JPH07283187A - Wafer cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the size of a washing tank and wafer cleaner and the consumption of a cleaning liq. by preparing a carrier chuck to carry a wafer carrier which forms an inner tank of the washing tank when mounted in this tank. CONSTITUTION:Washing tanks 1a, 1b and 1c having no inner tanks respectively receive a chemical liq. 2 from their bottom central parts and drain it out from drains attached to outer tanks 3. A carrier receptor 4 disposed above the bottom central part of each tank 1 receives the lower end of a wafer carrier 5. The carrier 5 holds many semiconductor wafers 6 and forms an inner tank of the tank 1 when the lower end is fitted in the receptor 4. A carrier chuck 7 to carry the wafer carrier 5 grips its upper part and carries the carrier. This allows the washing tank itself to be reduced in size and consumption of a washing liq. to be reduced.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wafer cleaning apparatus, and more particularly to a wafer, mainly a semiconductor wafer, which is held by a wafer holder (wafer carrier) and conveyed by a wafer holder conveying means into a cleaning tank for cleaning with a cleaning liquid. Wafer cleaning apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A semiconductor wafer cleaning process is indispensable in the manufacture of semiconductor devices. Then, there is a wafer cleaning apparatus in which a semiconductor wafer is held by a wafer holder and is transferred into a cleaning tank by a wafer holder transfer means to be cleaned with a cleaning liquid. There is also a type of wafer cleaning device that does not use a wafer holder (carrier).

In the wafer cleaning apparatus, each cleaning tank constituting the wafer cleaning apparatus has a double structure of an inner tank and an outer tank, and the inner tank is used for cleaning the wafer and the inner tank is used for the cleaning. In many cases, the cleaning liquid overflows into the outer tank and is discharged from the outer tank to the outside of the cleaning tank through a drain.
The discharged cleaning liquid is usually returned to the inner tank through a filter.

[0004]

By the way, in such a conventional wafer cleaning apparatus, since the wafer holder is mounted inside the inner tank of the cleaning tank by the transfer chuck, the wafer holder is mounted on the inner surface of the cleaning tank. In addition to the space for the wafer, a space for the wafer holder and a space for the transfer chuck are required. Therefore, there is a problem that the inner tank has to be made large and the amount of the chemical solution used increases, and this problem prevents reduction of the manufacturing cost of the semiconductor device and cannot be overlooked.

Further, since the inner tank is large, the cleaning tank itself becomes large, which raises not only the cost of the apparatus, but also a large proportion of the wafer cleaning apparatus in the clean room. In particular, the problem that the wafer cleaning device occupies a large proportion in the clean room cannot be overlooked because the clean room requires a high cost to maintain an extremely high degree of cleanliness, and there is a strong need to improve utilization efficiency.
It can be said that the type without the wafer holder does not require a space for the wafer holder to enter the inner tank, and the size of the inner tank can be slightly smaller than that of the type using the wafer holder. However, a space for the transfer chuck is required, and it is impossible to dramatically reduce the size of the inner tank. Furthermore, the semiconductor wafer may come into contact with other parts during transfer, causing scratches or dust generation. There is a big problem that is possible.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and in the state where a semiconductor wafer is held by a wafer holder, it is carried into a cleaning tank by a wafer holder carrying means and cleaned with a cleaning liquid. The purpose of the wafer cleaning device is to reduce the size of each cleaning tank and the wafer cleaning device by reducing the size of each cleaning tank, and to occupy a smaller occupied area, and to reduce the amount of cleaning liquid used. To do.

[0007]

A wafer cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning tank does not have an inner tank, a wafer holder that forms an inner tank of the cleaning tank when mounted inside the cleaning tank, and the wafer holder. It is characterized in that it has a transfer chuck for transferring the tool.

[0008]

According to the wafer cleaning apparatus of the first aspect, when the wafer holder is mounted inside the cleaning tank, the wafer holder itself forms an inner tank of the cleaning tank. Therefore, it is necessary to provide an inner tank in the cleaning tank. There is no. Therefore, the size of the cleaning tank itself can be reduced, and the amount of cleaning liquid used can be reduced. Further, the so-called inner tank for the cleaning tank is composed of a wafer holder independent of the cleaning tank.
The wafer holder can be easily cleaned at any time, i.e. during operation.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The wafer cleaning apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the illustrated embodiments. FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing one embodiment of the wafer cleaning apparatus of the present invention. In the figure, 1
Reference symbols a, 1b, and 1c are cleaning tanks having a structure having no inner tank, and each accepts the chemical solution 2 from the central portion of the bottom and discharges the chemical solution 2 from the drain provided in the outer tank 3 to the outside of the cleaning tank 1. There is. The chemical solution 2 discharged to the outside of the cleaning tank 1 is filtered by a filter (not shown) and then returned to the center of the bottom of the cleaning tank 1. That is, the chemical liquid 2 circulates in the circulation system that passes through at least the cleaning tank 1 and a filter (not shown).

