 1st piping 30 here corresponds to the 1st piping in this-application Claim. Also, the second pipe 31 referred to here corresponds to the second pipe in the claims of the present application. Also, the third pipe 32 here corresponds to the humidification pipe in the claims of the present application. Moreover, the tank 33 and the bubbling part 34 mentioned here correspond to the humidifying part in the claims of the present application. Furthermore, the second solenoid valve 35 referred to here corresponds to the solenoid valve in the claims of the present application.

Also, the first pipe 30 is a path through which part of the dry air that has passed through the primary filter section 2 flows. The first pipe 30 has a gas supply portion connected to the dry air supply pipe 7 and a gas discharge portion connected to the chamber supply pipe 12 . Further, the gas supply portion of the first pipe 30 is connected upstream of the second electromagnetic valve 35 .

A speed controller 36 is provided on the route of the first pipe 30 . This speed controller 36 is a control member for adjusting the flow rate of dry air flowing through the first pipe 30 . It should be noted that the speed controller 36 here corresponds to the first flow rate adjusting section in the claims of the present application.

The second pipe 31 is a path through which dry air that has not flowed to the first pipe 30 out of the dry air that has passed through the primary filter unit 2 flows when the second solenoid valve 35 is turned off. . The second pipe 31 has a gas supply portion connected to the second electromagnetic valve 35 and a gas discharge portion connected to the chamber supply pipe 12 .

That is, when the second solenoid valve 35 is turned off, the first pipe 30 and the second pipe 31 serve as a route for supplying dry air to the chamber supply pipe 12 .

A speed controller 37 is provided on the route of the second pipe 31 . This speed controller 37 is a control member for adjusting the flow rate of dry air flowing through the second pipe 31 . It should be noted that the speed controller 37 referred to here corresponds to the second flow rate adjusting section in the claims of the present application.

Also, the second electromagnetic valve 35 is a valve member whose ON and OFF is controlled according to the humidity inside the chamber 5 . That is, it is a control member that switches the supply path of dry air supplied to the second electromagnetic valve 35 between the second pipe 31 and the third pipe 32 .

The third pipe 32 is a path through which dry air that has not flowed to the first pipe 30 out of the dry air that has passed through the primary filter unit 2 flows when the second electromagnetic valve 35 is turned ON. .

That is, when the second solenoid valve 35 is ON, the first pipe 30 supplies dry air to the chamber supply pipe 12, and the third pipe 32 supplies a gas obtained by humidifying dry air with ultrapure water 33a to the chamber. It becomes a route for supplying to the supply pipe 12 .

The third pipe 32 is composed of a tank supply pipe 32a and a tank discharge pipe 32b. The tank supply pipe 32a is a path for supplying the dry air that has passed through the second electromagnetic valve 35 into the tank 33 . A bubbling portion 34 is provided at the gas discharge portion of the tank supply pipe 32a, that is, at the end portion on the tank 33 side. The tank 33 is a container containing ultrapure water 33a.

Further, the tank 33 is formed in a cylindrical shape having a relationship of B≧2×A, where A is the diameter of the bottom surface and B is the height. That is, the tank 33 has a vertically long shape. Although not shown, the tank 33 is configured to be able to supply ultrapure water 33a from a separate tank as the amount of ultrapure water 33a therein decreases.

The bubbling unit 34 is a device for bubbling the ultrapure water 33a in the tank 33 with supplied dry air.

The bubbling part 34 has a porous filter, and aerates the ultrapure water 33a with the supplied dry air to generate small-diameter bubbles (for example, a bubble diameter of 100 μm or more and several mm or less), It is a device that humidifies supplied dry air with ultrapure water 33a.

Also, the tank discharge pipe 32 b is a route for supplying the gas in the tank 33 to the chamber supply pipe 12 . That is, the tank discharge pipe 32b serves as a path through which gas obtained by humidifying dry air with the ultrapure water 33a passes.

