JPS63252576A - Chemical liquid supply apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enhance working efficiency, in a chemical liquid supply apparatus for supplying the chemical liquid in a container from a nozzle in a drip form through a chemical liquid filter, by providing a non-contact type sensor detecting the chemical liquid remaining in the chemical liquid filter in close vicinity to the chemical liquid filter. CONSTITUTION:For example, in a process for supplying a photoresist 11 to a semiconductive wafer 9, the chemical liquid (photoresist) 11 in a chemical liquid container 1 is operated in such a state that a predetermined amount of the chemical liquid is supplied to a chemical liquid filter 4. However, when the chemical liquid 11 in the container 1 is lost, the residual solution in the chemical liquid filter 4 reduces and a non-contact type sensor 6 is operated. A coating apparatus is stopped by the alarm of a buzzer generated with the operation of said sensor 6. Then, the container 1 and the chemical liquid filter 4 are replaced and the necessary chemical liquid 11 is replenished to again start operation. At this time, since the non-contact type sensor 6 is not integrally incorporated along with the chemical liquid filter 4, it is unnecessary to re-adjust the non-contact type sensor 6 and the apparatus can be restarted within a short time.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a chemical liquid supply device for supplying a chemical liquid such as photoresist to a spinner or the like while dripping it.

[Conventional technology]

Photolithographic techniques are widely used in manufacturing semiconductor devices. Normally, photoresist stored in a container is extracted through a filter, and it is supplied onto a semiconductor wafer while dripping from a nozzle, and the photoresist is coated to a predetermined thickness by rotating the wafer with a spinner. Widely adopted. Various devices have been disclosed for supplying chemical solutions such as resists. For example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 117727/1983, a chemical filter is installed in the chemical supply line, and the chemical filter is equipped with a chemical filter in the chemical filter. A structure is disclosed that includes a measuring device for measuring the amount of remaining drug solution.

In general, automatic dispensing lines monitor the amount of chemical remaining in the chemical storage container or chemical filter, alert the operator when the chemical has run out, and quickly replenish the chemical. etc., it is required.

The residual amount detector for a chemical solution in a chemical filter disclosed in the above-mentioned publication is configured to be coupled to the chemical filter and measure the height of the liquid level in the filter.

Therefore, when the chemical solution runs out, when replacing the chemical solution, the filter bottle is removed and reinstalled, and when the specified chemical solution is filled into the filter, the remaining amount detector is adjusted again until the chemical liquid level is at the specified height. It was necessary to ensure that the

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

As described above, the conventional chemical liquid supply device has a problem in that the remaining amount detector needs to be readjusted when the filter is replaced, and a large amount of adjustment time is required.

This invention was made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to detect the remaining amount of chemical liquid in the filter even when the chemical liquid filter runs out and the chemical liquid filter is replaced to replenish it. An object of the present invention is to provide a chemical liquid supply device having a configuration that does not require readjustment of a remaining amount detector.

(Means for Solving the Problems) A chemical solution supplying device according to the present invention extracts a chemical solution stored in a container through a chemical solution filter and drips it from a nozzle. A non-contact type sensor for detecting the presence of chemical liquid remaining in the chemical liquid filter is provided in close proximity to the chemical liquid filter.

[Effect]

Since the non-contact sensor according to the present invention is not integrated with the chemical filter, there is no need to readjust the sensor when replacing the chemical filter.

(Example) An example of the present invention will be described in detail below based on the drawings. The figure is a configuration diagram of a chemical liquid supply device showing an embodiment of the present invention. (1) is a chemical liquid container in which a chemical liquid such as photoresist is stored. The chemical liquid container (1) may be in the form of a gallon bottle, a canister, a chemical liquid tank, or the like.

A nitrogen gas pipe (2) and a chemical supply pipe (3) are inserted into the chemical liquid container (1), and an inert gas such as nitrogen is introduced into the container (1) through the nitrogen gas pipe (2). Chemical liquid supply piping (3) by pushing the liquid level with gas pressure
The chemical solution in the container (1) is discharged.

The chemical liquid that has passed through the chemical liquid supply pipe (3a) in this way is temporarily stored in the chemical liquid filter (4), and then further into the pipe (3a).
3b), and is controlled at a predetermined timing by a chemical control valve (7), and is dripped from a nozzle (8) through a pipe (3C).

This drop-supplied chemical solution is adsorbed onto the spin chuck (10), supplied onto the rotating semiconductor wafer (9), and applied onto the semiconductor wafer (9). In order to remove the air in the piping when replacing the chemical liquid container (1) or the chemical liquid filter (4), the chemical liquid filter (4) is equipped with an air bleed pipe (5).
and a cock (5a). Chemical filter (
4) A non-contact type sensor (6) is placed close to the chemical filter (4) in order to detect the amount of chemical liquid remaining in the filter. If this non-contact type sensor (6) is configured to detect the capacitance between it and the chemical liquid filter (4), the capacitance will change depending on the amount of chemical liquid in the filter, and any residual chemical liquid will be detected. It is possible to easily detect the amount.

During normal operation, the device operates with a predetermined amount of the chemical liquid (11) in the chemical liquid container (1) being supplied to the chemical liquid filter (4). However, when the chemical solution in the container (1) runs out, the remaining solution in the chemical solution filter (4) decreases and the non-contact type sensor (6) operates. When the non-contact type sensor (6) operates, an alarm such as a buzzer (not shown) connected to the non-contact type sensor (6) notifies the operator of this and at the same time stops a coating device such as a spinner.

Then, the container (1) and the chemical liquid filter (4) are replaced, the necessary chemical liquid is replenished, and the device is reinstalled to start normal operation.

Since the non-contact sensor (6) for detecting the residual chemical in the chemical filter (4) is not integrated with the filter, there is no need to readjust the non-contact sensor (6) when replacing the filter. Therefore, it is possible to restart the device in a short time.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, this invention employs a configuration in which the sensor for detecting the residual chemical solution in the filter is a non-contact type and is placed near the filter, so it is not necessary to reinstall the sensor when replacing the filter. This has the effect of improving work efficiency since there is no need for adjustment.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The figure is a configuration diagram of a chemical liquid supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. (1) is a chemical liquid container, (3) is a chemical liquid supply pipe, (4)
is a chemical filter, (6) is a non-contact sensor, (8) is a nozzle, and (9) is a semiconductor wafer.

Claims (1)

[Claims] The medicinal solution stored in the container is extracted through a medicinal solution filter,
A chemical solution supply device configured to drip feed from a nozzle, characterized in that a non-contact type sensor for detecting the presence of a chemical solution remaining in the chemical solution filter is provided in close proximity to the chemical solution filter.