JPS63293828A - Semiconductor substrate processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To detect the damage of a quartz tube for discovering the same in an early stage by a method wherein a shock noise produced when the quartz tube protecting a heater is damaged is detected by a detector. CONSTITUTION:A quartz tube 3 protects a heater 2 built therein to keep a chemical solution 6 at high temperature. A vibration detector 4 is arranged in contact with the surface of the quartz tube 3. An alarming circuit 5 issue an alarm in accordance with detecting signals generated from the detector 4. Whenever the quartz tube 3 is damaged by any external force, a specific abnormal shock noise is propagated in the wall of the quartz tube 3 to be detected by the detector 4. At this time, this shock noise is detected as a vibration higher than the normal signal level so that the damage of the quartz tube 3 may be detected by the difference in these two vibrations to issue an alarm from the circuit 5. Through these procedures, the damage of the quartz tube 3 can be discovered in an early stage.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a semiconductor substrate processing apparatus, and more particularly to a semiconductor substrate processing apparatus that processes a plurality of semiconductor substrates by immersing them in a chemical solution.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, this type of semiconductor substrate processing apparatus has a structure in which damage to a quartz tube containing a heater is detected by disconnection of the heater or leakage of current from the heater wire to the chemical solution due to breakage of the quartz tube.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In the conventional semiconductor substrate processing equipment described above, if the liquid such as a chemical solution used is an electrolyte such as an acid or an alkali, the heater wire is exposed to the liquid, resulting in breakage due to rapid corrosion of the heater wire or breakage from the heater wire. Damage to a quartz tube can be easily detected from an increase in leakage current, but since most organic solvents have weak corrosive properties and high electrical insulating properties, detection of breakage in a quartz tube may be delayed, and semiconductors that will be processed over a long period of time can be easily detected. This method has the disadvantage of causing adverse effects such as contamination on the substrate.

[Means for solving problems]

The semiconductor substrate processing apparatus of the present invention includes: a processing tank for processing a plurality of semiconductor substrates into which a chemical solution is injected and stored in a semiconductor substrate storage box; a quartz tube having a built-in heater for controlling the temperature of the chemical solution; and a vibration detector disposed in contact with the surface of the tube to detect vibrations when the quartz tube is broken.

〔Example〕

Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, a processing tank 1 in which a chemical solution 6 is injected and a plurality of semiconductor substrates stored in a semiconductor substrate storage box (not shown) is immersed therein to process and clean the semiconductor substrates;
A quartz tube 3 has a built-in heater 2 for keeping the temperature of the chemical solution 6 at a high temperature to protect the beater 2, a vibration detector 4 placed in contact with the surface of the quartz tube 3, and detection from the vibration detector 4. and an alarm circuit 5 that issues an alarm in response to a signal.

Now, when the quartz tube 3 is damaged by some external force, an unusual and unique impact sound propagates through the wall of the quartz tube 3 and is detected by the vibration detector 4. In this case, since the vibration is detected as being larger than the normal signal level, it is determined that the quartz tube 3 is damaged based on the difference between the two, and the alarm circuit 5 issues an alarm.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention allows damage to the quartz tube to be recognized by detecting the impact sound that occurs when the quartz tube that protects the heater is broken. It is effective for early detection.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (1)

[Claims] a processing tank into which a chemical solution is injected and processes a plurality of semiconductor substrates stored in a semiconductor substrate storage box; a quartz tube having a built-in heater for controlling the temperature of the chemical solution; A semiconductor substrate processing apparatus comprising: a vibration detector that detects vibrations when a quartz tube is broken.