Here, it is not always necessary to provide the speed controller 37 on the route of the second pipe 31 . However, the flow rate of dry air flowing through the second pipe 31 when the second solenoid valve 35 is turned off is adjusted to the flow rate of dry air flowing through the third pipe 32 when the second solenoid valve 35 is turned on. be able to. As a result, the amount of gas supplied from the first pipe 30 and the second pipe 31 to the chamber supply pipe 12 and the amount of gas supplied from the first pipe 30 and the third pipe 32 to the chamber supply pipe 12 The amount of clean gas supplied to the inside of the chamber 5 can be made constant by turning the second electromagnetic valve 35 ON/OFF. That is, it is possible to suppress the amount of gas supplied to the chamber 5 to the minimum necessary amount. Therefore, it is preferable to provide a speed controller 37 on the route of the second pipe 31 .

Further, the shape and size of the tank 33 are not necessarily limited, and it is sufficient that the dry air supplied to the tank 33 can bubble the ultrapure water 33a. However, by making the tank 33 vertically long, the bubbling part 34 is arranged near the bottom surface of the tank 33, and the distance to the liquid surface of the ultrapure water 33a in the tank 33 can be lengthened. . As a result, the distance over which the bubbles generated from the bubbling part 34 move toward the liquid surface in the ultrapure water 33a becomes longer, and the amount of water taken into the gas (bubbles) can be easily increased. That is, the efficiency of humidifying dry air can be improved. Therefore, it is preferable that the tank 33 has a vertically long shape. For example, when the diameter of the bottom surface is A and the height is B, it is preferable that the size satisfy the relationship of B≧2×A. .

Also, the bubbling portion 34 does not necessarily have to have a porous filter, and the diameter of the bubbles generated by the bubbling portion 34 is not limited to 100 μm or more and several millimeters or less. That is, it is sufficient that the ultrapure water 33a can be bubbled by the supplied dry air. However, the surface area of the bubbles generated by the bubbling part 34 is increased, and the amount of moisture taken into the gas (bubbles) can be easily increased, and the efficiency of humidifying the dry air can be improved. Also, when the bubble diameter is 100 μm or more and a small size of about several millimeters or less, the vibration caused by the generation of the bubble is reduced, and the adverse effect of the vibration on the drive control of the stage 50 can be suppressed. . Therefore, the bubbling part 34 preferably has a porous filter. For example, it is preferable that the diameter of the bubbles generated by the bubbling part 34 is about 100 μm or more and several millimeters or less.

Furthermore, from the viewpoint of increasing the efficiency of humidifying dry air, it is not necessary to employ both the vertically elongated shape of the tank 33 and the provision of the bubbling part 34 with a porous filter. For example, either configuration may be adopted. However, in order to further improve the efficiency of humidifying dry air, the tank 33 has a vertically elongated shape and the bubbling portion 34 is porous. Both aspects of having quality filters are preferably employed.

≪Secondary filter section≫
The secondary filter unit 4 is a member that removes particles contained in dry air supplied to the chamber supply pipe 12 via the first pipe 30 or the second pipe 31 . The secondary filter unit 4 is also a member that removes particles contained in the humidified gas supplied to the chamber supply pipe 12 via the third pipe 32 .

The secondary filter section 4 is provided on the chamber supply pipe 12 and is composed of a filter 40 . In addition, the filter 40 here corresponds to the second filter section in the claims of the present application.

Moreover, the filter 40 is configured to be able to collect particles having a particle diameter of 0.01 μm or more.

Here, the secondary filter section 4 does not necessarily have to be configured only with the filter 40 . For example, a configuration in which two or more filters for removing particles contained in gas are provided can be adopted. In addition, when two or more filters are provided, it is preferable that the particle size of the particles that can be collected by the filter on the upstream side is set larger than the particle size of the particles that can be collected by the filter on the downstream side. .

