JPH11285601A - Treating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable to install a trough to be provided below a cooling body for cooling and condensing vapor of treating liquid in a treating tank, at a right position. SOLUTION: A trough supporting member 40 constructed in the shape of a frame is supported on trough receiving seats 50 made of quartz provided projectingly by weld in several places, for example, six places on the inner wall surface of a treating tank 14 at prescribed intervals. On the trough supporting members 40, quartered plate trough 38 (38A, 38B, 38C and 38D) is arranged so that the outer peripheral surfaces thereof is approached the inner peripheral surface of the treating tank 14 as much as possible (for example, 0-0.5 mm). By such construction, since even if there is variance of the dimensional precision of the plate trough pieces 38A, 38B, 38C and 38D, their positioning can be individually performed, installation can be also performed at right position as a whole. Then, a treating liquid fallen to the plate trough 38 from a spiral tube 36 flows down smoothly along the inner wall of the treating tank 14 from a little gap between plate trough 38 and the inner wall surface to prevent it from splashing to the sides of the object to be treated and a saucer 24 and being struck on them.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a processing apparatus for performing a process of removing water from the surface of an object to be processed using vapor of a processing solution.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a processing apparatus of this type, a predetermined processing liquid having a volatile property, for example, IPA (isopropyl alcohol) is heated and vaporized at the bottom of a processing tank, and the vapor of the IPA is applied to an object to be processed, for example, a semiconductor wafer. The water is dropped from the wafer surface by replacing the water with the surface.

At the upper part of the processing tank, a cooling body composed of, for example, a spiral serpentine tube (cooling serpentine pipe) for preventing the vapor of IPA from escaping from the processing tank is arranged along the inner wall of the processing tank. You. The cooling snake tube is kept at a low temperature by a cooling medium, for example, cooling water supplied in the tube, and cools and condenses (liquefies) the IPA vapor that has risen from the steam processing section.

[0004] Below the cooling tube, a gutter is provided along the inner wall of the processing tank for receiving a droplet of the processing solution that falls naturally from the cooling tube. The processing liquid that has fallen from the cooling snake into this gutter,
Further, the liquid is dropped from a gap between the gutter and the inner wall of the processing tank into a processing liquid reservoir at the bottom of the processing tank and is collected.

[0005]

In this type of conventional processing apparatus, since the above-described processing liquid recovery gutter has an integral gutter structure formed in a frame shape, it is affected by variations in dimensional accuracy. Easy to install in the processing tank with correct alignment. If there is a misalignment in the installation of the gutter, the processing liquid droplets dropped from the cooling tube will not be properly received by the gutter, or the processing liquid will be collected from the gutter (particularly from the gap between the gutter and the inner wall of the processing tank). There is also a possibility that the way of dropping into the part may be lost smoothly, or that the droplet may fall on the semiconductor wafer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and a gutter for collecting a processing liquid provided below a cooling body for cooling and condensing the vapor of the processing liquid in a processing tank is properly provided. It is an object of the present invention to provide a processing apparatus that can be installed in alignment.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, a processing apparatus according to the present invention removes moisture from the surface of a processing object using a predetermined volatile processing liquid vapor in a processing tank. A steam processing unit to be separated, and a cooling unit disposed along the inner wall of the processing tank at a position above the steam processing unit and cooling and condensing the vapor of the processing liquid rising from the steam processing unit. And a split gutter structure comprising a plurality of gutter pieces respectively arranged along the inner wall of the processing tank at a position below the cooling body so as to receive the processing liquid falling from the cooling body. .

According to one aspect of the present invention, each of the gutter pieces disposed along the inner wall of the processing tank has a bottom portion for collecting the processing liquid from the cooling body. In this case, a configuration may be adopted in which a pipe for collecting the processing liquid is connected to the bottom of any of the gutter pieces.

According to another aspect of the present invention, each of the gutter pieces is provided with a gap for dropping the processing liquid between the gutter piece and an inner wall of the processing tank. In this case, a plurality of seat members fixedly attached to the inner wall of the processing tank at predetermined intervals, and a frame attached to the plurality of seat members to support the plurality of gutter pieces. It is good also as a structure provided with a trough-shaped support member.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are a partial sectional front view and a partial sectional side view, respectively, showing the structure of a processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. For simplicity of illustration, the transfer arm 22 in FIG. 1 is not shown in FIG.

In this processing apparatus, for example, a heating device 12 is disposed at the bottom of a bottomed rectangular cylindrical container 10 made of stainless steel, and for example, quartz is provided on the heating device 12 with some gap from the inner wall of the container 10. Square processing tank 1 with bottom
4 is placed.

