JPH08250483A - Method and device for treatment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To quickly remove a photoresist by supplying a treating fluid to an object to be treated set on a turntable at a position deviated from the center of rotation of the turntable while the object set on the turntable is rotated so that the fluid can be uniformly and efficiently supplied to the surface of the object. CONSTITUTION: A flow passage 5 having a relatively narrow width is formed between an object 3, such as the semiconductor wafer, etc., and a guide plate on a turntable 2 over the entire surface of the object 3. While a treating fluid 7 composed of a mixed gas of oxygen and ozone, etc., is supplied to the flow passage 5 through a nozzle 6 opened at a position deviated from the center of rotation of the object 3 so that the fluid 7 can flow on the entire surface of the object 3, the surface of the object 3 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays having a prescribed wavelength which falls within a specific wavelength range from a light source 8 through the guide plate 4 so that a photoresist coating the surface of the object 3 can be oxidized quickly and removed as carbon dioxide, steam, etc. The carbon oxide, steam, etc., are discharged to the outside from an exhaust port 9.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a processing technique, and more particularly to a technique effectively applied to a technique for removing a photoresist adhered to a semiconductor wafer.

[Prior Art] For the technique of removing the photoresist adhering to the semiconductor wafer, see the Industrial Research Institute Co., Ltd., “Electronic Materials” 19 issued November 10, 1981.
1981, separate volume, P137-P148.

By the way, in the manufacture of semiconductor devices,
When the photoresist masking the semiconductor wafer in a predetermined pattern is removed after the etching process of the semiconductor wafer, a photoresist removing apparatus having the following structure is used instead of the oxygen plasma method which may damage the semiconductor wafer. Can be used.

That is, a semiconductor wafer is placed on a mounting table provided in the processing chamber, heated to a relatively low temperature by a heater provided in the mounting table, and a mixed gas of oxygen and ozone is circulated in the processing chamber. Then, by irradiating the surface of the semiconductor wafer with ultraviolet rays and the like, oxygen and ozone are excited, and the nascent oxygen generated when ozone is dissociated oxidizes the photoresist made of an organic substance and the gas. It is to be converted and removed.

JP-A-60-7936 discloses a processing apparatus in which the processing container is divided by an optical window in order to prevent the light source from directly contacting the reaction gas. In the apparatus, the light source is provided on the upper wall of the processing container.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the photoresist removing apparatus having the above-mentioned structure, the removal rate of the photoresist adhering to the semiconductor wafer is generally low, and the processing requires a relatively long time. The present inventor has found that there is a drawback, and further, there is a problem that a relatively large amount of a mixed gas of oxygen and ozone is required, and there is a drawback that productivity in removing work of a photoresist attached to a semiconductor wafer is low. It was

An object of the present invention is to provide a processing technique capable of improving productivity.

The above and other objects and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

[Means for Solving Problems] Among the inventions disclosed in the present application, a brief description will be given to the outline of a typical invention.

That is, the processing container has a table for supporting the object to be processed and rotating the object to be processed, and the processing fluid containing ozone is directed toward the surface of the object to be processed at a position eccentric from the rotation center of the table. Supplied.

[Action] Since the processing fluid is supplied to the object to be processed at a position eccentric to the rotation center of the table while the object to be processed supported on the table is rotated, A processing fluid containing ozone and ozone is uniformly and efficiently supplied to the surface of an object to be processed such as a semiconductor wafer, so that the processing can be performed quickly.

[Embodiment] FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing a main part of a processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the present embodiment, the processing device is configured as a photoresist removing device.

A mounting table 2 is provided substantially horizontally at the bottom of the processing container, that is, the main body 1, and an object to be processed such as a semiconductor wafer whose surface is coated with photoresist or the like is mounted on the mounting table 2. 3 is detachably positioned.

The mounting table 2 is rotatable in a horizontal plane so that the object 3 to be mounted is rotated at a predetermined speed.

A heater (not shown) is provided inside the mounting table 2 so that the object 3 to be processed is heated to a predetermined temperature.

In this case, a transparent guide plate 4 made of, for example, synthetic quartz glass is provided near the upper part of the mounting table 2.
A structure in which a flow path 5 having a relatively small gap is formed between the object 3 to be processed and the object 3 to be processed, which is disposed so as to face the mounting table 2 via the object 3 to be processed. Has been done. The guide plate 4 divides the interior of the main body 1, which is a processing container, into a space A as a light source chamber and a space B as a processing chamber in which the mounting table 2 is provided.

The mounting table 2 is configured to be displaceable relative to the guide plate 4 by a displacement mechanism (not shown), and the gap of the flow path 5 can be adjusted to a desired value.