In addition, although the filter 40 is configured to be able to collect particles with a particle size of 0.01 μm or more, the size of the particles that can be collected is not limited to this. However, from the viewpoint of ensuring the cleanliness of the gas supplied to the chamber 5, the filter 40 is preferably configured so as to be able to collect particles with a particle diameter of 0.003 μm or more and 0.1 μm or less.

≪Chamber≫
The chamber 5 of the exposure apparatus A according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, chamber 5 has stage 50 and exposure optical system 51 .

The chamber 5 is a box-shaped member in which the exposure optical system 51 and the stage 50 are arranged. Further, the chamber 5 is connected to a gas discharge portion of a chamber supply pipe 12 so that a highly clean gas can be supplied from the chamber supply pipe 12 .

Further, the stage 50 is a table on which the wafer 13 placed in a sealed container (not shown) for a minimal fab production system is transported to the exposure apparatus A and taken out of the sealed container in the exposure apparatus A. .

The exposure optical system 51 is a device that exposes the wafer 13 placed on the stage 50 in the chamber 5 . In FIG. 1, a part of the exposure optical system 51 that has entered the chamber 5 is shown, and the part provided outside the chamber 5 is omitted.

A humidity sensor 38 is provided inside the chamber 5 . The humidity sensor 38 is a member that measures the humidity of the space within the chamber 5, and the information of the measurement result is transmitted to the controller 39, and the ON/OFF of the second electromagnetic valve 35 can be controlled via the controller 39. is configured to

Here, in the present embodiment, an exposure apparatus A that projects an exposure pattern onto a half-inch wafer and is used in a minimal fab production system is targeted. It is not adopted only for the chamber 5 . INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The apparatus configuration of the present invention can be used for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus used in a minimal fab production system, which has a high degree of cleanliness and is supplied with a gas that requires adjustment of humidity. For example, it is a resist coating apparatus for coating a half-inch wafer with a resist.

This resist coater also coats a wafer with a resist in a chamber, and a primary filter section 2, a humidification adjustment section 3, and a secondary filter section 4 are provided in the structure for supplying gas to this chamber, and the degree of cleanliness is high. , humidified gas can be supplied to regulate the humidity in the chamber.

≪Humidity control configuration≫
A configuration for controlling the humidity inside the chamber 5 in the exposure apparatus A according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

Here, as a premise, with respect to the humidity parameter in the chamber 5, the lower limit side control value (hereinafter referred to as H1 value) of the second solenoid valve 35 and the upper limit side control value of the second solenoid valve 35 (hereinafter referred to as H2 value) is set. Note that the H1 value and the H2 value can be appropriately set according to the accuracy required for controlling the humidity inside the chamber 5 .

First, the "H2 value", which is the control value on the upper limit side of the second solenoid valve 35, means that when the humidity in the chamber 5 (hereinafter referred to as Hc value) exceeds this H2 value, the second This is a reference value for switching the solenoid valve 35 from ON to OFF.

That is, when the humidity (Hc value) in the chamber 5 rises and exceeds the H2 value, the second electromagnetic valve 35 is switched from ON to OFF, and the dry air flows through the first pipe 30 and the second It is supplied to the pipe 31 .

The "H1 value", which is the control value on the lower limit side of the second solenoid valve 35, means that the second solenoid valve 35 is turned on when the humidity (Hc value) in the chamber 5 falls below this H1 value. This is the reference value for switching from OFF to ON.

The "H1 value", which is the control value on the lower limit side of the second solenoid valve 35, is a humidity value obtained by subtracting a set hysteresis value from the above H2 value in consideration of hysteresis.

The value of the hysteresis component can be appropriately set depending on the frequency of switching ON and OFF due to the durability of the second solenoid valve 35 and the accuracy required for humidity control in the chamber 5. .

That is, when the humidity (Hc value) in the chamber 5 decreases and falls below the H1 value, the second electromagnetic valve 35 is switched from OFF to ON, and the dry air flows through the first pipe 30 and the third pipe. 32 are supplied.

Further, when the humidity (Hc value) in the chamber 5 is equal to or higher than the H1 value and equal to or lower than the H2 value, the second solenoid valve 35 is not switched between ON and OFF, and is in ON or OFF state. is maintained.

