JPH09162155A - Treating method and treating system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress adhesion of particles to a matter to be treated or uneven drying thereof at the time of cleaning and drying the matter. SOLUTION: A bath 20 for cleaning a semiconductor wafer W with cleaning liquid and drying the cleaned wafer communicates with a section 40 for producing a drying gas by heating a solvent through a drying gas supply path 30. A cooling section 42 for interrupting the drying gas is provided above the vapor generating section 41 at drying gas generating section 40 and a discharge path 47 is provided through an on/off valve V4 above the cooling section 42. The drying gas supply path 30 communicates with with an inert gas supply path 50. According to the structure, drying gas remaining in the drying gas supply path 30 after cleaning and drying the semiconductor wafer W can be discharged by opening the on/off valve V4 and substituted by N2 gas.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a processing method and a processing apparatus for cleaning and drying an object to be processed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, an object to be processed such as a semiconductor wafer or a glass substrate for an LCD is sequentially immersed in a processing solution tank in which a processing solution such as a cleaning solution or a rinse solution is stored for cleaning. A cleaning device for performing is widely used. In addition, such a cleaning device includes a drying device that conveys an object to be processed, which has been cleaned in a processing liquid tank, to another tank in the atmosphere and dries the object to be processed in the tank. As such a drying device, for example, the technique described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-82647 is known. In this technique, a volatile solvent such as IPA (isopropyl alcohol) is stored in the bottom part, and a dry gas generation part for generating steam by heating this with a heating means and a processing part for performing processing are provided. They are provided independently and are connected to each other by a dry gas supply path, and a cooling means for shutting off steam, that is, the dry gas is provided between the dry gas generating section and the processing section to prevent the dry gas from being transferred to the surface of the object to be processed. The vapor is condensed to remove the water content of the object to be treated and to dry it.

[0003]

However, in the conventional apparatus of this type, the object to be processed, which has been washed in the processing liquid tank, such as a semiconductor wafer, is conveyed to the drying device for drying the object to be processed in the atmosphere. There is a problem that particles in the atmosphere are trapped by water droplets or the like adhering to the surface of the wafer during the transportation and the particles remain on the surface of the wafer when dried by a drying device. Then, when the next process such as the film forming process with the CVD device, the etching process with the etching device, or the resist process with the coating device is performed while the particles are attached, the wafer cannot be uniformly processed and the yield is lowered. Therefore, the improvement was requested.

Further, when a part of the water droplets dries or is dried by the drying device while the wafer having the water droplets attached thereto is transported to the drying device, unevenness of drying occurs on the surface of the wafer, and the yield in the next process is the same as described above. There is a problem that it becomes a factor that lowers.

Further, the dry gas may remain in the dry gas supply passage after the drying process, and the product of the remaining dry gas becomes particles and adheres to the wafer in the next drying process. There was also.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a processing method and a processing apparatus capable of suppressing adhesion of particles to the object to be processed, unevenness in drying, etc. when the object is washed and dried. That is the purpose.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the first processing method of the present invention is premised on a processing method of cleaning and drying an object to be processed, and the object to be processed is washed with a cleaning liquid. Steps, a step of supplying a dry gas generated by heating a solvent to the cleaned object to be treated, and a step of stopping the supply of the dry gas, and then drying the residual dry gas in the dry gas supply unit to the outside. It has a step of discharging and a step of replacing the dry gas supply part with an inert gas (claim 1).

A second processing method of the present invention is premised on a processing method of cleaning and drying an object to be processed in the same manner as the first processing method, and a step of cleaning the object to be processed with a cleaning liquid,
A step of supplying a dry gas generated by heating a solvent to the cleaned object, and a step of replacing the dry gas supply section with an inert gas after stopping the supply of the dry gas, and at the same time inert And a step of discharging the residual dry gas to the outside with a gas pressure (Claim 2).

A third processing method of the present invention is premised on a processing method of cleaning and drying an object to be processed in the same manner as the first and second processing methods, and a step of cleaning the object to be processed with a cleaning liquid. A step of supplying a dry gas generated by heating a solvent to the cleaned object, and stopping the supply of the dry gas and shutting off the dry gas supply part,
The method is characterized by including a step of discharging the dry gas remaining in the dry gas supply section to the outside and a step of replacing the dry gas supply section with an inert gas (claim 3).

