JPS6233314Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] This invention relates to a vapor drying device for cleaning and drying semiconductor wafers and the like.

As a means of cleaning and drying semiconductor wafers, such as silicon wafers, organic solvents such as isopropyl alcohol (IPA), trichlene, or methyl alcohol are heated and vaporized.
A vapor drying apparatus is known that dries the surface of a silicon wafer using the vapor. This vapor drying device suspends a cartridge supporting a silicon wafer inside a vapor tank containing an organic solvent, heats and vaporizes the organic solvent, and uses the generated vapor to clean and dry the surface of the silicon wafer. I'm starting to do that.

By the way, in conventional vapor drying apparatuses, there are a heater immersion type, a plate heater type, and an oil bath type as means for heating the organic solvent. However, in the heater immersion type, if the cladding tube covering the heater is damaged, the heater may come into direct contact with the organic solvent and ignite, resulting in a risk of fire or the like. Also,
Since the plate heater type is in contact with the bottom of the vapor tank, the temperature rises to a state close to the ignition point.
There are risks similar to those mentioned above, and it is especially dangerous if the vapor tank is damaged. Furthermore, since the oil bath type heats the oil and uses that heat to heat the organic solvent, it goes without saying that the steam generated from the oil will penetrate into the organic solvent, reducing the purity of the organic solvent. However, there is a drawback that cleaning and drying efficiency is reduced.

This idea was devised by focusing on the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose was to heat the organic solvent in the vapor tank using radiant heat from an isolated area outside, and to The present invention aims to provide a vapor drying device which is covered with a quartz glass plate and can prevent fires and the like even if the vapor tank is damaged and the organic solvent flows out.

This invention will be explained below based on an embodiment shown in the drawings. 1 in the figure is the vapor drying device main body,
A cartridge inlet/outlet 2 is provided at the upper part. A vapor tank 3 is installed inside the main body 1 with a gap around the outer periphery. This vapor tank 3
is a box made of quartz glass, and an opening 4 at the top faces the cartridge entrance 2. Further, a flange 5 is provided on the outer periphery of the opening 4 of the vapor tank 3, and the flange 5 is hooked to a hook portion 6 projecting from the inner wall of the main body 1. moreover,
A coiled cooling pipe 7 for circulating cooling water is attached to the inner peripheral wall of the opening 4 of the vapor tank 3.

An organic solvent 8 such as isopropyl alcohol (IPA), trichlene, or methyl alcohol is stored inside the vapor tank 3 configured as described above, and this is supplied from the outside of the main body 1 through a liquid supply pipe 9. supply is becoming available. Further, above the liquid level of the organic solvent 8 in the vapor tank 3, a vapor indoor tank 10 with an open top is installed, and a drain pipe 11 communicating with the outside of the main body 1 is connected to the bottom of the vapor tank 10. has been done. In this indoor vapor tank 10, silicon wafers 12 as objects to be dried are supported by a cartridge 13 suspended from above.

Further, an opening 14 is provided at the bottom of the main body 1, and a cooling section 15 for circulating cooling water is provided around the outer periphery of the opening 14. Further, in this opening 14, a heating device 16 facing the bottom of the vapor tank 3 is provided.
is installed. This heating device 16 includes a plurality of infrared heaters 17, 17 and an arcuate reflecting plate 18.
and a case 19 surrounding the reflector 18, and the opening of the case 19, that is, the portion facing the bottom of the vapor tank 3 is closed by a quartz glass plate 20. The organic solvent 8 in the vapor tank 3 is heated by the radiant heat of the infrared heaters 17, 17. In this case, since the quartz glass plate 20 and the vapor tank 3 are made of a quartz glass material that easily transmits infrared rays, the surface temperature thereof will not rise to near the ignition point of the organic solvent 8. Further, a plurality of stainless steel protection members 21 are arranged in parallel between the bottom of the vapor tank 3 and the quartz glass plate 20 so as not to impede transmission of infrared rays. This protective member 21... is the vapor tank 3
This protects the quartz glass plate 20 of the heating device 16 from being affected even if the heating device 16 is damaged.

Therefore, the organic solvent 8 is stored in the vapor tank 3,
With the cartridge 13 supporting the silicon wafer 12 suspended in the vapor indoor tank 10,
When the heating device 16 is energized, the infrared heater 17,
The infrared rays generated from the vapor tank 17 pass through the quartz glass plate 20 and the bottom of the vapor tank 3, and heat the organic solvent 8 with radiant heat. When the organic solvent 8 is heated,
Vapor is generated, and this vapor is stored in the vapor indoor tank 10.
and adheres to the surface of the silicon wafer 12. At this time, since the surface temperature of the silicon wafer 12 is initially low, the adhering vapor condenses and becomes condensed water, which is discharged from the drain pipe 11 to the outside. Therefore, the organic solvent 8 will not be contaminated, and the silicon wafer 12 will be cleaned. After a predetermined period of time has elapsed in this manner, the surface temperature of the silicon wafer 12 rises and becomes dry, and cleaning and drying of the silicon wafer 12 are completed.

Also, during such vapor drying, the infrared rays from the infrared heaters 17, 17 are transmitted to the quartz glass plate 2.
Since the surface temperature is almost 0, the organic solvent 8
In addition, since the infrared heaters 17, 17 and the vapor tank 3 are completely separated by the quartz glass plate 20, even if the vapor tank 3 is damaged, the organic solvent 8 It has the advantage of being highly safe, with no fear of ignition even if it spills out.

In the above embodiment, an infrared heater was used as the heating device, but the heating device is not limited to this embodiment as long as it uses radiant heat.

As explained above, this device heats the organic solvent in the vapor tank using radiant heat from an isolated area outside, and the opening of the heating device is closed with a quartz glass plate. The surface temperature of the plate does not rise close to the ignition point of the organic solvent, and even if the vapor tank is damaged and the organic solvent flows out, it will not ignite, improving safety. Furthermore, since the material to be dried is stored in the vapor chamber, there is also the effect that the organic solvent is not contaminated by condensed water.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawing is a longitudinal sectional front view of a vapor drying device showing an embodiment of this invention. 3... Vapor tank, 8... Organic solvent, 10... Vapor indoor tank, 12... Silicon wafer (material to be dried), 16... Heating device, 20... Quartz glass plate,
21...Protective member.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A vapor tank made of quartz glass and containing an organic solvent therein; a vapor indoor tank provided inside the vapor tank and containing a material to be dried; a heating device that heats and vaporizes the organic solvent using radiant heat, a quartz glass plate that closes an opening facing the bottom of the vapor tank of the heating device, and a quartz glass plate that connects the quartz glass plate to the bottom of the vapor tank A vapor drying device characterized by comprising a protective member provided in between.