Here, the H1 value does not necessarily have to be determined as the humidity value obtained by subtracting the set hysteresis value from the H2 value. For example, the H1 value may be set as the control value on the lower limit side of the second solenoid valve 35, and the humidity value obtained by adding the set hysteresis value to the H1 value may be used as the H2 value.

Also, when the second electromagnetic valve 35 is turned on, the humidity in the chamber 5 can be adjusted by adjusting the speed controller 36 .

That is, when the dry air supplied from the first pipe 30 and the gas humidified with ultrapure water supplied from the third pipe 32 are mixed and the humidified gas is supplied into the chamber 5, the speed Along with the adjustment of the controller 36, the flow rate of the gas flowing through the third pipe 32 is changed.

This changes the humidity of the gas flowing through the chamber supply pipe 12 . At this time, it is necessary to adjust the humidity in the chamber 5 to the target humidity +α. It is possible to improve the accuracy of

Further, in the exposure apparatus A, the ON/OFF state of the second electromagnetic valve 35 is controlled based on the relationship between the humidity in the chamber 5 and the H1 and H2 values in the second electromagnetic valve 35. Humidity can be controlled.

For example, in a simple control, when the humidity in the chamber 5 falls below the H1 value, the second electromagnetic valve 35 is turned on to supply humidified gas, and the humidity in the chamber 5 rises to the H2 value. , the second solenoid valve 35 is turned off to supply only dry air. The humidity in the chamber 5 can be adjusted by switching between the supply of humidified gas and the supply of only dry air as the second electromagnetic valve 35 is turned on and off.

Further, for example, based on the difference between the target humidity in the chamber 5 and the measured value of the humidity in the chamber 5 measured by the humidity sensor 38, ON and OFF of the second electromagnetic valve 35 is PID controlled (Proportional-Integral- Differential Controller) can also be considered. By PID control, ON and OFF control of the second electromagnetic valve 35 can be performed with high accuracy.

Furthermore, instead of the second solenoid valve 35, a mass flow controller can be used to control the gas flow rate.

If a mass flow controller is used, the flow rate of the gas flowing through the third pipe 32 for humidifying the gas can be directly controlled without providing the second pipe 31 and the second solenoid valve 35 described above. It becomes possible to adjust the flow rate ratio of the gas flowing through the first pipe 30 and the third pipe 32 . That is, the humidity can be continuously controlled only by adjusting the mass flow controller.

Further, in the above-described PID control and control using a mass flow controller, in addition to the humidity information in the chamber 5, the water temperature of the ultrapure water 33a in the tank 33 and the temperature information in the chamber 5 are used as parameters for control. available for This makes it possible to control the gas flow rate with higher accuracy. The means for measuring the temperature inside the chamber 5 here corresponds to the first temperature measuring means in the claims of the present application. Further, the means for measuring the water temperature of the ultrapure water 33a here corresponds to the second temperature measuring means in the claims of the present application.
However, when using a mass flow controller, although the accuracy of humidity control is improved, the installation space of the controller is larger than that of the electromagnetic valve. Considering the purpose of keeping the humidity in the chamber within a certain range in order to promote rehydration, the present invention can construct a control system without using a mass flow controller, which is particularly advantageous in terms of space saving.
However, when a mass flow controller is used, the humidity control accuracy is improved, but the installation space for the mass flow controller is larger than the installation space for the second solenoid valve 35 . In view of the purpose of keeping the humidity in the chamber 5 within a certain range in order to promote rehydration, the configuration using the second solenoid valve 35 that can realize a space-saving humidity control system is the mass flow controller. It has advantages over the configuration used.

<<Humidity control method in exposure apparatus>>
A humidity control method in the exposure apparatus of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. FIG.

