KR0186199B1 - Cleaning apparatus of semiconductor wafer - Google Patents

Abstract

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a silicon thin film cleaning apparatus for a wafer that cleans a silicon thin film of a wafer during a semiconductor manufacturing process. More specifically, the present invention can be cleaned while transferring a wafer without exposure to the atmosphere.

To this end, a plurality of chemical solution tanks (3) and deionized water (12a) (12b) in which the chemical solution 10 is contained on one side of the loading section (2) on which the boat (11) containing the wafer (9) is placed Two deionized water washing tanks 4 are sequentially installed, and on one side of the dryer, an unloading part 8 for unloading the cleaned wafers is provided. The chemical solution 10 and the deionized water 12a and 12b are provided. The wafer transfer belt 13 is installed between the loading portion and the unloading portion so as to be immersed in the above) so that the wafer 9 is sequentially transferred from the boat 11 placed on the loading portion to the upper surface of the transfer belt one by one. One side of the ionized water washing tank 4 is provided with an isopropyl alcohol dryer 14 for drying the cleaned wafer.

Description

Silicon Thin Film Cleaner of Wafer

1 is a plan view showing a conventional apparatus.

2 is a front view of FIG.

3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A of FIG.

4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the present invention.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

2: loading part 3: chemical solution tank

4: deionized water washing tank 8: unloading part

9: wafer 10: chemical solution

11: boat 12a, 12b: deionized water

13 transfer belt 14 isopropyl alcohol dryer

15: bulkhead

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a silicon thin film cleaning apparatus for a wafer that cleans a silicon thin film of a wafer during a semiconductor manufacturing process. More specifically, the present invention can be cleaned while transferring a wafer without exposure to the atmosphere.

1 is a plan view showing a conventional apparatus, FIG. 2 is a front view of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1, and a loading unit for loading a boat containing a wafer on one side of the main body 1 (2) is provided, and one side of the loading section is provided with a chemical solution tank (3) containing a chemical solution for removing various oil and inorganic substances on the surface of the wafer, and one side of the chemical solution tank The deionized water washing tanks 4a and 4b for removing the chemical solution after removing the oil and inorganic substances in the tank are installed side by side.

At this time, shutters 5a and 5b are provided between the loading section 2 and the chemical solution tank 3 and between the deionized water cleaning tanks 4a and 4b. 5b is closed and shutters 5a and 5b are opened between the transfers of the boats, and the boats containing the wafers are automatically transferred between the processes by the robot 6.

And one side of the final deionized water cleaning tank (4b) is provided with a rotary dryer (7) for drying the wafer cleaned with deionized water, one side of the rotary dryer unloading unit for unloading the wafer is completed ) Is installed.

Accordingly, when the boat containing the wafer is placed on the loading unit 2 for cleaning the wafer, the robot 6 transfers the boat into the chemical solution tank 3 to immerse the boat in the chemical solution. In the transfer, the shutter 4a provided between the loading part 2 and the chemical solution tank 3 is in an open state.

After the boat containing the wafer is immersed in the chemical dissolution tank 3 for a predetermined time and the oil and inorganic substances on the surface of the wafer are removed, the robot 6 holds the boat again and removes it from the chemical dissolution tank 4a. 4b) are sequentially removed by deionized water.

After cleaning the wafer in such a process, the robot 6 transfers the boat to the rotary dryer 7 to dry deionized water on the surface of the wafer, and then unloads the dried boat to the unloading unit 8 side. This completes the cleaning of the wafer.

However, in the conventional apparatus, when the boat containing the wafer is transported, the robot removes the boat from the chemical solution or deionized water and then transports the wafer, thereby exposing the wafer to the atmosphere, and thus, when the wafer comes out of or enters the solution. The cleaning failure was caused by the speed difference and the surrounding environment.

In addition, since the boat is used to transfer the wafer between processes, the edge portion of the wafer is connected to the boat, and these portions have a problem in that cleaning and drying efficiency are lowered.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such a problem in the related art, and an object thereof is to allow a wafer to be transferred without using a robot and to prevent the wafer from being exposed to the atmosphere between processes.

According to an aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object, a chemical solution tank containing a chemical solution to one side of the loading unit on which the boat containing the wafer is placed, and a plurality of deionized water cleaning tanks containing deionized water are sequentially installed to one side of the dryer In the unloading unit for unloading the cleaned wafer, the wafer transfer belt is installed between the loading unit and the unloading unit so as to be immersed in chemical solution and deionized water. In order to transfer the wafers one by one in order to provide a silicon thin film cleaning apparatus for the wafer, characterized in that an isopropyl alcohol dryer for drying the cleaned wafer is provided on one side of the deionized water cleaning tank.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings shown in FIG. 4 as an embodiment.

