JPH09289158A - Chemical liquid pressure jetting system of semiconductor processing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a chemical liquid pressure jetting system of a semiconductor processing equipment wherein the removal of air of a chemicala liquid pressure jetting system is automated and generation of an imperfect pattern is prevented. SOLUTION: When a chemical liquid tank 8 becomes empty, a sensor 10a detects the state, and the carriage of wafers is interrupted. At the same time, an on-off valve 11 for pressure piping is closed, and the pressurizing of the chemical liquid tank 8 is stopped. An on-off valve 12 for jet piping is closed, and air is prevented from entering a trap tank 10. In this state, the chemical tank 8 is exchanged, and the on-off valve 11, an on-off valve 18 for drain piping, and the on-off valve 12 for jet piping are opened. Thereby pressurized nitrogen is supplied to the chemical liquid tank 8, the chemical liquid in a trap tank 10 is discharged in a drain 14, and removal of air is performed. When the chemical liquid flows in the drain piping 15, the state is detected by a drain sensor 19, the on-off valve 18 for drain piping is closed, carriage of wafers is started, an on-off valve 20 for main piping is opened, and the chemical liquid is jetted from a nozzle 16.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a chemical liquid pressurizing / discharging system for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and more specifically, it aims at automating air bleeding and monitoring leaks in a developer coating device equipped with the chemical liquid pressurizing / discharging system. The present invention also relates to improvement of a chemical liquid pressure discharge system for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a developing solution coating apparatus equipped with a chemical solution pressure / discharging system, if air is accumulated in a trap tank when a chemical solution is exchanged or a leak occurs due to a malfunction of the equipment itself, a defective development (pattern Bad)
May occur. In order to prevent air trapping in the trap tank, it is necessary to bleed the trap tank when exchanging chemicals. Conventionally, the manual valve is manually operated while visually checking it. Further, when a leak occurs, a pattern defect occurs due to insufficient pressurization, but conventionally, the leak has also been visually confirmed.

[0003]

The method of bleeding the trap tank with a manual valve is not only troublesome to operate, but also often causes a pattern defect due to an operation error such as forgetting to close the manual valve. It was Further, since the leak is not monitored, there is a problem that pattern defects are likely to occur due to insufficient pressurization. The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and provides a chemical liquid pressure / discharge system for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus capable of automating air bleeding of a chemical liquid pressure / discharge system and preventing pattern defects in advance. To aim. It is another object of the present invention to provide a chemical liquid pressure / discharge system for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, which monitors leaks and prevents pattern defects in advance.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for pressurizing a chemical solution contained in a sealed chemical solution tank and discharging it from a nozzle toward a wafer to be transported. A chemical liquid pressure discharge system,
A pressurizing pipe opening / closing valve provided in the pressurized pipe of the nitrogen source connected to the chemical liquid tank, a trap tank connected to the discharge pipe of the chemical liquid tank, and the presence or absence of the chemical liquid in the trap tank are detected. A chemical solution detection sensor for a trap tank, a drain piping on-off valve provided in the drain piping connected to the trap tank, and a drain sensor provided in the drain piping for detecting the presence or absence of a chemical solution in the drain piping. The trap tank chemical solution detection sensor detects that the chemical solution is exhausted in the trap tank and stops the wafer transfer and closes the pressurizing pipe opening / closing valve, and the pressurization is performed after the chemical solution tank is replaced. Open the pipe opening / closing valve to pressurize the chemical liquid tank and open the drain piping opening / closing valve to confirm that the chemical liquid has flowed into the drain pipe. It is detected by the sensor, characterized in that it is configured to close the drain pipe on-off valve.

According to the present invention, the trap tank chemical liquid detection sensor detects that the chemical liquid tank is empty to stop the pressurization of the chemical liquid tank and the wafer transfer, and after the chemical liquid tank is replaced, the drain pipe opening / closing valve is opened to release air. By performing the above, the air bleeding is automated, and it is possible to prevent in advance a wafer pattern defect due to an operation error during chemical solution exchange.

Further, the present invention is a chemical liquid pressurizing / discharging system of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for pressurizing a chemical liquid contained in a hermetically sealed chemical liquid tank and ejecting it from a nozzle toward a wafer to be conveyed. A pressurizing pipe opening / closing valve provided in the nitrogen source pressurizing pipe connected to the tank, a trap tank connected to the discharge pipe of the chemical liquid tank, and a main pipe connecting the trap tank and the nozzle. A pressure sensor provided therein, the pressure sensor detects a pressure drop due to a leak between the chemical liquid tank and the nozzle, and stops the wafer transfer by this detection signal. To do.

According to the present invention, the leak of the chemical liquid is constantly monitored by the pressure sensor, and the wafer transfer is stopped when the leak occurs, whereby the pattern defect due to the insufficient pressurization can be prevented in advance.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below based on an embodiment shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an example of a two-track type developer coating device, in which a loader unit 2, a spin unit 3, an oven unit 4, and an unloader unit 5 are arranged in this order on a carrier 1. The developing solution is applied to the wafer W sent from the loader section 2 by the spin section 3, and the wafer W is sent to the oven section 4 to harden the resist (photosensitive agent).