First, as shown in FIG. 1, when the exposure apparatus A is not powered on, the first electromagnetic valve 10 is turned off in conjunction with the power supply of the exposure apparatus A, and the dry air supply pipe 7 is closed. state. Therefore, the gas does not flow downstream from the first electromagnetic valve 10, and the supply of gas into the chamber 5 is also stopped.

In FIGS. 2, 4, 6 and 8, a graph with humidity (%) in the chamber 5 on the vertical axis and time (t) on the horizontal axis is denoted by symbol H. In addition, in FIGS. 2, 4, 6 and 8, the graphs showing the ON and OFF states of the second electromagnetic valve 35 are denoted by S. As shown in FIG. Further, in the graphs of FIGS. 2, 4, 6 and 8, actual changes are indicated by solid lines, and expected changes are indicated by two-dot chain lines.

As shown in FIG. 2, the humidity in the chamber 5 does not change when the power of the exposure apparatus A is off and the first electromagnetic valve 10 is turned off. 1 and 2, it is assumed that the humidity (Hc value) in the chamber 5 exceeds the control value (H2 value) on the upper limit side of the second electromagnetic valve 35 .

Subsequently, the exposure apparatus A is turned on from the state shown in FIG. When the humidity (Hc value) in the chamber 5 is measured by the humidity sensor 38, a value exceeding the H2 value is measured. As shown in FIG. 3, the controller 39 controls the second solenoid valve 35 to remain OFF based on the result of this measurement.

As shown in FIG. 3, the dry air supplied from the dry air supply unit 6 passes through the filter 20 and the mist separator 22 to remove coarse particles and oil mist, and flows through the dry air supply pipe 7.

Part of the dry air then flows from the upstream of the second electromagnetic valve 35 to the first pipe 30 . Also, the second solenoid valve 35 is kept OFF, and the dry air that has passed through the second solenoid valve 35 flows into the second pipe 31 .

Here, the flow rate of dry air flowing through the first pipe 30 is V1, and the flow rate of dry air flowing through the second pipe 31 is V2. Moreover, the dry air supplied from each of the first pipe 30 and the second pipe 31 is mixed in the chamber supply pipe 12, and the flow rate thereof becomes VA.

This flow rate VA is adjusted by the speed controller 11 provided on the path of the dry air supply pipe 7 after reflecting the state of gas adjustment by the speed controllers 36 and 37 described above. That is, the total amount of gas supplied to the chamber 5 is adjusted by adjusting the speed controller 11 .

Also, the speed controller 37 provided in the second pipe 31 sets the flow rate of the dry air flowing through the second pipe 31 to V2. This flow rate V2 is adjusted so as to approach the flow rate V3 of the humidified gas flowing through the third pipe 32, which will be described later.

As a result, the gas can be supplied to the chamber 5 with the flow rate of the gas flowing through the chamber supply pipe 12 approaching a constant amount when the second solenoid valve 35 is switched between ON and OFF.

Also, the dry air supplied to the chamber supply pipe 12 passes through the filter 40 to remove fine particles and flows into the chamber 5 . In addition, dry air having a high degree of cleanliness is supplied to the inside of the chamber 5 from the chamber supply pipe 12 and used as purge air for the internal space of the chamber 5 .

The clean dry air supplied to the chamber 5 does not contain the gas humidified by passing through the third pipe 32 , so dry gas is supplied to the chamber 5 . As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, the humidity in the chamber 5 decreases after exceeding the H2 value.

The second solenoid valve 35 is kept OFF until the humidity (Hc value) of the chamber 5 falls below the control value (H1 value) on the lower limit side of the second solenoid valve 35 .

Subsequently, when the humidity (Hc value) in the chamber 5 measured by the humidity sensor 38 falls below the H1 value, as shown in FIG. Switch from OFF to ON and maintain the ON state.

As shown in FIG. 5 , part of the dry air supplied from the dry air supply pipe 7 flows from upstream of the second electromagnetic valve 35 to the first pipe 30 . Also, the second solenoid valve 35 is kept ON, and the dry air that has passed through the second solenoid valve 35 flows into the tank supply pipe 32 a in the third pipe 32 .