The first processing apparatus of the present invention is premised on a processing apparatus for cleaning and drying an object to be processed, and a processing section for cleaning the object to be processed with a cleaning liquid and a solvent to generate a dry gas. A dry gas generating section and a dry gas supply path that connects the processing section and the dry gas generating section are provided, and a cooling means for shutting down the dry gas is provided on the upper part of the dry gas generating section, The discharge passage is communicated upward through the opening / closing means, and the inert gas supply passage is communicated with the dry gas supply passage (claim 4).

A second processing apparatus of the present invention is premised on a processing apparatus for cleaning and drying an object to be processed as in the case of the first processing apparatus, and a processing section for cleaning the object to be processed with a cleaning liquid and a solvent. A dry gas generating section for heating the dry gas to generate a dry gas, and a dry gas supply path for connecting the processing section and the dry gas generating section with each other. A means is provided, an exhaust passage is communicated above the cooling means via an opening / closing means, and an inert gas supply passage is connected to the dry gas supply passage via the opening / closing means. Claim 5).

A third processing apparatus of the present invention is premised on a processing apparatus for cleaning and drying an object to be processed, like the first and second processing apparatuses, and a processing section for cleaning the object to be processed with a cleaning liquid. A dry gas generator for heating the solvent to generate a dry gas, and a dry gas supply passage for connecting the processing unit and the dry gas generator to each other. A cooling means for use, a discharge path is connected to the upper side of the cooling means through an opening / closing means, and an inert gas supply path is connected to the dry gas supply path.
An opening / closing means is provided in the dry gas supply path and the inert gas supply path (claim 6).

In the processing apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable to control the cooling means and the opening / closing means based on a signal from the control means (claim 7). Further, in the processing apparatus according to the sixth aspect, it is possible to integrally form an opening / closing means provided in each of the dry gas supply passage and the inert gas supply passage.

According to the first and fourth aspects of the present invention, after cleaning the object to be processed with the cleaning liquid, a dry gas generated by heating the solvent is supplied to the object to be processed. It can be washed and dried without exposure to the atmosphere. Also, after drying the object to be processed, the supply of dry gas is stopped,
After that, by discharging the dry gas remaining in the dry gas supply unit to the outside, it is possible to suppress the residue of the product of the dry gas in the dry gas supply path. Furthermore, by replacing the dry gas supply section with an inert gas, it can be replaced with an inert gas in the dry gas supply path, and at the time of the next drying process, suppression of adhesion of particles to the object to be processed and drying. The occurrence of unevenness can be suppressed.

According to the second and fifth aspects of the present invention, after the supply of the dry gas is stopped, the dry gas supply section is replaced with the inert gas, and at the same time, the residual dry gas is discharged to the outside under the inert gas pressure. Thus, in addition to the above-mentioned inventions according to claims 1 and 4, it is possible to further suppress the residue of the product of the dry gas in the dry gas supply passage and replace the inert gas in the dry gas supply passage more quickly. .

According to the third and sixth aspects of the present invention, after the supply of the dry gas is stopped and the dry gas supply unit is shut off, the dry gas remaining in the dry gas supply unit is discharged to the outside, and then dried. By replacing the inside of the gas supply path with an inert gas, in addition to the above-mentioned inventions according to claims 1 and 4,
It is possible to reliably suppress the residue of the dry gas product in the dry gas supply unit. Further, the amount of the inert gas used can be reduced, and the inert gas can be effectively used.

[0017]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the structure of a cleaning processing system 1 equipped with the processing apparatus of the present invention. The cleaning processing system 1 has a cleaning processing unit 2 and both side ends of the cleaning processing unit 2. The provided loader section 3 and unloader section 4 constitute a main part.

The loader unit 3 has a predetermined number of uncleaned objects, for example, semiconductor wafers (hereinafter referred to as wafers),
For example, a carrier 5 that accommodates and mounts 25 carriers C, a wafer is taken out from the carrier C of the carrier 5 and positioned, and a predetermined number of wafers and a predetermined number of wafers are transferred. It is mainly configured by a transfer device 8 for transferring to the mechanism to the relay portion 7 which transfers the same to and from the mechanism 17.

The cleaning processing section 2 includes a plurality of cleaning units 10a, 1a from a primary cleaning unit to an nth cleaning unit.
0b, ..., 10n are sequentially arranged. The cleaning unit 10a in each of the cleaning units 10a to 10n is composed of, for example, a chemical solution tank 11, a primary water cleaning tank 12, and a secondary water cleaning tank 13. After cleaning the chemical solution in the chemical solution tank 11, the primary water cleaning tank 12 and the secondary water cleaning tank 12 are washed. After cleaning the chemical liquid adhering to the wafer with pure water in the tank 13, the wafer is transferred to a predetermined cleaning unit of the further downstream cleaning units 10b to 10n and subjected to a predetermined process.

