JPH0423325A - Method and apparatus for drying of semiconductor substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To dry a semiconductor substrate efficiently by a method wherein the semiconductor substrate is turned at high speed inside a cup, a cleaning liquid is scattered from the substrate by applying a centrifugal force and the cleaning liquid floating in a mist shape inside the cup is discharged at the height of the semiconductor substrate inside the cup. CONSTITUTION:A semiconductor substrate 1, as an object to be dried, which has been supported by a spinner chuck 2 is first turned at high speed by using a motor 3; and a cleaning liquid on the substrate 1 is scattered and spin-dried by applying a centrifugal force. At this time, the cleaning liquid such as pure water or the like which has been scattered by the centrifugal force flows into a drain 7 and is removed. Since one part of the liquid floats in a mist shape inside a cup 4, it is discharged to the outside of the cup 4 by using an evacuation mechanism 10 through an evacuation duct 10a installed on a side face 9 of the cup 4. The evacuation speed of the mistlike cleaning liquid is set at 1.0m/sec or higher on the surface of the semiconductor substrate 1 as the object to be cleaned. Thereby, the mistlike cleaning liquid does not adhere to the surface of the semiconductor substrate 1 whose cleaning operation has been finished, and the surface of the semiconductor substrate 1 can be set to a state of extremely high quality.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for drying a semiconductor substrate.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, in the process of manufacturing semiconductor devices, cleaning steps are repeated multiple times. Naturally, there are several drying steps as well as washing steps.

Currently, methods for drying semiconductor substrates after cleaning include a chemical method using organic solvent paper and a physical method using a centrifugal effect.

In particular, the spin drying method, which is a drying method that uses centrifugal effect, has been widely adopted because it does not use chemicals and is safe, unlike chemical methods using paper using organic solvents.

FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of a conventional spin drying device.

As shown in the figure, the conventional device has a spinner chuck 2
, a motor 3, and a cup 4. The spinner chuck 2 holds the semiconductor substrate 1 and is rotated at high speed by the motor 3 within the cup 4 .

The upper opening of the cup 4 is closed by a lid 5 so as to be openable and closable. Further, cleaning liquid such as pure water is removed from the cup 4 through a drain 7 on the floor 6, and the cup 4 is exhausted through an exhaust duct 8.

A centrifugal force acts on the semiconductor substrate 1 as the spinner chuck 2 rotates, and the centrifugal force scatters adhering pure water and the like and dries the semiconductor substrate 1 .

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, when the semiconductor substrate 1 is dried by high-speed rotation, the cleaning liquid scattered by centrifugal force becomes mist and floats in the cup 4. The mist-like cleaning liquid is sucked out and removed by the exhaust duct 8 provided on the floor 6 of the cup 4, but the mist-like cleaning liquid floating above the semiconductor substrate l, which is the object to be dried, cannot be removed. The effect is weak, and when the spin drying is completed, the mist-like cleaning liquid locally re-adheres to the dried semiconductor substrate 1 and remains as a stain. For this reason, the semiconductor substrate 1 has the drawback of generating defects.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for drying a semiconductor substrate that solves the above problems.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, a semiconductor substrate drying method according to the present invention includes a centrifugal force application step and an exhaust step, the semiconductor substrate drying method comprising a centrifugal force application step and an exhaust step. In this method, a semiconductor substrate is rotated at high speed in a cup to apply centrifugal force to the substrate, and the cleaning liquid is scattered from the substrate. In the exhaust process, the cleaning liquid is scattered from the semiconductor substrate and suspended in the cup in the form of a mist. The cleaning liquid is exhausted within the cup at the level of the semiconductor substrate.

Further, in the semiconductor substrate drying apparatus according to the present invention, the semiconductor substrate drying apparatus includes a cup, a spinner chuck, and an exhaust mechanism, the cup rotatably housing the spinner chuck, and the spinner chuck. The device holds a semiconductor substrate and rotates the substrate at high speed to apply centrifugal force.The exhaust mechanism opens an exhaust duct at the height of the semiconductor substrate in the cup, and passes the exhaust duct through the exhaust duct. This is to exhaust the cleaning liquid floating in mist inside the cup.

[Example] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Example 1) FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, the semiconductor substrate drying apparatus according to the present invention includes a cup 4, a spinner chuck 2, and an exhaust mechanism 10.

The cup 4 rotatably accommodates the spinner chuck 2.

The spinner chuck 2 holds the semiconductor substrate 1 and is rotated at high speed by the motor 3 to apply centrifugal force to the substrate 1.

Further, the upper opening of the cup 4 is closed by a lid 5, and a drain 7 is provided on the floor 6.

The exhaust mechanism 10 is for evacuating the inside of the cup 4, and has an exhaust duct loa opened in the side surface 9 of the cup 4 at the height of the semiconductor substrate 1 within the cup 4.

In the semiconductor substrate drying method according to the present invention, first, a semiconductor substrate l, which is an object to be dried held in a spinner chuck 2, is rotated at high speed by a motor 3 to apply centrifugal force to the substrate 1, and the cleaning liquid on the substrate 1 is scattered. and spin dry.

At this time, the cleaning liquid such as pure water splashed by the centrifugal force flows into the drain 7 and is removed, and some of it becomes a mist and floats inside the cup 4. The air is exhausted to the outside of the cup 4 by the exhaust mechanism 10 through the air. Therefore, after drying the semiconductor substrate 1
The mist-like cleaning liquid does not adhere to the surface of the semiconductor substrate 1, and the surface of the semiconductor substrate 1 is in an extremely high quality state. In addition, the exhaust speed of the mist cleaning liquid is
On the surface of 1. There is no effect unless it is Om/sec or more.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing Embodiment 2 of the present invention. In Embodiment I shown in FIG. When rotating at high speed, the amount of cleaning liquid such as pure water sucked into the exhaust duct 10a increases, which may cause the exhaust duct 10a itself to deteriorate. Therefore, in the second embodiment, a filter 1 for separating cleaning liquid such as pure water is placed in the middle of the exhaust duct 10a.
1 is provided to separate and remove cleaning liquid such as pure water to the drain 12 to prevent deterioration of the exhaust duct 10a.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently remove the cleaning liquid floating in the form of mist in the cup, and the floating mist-like cleaning liquid can be removed from the dried semiconductor substrate. This makes it possible to provide extremely high quality semiconductor substrates. As a result, a semiconductor with high pattern dimensional accuracy can be manufactured.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a conventional example. l...Semiconductor substrate 2...Spinner chuck 3...Motor 4...Cup 5...
Lid 6... Floor part 7... Drain
loa...Exhaust duct lO...Exhaust mechanism
11...Filter 12...Drain

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A semiconductor substrate drying method comprising a centrifugal force applying step and an evacuation step, in which the centrifugal force applying step rotates the semiconductor substrate at high speed in a cup to apply centrifugal force to the substrate to remove the semiconductor substrate from the substrate. The cleaning liquid is scattered, and the exhaust step is characterized in that the cleaning liquid scattered from the semiconductor substrate and floating in the cup in the form of a mist is exhausted at a position in the cup at the height of the semiconductor substrate. Semiconductor substrate drying method. (2) A semiconductor substrate drying apparatus having a cup, a spinner chuck, and an exhaust mechanism, wherein the cup rotatably accommodates the spinner chuck, and the spinner chuck holds a semiconductor substrate and removes the substrate. The exhaust mechanism opens an exhaust duct at the height of the semiconductor substrate in the cup, and passes through the exhaust duct the cleaning liquid suspended in the form of a mist inside the cup. A semiconductor substrate drying apparatus characterized in that it is an apparatus for exhausting air.