The dry air flowing through the tank supply pipe 32a is supplied as small bubbles into the ultrapure water 33a in the tank 33 via the bubbling portion 34. As shown in FIG. The bubble diameter of the bubbles generated from the bubbling portion 34 is, for example, about 100 μm or more and several millimeters or less.

By supplying dry air as small bubbles to the ultrapure water 33a, the bubbles move toward the liquid surface of the ultrapure water 33a in the tank 33, and at this time, the gas is humidified with the ultrapure water 33a. . The humidified gas is supplied to the chamber supply pipe 12 from the gas phase region of the tank 33 via the tank discharge pipe 32b.

Here, the flow rate of dry air flowing through the first pipe 30 is V1, and the flow rate of dry air flowing through the third pipe 32 (tank discharge pipe 32b) is V3. Also, the dry air supplied from the first pipe 30 and the humidified gas supplied from the third pipe 32 are mixed in the chamber supply pipe 12, and the flow rate becomes VA.

That is, the dry air and the humidified gas are mixed in the chamber supply pipe 12 , so that the humidified gas can be supplied to the chamber 5 .

This flow rate VA is adjusted by the speed controller 11 provided on the path of the dry air supply pipe 7 after reflecting the state of gas adjustment by the speed controller 36 and the amount of ultrapure water 33a in the tank 33. .

Also, the speed controller 36 provided in the first pipe 30 can adjust the flow rate of the dry air flowing through the first pipe 30 to supply the dry air to the tank supply pipe 32a. Further, by adjusting the speed controller 36, the flow rate of the gas flowing through the tank discharge pipe 32b can be set to V3.

Strictly speaking, the flow rate V3 of this gas varies according to the remaining amount of the ultrapure water 33a in the tank 33, that is, the water pressure which changes with the height of the liquid surface of the ultrapure water 33a. Therefore, for example, the gas flow rate V3 is set based on the average value of the fluctuating water pressure or the value of the water pressure when the liquid level of the ultrapure water 33a reaches its maximum.

Note that the flow rate V2 of the dry air flowing through the second pipe 31 described above is adjusted so as to approach the flow rate V3. Further, by adjusting the speed controller 36 to change the flow rate of the gas flowing through the tank supply pipe 32a and the tank discharge pipe 32b, the humidity of the gas supplied from the chamber supply pipe 12 can be adjusted.
In the present invention, the first pipe, the second pipe, and the third pipe are configured as three flow paths, but the second pipe is omitted here, and only the first pipe and the third pipe are used. Humidity control is possible even with the configuration of two channels used. However, in this case, the flow rate of the gas flowing into the chamber varies greatly by VA=V1+V3, VA=V1, and V3. The gas that flows into the chamber is used to maintain the cleanliness of the chamber, and it is desirable that the flow be constant in order to discharge particles, and that the flow rate be constant. Therefore, it is advantageous to have a three-channel configuration that facilitates maintaining a constant flow rate.

Further, the gas supplied to the chamber supply pipe 12 passes through the filter 40 to remove fine particles and flows into the chamber 5 . Further, a gas with increased cleanliness and humidity is supplied from the chamber supply pipe 12 to the inside of the chamber 5 and used as purge air for the internal space of the chamber 5 .
By the way, in the present embodiment, three flow paths using the first pipe 30, the second pipe 31 and the third pipe 32 are configured. Humidity control in the chamber 5 is possible even with a two-channel configuration using the first pipe 30 and the third pipe 32 . However, in the case of the two-channel configuration, the flow rate of the gas flowing into the chamber 5 is VA=V1+V3 or VA=V1, and the difference between the case of dry air flowing in and the case of dry air and humidified gas flowing in is different. , V3. Since the gas flowing into the chamber 5 is also used to maintain cleanliness in the chamber 5, it is desirable that the flow is constant for discharging particles, and the flow rate should be constant. is desirable. For this reason, the three-passage configuration, which facilitates maintaining a constant flow rate, is more advantageous than the two-passage configuration.