Further, the cleaning unit 10n located at the most downstream side of the cleaning processing unit 2 is subjected to final cleaning with pure water in the same tank as described later, and a dry gas such as I as a solvent.
The cleaning / drying processing tanks 20 (processing units) of the cleaning / drying processing apparatus 15, which is the processing apparatus of the present invention for drying the wafer after the cleaning processing with PA (isopropyl alcohol) or the like, are sequentially arranged to form a series. It is configured so that a cleaning process can be performed.

Aside from the cleaning units 10b to 10n, a gripping mechanism, for example, a wafer chuck 16 receives a plurality of wafers, for example, 50 wafers from the relay section 7 and simultaneously grips the wafers. Is provided with a transfer mechanism 17 that moves the wafers in the vertical and horizontal directions and carries them in and out of a predetermined processing tank. In the present embodiment, a plurality of, for example, three transport mechanisms 17 are provided, and by limiting the transport range, consideration is given to prevent interference of, for example, a chemical solution between the cleaning units 10b to 10n. .

On the other hand, the unloader section 4 is provided with a mounting section 6 capable of mounting a carrier C for accommodating wafers which have been cleaned and dried by the cleaning units 10b to 10n. The wafer that has been returned to the carrier C after the cleaning / drying process is completed from the section 6 is unloaded.

Next, the structure of the cleaning / drying processing device 15 of the cleaning unit 10n, which is the processing device of the present invention, will be described.

First Embodiment As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cleaning / drying processing apparatus 15 is a cleaning / drying processing tank as a box-shaped processing unit configured to accommodate a cleaning liquid, for example, pure water. 20 (hereinafter referred to as a treatment tank), a dry gas generator 40 that heats the IPA to generate a dry gas, a dry gas supply path 30 that connects the treatment tank 20 and the dry gas generator 40, and a dry gas supply It is mainly composed of an inert gas, for example, a nitrogen (N2) gas supply passage 50 that communicates with the passage 30 through a filter 51.

The processing bath 20 is arranged in the processing bath 20, and a holder 21 for vertically holding a predetermined interval, for example, a half pitch and a predetermined number of wafers, for example, 50 wafers W, which are carried in by the transfer mechanism 17. Is equipped with. The processing tank 20 includes an inner tank 20 a in which a holder 21 is housed and which can immerse a wafer W in a processing liquid, and an inner tank 2 a.
The outer tank 20b receives pure water overflowing from the upper end of 0a.

A discharge port 22 for discharging the pure water is provided at the bottom of the outer tank 20b, and the used pure water is collected from the discharge port 22 by a collecting means 23 through a pipe. Is configured.

A supply / discharge port 24 is provided in the bottom portion 20c of the inner tank 20a, and a line L1 for discharging pure water from the inner tank 20a to the supply / discharge port 24 and the inner tank 20.
The line L2 for supplying pure water is connected to the line L
1 is configured to collect pure water from the supply / discharge port 24 through the opening / closing valve V1 (opening / closing means) to the collecting means 23. The line L2 includes a pump P and an opening / closing valve V2.
A supply pipe 19 for supplying pure water into the inner tank 20a via
Is connected to

The supply / discharge port 24 from the line L2
The pure water introduced into the tank is supplied to the periphery of the wafer W while suppressing the turbulent flow through the rectifying means 25 interposed between the holder 21 and the bottom portion 20c. It is configured.

In this case, the rectifying means 25 is the processing tank 2
A straightening plate 25 horizontally arranged so that 0 is divided into upper and lower parts
a and a diffusion plate 25 disposed above the supply / discharge port 24
b. A large number of small holes 25c are bored in the straightening plate 25a, and the pure water introduced from the supply / discharge port 24 first collides with the back surface of the diffusion plate 25b, and from the peripheral portion of the diffusion plate 25b. It is diffused over the entire back surface of the straightening vane 25a, then passes through the small holes 25c of the straightening vane 25a and is supplied to the periphery of the wafer W held by the holder 21, so that a uniform flow velocity is generated without turbulence. The wafer W is wrapped around the wafer W so that the entire wafer W can be uniformly cleaned.