4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the present invention, in which the elevator (not shown) and the pusher (not shown) are mounted on the loading unit 2 and the unloading unit 8 on which the boat 11 is placed. ) Is installed, and as the boat is lowered or raised by one step (gap of the wafer loaded into the boat), the pusher operates to eject the wafer 9 contained in the boat 11 from the boat, or The completed wafer is inserted into the boat 11.

The wafer transfer belt 13 is immersed in the chemical solution 10 and the deionized water 12a and 12b contained in the chemical solution tank 3 and the deionized water cleaning tank 4 between the loading portion and the unloading portion. Is installed so that the wafer 9 exiting from the boat 11 placed on the loading unit 2 is placed on the upper surface of the transfer belt 13 to be sequentially transferred to the unloading unit 8 side. One side of the bath 4 is provided with an isopropyl alcohol dryer 14 for drying the cleaned wafer.

The conveying belt 13 passing through the isopropyl alcohol dryer 14 is installed to be inclined, in order to solve the overlapping dryness of the wafer carrier and to improve the drying ability.

The deionized water washing tank 4 containing the deionized water 12a and 12b is formed in a single container, and the partition wall 15 is formed inside the deionized water washing tank 4 to clean the wafer. The high temperature deionized water 12a and the low temperature deionized water 12b are not mixed.

Referring to the operation and effects of the present invention configured as described above are as follows.

First, when the boat 11 containing the wafer for cleaning is placed on the loading unit 2, the elevator of the loading unit descends by one step and the pusher moves forward and backward toward the conveying belt 13. ), The wafers 9 contained therein are sequentially placed on the upper surface of the transfer belt 13.

In the above operation, since power is applied to the heater 16 installed in the chemical solution tank 3 to generate heat, the chemical solution 10 in the chemical solution tank is heated to a predetermined temperature.

Accordingly, the wafer 9 placed on the transfer belt 13 and contained in the chemical solution 10 in the chemical solution tank 3 is immersed in the chemical solution 10 for a predetermined time by the transfer speed of the transfer belt 13. As it is transported in the state, the oil and inorganic substances on the surface of the wafer are cleaned.

The wafer 9 immersed in the chemical solution and cleaned by the operation as described above is provided with a water level control tube between the chemical solution tank 3 and the deionized water cleaning tank 4 by the continuous movement of the transfer belt 13. 17, the deionized water 12a is moved to the inside of the deionized water washing tank 4 containing the high temperature deionized water 12a. 12a) is continuously supplied into the deionized water washing tank 12a through the high temperature deionized water supply pipe 18, and the excess deionized water is discharged through the water level control pipe 17.

The wafer 9 which has been cleaned in the high temperature deionized water 12a passes through the partition wall 15 while being placed on the conveying belt 13 to the deionized water cleaning tank 4 in which the low temperature deionized water 12b is contained. Since it is transported, the cleaning operation is performed by the low temperature deionized water 12b for a predetermined time.

The wafer 9, which has been cleaned while passing through the chemical solution 10 and deionized water 12a and 12b of high temperature and low temperature in this manner, is placed on the transfer belt 13 and isopropyl alcohol dryer 14 The deionized water, which has been transported to the surface, is dried, and the deionized water is dried on the surface of the isopropyl alcohol dryer 14 so that the transport belt 13 is inclined. As it flows downward along, it will dry faster.

The wafer is dried after passing through the isopropyl alcohol dryer 14 is sequentially loaded into the empty boat 11 placed on the unloading unit 8, thereby completing the cleaning operation. It is determined by the loading speed of the wafer 9 loaded in (2) and the conveying speed of the conveying belt 13 to be made continuously.

As described above, the present invention transfers the wafer in a state immersed in a chemical solution and deionized water without exposing the wafer to the air, thereby preventing occurrence of water marks and particles, as well as cleaning in a state of loading on a boat. Since the cleaning operation is performed by drawing out from the boat without performing the work, the problem that the cleaning efficiency is degraded at the contact surface between the wafer and the boat is completely solved.

Claims (3)

(Correction) Unloading in which the chemical solution containing the chemical solution is installed on one side of the loading section on which the boat containing the wafer is placed, and the plurality of deionized water cleaning tanks containing the deionized water in that order, and the unloaded wafer is unloaded on one side of the dryer. In the part is provided, the heater is installed inside the chemical solution tank for heating the chemical solution to a predetermined temperature, and the wafer transfer for the wafer and the loading portion and the unloading portion so as to be immersed in the chemical solution and deionized water And a belt and an isopropyl alcohol dryer provided on one side of the deionized water cleaning tank to dry the wafer from the cleaning tank. (Correction) The silicon thin film cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveying belt passes through the isopropyl alcohol dryer in an inclined state. (Correction) The wafer according to claim 1, wherein the deionized water washing tank is formed as a single container, and a partition wall is formed inside the deionized water washing tank so that hot deionized water and low temperature deionized water do not mix with each other. Silicon thin film cleaning apparatus.