Since gas with increased humidity is supplied to the chamber 5, the humidity (Hc value) of the chamber 5 increases from the H1 value toward the H2 value, as shown in FIG.

The second solenoid valve 35 is kept ON until the humidity (Hc value) of the chamber 5 exceeds the upper limit control value (H2 value) of the second solenoid valve 35 .

Subsequently, when the humidity (Hc value) in the chamber 5 measured by the humidity sensor 38 again exceeds the H2 value, as shown in FIG. Switch from ON to OFF and maintain the OFF state.

As shown in FIG. 7, part of the dry air supplied from the dry air supply pipe 7 flows from upstream of the second solenoid valve 35 to the first pipe 30 . Also, since the second solenoid valve 35 is kept OFF again, the dry air that has passed through the second solenoid valve 35 flows into the second pipe 31 .

The flow rate of dry air flowing through the first pipe 30 is V1, and the flow rate of dry air flowing through the second pipe 31 is V2. Also, the dry air supplied from each of the first pipe 30 and the second pipe 31 is mixed in the chamber supply pipe 12, and its flow rate becomes VA.

The dry air supplied to the chamber supply pipe 12 passes through the filter 40 to remove fine particles, and is supplied as a dry gas to the interior of the chamber 5 as purge air.

Since the dry gas is supplied to the chamber 5 in this manner, the humidity (Hc value) of the chamber 5 decreases after exceeding the H2 value, as shown in FIG. 8 again.

The second solenoid valve 35 is kept OFF until the humidity (Hc value) of the chamber 5 falls below the control value (H1 value) on the lower limit side of the second solenoid valve 35 . Thereafter, similarly, switching between ON and OFF of the second electromagnetic valve 35 and maintenance of the ON or OFF state are controlled according to the humidity in the chamber 5 .

According to the above flow, the controller 39 controls ON and OFF of the second electromagnetic valve 35 according to the measured value of the humidity in the chamber 5, and the humidity of the gas supplied from the chamber supply pipe 12 to the chamber 5 can be adjusted.

In the humidity control method in the exposure apparatus of the present embodiment, when the Hc value measured by the humidity sensor 38 exceeds the H2 value of the second solenoid valve 35 or falls below the H1 value, , ON and OFF switching of the second electromagnetic valve 35 is controlled, but such a control method does not necessarily have to be adopted. For example, as described above, based on the difference between the target humidity and the humidity measurement value, it is possible to perform PID control of ON and OFF of the second electromagnetic valve 35 to perform more precise control.

Here, according to the present embodiment, the gas supplied to the chamber 5 is humidified by providing the tank 33 containing the ultrapure water 33a and the bubbling 34 in the housing 1 of the exposure apparatus A. can be done.

That is, the structure for humidifying a highly clean gas can be sufficiently miniaturized, and can be applied to the inside of the housing of an exposure apparatus for a minimal fab production system. This results in the following advantages.

First, diazonaphthoquinone (DNQ) novolac resist, which is generally used as a resist to be exposed, changes diazonaphthoquinone to indene ketene by exposure. This indene ketene is hydrolyzed with water to produce indene carboxylic acid soluble in an alkaline developer.

On the other hand, since the resist is baked at a high temperature after coating, the water content in the resist is reduced. Therefore, rehydration is required before exposure to compensate for moisture in the resist. In a typical mega fab production system, wafers after coating are exposed to the clean room environment, so rehydration is naturally performed by the moisture contained in the air.

However, in a minimal fab production system in which wafers are stored in a sealed container immediately after coating, rehydration is difficult to perform before exposure, and in particular, thick-film resist tends to cause poor dissolution in the development process due to insufficient rehydration.

Here, if the humid air around the exposure apparatus can be taken in, the humidity in the process chamber of the apparatus can be increased. This is difficult in exposure tools for minimal fab production systems.