As shown in FIG. 2, a cup 26 having a gas supply portion for supplying a predetermined dry gas into the processing tank 20 is provided above the processing tank 20. The cup 26 is provided with a sealing member such as an O-ring 27 that comes into contact with the upper surface of the inner tank 20a, and a predetermined gas such as a dry gas having a boiling point of room temperature or higher is provided in the cup 26 via a dry gas supply passage 30. Gas such as IPA and an inert gas such as N2 gas are supplied. In this case, a heating means such as a heater (not shown) for setting a temperature equal to or higher than the boiling point of the dry gas, and preferably a predetermined temperature of 80 ° C. or higher in the case of the IPA gas is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the cup 26. ing.

Further, the cup 26 is constructed so as to move toward or away from the inner tank 20a by an unillustrated moving mechanism as shown by an arrow in the figure. Further, the cup 26 is provided with an exhaust port 28 for exhausting the inside of the cup 26, and the exhaust port 28 is connected to an exhaust means 29 via an opening / closing means V3. In this case, the dry gas supply passage 30 and the exhaust port 28 may be connected to or provided on the processing tank 20 side without being connected to or provided to the cup 26.

On the other hand, the dry gas generating section 40 includes a vapor generating section 41 for a solvent such as IPA and a cooling section 42 for shutting down the dry gas for condensing IPA vapor (dry gas) in the vapor generating section 41. It is mainly composed.

In this case, the vapor generator 41 has a liquid reservoir 43 provided at the bottom of the vapor generator 41 for storing IPA, and a heater 44 is provided below the liquid reservoir 43. There is. In addition, the cooling unit 42 is the steam generation unit 41.
It is formed by a cooling corrugated pipe that is piped along the inner wall on the upper side of the cooling corrugated pipe, and the refrigerant is supplied into the cooling corrugated pipe by driving the refrigerant supply means 45 that communicates with the cooling corrugated pipe.

With this configuration, in the state where the refrigerant is supplied into the cooling corrugated pipe, the vapor of IPA is condensed to prevent the outflow of the dry gas to the upper side, that is, the dry gas supply passage 30 side, and The driving of the coolant supply means 45 is stopped, and the supply of the coolant to the cooling corrugated pipe is stopped, so that the dry gas generated in the steam generating unit 41 is supplied into the steam processing tank 20 through the dry gas supply passage 30. It has become so.

A discharge port 46 is provided on the upper side wall of the cooling unit 42 of the steam generating unit 41.
A discharge path 47 is connected to the valve via an opening / closing means such as an opening / closing valve V4. Further, the discharge path 47 is connected to the exhaust means 48.

The on-off valves V1 to V4, the pump P,
The coolant supply means 45 is configured to be driven according to a predetermined processing program by the control means 60 that controls the processing of the cleaning / drying processing apparatus 15.

Next, the normal operation of the above embodiment will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 1, an unprocessed wafer W
The carrier C that stores 25 sheets each is placed at a predetermined position on the placing unit 5 of the loader unit 3 from outside the cleaning system 1 by, for example, a transfer robot (not shown) or an operator.

Then, the carrier C is sequentially clamped by the transfer device 8 and transferred to the relay section 7. In this relay unit 7, the wafers W in the carrier C are aligned, for example, orientation flat aligned, and further, a predetermined number of wafers W are processed, for example, 50 wafers and each wafer W is aligned at a predetermined time, and the wafers W are collectively processed. Then, as one lot, the transport mechanism 17
Held on the wafer chuck 16.

After this, the wafer chuck 1 of the transfer mechanism 17
One lot of wafers W held in No. 6 is transferred to the chemical liquid tank 11 of the cleaning unit 10a, and a predetermined chemical liquid is introduced into the chemical liquid tank 11 to perform a predetermined cleaning process on the wafer W. As the predetermined processing, for example, a predetermined chemical solution is introduced and a chemical solution cleaning process is performed according to the type of contamination attached to the surface of the wafer W, such as organic impurities and metal impurities. In this case, the organic contaminants are cleaned with a mixed solution of ammonia water and hydrogen peroxide water.

After this cleaning, the transfer mechanism 17 takes out the wafer W from the chemical solution tank 11 and transfers it to the primary water cleaning tank 12, where primary cleaning with pure water is performed. After that, the wafer W after cleaning with pure water is sent to the secondary water cleaning tank 13 to perform secondary cleaning with pure water, and the chemical liquid adhering to the wafer W is cleaned more completely. The secondary rinsing tank 13 is also called an interface tank, and is located between adjacent cleaning units where cleaning is performed with another type of chemical solution, and has a function as a buffer for preventing mixing of both chemical solutions. I have.