FIG. 2 shows a piping diagram of a chemical liquid pressure discharge system for supplying a chemical liquid to the spin section 3. Reference numeral 8 denotes a chemical liquid tank, and the chemical liquid tank 8 is connected to a nitrogen source 9 by a pressurizing pipe 6, and nitrogen is supplied from the pressurizing pipe 6 through a regulator 13 and a pressurizing pipe opening / closing valve 11 which is a solenoid valve. It is supposed to be done. A discharge pipe 7 is connected between the chemical liquid tank 8 and the trap tank 10, and the discharge pipe 7 is provided with a discharge pipe opening / closing valve 12.

The trap tank 10 is provided with a trap tank chemical liquid detection sensor 10a for outputting a detection signal when the chemical liquid in the chemical liquid tank 8 is empty. In this trap tank 10, the drain pipe 1 leading to the drain 14 is provided.
5, the main pipe 17 leading to the nozzle 16 is connected, the drain pipe 15 is provided with a drain pipe opening / closing valve 18 and a drain sensor 19, and the main pipe 17 is provided with a main pipe opening / closing valve 20 and a contact flow valve 21. Is provided. The flow valve with contact 21 is equipped with a pressure sensor that detects the pressure in the main pipe 17.

Reference numeral 22 denotes an air source, which is a pipe 2 from the air source 22.
3, 24 and 25 are solenoid valves for operation 26, 27 and 2
The main pipe opening / closing valve 20, the drain pipe opening / closing valve 18, and the discharge pipe opening / closing valve 12 are connected via valve 8 to the respective valve opening / closing actuators. When the open / close valve 11 for the pressurized pipe is energized to open the valve 11, pressurized nitrogen is supplied from the nitrogen source 9 to the chemical liquid tank 8, and the chemical liquid is supplied from the trap tank 10 to the main pipe 17, the main pipe open / close valve 20, It is supplied to the nozzle 16 through the flow valve 21 with a contact, the chemical solution is pressurized and discharged from the nozzle 16, and the developing solution is applied by the spin unit 3. When the operation solenoid valves 26, 27, 28 are energized, the operation solenoid valves 26, 27, 28 are opened, and the compressed air of the air source 22 is transferred from the pipes 23, 24, 25 to the main pipe opening / closing valve 20, the drain pipe. The open / close valve 18 for the main pipe and the open / close valve 2 for the main pipe are supplied to the open / close valves 18 and the open / close valve 12 for the discharge pipe.
0, the drain pipe on-off valve 18 and the discharge pipe on-off valve 12 are configured to open.

Next, the operation of bleeding air and the operation of the leak monitor when exchanging chemicals will be described. (1) Air bleeding operation When the chemical solution in the chemical solution tank 8 becomes empty, the trap tank 10
The chemical liquid inside also becomes empty, and this state is detected by the chemical liquid detection sensor 10a for the trap tank, and this detection signal is sent to the loader unit 2, the pressurizing pipe opening / closing valve 11, and the operation solenoid valve 28, and the loader unit 2 The transfer of the wafer W from the wafer is stopped, the energization of the pressurizing pipe opening / closing valve 11 is shut off, the valve 11 is closed, the pressurization of the chemical liquid tank 8 is stopped, and the operation solenoid valve 28 is operated. Is shut off, the on-off valve 12 for the discharge pipe is closed, and air is prevented from entering the trap tank 10. In this state, the chemical liquid tank 8 is exchanged, and after the exchange, the pressurizing pipe opening / closing valve 11 and the operation solenoid valves 27, 28 are energized.

By energizing the solenoid valves 27, 28 for operation, the drain pipe opening / closing valve 18 and the discharge pipe opening / closing valve 12 are opened. By energizing the pressurizing pipe opening / closing valve 11, the valve 11 is opened, pressurized nitrogen is supplied into the chemical liquid tank 8, and the pressurized chemical liquid enters from the discharge pipe 7 into the trap tank 10 and through the drain pipe 15. The chemical liquid in the trap tank 10 is discharged to the drain 14, and thereby air is evacuated. When the chemical solution flows through the drain pipe 15, the drain sensor 19 detects the chemical liquid, and the detection signal shuts off the operation of the solenoid valve 27 for operation to close the drain pipe opening / closing valve 18 and the loader unit 2 from the wafer W to the wafer W. Transport is started. At the same time, the solenoid valve 26 for operation is energized to open the on-off valve 20 for the main pipe, and the pressurized chemical liquid is supplied to the nozzle 16 from the flow valve 21 with a contact, and the chemical liquid is discharged from the nozzle 16 to develop on the wafer W. The liquid is applied.