In the guide plate 4, a nozzle 6 is opened at a position eccentric from the center of rotation of the object 3 to be processed, and a processing fluid 7 made of, for example, a mixed gas of oxygen and ozone flows. It is configured to be supplied to the passage 5 in a laminar flow.

In the vicinity of the upper surface of the guide plate 4, for example, a plurality of light sources 8 such as low pressure mercury lamps arranged by bending along the surface of the guide plate 4 are provided to form the treatment fluid 7. Ultraviolet rays in a predetermined wavelength range that excites oxygen and ozone, etc., that pass through the guide plate 4 and the workpiece 3
It is structured to irradiate the surface of.

A plurality of exhaust ports 9 are provided on the bottom side surface of the main body 1, and the space between the guide plate 4 and the bottom surface of the main body 1 is exhausted inside the main body 1.

In the space A above the guide plate 4 in which the light source 8 is located, for example, a nitrogen gas atmosphere, that is, an atmosphere containing no oxygen is provided, which is radiated from the light source 8 and transmitted through the guide plate 4. It is prevented that ultraviolet rays or the like having a predetermined wavelength range irradiated on the surface of the object to be processed 3 are absorbed by oxygen in the atmosphere and attenuated while passing through the atmosphere existing between the light source 8 and the guide plate 4. Has been done.

The operation of this embodiment will be described below.

First, the mounting table 2 is lowered so that the gap between the mounting table 2 and the upper guide plate 4 becomes relatively large, and after the object 3 to be processed such as a semiconductor wafer is mounted through the doorway (not shown) of the main body 1. A relatively narrow channel 5 is formed over the entire surface of the object 3 to be processed between the object 3 to be processed and the guide plate 4 which is lifted and positioned on the mounting table 2.

Thereafter, the processing object 3 positioned on the mounting table 2 is heated to a predetermined temperature by a heater (not shown) provided on the mounting table 2, and the processing object 3 is moved together with the mounting table 2. Rotated.

Further, a processing fluid 7 composed of a mixed gas of oxygen and ozone or the like is supplied through a nozzle 6 to a flow path 5 composed of an object 3 to be processed and a guide plate 4, and the flow path 5 is supplied with the processing fluid 7. The processing fluid 7 circulates in a laminar flow over the entire surface of the object 3 to be processed, and ultraviolet rays in a predetermined wavelength range from the light source 8 pass through the guide plate 4 and are irradiated onto the surface of the object 3 to be processed. .

Then, a photoresist or the like made of an organic substance deposited on the surface of the object 3 to be processed such as a semiconductor wafer is generated by dissociation of oxygen or ozone constituting the processing fluid 7 excited by ultraviolet rays. It is oxidized by oxygen in the nascent stage, becomes carbon dioxide gas or water vapor, is vaporized and removed, and is discharged to the outside through the exhaust port 9.

Here, in the above-described photoresist oxidation removal treatment, oxygen in the nascent period having a relatively short life generated by dissociation of oxygen and ozone forming the treatment fluid 7 is generated near the surface of the object to be treated 3. Efficient supply is important from the viewpoint of improving the removal rate of the photoresist and the like, but in this embodiment, the guide plate 4 is used to treat the object 3 to be treated.
Since a relatively narrow channel 5 through which the processing fluid 7 circulates is formed between the guide plate 4 and the guide plate 4, the processing fluid 7 including oxygen, ozone, etc. circulated through the channel 5 and the light source 8 are formed. Nascent oxygen, which is generated by being excited by the ultraviolet rays from the substrate, is efficiently supplied to the surface of the object 3 to be processed, and the photoresist or the like attached to the surface of the object 3 to be processed such as a semiconductor wafer is relatively short. It is oxidized and removed.

Further, since the guide plate 4 is provided, the processing fluid 7 is concentratedly supplied to the vicinity of the surface of the target object 3 to be processed, and is not scattered to the outside.
It is possible to reduce the use amount of.

As described above, the following effects can be obtained in this embodiment.

(1). A transparent guide plate 4 is arranged along the surface of the object 3 to be processed in the vicinity of the mounting table 2 on which the object 3 to be processed such as a semiconductor wafer is located. Surface and guide plate 4
And a relatively narrow channel 5 through which the processing fluid 7 flows in a laminar flow are formed, and at a position where the nozzle 6 supplying the processing fluid 7 is eccentric from the rotation center of the workpiece 3. Since the structure is such that it is opened through the guide plate 4,
Oxygen, ozone, and the like that form the processing fluid 7 are dissociated by ultraviolet rays or the like having a predetermined wavelength range that are transmitted through the transparent guide plate 4 and are irradiated, and oxygen in the nascent stage is generated. While being efficiently supplied to the surface of the object 3, the photoresist adhering to the surface of the object to be processed 3 can be quickly removed by oxidation, and the processing fluid 7 is concentratedly supplied to the surface of the object to be processed 3 to the outside. As a result of not being dissipated and the amount of the processing fluid 7 used being reduced, the productivity in removing work such as the photoresist adhering to the surface of the object 3 to be processed such as a semiconductor wafer is improved.