That is, the wafer W, which has been subjected to a predetermined cleaning process in the chemical bath 11, is transferred to the subsequent secondary cleaning unit 10b via the secondary cleaning tank 13 which is an interface tank after the primary cleaning. , A process of removing a natural oxide film and metal impurities by a predetermined cleaning process such as hydrofluoric acid (HF), which is processed in the subsequent cleaning units 10b to 10n, a process of cleaning with a mixed solution of hydrochloric acid and hydrogen peroxide solution, etc. It is intended to prevent the various chemical solutions used in 1. from interfering with the cleaning units 10a to 10n.

After that, after performing necessary cleaning processing on the wafer W, the wafer W is transferred by the transfer mechanism 17 to the processing tank 20 of the cleaning unit 10n shown in FIG.
The wafer W is placed at a predetermined position of the holder 21 in the inner tank 20a of 0.

When arranging the wafer W in the inner tank 20a, the control means 60 drives the pump P and the opening / closing valve V2 to send pure water into the inner tank 20a at a predetermined flow rate by the opening / closing valve V2. Pure water overflowing from the inner tank 20a is flowed into the outer tank 20b and collected by the collecting means 23. That is, when the wafer W is loaded into the inner tank 20a by the transfer mechanism 17, new pure water is always supplied to the pure water stored in the inner tank 20a and is discharged from the inner tank 20a to the outer tank 20b. Pure particles are supplied into the inner tank 20a in order to attract particles that adhere to the mechanism 17 and the like into the inner tank 20a and reduce the yield of the wafers W.

Thereafter, the cleaning / drying process of the wafer W is performed according to the procedure of the flowchart shown in FIG. That is, the control means 60 is operated in accordance with a predetermined processing program.
The pump P and the open / close valve V2 are driven by the open / close valve V2, and the pure water in the inner tank 20a has a predetermined flow rate for a predetermined flow rate (the flow rate may be changed stepwise) and a predetermined resistance value. The cleaning process is performed while flowing into the inner tank 20a until the value is reached (step A).

Upon completion of this cleaning process, as shown in FIG. 5, the cup 26 is moved to the inner tank 20a side, and the O-ring 27 of the cup 26 and the upper surface 20d of the inner tank 20a are separated by a predetermined distance Y. To maintain. Thereafter, the control means 60 supplies N2 gas into the cup 26 from the N2 gas supply means while driving the pump P to supply pure water to the inner tank 20a through the supply / discharge port 24, as shown in FIG. , The pure water level is y1
In the direction of the inner tank 20a so as to overflow the upper surface 20d of the inner tank 20a (step B). By this step, particles adhering to the inside of the cup 26 or the like due to the introduction of N2 gas are removed from the cup 2.
6 and the inner tank 20a, and also the particles floating on the interface of pure water.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned predetermined interval Y is the inner tank 2 of pure water.
It is desirable that the O-ring 27 of the cup 26 is maintained at a distance that does not contact the pure water when the O-ring 27 overflows the upper surface 20d of 0a. The reason is that when the O-ring 27 of the cup 26 comes into contact with the discharged pure water, particles floating on the interface of the pure water may be attached. Further, when there is no risk that particles floating on the pure water interface adhere to the O-ring 27 of the cup 26 or the influence thereof is small, the O-ring 27 and the pure water to be discharged are brought into contact and discharged. Particles attached to the O-ring 27 and the like may be washed away with pure water. In this way, after a predetermined time, the control means 60 causes the opening / closing valve V2
Is closed to stop the supply of pure water into the inner tank 20a.

At this time, the wafer W is maintained in pure water. In addition, while the cleaning process and the liquid discharging process are being performed, the IPA in the dry gas generation unit 40 is increased.
Of the steam is generated and condensed by the refrigerant supplied to the cooling section, that is, the cooling spiral tube by the driving of the refrigerant supply means 45, and the supply to the dry gas supply passage 30 side is blocked.
At this time, the opening / closing means V4 is closed.

Next, the cup 26 is moved to the inner tank 20a side, and the O-ring 27 of the cup 26 and the upper surface 2 of the inner tank 20a are moved.
Contact 0d. As a result, the space above the surface of the pure water in the inner tank 20a is shielded from the outside air and is kept airtight (step C). Next, the control means 60 opens the on-off valve V3 and drives the exhaust means 29, and further the control means 60 stops the supply from the N2 gas supply means.
The driving of the coolant supply means 45 is stopped. As a result, the inside of the cup 26 is set to a predetermined pressure and is filled with the IPA gas. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, at a predetermined distance y2 and a predetermined concentration from the liquid surface LD of pure water in the inner tank 20a, IP
An IPA liquid layer in which A gas is dissolved is formed.

