JPH10199857A - Ultraviolet treating apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the temp. uniformity of a nozzle by setting at least one ozone-spraying nozzle, having slit-like openings in a lamp house and placing intake holes on a line intersecting the nozzle. SOLUTION: In a lamp house 1, ultraviolet lamps 2 and ozone-spray nozzles 3 are alternately disposed. A gas for cooling the lamps 2 and nozzles 3 is fed through in-take holes 4 at the ceiling of the lamp house 1 and exhausted from exhaust holes. The nozzles are heated by the heat of the lamps 2. If the temp. difference in the length direction is large, there appears a difference in the ozone thermal decomposition rate to increase the exhaust ozone concn. difference. The layout and number of the intake holes 4 are determined so as to reduce the temp. difference between the ozone-spray nozzles 3, thereby improving the nozzle temp. uniformity.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ultraviolet processing apparatus for decomposing and removing an organic compound film such as a resist applied on a wafer or a glass substrate with ultraviolet light and ozone.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the manufacture of semiconductor integrated circuits and liquid crystal driving circuits, generally, a method is used in which a resist after exposure and development is removed after an etching step using a mask. Ashing is performed as a method of removing the resist.

A conventional ashing apparatus generally employs a plasma ashing system in which a processing chamber is evacuated to a vacuum, a reactive gas is introduced, high-frequency power is applied to cause a plasma discharge, and an ashing process is performed using the excited reactive gas. It is.

In this plasma ashing method, the reaction is accelerated by active radicals and ions, and high-speed processing is possible. However, the ions bombard the substrate or increase the amount of electric charge, causing so-called plasma damage. This becomes a problem as the miniaturization progresses.

On the other hand, an ashing system using ultraviolet light and ozone is also known. Organic compounds such as resist are decomposed and removed by the action of ultraviolet rays and ozone according to the following principle.

As an ultraviolet lamp, a wavelength of 185 nm, 25
A synthetic quartz low-pressure mercury lamp that emits 4 nm ultraviolet light is used. Light energy at wavelengths of 185 nm and 254 nm emitted from ultraviolet lamps can break the bonds of most organic compounds, generating free radicals and excited state molecules of the organic compounds.

On the other hand, ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 185 nm generate ozone when absorbed by oxygen in the atmosphere. When this and the ozone generated by the ozone generator absorb ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 254 nm, excited oxygen atoms are generated.

The ground oxygen atoms generated by the thermal decomposition of the excited oxygen atoms and the ozone having a strong oxidizing power react with free radicals and excited molecules of the organic compound generated by the irradiation of ultraviolet rays to produce CO ₂ or H _2. Produces volatiles such as ₂ O. This is the principle of ashing for decomposing and removing organic compounds.

An ashing apparatus for processing a large substrate is disclosed in JP-A-3-46225 or JP-A-3-165.
No. 028. In these, the substrate is transported by a belt transport mechanism, the substrate is heated by a hot plate or a halogen lamp, and a spraying mechanism that sprays ozone through a number of blowout holes and a low-pressure mercury lamp are arranged at regular intervals. Disassemble the resist,
It is a device to remove.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-46 is disclosed.
As described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 225/225 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 3-165028, it is difficult to uniformly discharge ozone in the longitudinal direction of the ozone spraying mechanism in an ozone spraying mechanism having a large number of blowout holes. Is maximized at the center of the hole, so that the ozone concentration distribution becomes nonuniform and uniform resist stripping is difficult.

The opening of the ozone spray nozzle is deformed by heat from the ultraviolet lamp, and the distribution of ozone concentration is deteriorated.
To prevent this deformation, the structure becomes complicated. In addition, there is a problem that ozone is decomposed by heat, the distribution of ozone concentration is deteriorated, and the processing efficiency is reduced. An object of the present invention is to solve such a problem and to provide an ultraviolet processing apparatus having high processing efficiency and good processing uniformity.