(2) As a result of the above (1), it is possible to increase the number of objects to be processed 3 such as semiconductor wafers processed per unit time, and it is possible to incorporate them into an actual semiconductor device manufacturing line. it can.

(3) As a result of the above (1), it is not necessary to install an ozone production facility larger than necessary, and the cost and size of the apparatus can be reduced.

(4) As a result of the above (1), since the nozzle 6 is opened at a position eccentric from the rotation center of the object to be processed 3, for example, the nozzle corresponding to the center of the opening of the nozzle 6 is Uneven removal of the photoresist adhering to the surface of the object to be processed 3 due to the formation of a turbulent flow of the processing fluid 7 on the surface of the object to be processed 3 is avoided, and the object 3 to be processed 3 is avoided.
The photoresist on the surface of the can be uniformly removed.

(5). Since the space A in which the light source 8 is located inside the main body 1 has a nitrogen gas atmosphere,
For example, as compared with the case where the space A is an ordinary atmosphere, ultraviolet rays in a predetermined wavelength range emitted from a light source 8 such as a low-pressure mercury lamp are absorbed by oxygen in the atmosphere and attenuated while reaching the guide plate 4. This can be avoided, and it becomes possible to irradiate the surface of the object to be processed 3 with ultraviolet rays having a large illuminance and having a predetermined wavelength range.

(6). By displacing the mounting table 2 relative to the guide plate 4, it is possible to change the gap between the guide plate 4 and the object to be processed 3 and to attach it to the object to be processed 3. In addition, the flow path 5 having an optimum width can be configured according to the type of photoresist, the composition of the processing fluid 7, and the like, and at the same time, the work 3 for attaching / detaching the object 3 to / from the mounting table 2 can be easily performed.

Although the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described based on the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Needless to say. For example, the nozzle may be inclined with respect to the surface of the object to be processed, and the light source may be embedded inside the guide plate.

In the above description, the case of applying the invention made by the present inventor mainly to the photoresist removing process of the semiconductor wafer which is the field of application which is the background has been described, but the invention is not limited thereto. It can be widely applied to a technique or the like that requires efficient supply of a processing fluid to a processed material.

[Effects of the Invention] The effects obtained by the typical ones of the inventions disclosed in this application will be briefly described as follows.

That is, under the condition that the object supported on the mounting table is rotated by rotationally driving the mounting table, the processing fluid is applied to the processing object at a position eccentric to the rotation center of the mounting table. Since the processing fluid containing oxygen and ozone is efficiently supplied to the surface of the object to be processed such as a semiconductor wafer, the processing is performed quickly and the processing fluid is supplied to the object to be processed. It is supplied to the surface in a concentrated manner and the amount of the processing fluid used is reduced without being scattered to the outside. As a result, it is possible to improve the productivity in the processing of removing the photoresist adhering to the surface of the object to be processed. .

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a main part of a processing apparatus that is an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 main body 2 mounting table 3 object to be treated 4 guide plate 5 flow path 6 nozzle 7 processing fluid 8 light source 9 exhaust port

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A processing container, a base provided in the processing container for supporting an object to be processed and rotating the object, an ozone generation source, and a position eccentric from a rotation center of the table. A processing apparatus comprising: a nozzle that opens toward the surface of the object to be processed and supplies a processing fluid containing ozone generated from the ozone generation source to the surface of the object to be processed. 2. A flow path having a predetermined gap between a processing container, a table provided in the processing container for supporting the object to be processed and rotating the object to be processed, and a flow path having a predetermined gap between the surface of the object to be processed. A guide plate forming an ozone source, and a treatment fluid containing ozone generated from the ozone source, which is opened toward the surface of the object to be processed in the guide plate at a position eccentric from the rotation center of the table. And a nozzle for supplying the. 3. A processing container, a table provided in the processing container, for supporting the object to be processed and rotating the object to be processed, and a flow path having a predetermined gap between the surface of the object to be processed. A guide plate forming an ozone source, and a treatment fluid containing ozone generated from the ozone source, which is opened toward the surface of the object to be processed in the guide plate at a position eccentric from the rotation center of the table. And a light source that is disposed near the surface of the guide plate along the surface of the guide plate and irradiates the surface of the object to be processed with light that excites the processing fluid through the guide plate. A processing device comprising: 4. A step of rotating the object to be processed by rotating the table under the condition that the object to be processed is supported on the table provided in the processing container; A step of supplying a treatment fluid containing the treatment fluid toward the surface of the object to be treated at a position eccentric from the rotation center of the table, and performing the treatment of the surface of the object to be treated with the treatment fluid. Characterized processing method.