The width and concentration of the above-mentioned IPA liquid tank are
The IPA gas flow rate and the inflow time of the IPA gas and the pressure in the cup 26 due to the exhaust of the exhaust means are set so that the width becomes a desired optimum value based on the data obtained in advance.

After that, the control means 60 closes the on-off valve V3, stops the exhaust means 29, opens the on-off valve V1 while flowing the IPA gas at a predetermined flow rate, and supplies pure water to the bottom of the inner tank 20a, that is, to supply it. The wafer W is discharged from the discharge port 24 at a predetermined flow rate until it is not immersed in the liquid, and the drying process is performed (step D). In this step, it is preferable that the amount of pure water discharged from the inner tank 20a be equal to or larger than the amount that the pure water does not substantially remain on the wafer W.

Next, the drying of the wafer W accompanying the discharge of pure water will be described with reference to FIG. Supply of the above
When pure water is discharged from the discharge port 24 at a predetermined flow rate in the direction of the arrow, a mountain shape 72 is generated for the wafer W at the interface of the IPA liquid layer 70 formed on the interface of the pure water 71 as described above. However, the boundary between the IPA liquid layer 70 and the pure water 71 is
A valley pattern 73 is generated. This valley type 73 is IPA
Occurs regardless of the state of the surface of the wafer W, and the surface of the wafer W becomes hydrophobic. Due to this hydrophobic state, the pure water 71 also becomes a valley-shaped 73 with respect to the wafer W, and particles contained in the pure water should be removed from the liquid by any chance.
It is possible to prevent the wafer W from being left as a residue when being pulled up to the A gas atmosphere. Furthermore, since the pure water 71 also becomes a valley 73 with respect to the wafer W due to the hydrophobic state, when the wafer W is pulled up from the liquid to the IPA gas atmosphere, no water droplets of the pure water 71 remain on the surface of the wafer W. . Then, the wafer is dried by the IPA gas when exposed to the IPA gas atmosphere from the surface.

Thereafter, the control means 60 opens the on-off valve V3, drives the exhaust means 29, drives the refrigerant supply means 45, supplies the refrigerant into the cooling coil, and stops the supply of the IPA gas. . Then, the cup 26 is removed from the inner tank 20a by a moving mechanism (not shown).

Next, the control means 60 opens the on-off valve V4 and drives the exhaust means 48 to drive the dry gas supply passage 30.
The IPA gas remaining inside is discharged (step E). After the IPA gas is discharged for a predetermined time, the control means 60 drives the N2 gas supply means to supply the N2 gas to the dry gas supply path 3
0, and the inside of the dry gas supply passage 30 is replaced with an N2 gas atmosphere (step F).

Thereafter, by repeating the above-described steps and steps A to F, a predetermined number of wafers W, for example, 50 wafers W can be continuously washed and dried.

The cleaned and dried wafer W is accommodated in a predetermined carrier C mounted on the mounting portion 6 of the unloader unit 4 via the transfer mechanism 17, and a series of cleaning and drying steps are completed. To do.

Second Embodiment FIG. 8 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a main part of a second embodiment of the processing apparatus of the present invention. The second embodiment is a case where the dry gas remaining in the dry gas supply unit after the drying process is discharged, and at the same time, the replacement with the inert gas can be performed. That is, an inert gas such as N that communicates with the dry gas supply passage 30.
This is a case where an on-off valve V5 as an opening / closing means is provided in the 2 gas supply passage 50 and the on-off valve V5 is controlled based on a signal from the control means 60.

By providing the opening / closing valve V5 driven by the control means 60 in the N2 gas supply passage 50 as described above, the opening / closing valve V4 in the discharge passage 47 is opened after the wafer W is dried as described above. At the same time, by opening the on-off valve V5 of the N2 gas supply passage, the dry gas supply passage 3 is controlled by the gas pressure of the N2 gas flowing into the dry gas supply passage 30.
The IPA gas remaining in 0 can be discharged, and at the same time, the dry gas supply passage 30 can be replaced with N2 gas. That is, the dry gas discharge step (step E) and the N2 gas replacement step (step F) of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4 can be performed simultaneously. Therefore, the discharge of the dry gas remaining in the dry gas supply passage 30 and the replacement with the inert gas can be quickly performed, and the throughput can be improved. In the second embodiment, other parts are the same as those in the first embodiment, and thus the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

Third Embodiment FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a main part of a third embodiment of the processing apparatus of the present invention. The third embodiment is a case in which the discharge of the dry gas remaining in the dry gas supply unit after the drying process and the replacement of the inert gas can be performed more reliably. That is, an inert gas such as N that communicates with the dry gas supply passage 30.
An opening / closing valve V5 as an opening / closing means is provided in the 2 gas supply passage 50, and an opening / closing valve V6 as an opening / closing means is provided in the vicinity of the connection portion of the dry gas supply passage 30 with the N2 gas supply passage 50.
Then, the opening / closing valves V5 and V6 are respectively controlled by the control means 60.
This is the case when the control is performed based on the signal of.