A carrier receiver 4 is provided above the center of the bottom surface of each cleaning tank 1, and receives the lower end of a wafer carrier (wafer holder) 5. The wafer carrier 5 holds a large number of semiconductor wafers 6 therein, and when the lower end of the wafer carrier 5 is fitted into the carrier receiver 4, it forms an inner tank of the cleaning tank 1. Reference numeral 7 denotes a transfer chuck that constitutes a wafer holder transfer means for transferring the wafer holder 5, and grips and transfers the upper portion of the wafer holder 5.

The wafer carrier 5 on which a large number of semiconductor wafers 6 have been set in the wafer loader section is transported to a position above the cleaning tank 1a with the upper end portion being gripped by the transfer chuck 7 (the cleaning tank 1a in FIG. 1). See above).
On the other hand, in each cleaning tank 1a, 1b, 1c, as shown in the cleaning tank 1a in FIG.
It overflows from the outside to the outside tank 3 and is discharged to the drain.

The wafer carrier 5 carried above the cleaning tank 1 is lowered into the cleaning tank 1, and the lower end portion is fitted into the carrier receiver 4. Then, since the wafer carrier 5 is configured to form the inner tank of the cleaning tank 1, the chemical liquid 2 starts to accumulate in the wafer carrier 5, and its liquid level gradually rises and starts to overflow from the wafer carrier 5 to the outside ( (It becomes a state like the cleaning tank 1b in FIG. 1). Cleaning proceeds in this state. As described above, the chemical solution 2 overflowing from the wafer carrier 5 passes through the drain and is further filtered and is returned to the cleaning tank 1.

When a preset cleaning time has elapsed, the transfer chuck 7 pulls up the cleaning tank (cleaning tank 1 in FIG. 1).
A state like c is reached, and at that time, the chemical liquid 2 flows out to the outer tank 3 through between the chuck receiver 4 and the wafer carrier 5. ). Then, the wafer carrier 5 completely pulled up by the transfer chuck 7 is carried to the next cleaning tank 1b,
There, cleaning is performed. And the last cleaning tank 1
The wafer carrier 5 that has been cleaned in c is sent to the drying step.

According to such a wafer cleaning apparatus, when the wafer carrier 5 is mounted inside the cleaning tank 1, the wafer carrier 5 itself forms an inner tank of the cleaning tank 1.
It is not necessary to provide an inner tank in the cleaning tank 1. Therefore, the size of each cleaning tank 1 itself can be reduced, and the amount of the cleaning liquid 2 used can be reduced. Further, since the inner tank for the cleaning tank 1 is independent of the cleaning tank 1, the inner tank (that is, the wafer carrier) 5 can be easily cleaned at any time, that is, during operation.

In the above embodiment, the lower end of the wafer carrier 5 is fitted (engaged) with the carrier receiver 4 so that the chemical solution 2 does not flow out between the wafer carrier 5 and the carrier receiver 4. Was being done. However, it is possible to prevent the chemical solution 2 from flowing out between the wafer carrier 5 and the carrier receiver 4 by using packing instead of fitting. Further, it is also possible to intentionally provide a flow path between the wafer carrier 5 and the carrier receiver 4 so that a very small amount of the chemical liquid leaks in comparison with the flow rate of the chemical liquid so that dust particles are positively flowed to the outside of the wafer carrier 5. .

[0016]

The wafer cleaning apparatus of the present invention comprises a cleaning tank having no inner tank, a wafer holder that forms an inner tank of the cleaning tank when mounted inside the cleaning tank, and a transfer chuck for transferring the wafer holder. It is characterized by having.
Therefore, according to the wafer cleaning apparatus of the present invention, when the wafer holder is mounted inside the cleaning tank, the wafer holder itself constitutes the inner tank of the cleaning tank, and therefore the cleaning tank need not be provided with the inner tank. Therefore, the size of the cleaning tank itself can be reduced, and the amount of cleaning liquid used can be reduced. Also, since the inner tank for the cleaning tank is independent of the cleaning tank, the inner tank (that is, the wafer holder) is always
That is, it can be easily washed even during operation.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of a wafer cleaning apparatus of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1a to 1c Cleaning tank 2 Cleaning liquid 3 Outer tank 5 Wafer holder (wafer chuck) 6 Wafer 7 Wafer holder conveying means

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. One or a plurality of cleaning tanks having no inner tank, and one or a plurality of wafers which can be detachably attached to the inside of the cleaning tank and are attached to the inside of the cleaning tank. A wafer cleaning apparatus comprising at least a wafer holder that forms a tank, and a wafer holder transfer means that transfers the wafer holder to place the wafer holder inside the cleaning tank or remove the wafer holder from the cleaning tank.