KR100527247B1 - The Apparatus for wet etching - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for a wet etching process, wherein the wet etching reaction solution is heated by circulating microwave energy to simultaneously circulate the megasonic vibrator in parallel with the substrate where the wet etching reaction is performed to improve the wet etching reaction characteristics. Initiate a device.

Ultra-high frequency energy is used to uniformly heat the entire wet etching solution in the circulation bath at the same time, and circulate the heated etching solution through the circulation bath and the wet etching bath to adjust the temperature and concentration of the solution for uniformly performing the wet etching reaction. A maintainable wet etching device is disclosed. In addition, by mounting a holder containing a megasonic vibrator in a wet etch bath, the fine bubbles generated on the surface of the substrate by the wet etching reaction are removed or removed by the vibration transmitted through the liquid medium from the vibrator. Disclosed is a wet etching apparatus which solves the problem caused by the method and secures a uniform wet reaction result by locally stirring the reaction part of the substrate surface by vibration.

Description

The wet etching apparatus {The Apparatus for wet etching}

The present invention relates to a wet etching apparatus and method, and discloses an apparatus and method for a liquid wet process such as wet etching, electroplating, and the like. The present invention can be easily applied to a wet reaction process using a liquid material, such as electroplating, in addition to the wet etching reaction.

1 illustrates an example of a wet etching apparatus according to the related art. The wet etching apparatus is composed of a reaction substrate 6, a wet etching bath 3, a bath bath 4, a lid 2, a condenser 1, a magnetic stirrer 7, and a hot plate 8. Temperature control of the wet etching solution is controlled through a bath, and the solution is stirred through the magnetic stirrer 7.

In the case of a wet reaction bath, various methods have been applied to improve reaction characteristics. Method for maintaining the concentration and temperature of the reaction solution, heating method using ultra-high frequency energy, circulation method of the reaction solution through the circulation pump, method using the magnetic stirrer, to reduce the concentration change due to the vaporized solution How to mount a condenser. However, since these methods mostly improve only the reaction characteristics, there is a limitation in removing the bubbles generated on the surface of the reaction substrate during the reaction and acting as the reaction prevention film.

In the method of directly heating the reaction solution inside the circulation tank or the bath method, heat is transferred from the vicinity of the wall of the circulation tank to the inside to increase the temperature of the solution. In this case, thermal efficiency and temperature uniformity are poor. In order to compensate for temperature uniformity, a solution circulating solution is used.

2 illustrates an embodiment of a wet etching apparatus using conventional microwave energy. The apparatus is a conceptual diagram of a wet etching apparatus published by J.A.Dziuban in Sensors and Actuators A-Physical in 2000. The wet etching apparatus includes a wet etching bath 3 (FIG. 2), a microwave oscillator 10, a microwave power supply 11, a cooling water 9, and an input / output device 13. Ultra-high frequency energy applied from the microwave oscillator 10 located outside the wet etching bath 3 (FIG. 2) is applied to the wet etching solution 5 (FIG. 2). The microwave energy heated the reaction solution and increased the etch rate of the wet etching solution.

The method of using a magnetic stirrer to stir only the above solution, a method of improving wet etching characteristics using ultra-high frequency energy, and the like have limitations in removing the effects of bubbles generated on the surface of the substrate during the wet etching reaction.

Bubbles adsorbed on the surface of the substrate generally have the greatest surface tension and the Vander Waals Force. In order to remove or remove bubbles having a size of several micrometers to several tens of micrometers adsorbed on the surface of the substrate, there is a limit only in the method of maintaining the above temperature and concentration.

In the present invention, the temperature of the wet etching solution is uniformly maintained using ultra-high frequency energy, and the process uniformity and yield are improved by removing the effect of bubbles generated on the surface of the substrate using the energy generated from the megasonic vibrator. It provides a wet etching device that can be.

In the wet etching apparatus according to the present invention for achieving the above object, the wet etching reaction unit 16, the circulation unit 26, the megasonic vibrator holder unit 15, the solution temperature control in the device for wet etching the silicon wafer The part 27 is provided.

3 illustrates an embodiment of a wet etching apparatus of the present invention.

The wet etching reaction unit 16 is an inlet 18 through which the wet etching solution 5 enters from the wet etching bath 3 and the recirculation bath 25 for the wet etching reaction. ), An outlet 19 into which the etching solution enters the recirculation bath 25, and a cover to mount the megasonic vibrator holder portion 15 (FIG. 3) and the substrate holder portion 14 (FIG. 2). It consists of (2).

The circulation unit 26 is a condenser (1, FIG. 3) for maintaining a constant concentration of the wet etching reaction solution, a stirring device 23 for dissolving and stirring the reaction solution, circulating the solution It consists of a circulation pump 21, a damper 20 and a recirculation bath (25).

The megasonic vibrator holder part 15 (FIG. 3) is a megasonic transducer (Megasonic Transducer 29) capable of generating megasonic energy, a Megasonic Transducer (29) while transmitting the megasonic energy to the etching reaction solution (29 ), A megasonic vibrator jig 33 and a megasonic vibrator jig 33 having a power supply part 31 (FIG. 4) and a pneumatic supply part 32 (FIG. 4) for protecting the etch reaction solution from the wet reaction tank. And a megasonic vibrator holder 35 (FIG. 4) incorporating a power supply unit 31 (FIG. 4) and a pneumatic supply unit 32 (FIG. 4) for mounting in the.

The substrate holder 14 (FIG. 3) includes a substrate operating device 36 and a substrate operating device 36 which are capable of protecting the surface from which the wet etching reaction does not perform during the wet etching reaction from the wet etching reaction solution. It consists of the board | substrate operating apparatus holder 44 which embeds the power supply part 31 (FIG. 5) for mounting, and the pneumatic supply part 32 (FIG. 5).