At the bottom of the processing tank 14, a predetermined processing liquid having a volatile property, for example, IPA (isopropyl alcohol) 1
6 is stored to a predetermined liquid level, and the processing liquid 16 is replaced or replenished as necessary through a processing liquid inlet and a discharge port (not shown) provided on the side wall or bottom of the processing tank 14. It is supposed to be. Thus, the bottom of the processing tank 14 forms the processing liquid reservoir 18.

The processing liquid 16 in the processing liquid reservoir 18 is evaporated by heating from the heating device 12 while the power is supplied to the processing apparatus, that is, both during processing and during standby, and the processing liquid is stored above the processing liquid storage 18. An atmosphere of the vapor of the liquid 16 is formed.
A steam processing section or space 20 is set at a substantially intermediate height position in the processing tank 14, and a plurality of, for example, 50 workpieces such as semiconductor wafers W1 to W50 are provided in the steam processing section 20 during processing. Is held while being held or carried by the transfer arm 22.

At the bottom of the processing tank 14, a receiving tray 24 made of, for example, quartz is installed immediately below the vapor processing section 20 and at a position higher than the level of the processing liquid 16. The legs 24 a integrally attached to the lower surface of the tray 24 are attached to the bottom of the processing tank 14. As shown in FIG. 3, the upper surface (moisture receiving surface) of the tray 24 is selected to have a larger area than the vapor processing section 20 of the workpiece W, and has been detached and dropped from the semiconductor wafers W1 to W50 during processing. The water containing the processing liquid is received in the receiving tray 24 directly below.

A drain 24b is provided at the bottom of the tray 24, and a drain pipe 26 is connected to the drain 24b.
The drainage pipe 26 passes through the inside of the processing liquid reservoir 18, penetrates the processing tank 14 and the apparatus container 10, and communicates with an external drainage recovery part, for example, a drain tank (not shown). Drain pipe 2
6 is preferably made of a tube made of quartz or Teflon at least in the processing tank 14. Further, a suitable sealing member (not shown) may be provided in the wall holes of the processing tank 14 and the processing container 10 through which the drainage pipe 26 passes.

In this embodiment, a U-shaped trap portion 26a is provided in the drain pipe 26 outside the apparatus container 10, and an on-off valve such as an air-operated valve is provided downstream of the trap portion 26a, that is, on the drain tank side. 30
Is provided. A branch pipe 32 for collecting the processing liquid is formed integrally with the drain pipe 26, and branches off obliquely upward from a position (place) of the drain pipe 26 higher than the upper end of the trap portion 26a in the processing tank 14. The upper end of the branch pipe 32 is open at a position lower than the tray drain port 24b. As will be described later, the processing liquid condensed in the receiving tray 24 during the standby time passes through the branch pipe 32 and is collected in the processing liquid reservoir 18.

A protective plate 34 made of, for example, Teflon and having a myriad of through holes is provided below the receiving tray 24 so as to cover the processing liquid reservoir 18. Each leg 3 of this protection plate 34
4a is also attached to the bottom of the processing tank 14. Even if the semiconductor wafer Wi falls out of the transfer arm 22 by mistake, the protection plate 3
4 so as not to hit the bottom of the processing tank 12.

At the top of the processing tank 14, a spiral cooling snake tube 36 is provided so as to extend along the inner wall. A cooling medium, for example, cooling water is circulated and supplied to the cooling snake tube 36, and the vapor of the processing liquid that has risen from the steam processing part 20 is cooled by the cooling snake tube 36 and condensed (liquefied) so as to be outside the processing tank 14. Not to escape.

Below the cooling tube 36, a plate gutter 38 made of, for example, quartz for receiving the processing liquid dropped from the tube 36 is provided.
Are provided in a corridor along the inner wall of the processing tank 14.
The plate gutter 38 is so arranged that its outer peripheral edge is in close contact with the inner wall of the processing tank 14 so that the plate surface becomes higher toward the inner peripheral edge.
In other words, it is fixedly supported by the support member 40 in a posture inclined so as to form a bottom on the outer peripheral edge side, and the inner peripheral edge 38a is raised to form a return portion 38a. In addition, sheet gutter 38
Extends in the circumferential direction with a height difference, and the processing liquid discharge port 1 is provided on the inner wall of the processing tank 14 near the lowest plate gutter portion.
4a are formed.

The processing liquid discharge port 14a of the plate gutter 38 is connected to an inlet of a filter 44 disposed outside the apparatus container 10 through a discharge pipe 42 for collecting the processing liquid. Is connected to the processing liquid inlet 14b on the side wall of the processing tank 14 through an inlet pipe 46 for use. The processing liquid inlet 14 b is formed at a position higher than the level of the processing liquid 16 stored in the processing liquid storage 18.

As shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of, for example, four sheet gutter pieces 38A, 38B,
38C and 38D, each of which is provided with a plate gutter piece 38i.
(I = A, B, C, D) are separately attached to each inner wall of the processing tank 14. In such a split gutter structure, even if the dimensional accuracy of each plate gutter piece 38i varies, it can be individually positioned, so that it can be installed with the correct positioning as a whole.

Next, the operation of the present processing apparatus will be described.

The transfer arm 22 transfers one lot of semiconductor wafers W1 to W50 immediately after being subjected to a cleaning process by pure water spray, for example, and reaches the steam processing section 20 in the processing tank 14 as shown in FIG. Then, the semiconductor wafers W1 to W50 are held at the position 20 during the processing time. Prior to the start of the process, the control device (not shown) opens the on-off valve 30. As described above, while the power of the processing apparatus is turned on, that is, while the heating apparatus 12 is operating, the processing liquid 16 is stored in the processing liquid reservoir 18 at the bottom of the processing tank 14.
And the inside of the tank, especially near the steam processing section 20, is substantially saturated with the steam of the processing liquid. When the semiconductor wafer Wi is placed as an object to be processed in this atmosphere, the moisture adhering to the wafer surface is replaced by the vapor of the processing liquid, and the moisture desorbed from the wafer surface falls to the tray 24 directly below.

The water collected in the pan 24 in this manner is
The liquid flows out of the drain port 24b at the bottom of the plate, flows through the drain pipe 26, and is sent to the drain tank through the on-off valve 30. The processing liquid generated by the condensation of the processing liquid near the receiving tray 24 during the processing is mixed with the water and discharged through the drain pipe 26.

When the processing is completed, the transfer arm 22 lifts the semiconductor wafers W1 to W50 and removes them from the processing bath 14. At this time, the vapor of the processing liquid adhering to the wafer surface is diffused and separated, and the wafer surface is in a dry state. Of course, a drying mechanism for blowing air or an inert gas such as N2 gas toward the object to be processed may be provided near the upper opening of the processing tank 14 in order to speed up drying of the object to be processed.

In the processing bath 14, the semiconductor wafers W1 to W5
When 0 is carried out, the saucer 24 is no longer
However, the water remaining in the pan 24 for a while is drained through the drain pipe 26. Then, after a predetermined time has elapsed from the end of the process, that is, when the moisture has been completely drained from the receiving pan 24 and the moisture in the drainage pipe 26 has dropped to at least a position lower than the branch pipe 32, the control unit The on-off valve 30 is closed. The on-off valve 3
If the water in the drainage pipe 26 drops to a position lower than the branch pipe 32 before 0 is closed, the drainage remains in the upstream portion of the trap portion 26a, so that the atmosphere of the outside air is shut off here. , Does not rise into the processing tank 14.

After the on-off valve 30 is closed, the liquid remaining in the receiving tray 24 is a liquid obtained by cooling and condensing the vapor of the processing liquid 16 and is a processing liquid 16 containing no water. The processing liquid 16 stored in the receiving pan 24 enters the branch pipe 32 as soon as it is sent to the drain pipe 26 from the receiving drain port 24b, drops as a droplet 16b from the opening of the branch pipe 32, and the processing liquid storage section 18 To be collected.

On the other hand, in the upper part of the processing tank 14, the vapor of the processing liquid 16 is cooled by the cooling pipe 36 and condensed and liquefied while the processing apparatus is operating both during the processing time and during the standby time.

As shown in FIG. 5, the droplets of the processing liquid condensed on the surface of each tube of the cooling serpentine tube 36 are successively transmitted along the outer peripheral surface of the lower tube in the vertical direction. In the vicinity, the droplet grows into a large droplet 16a, detaches from the flexible tube, and falls. At the time of the detachment and drop, the droplet 16a of the processing liquid may jump to the side of the tube. In the present embodiment, the droplets 16a that bounce toward the inside of the flexible pipe 36, that is, toward the center of the processing bath,
8a, there is no possibility of the object W to be processed, the tray 24, or the like.

The processing liquid that has dropped into the plate gutter 38 from the cooling snake tube 36 moves downward in the circumferential direction along the plate gutter 38 and is sent from the processing liquid discharge port 14a to the filter 44 through the discharge pipe 42, where it is subjected to impurities. After removing dust and dust, the introduction pipe 4
6, the liquid is guided to the processing liquid inlet 14b, from which the water falls along the wall of the processing tank 14 into the processing liquid reservoir 18. Note that the processing liquid introduction pipe 46 may be protruded inward from the processing liquid introduction port 14b, and the processing liquid may directly drop into the processing liquid reservoir 18 from the outlet of the pipe 46.