It is also conceivable to take in and pressurize the air outside the device and use it through a small filter, but the pump that takes in and pressurizes the indoor air becomes the source of vibration. This vibration greatly affects stage control in an exposure apparatus that requires nanometer-level precision. Therefore, it is difficult to incorporate the pump into the exposure apparatus.

However, according to the present embodiment, by bubbling ultrapure water with dry air supplied as a utility to humidify the ultrapure water and supplying it to the chamber, it is possible to maintain the humidity necessary for rehydration.

As described above, the exposure apparatus according to the present embodiment can provide an exposure apparatus incorporating a gas supply device optimized for a minimal fab production system.
Moreover, the humidity control method according to the present embodiment can provide a humidity control method incorporating a gas supply device optimized for a minimal fab production system.

The invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described above based on the embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. Needless to say.

A exposure device 1 housing 2 primary filter unit 20 filter 21 pressure switch 22 mist separator 3 humidification adjustment unit 30 first pipe 31 second pipe 32 third pipe 32a tank supply pipe 32b tank discharge pipe 33 tank 33a ultrapure water 34 bubbling section 35 second solenoid valve 36 speed controller 37 speed controller 38 humidity sensor 39 controller 4 secondary filter section 5 chamber 50 stage 51 exposure optical system 6 dry air supply section 7 dry air supply pipe 8 regulator 9 pressure gauge 10 first 11 speed controller 12 chamber supply pipe 13 wafer

Claims (6)

a housing;
a chamber that is housed in the housing and performs processing on a wafer placed therein;
a first filter unit that is housed in the housing and removes particles from dry air supplied to the housing;
a chamber supply pipe housed in the housing and having a gas discharge portion connected to the inside of the chamber;
a first pipe that is housed in the housing and supplies the dry air that has passed through the first filter unit to the chamber supply pipe;
a humidification pipe that supplies at least part of the dry air that is housed in the housing, passes through the first filter unit, and does not flow through the first pipe to the chamber supply pipe;
At least a part of the dry air housed in the housing and provided on the path of the humidification pipe and supplied to the humidification pipe is supplied to ultrapure water to generate bubbles, and at least the dry air is a humidifying part that humidifies a part;
Particles of a gas provided on the path of the chamber supply pipe and obtained by humidifying at least part of the dry air supplied from the first pipe to the chamber and the dry air supplied to the chamber from the humidification pipe. a second filter section to remove;
A semiconductor manufacturing device. In the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1,
an electromagnetic valve provided at the gas inflow portion of the humidification pipe, which switches ON/OFF according to the humidity in the chamber to control the supply of the dry air to the humidification portion;
a first flow rate adjusting unit provided on the path of the first pipe for adjusting the flow rate of the gas;
A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, further comprising: In the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2,
At least part of the dry air that is housed in the housing and that passes through the first filter unit and does not flow through the first pipe when the solenoid valve is turned off is supplied to the chamber. a second pipe feeding the pipe;
a second flow rate adjustment unit provided on the path of the second pipe for adjusting the flow rate of the gas;
A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, further comprising: In the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3 ,
a first temperature measuring means for measuring the temperature in the chamber;
a second temperature measuring means for measuring the temperature of the ultrapure water;
The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, wherein the electromagnetic valve is configured to be controllable based on measurement results of the first temperature measuring means and the second temperature measuring means. In the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A semiconductor manufacturing device, wherein the semiconductor manufacturing device is a unit processing device used in a minimal fab production system. a first removing step of removing particles from dry air supplied to the housing;
a humidifying step of bubbling ultrapure water with the dry air from which particles have been removed in the first removing step according to the humidity in the chamber that is housed in the housing and that processes the wafer, thereby humidifying the dry air; ,
When supplying gas to the chamber,
Removing particles from the dry air that is the dry air from which particles have been removed in the first removing step and that contains the gas humidified in the humidifying step;
or
a second removing step of removing particles from the dry air from which particles have been removed in the first removing step and does not contain the gas humidified in the humidifying step;
A humidity control method.

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