[0012]

The ultraviolet processing apparatus of the present invention is an ultraviolet processing apparatus for decomposing and removing an organic compound film such as a resist by the action of ultraviolet light and ozone, and has a slit-shaped opening in a lamp house. One or more ozone spray nozzles are installed, and an intake hole is installed on a line intersecting the nozzles. Further, the ozone spray nozzle has a buffer portion inside, and is 1 / 5L to 1/20 of the opening length L.
Spacers are provided at L pitch. Further, ozone is introduced into the ozone spraying nozzle from the end portion, and adjacent nozzles are directed in opposite directions.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An ultraviolet treatment apparatus according to the present invention
At least one ozone spray nozzle having a slit-shaped opening is installed in the lamp house, and an intake hole is installed on a line intersecting the nozzle. Further, the ozone spray nozzle has a buffer portion inside, and is 1 / 5L to 1/20 of the opening length L.
Spacers are provided at L pitch. Further, ozone is introduced into the ozone spray nozzle from the end, and the adjacent nozzles are turned in opposite directions. By doing so, the uniformity of the temperature of the nozzle is improved, the thermal deformation of the nozzle is suppressed, the variation in the flow rate of each nozzle is reduced, and the uniformity of the ozone concentration and the decomposition of organic substances is improved.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An ultraviolet processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described based on one embodiment. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration diagram of the lamp house of the embodiment. This is the lamp house 1 seen from the top
The ultraviolet lamp 2 and the ozone spray nozzle 3 are alternately installed in the inside. Cooling gas is introduced into the ultraviolet lamp 2 and the ozone spray nozzle 3 through an intake hole 4 provided in the ceiling of the lamp house 1, and is discharged through an exhaust hole 5.

The ozone spray nozzle 3 is heated by the heat from the ultraviolet lamp 2, but if the temperature difference in the longitudinal direction is large, the amount of thermal decomposition of ozone will be different, and the difference in the concentration of the discharged ozone will be large. Therefore, the position and number of the intake holes 4 may be determined so that the temperature difference between the ozone spray nozzles 3 is reduced. Further, a cover may be attached to the intake hole 4, and the opening width of the intake hole 4 may be changed to adjust the amount of cooling air.

FIG. 2 shows a bottom surface and a cross section of the ozone spraying nozzle 3. The ozone spray nozzle 3 has a buffer portion 7 in a casing 6, a spacer 8 for regulating the width of the opening is attached to the slit-like opening, and is fixed by a screw 9 penetrating therethrough. To prevent the opening from being enlarged by heat, the length L of the opening is 1/20 L to 1 / L.
The spacers 8 may be attached at intervals of / 5 L.

The introduction of ozone into the ozone spray nozzle 3 is shown in FIG.
As shown in (1), the gas pipe 10 is branched, the introduction direction is alternately changed, and a valve 11 is provided immediately before the inlet of the ozone spray nozzle 3 so as to adjust the flow rate of ozone introduced into each nozzle.

With the above configuration, the deformation of the opening due to the heating of the ozone spray nozzle 3 from the ultraviolet lamp 2, the variation in the ozone concentration distribution caused by the temperature difference, and the variation in the amount of ozone introduced into the ozone spray nozzle 3 Variations in the concentration distribution can be prevented.

[0019]

According to the ultraviolet treatment apparatus of the present invention, one or more ozone spray nozzles having slit-shaped openings are installed in a lamp house, and an air inlet is installed on a line intersecting the nozzles. The uniformity of the temperature is improved, the thermal deformation of the nozzles is suppressed, the variation in the flow rate of each nozzle is reduced, and an ultraviolet treatment apparatus having a good ozone concentration and the uniformity of decomposition of organic substances can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a configuration of an embodiment of an ultraviolet processing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows an example of an ozone spray nozzle having a slit-shaped opening.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of attachment of an ozone spray nozzle and a gas pipe.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Lamp house 2 Ultraviolet lamp 3 Ozone spray nozzle 4 Intake hole 5 Exhaust hole 6 Casing 7 Buffer part 8 Spacer 9 Screw 10 Gas pipe 11 Valve

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An ultraviolet treatment apparatus for decomposing and removing an organic compound film such as a resist by the action of ultraviolet light and ozone, comprising: installing at least one ozone spray nozzle having a slit-shaped opening in a lamp house; An ultraviolet ray processing device, wherein an intake hole is provided on a line intersecting with the ultraviolet ray. 2. The ultraviolet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ozone spray nozzle has a buffer portion inside, and spacers are provided at a pitch of 1/5 L to 1/20 L with respect to an opening length L. 3. The ultraviolet treatment according to claim 1, wherein the ozone is introduced into the ozone spray nozzle from the end, and the adjacent nozzles are turned in opposite directions. apparatus.