As described above, in the processing apparatus of the present embodiment, the processing liquid 16 condensed and liquefied by the cooling coil 36 is safely and reliably captured by the plate gutter 38 installed at the correct position, and the processing liquid for collecting the processing liquid is collected. Discharge pipe 42 and introduction pipe 4
6 and the filter 44 remove impurities and dust and the like, and then collect them in the processing liquid reservoir 18.
, The processing liquid 16 is hardly deteriorated.
6 is reduced, and the consumption of the processing liquid 16 is reduced.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a split gutter structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a system in which a gap is provided between the plate gutter 38 and the processing tank 14 and the processing liquid is dropped from the gap.

As shown in FIG. 6, in this embodiment, a gutter supporting member 40 formed in a frame shape is welded at several places, for example, six places at predetermined intervals on the inner wall surface of the processing tank 14. This gutter supporting member 4 is supported by a quartz gutter seat 50 made of
0, a four-part plate gutter 38 (38A, 38B, 38
C, 38D) is disposed with its outer peripheral surface as close to the inner peripheral surface of the processing tank 14 as possible (for example, 0 to 0.5 mm).

Also in this embodiment, since each plate gutter piece 38i has a divided gutter structure separately attached to each inner wall of the processing tank 14, even if each plate gutter piece 38i has an individual dimensional error. Positioning can be performed individually, and can be installed with correct positioning as a whole.

As shown in FIG. 7, in this embodiment, the processing liquid dropped from the flexible pipe 36 to the plate gutter 38 is
It does not flow down smoothly along the inner wall from a slight gap between the inner wall of the processing tank 14 and the inner wall of the processing tank 14, and does not jump to the workpiece W or the tray 24 and adhere to them.

The gutter means in the present invention is not limited to the plate gutter 38 of the above-described embodiment, and may have any shape and structure within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. For example, the gutter means may have a curved cross section. Further, the processing liquid may be sent to the discharge port 14a side more quickly and smoothly by continuously tilting in the circumferential direction, and the number of the discharge ports 14a or the number of the pipes 42 and 46 for collecting the processing liquid may be plural. It is also possible to
If necessary, a pump may be attached to the processing liquid collecting tubes 42 and 46, and the filter 44 can be omitted. Further, the cooling body is not limited to the flexible tube structure, but may be a panel structure, for example.

[0038]

As described above, according to the processing apparatus of the present invention, the gutter structure for collecting the processing liquid provided below the cooling body for cooling and condensing the vapor of the processing liquid has a split gutter structure. By doing so, it is possible to correct the dimensional accuracy error in the gutter member and install it in the processing tank with correct alignment,
Recovery of the processing liquid can be performed safely and reliably.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional front view showing an entire configuration of a processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the entire configuration of the processing apparatus according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an area of a receiving tray with respect to a water desorption position in the processing apparatus of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view showing a divided gutter structure in the processing apparatus of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view showing an operation of a plate gutter in the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing a split gutter structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view showing the operation of the split gutter structure according to the second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 12 Heating apparatus 14 Processing tank 16 Processing liquid 18 Processing liquid storage part 20 Steam processing part 36 Cooling snake tube 38 Plate gutter 38A, 38B, 38C, 38D Plate gutter piece 40 Gutter support member 50 Gutter seat

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A steam processing section for removing moisture from the surface of an object to be processed using a vapor of a predetermined volatile processing liquid in a processing tank, and the processing tank at a position above the steam processing section. A cooling body that is disposed along an inner wall of the processing body and cools and condenses the vapor of the processing liquid that rises from the vapor processing section; and a cooling body that is below the cooling body to receive the processing liquid that falls from the cooling body. And a split type gutter structure comprising a plurality of gutter pieces arranged along the inner wall of the processing tank at the position (1). 2. The process according to claim 1, wherein each of said gutter pieces disposed along an inner wall of said processing tank has a bottom portion for collecting said processing liquid from said cooling body. apparatus. 3. The processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a pipe for collecting a processing liquid is connected to a bottom of any of the gutter pieces. 4. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said gutter pieces is provided with a gap for dropping said processing solution between said gutter piece and an inner wall of said processing tank. 5. A plurality of gutter seat members fixedly mounted on an inner wall of the processing tank at predetermined intervals, and a plurality of gutter seat members for supporting the plurality of gutter pieces. The processing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a frame-shaped gutter supporting member attached.