As described above, the dry gas supply passage 30 and N
(2) On-off valves V5 and V6 are provided in the gas supply path 50, and these on-off valves V5 and V6 are controlled by the control means 60 to close the on-off valve V6 after the wafer W is dried as described above. Open the on-off valve V4 of the discharge path 47,
After the IPA gas remaining in the dry gas supply passage 30 is discharged, the on-off valve V5 is opened to supply the N2 gas into the dry gas supply passage 30 for replacement. Therefore, the dry gas remaining in the dry gas supply passage 30 can be surely discharged, and the replacement can be performed with a small amount of the inert gas. Since the other parts of the third embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment, the same parts are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. Further, in the third embodiment, the open / close valves V5 and V6 can be integrally formed.

Next, the effect of the above embodiment will be described. By cleaning and drying the wafer W as described above, the wafer W cleaned in the cleaning / drying processing tank 20 is dried in a dry gas atmosphere in an airtight space without being exposed to the atmosphere. The particles in the atmosphere can be prevented from adhering after cleaning, and the yield in the cleaning / drying process of the wafer W can be improved. Further, since the yield in the cleaning / drying process of the wafer W can be improved, the process of the wafer W in the next process, for example, the film forming process by the CVD device, the etching process by the etching device, the resist process by the coating device, or the like. The yield can be improved. Further, after the cleaning process is completed, the liquid surface area of the cleaning liquid is drained while supplying N2 gas,
Since the particles mixed in the liquid are removed, when the cleaning liquid is discharged, the particles attached to the wafer W can be prevented or the amount thereof can be suppressed, and the yield of the wafer W can be improved. Further, after cleaning the wafer W, a dry gas liquid layer is formed at the interface of the cleaning liquid, and this dry gas liquid layer is made hydrophobic to the wafer W, so that when the cleaning liquid is pulled up to the dry gas atmosphere. ,
It is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid from adhering to the wafer W.
Therefore, it is possible to suppress unevenness in drying of the wafer W, suppress the generation of watermarks, and improve the yield of the wafer W.

Further, after the drying process, the dry gas remaining in the dry gas supply passage is discharged and the inside of the dry gas supply passage is replaced with an inert gas, so that the product of the dry gas remaining in the dry gas supply portion is produced. Particles generated by the above can be suppressed, unevenness in drying and the like can be suppressed from occurring in the next drying process, and the yield can be improved.

Other Embodiments In the above embodiment, the temperature of the pure water in the cleaning / drying treatment tank was not specified, but for example, the supplied IP
By setting the temperature substantially equal to or higher than the temperature of the A gas, it is possible to accelerate the formation of the IPA liquid layer on the surface of the pure water and improve the throughput and the like. Although IPA is used as the dry gas, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to this as long as it dissolves in pure water and has hydrophobicity with respect to the object to be treated. Further, although the semiconductor wafer is used as the object to be processed, it can be applied to a glass substrate or the like as a liquid crystal substrate. Although N2 gas is used as the inert gas, it may be a rare gas such as argon gas. Further, although only the object to be processed was transferred to the cleaning / drying processing tank for processing, it may be transferred to the processing tank together with the containers containing the object to be processed at a predetermined pitch interval for processing. Further, an example in which the processing method and the processing apparatus of the present invention are applied to a cleaning processing system has been described, but the present invention is not limited to that system, and other apparatuses, for example, a film forming processing apparatus such as a CVD apparatus or an etching processing apparatus such as an etching apparatus. It may be partly provided and systematized.

[0064]

【The invention's effect】

1) According to the inventions of claims 1 and 4, since the object to be processed can be washed and dried without exposing it to the atmosphere,
Adhesion of particles or the like contained in the cleaning liquid can be suppressed, or unevenness in drying of the object to be processed can be suppressed, and the yield of the object to be processed can be improved. Further, since the residue of the product of the dry gas in the dry gas supply passage after the drying treatment is suppressed, and the dry gas supply part is replaced with the inert gas,
It is possible to suppress the adhesion of particles and the occurrence of uneven drying.