(2) Operation of Leak Monitor In the above operation, when a chemical leak occurs in the path from the chemical tank 8 to the nozzle 16 while the chemical is being discharged from the nozzle 16, the flow rate valve with a contact 21 indicates that the pressure is insufficient. This detection signal causes the wafer transfer from the loader unit 2 to be stopped, the operation solenoid valve 26 to be de-energized, the main pipe opening / closing valve 20 to be closed, and the supply of the chemical solution to be stopped.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the trap tank 10 equipped with the chemical detection sensor 10a for the trap tank detects the emptyness of the chemical tank 8 to stop the transfer of the wafer W and the pressurization of the chemical tank 8. After the chemical solution tank 8 is replaced, the drain pipe opening / closing valve 18 is opened to release air,
Since the drain pipe open / close valve 18 is closed by the drain detection signal of the drain sensor 19, it is possible to automate the air bleeding, prevent the pattern defect of the wafer due to the operation error at the time of the chemical solution exchange, and also prevent the operation error due to the operation error. It is also possible to prevent the chemical solution from being discharged to the drain 14.

Further, the flow valve 21 with a contact is provided for leaking the chemical liquid.
Constantly monitor the drop in pressure, and if a leak occurs, loader section 2
Since the transfer of the wafer from the wafer is stopped, pattern defects due to insufficient pressurization can be prevented in advance. In the above-described embodiment, an example of the developing solution applying device using the chemical solution pressurizing and discharging system is shown, but the invention can be applied to a gas etching apparatus using a gas cylinder instead of the chemical solution tank 8.

[0017]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, the emptying of the chemical liquid tank is detected in the trap tank to stop the wafer transfer and the pressurization of the chemical liquid tank, and the drain pipe is exchanged after the chemical liquid tank is replaced. By opening the on / off valve for bleeding and bleeding air, the air bleeding is automated, and it is possible to prevent in advance a wafer pattern defect due to an operation error during chemical solution exchange. Further, according to the present invention, since the leakage of the chemical liquid is constantly monitored and the wafer transfer from the loader unit is stopped when the leakage occurs, the pattern defect due to insufficient pressurization can be prevented in advance.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view of a developing solution coating apparatus that is a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a piping diagram showing a chemical liquid pressure discharge system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

6 ... Pressurized piping, 7 ... Discharge piping, 8 ... Chemical solution tank,
10 ... Trap tank, 10a ... Sensor, 11 ...
Open / close valve for pressurizing piping, 15 …… Drain piping, 17 …… Main piping, 18 …… Drain piping opening / closing valve, 19 …… Drain sensor, 20 …… Main piping opening / closing valve, 21 …… Flow valve with contacts , W ... wafer.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Office reference number FI technical display location H01L 21/30 569D 569G

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A chemical liquid pressurizing / discharging system of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, which pressurizes a chemical liquid contained in a hermetically sealed chemical liquid tank and discharges it from a nozzle toward a wafer to be transferred, the system being connected to the chemical liquid tank. And an on-off valve for a pressurized pipe provided in the pressurized pipe of the nitrogen source, a trap tank connected to the discharge pipe of the chemical liquid tank, and a chemical liquid detection for a trap tank that detects the presence or absence of the chemical liquid in the trap tank. A sensor, a drain pipe opening / closing valve provided in the drain pipe connected to the trap tank, and a drain sensor provided in the drain pipe for detecting the presence or absence of a chemical solution in the drain pipe, the trap tank When the chemical solution detection sensor for the trap tank detects that the chemical solution is exhausted, the wafer transfer is stopped and the on / off valve for the pressurized pipe is closed. After exchanging the chemical liquid tank, open the pressure pipe opening / closing valve to pressurize the chemical liquid tank and open the drain pipe opening / closing valve,
A chemical liquid pressurizing / discharging system for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, wherein the drain sensor detects that a chemical liquid has flowed in the drain pipe and closes the drain pipe opening / closing valve. 2. A chemical liquid pressurizing / discharging system of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, which pressurizes a chemical liquid contained in a hermetically sealed chemical liquid tank and discharges it from a nozzle toward a wafer to be transferred, the system being connected to the chemical liquid tank. A pressurizing pipe opening / closing valve provided in the pressurized pipe of the nitrogen source, a trap tank connected to the discharge pipe of the chemical liquid tank, and a main pipe connecting the trap tank and the nozzle. A pressure sensor that detects a pressure drop due to a leak between the chemical tank and the nozzle, and stops the wafer transfer by the detection signal. Chemical liquid pressure discharge system of the device. 3. A main pipe opening / closing valve provided in the main pipe between the trap tank and the pressure sensor, wherein when the pressure sensor detects a pressure drop, the detection signal is used to open / close the main pipe. The chemical liquid pressurizing / discharging system of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the valve is closed. 4. The chemical liquid pressurizing / discharging system for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the chemical liquid tank is a gas cylinder.