JPS62160728A - Cleaning apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To decrease the generation of wafer crackings and strain in a basket, by washing a semiconductor wafer with water, and thereafter drying the wafer with drying gas jetted from nozzles. CONSTITUTION:A wafer W subjected to treatments by various chemicals is contained in a Teflon basket and transferred into a washing water tank 40. The wafer undergoes overflow washing with water. Then, supply of pure water is stopped and a discharge port 48 is 'opened'. The pure water in the washing water tank 40 is discharged. Drying gas such as nitrogen is jetted from drying nozzles 42 and 44. Thus the washing with water and drying of the wafer can be performed efficiently in the same apparatus without imparting damages to the wafer and the basket, and the cleaning of the wafer can be excellently carried out.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a purification apparatus, and particularly to a purification apparatus suitable for washing and drying semiconductor wafers.

[Conventional technology]

The conventional method for washing and drying semiconductor wafers, etc. is to perform cleaning treatment with various chemicals, rinse with pure water, and then dry with a rinser dryer or spin dryer. It is.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a water washing device. The one shown in the figure is an overflow type, in which a silicon wafer (not shown) stored in a Teflon basket is immersed in a washing tank αq, and pure water is introduced from the supply port (6) as shown by the arrow (Fl) to wash the silicon wafer. It is used for cleaning. The pure water used for washing overflows from the washing tank αq as shown by the arrow (F2).

The one shown in the same figure (B) is a spray type, and the washing tank α◆
The arrow (
Cleaning is performed by spraying pure water as shown in F6). The pure water used for cleaning.

It is discharged from the discharge port α as shown by the arrow (F4).

Next, FIG. 5 shows an example of a drying apparatus. The one shown in the figure is a rinser dryer.

A turntable inside the container can be rotated by a motor (c), and a silicon wafer (in a Teflon basket) is housed within this turntable (a). Pure water is sprayed onto the silicon wafer inside the Teflon basket from the center of one rotation by a pure water nozzle. The container is provided with six exhaust ports and six drain ports.

To explain the operation of this rinser dryer, a plurality of Teflon baskets (c) containing silicon wafers after washing with water, for example 2 to 4 case turntables (
(a) and rotated at low speed by a motor (c). After this, rinse by spraying pure water from the pure water nozzle. Along with stopping pure water for a long time,
The turntable is rotated at high speed, and the pure water adhering to the wafers and basket (c) is blown off and removed by the action of centrifugal force.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

The conventional method of washing with water using water washing equipment and drying with dryer as described above not only complicates the automation of the line, but also, as wafers are becoming larger in diameter, the wafers may crack during rotation or the Teflon There is an inconvenience that the basket may become distorted.

Furthermore, due to the miniaturization of patterns due to the recent improvement in the degree of integration, there is a risk that some water within the pattern cannot be blown off by centrifugal force and remains in the form of a stain, resulting in a defective balance.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide an easily automated purification device that can effectively purify wafers by reducing the occurrence of wafer cracking and basket distortion with a simple device configuration. Its purpose is to

[Means for solving problems]

The technical feature of the present invention is that a drying nozzle for injecting a drying gas onto a semiconductor wafer is provided in a purification apparatus having a water washing means such as an overflow type or a shower nozzle type.

[Effect]

According to the present invention, after the semiconductor wafer to be purified is washed with water by the water washing means in the purification apparatus.

It is dried by a drying gas sprayed from a drying nozzle. Purifiers are used for both washing and drying semiconductor wafers.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 1 shows the main parts of the purification device according to the first embodiment, where (A) is a plan view, (B) is a partially cutaway front view, and (C) is a partially cutaway front view. In these figures, which are probably partially cutaway side views, the water wash W1 (a) is formed in an inverted trapezoidal cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and is open at the top.

For example, they are made of Teflon, vinyl chloride, etc.

A drying nozzle and a spatula are attached to both sides of the upper opening of the washing WG40, and a Teflon basket containing wafers is placed raised on the bottom side of the washing tank. A bottom plate (44 (omitted in the same figure)) for placing the water in the sink and an outlet for exhausting and draining the water are provided respectively. Figures (omitted from ~) are provided.

Among the above, the drying nozzle (a) @4 is used to inject drying gas, e.g. The structure of the tips of these nozzles is determined so that air and ten elements can be injected.

Next, the overall operation of the above embodiment will be explained.

First, the wafer W, which has been subjected to various chemical treatments, is placed in a predetermined Teflon basket, and the Teflon basket is further transferred to a washing tank (2), where overflow washing is performed for about 5 to 15 minutes, for example. That is, the discharge port is "closed", and pure water is supplied from the water supply port into the washing section [■] to create an overflow state (see Fig. 4 (A)).

Next, after overflow washing, the supply of pure water is stopped, the discharge port is opened, and the pure water in the washing tank 1 is drained. Following this is a drying nozzle (6).

As shown in Figure 2, a drying gas such as Tera element is vigorously injected from the company. This work may take, for example, 5 to 10
The wafer W, which has been washed with water for about a minute, is dried. Note that during this work, the discharge port (9) should be kept in the "open" state.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 3(A). In this embodiment, in addition to the first embodiment described above, a drying nozzle 6■ is additionally arranged in the center of the bottom plate α→. The drying gas is sprayed by this drying nozzle through the drying nozzle θa on both sides of the upper part.
In order to improve the drying effect, the drying effect is alternately carried out, for example, every several tens of seconds to several minutes.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In addition to those of the first embodiment, this embodiment has drying nozzles on both sides of the bottom plate.

Each ring is additionally arranged. These drying nozzles f4 are used alternately with other drying nozzles (44).

Furthermore, in order to explain another embodiment of the present invention, in the above embodiment, the drying nozzle (6), @4゜w, l
) 4.6I19v, arrow CF shown in Figure 2) ノ,
If the wafer W is reciprocated in the longitudinal direction by a driving means, the wafer W can be drained more effectively, the drying effect can be improved, and the drying time can be shortened.

Alternatively, the drying nozzles (6), -1 (c), and (b) may be used as shower nozzles during washing. For example, after the Teflon basket is transferred to the washing process, a shower of pure water is jetted out from the drying nozzle (c), and water is drained through the discharge port (9) while cleaning is performed. After this, perform the overflow washing mentioned above,
Further, the wafer W is dried by injecting gas from the drying nozzle (6), M, etc. By doing so, the washing time can be shortened and the drying nozzle can be used effectively.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the purification device according to the present invention,
Since we decided to install a drying means that discharges drying gas into the washing tank of either type of water washing equipment, it is possible to efficiently wash and dry sea urchins etc. in the same equipment, as well as wafers and baskets. The wafer can be cleaned well without damaging the wafer, and furthermore, the apparatus configuration can be simplified and automation can be facilitated.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the direction of drying gas injection, Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing another embodiment of the invention, and Fig. 4 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a conventional example of a washing device, and FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a conventional example of a drying device. In the figure, - indicates the washing tank, θL (n, 6, (Foundation),
(To) is a drying nozzle, (2) is a discharge port, (7) is a water supply port, and (G) is a wafer. In each figure, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) A purification apparatus having a water washing means for washing a semiconductor wafer with water, characterized in that the purification apparatus is equipped with a drying nozzle that injects drying gas onto the semiconductor wafer from a plurality of injection ports. (2) The purification device according to claim 1, wherein the drying nozzle is disposed at least at the top or bottom of a washing tank of the washing means. (3) The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the drying nozzle injects the drying gas substantially parallel to the surface to be cleaned of the semiconductor wafer. (4) The purification device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the drying nozzle is also used for ejecting washing water from a washing means.