2) According to the invention described in claims 2 and 5,
After the supply of the dry gas is stopped, the dry gas supply section is replaced with an inert gas, and at the same time, the residual dry gas is discharged to the outside under the inert gas pressure. Therefore, in addition to the above 1), the dry gas supply path The residue of the dry gas product can be suppressed and the inert gas in the dry gas supply passage can be replaced more quickly,
Throughput can be improved.

3) According to the invention described in claims 3 and 6,
Since the dry gas remaining in the dry gas supply unit is discharged to the outside after the supply of the dry gas is stopped and the dry gas supply unit is shut off, the residue of the dry gas product in the dry gas supply unit is added to the above 1). Can be surely suppressed, and the inert gas can be effectively used.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a cleaning processing system to which a processing apparatus of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a part of a first embodiment of a processing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing a cross section of a part of a processing unit in the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the processing method of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the operation of the cleaning process according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional view for explaining the operation of the drying process in the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the operation of the drying process in this invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a part of a second embodiment of the processing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a part of a third embodiment of the processing apparatus of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 20 Cleaning / Drying Treatment Tank (Processing Section) 30 Dry Gas Supply Channel 40 Dry Gas Generation Section 41 Steam Generation Section 42 Cooling Section (Cooling Means) 45 Refrigerant Supply Means 47 Exhaust Means 48 Exhaust Means 50 Inert Gas Supply Means 60 Control Means V4 to V6 open / close valve (open / close means) W semiconductor wafer (object to be processed)

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A method of cleaning and drying an object to be processed, which comprises a step of cleaning the object to be processed with a cleaning liquid, and a dry gas produced by heating a solvent to the object to be cleaned. And a step of discharging the dry gas remaining in the dry gas supply section to the outside after stopping the supply of the dry gas, and a step of replacing the dry gas supply section with an inert gas. A processing method characterized by the above. 2. A processing method for cleaning and drying an object to be processed, which comprises a step of cleaning the object to be processed with a cleaning liquid, and a dry gas generated by heating a solvent to the object to be cleaned. And a step of, after stopping the supply of the dry gas, replacing the dry gas supply part with an inert gas and at the same time discharging the residual dry gas to the outside with an inert gas pressure. And the processing method. 3. A method of cleaning and drying an object to be processed, which comprises a step of cleaning the object to be processed with a cleaning liquid, and a dry gas produced by heating a solvent to the object to be cleaned. And a step of stopping the supply of the dry gas and shutting off the dry gas supply unit, and then discharging the dry gas remaining in the dry gas supply unit to the outside, and a process of supplying the dry gas supply unit with an inert gas. And a step of replacing with. 4. A processing apparatus for cleaning and drying an object to be processed, comprising a processing section for cleaning the object to be processed with a cleaning liquid, a dry gas generating section for heating a solvent to generate a dry gas, and the above processing. And a drying gas supply passage that connects the drying gas generating unit to each other, a cooling unit for shutting off the drying gas is provided on the upper portion of the drying gas generating unit, and the cooling unit is discharged above the cooling unit through an opening / closing unit. A processing device, characterized in that a path is communicated with the dry gas supply path and an inert gas supply path is connected with the dry gas supply path. 5. A processing apparatus for cleaning and drying an object to be processed, comprising a processing section for cleaning the object to be processed with a cleaning liquid, a dry gas generating section for heating a solvent to generate a dry gas, and the processing described above. And a drying gas supply passage that connects the drying gas generating unit to each other, a cooling unit for shutting off the drying gas is provided on the upper portion of the drying gas generating unit, and the cooling unit is discharged above the cooling unit through an opening / closing unit. A processing apparatus, characterized in that the channels are communicated with each other, and the inert gas supply channel is communicated with the dry gas supply channel through an opening / closing means. 6. A processing apparatus for cleaning and drying an object to be processed, comprising a processing section for cleaning the object to be processed with a cleaning liquid, a dry gas generating section for heating a solvent to generate a dry gas, and the processing described above. And a drying gas supply passage that connects the drying gas generating unit to each other, a cooling unit for shutting off the drying gas is provided on the upper portion of the drying gas generating unit, and the cooling unit is discharged above the cooling unit through an opening / closing unit. A processing apparatus, characterized in that the channels are communicated with each other, the inert gas supply channel is communicated with the dry gas supply channel, and an opening / closing means is provided in the dry gas supply channel and the inert gas supply channel. 7. The processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the cooling means and the opening / closing means are controlled based on a signal from the control means.