The solution temperature control unit 27 is located outside the circulation tank, and the microwave oscillator 10 (FIG. 3), the microwave power supply unit 11 (FIG. 3), and the circulated solution for heating the wet etching reaction solution. It consists of a temperature sensor 22 for measuring the temperature of and a temperature control device 24 for adjusting the magnitude of the ultra-high frequency energy from the measured temperature.

The configuration and function of the apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail.

The wet etching reaction solution 5 in the circulation bath 25 is moved through the inlet 18 of the wet etching bath 3 (FIG. 3) through the circulation pump 21 and the damper 20, and again the wet etching bath. It is circulated to the circulation tank 25 through the outlet 19 of (3, FIG. 3). The wet etching reaction solution 5 is diluted through the stirring device 23 configured in the circulation tank 25 and continuously stirred. A condenser (1, 3) located above the circulation tank maintains the concentration of the solution by condensing fumes or vapors from the wet etching reaction solution.

As described above, a method for maintaining the temperature and concentration of the reaction solution through circulation, stirring, and condensation of the reaction solution in the wet etching apparatus is easily understood by those skilled in the art.

The present invention provides a wet etching apparatus capable of uniformly heating the wet etching reaction solution by mounting a solution temperature control unit 27 having a microwave energy source outside the circulation tank. When the reaction solution is heated with an existing bath, the temperature of the reaction solution is controlled as a whole by the convection or conduction of the solution heated by the heat source. When microwaves are irradiated to substances such as water, the water molecules rotate. Electrical energy from microwaves applied from the outside is converted into friction thermal energy between molecules by rotation. When microwave energy is irradiated to the wet etching solution in the circulation tank, all molecules of the solution are activated at the same time, so that the heating effect is excellent and the reaction solution is kept uniform.

A megasonic vibrator having a megasonic vibrator (Megasonic Transducer) 29 is attached to a wet reaction tank (3, 3) containing a wet etching solution (15, 3) to the megasonic vibrator ( Process uniformity and yield can be improved by eliminating the effect of bubbles generated on the surface of the reactor plate during the wet etching reaction by the megasonic energy transmitted to 29).

The megasonic vibrator holder part 15 (FIG. 4) is a mega-sonic vibrator 29 transmitted to the megasonic vibrator 29 by the method of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2003-0065443 'wet etching apparatus' filed by the same applicant of the present invention. In the wet etching reaction by the sonic energy, the effect of bubbles generated on the surface of the reaction substrate is removed. 4 illustrates an embodiment of a megasonic vibrator holder part.

Megasonic Transducer (29) is sealed using an alumina (Al ₂ O ₃ ) substrate 28 to seal Megasonic Energy generated from Megasonic Trasnducer (29) into the solution. While transferring, the Megasonic Transducer 29 is protected from the wet etch reaction solution. At this time, bubbles generated on the surface of the reaction substrate are desorbed by the megasonic energy transferred to the reaction substrate through the solution.

The megasonic vibrator holder part 15 (FIG. 3) is mounted inside the wet etching bath 3 (FIG. 3) so as to face the substrate holder part 14 (FIG. 3) in a direction perpendicular to the ground. Positioning the inside of the wet etching bath in mounting the megasonic vibrator holder part is an embodiment shown for clarity of the present invention. The location of the megasonic vibrator holder portion for utilizing the energy from the megasonic vibrator can be embodied in other forms in a wet reactor.

5 illustrates an embodiment of a substrate holder part. The substrate holder portion 14 (FIG. 5) is a Korean Patent Application No. 10-2003-0054492 'substrate manipulation device for a wet process' and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2003-0065443 'wet etching device' filed by the same applicant of the present invention One embodiment embodied by the method. The substrate holder 14 (FIG. 5) provides a method of protecting the surface from which the wet etching reaction does not perform during the wet etching reaction using the substrate manipulation apparatus 36 from the wet etching reaction solution. The substrate operating device 36 can be operated by driving the bellows 42 at a pressure of about 1 to 3 atmospheres using the electronic pressure regulator 40. By mounting the substrate operating device 36 in the center of the substrate operating device holder 44, the substrate holder portion 14 (FIG. 5) is constituted.

The present invention can heat the wet etching reaction solution using ultra-high frequency energy and keep the temperature constant, and easily remove bubbles generated on the surface of the substrate during the wet etching reaction using the megasonic vibrator, and the wet etching reaction. By safely separating the surface that does not have the effect of improving the etching speed and etching uniformity through the wet etching process, it is possible to improve the yield and cost of the entire device fabrication.

Although the present invention has been described in detail only with respect to the described embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.

1 is an embodiment of a conventional wet etching device

Figure 2 is an embodiment of a wet etching apparatus using a conventional ultra-high frequency energy

3 is an embodiment of a wet etching apparatus according to the present invention;

Figure 4 is an embodiment of the megasonic vibrator holder portion of the wet etching apparatus according to the present invention

Figure 5 is an embodiment of the substrate holder portion of the wet etching apparatus according to the present invention

<Description of the code | symbol about the principal part of drawing>

1. Condenser 2. Cover

3. Wet Etch Bath 4. Bath Bath

5. Wet etching solution 6. Reaction substrate

7. Magnetic Stirrer 8. Hot Plate

9. Coolant 10. Microwave Oscillator

11. High Frequency Power Supply 12. Sensor

13. I / O device 14. Board holder part

15. Megasonic oscillator holder part 16. Wet etching reaction part

17. Filter 18. Inlet

19. Outlet 20. Damper

21.Circulation Pump 22.Temperature Sensor

23. Stirring device 24. Temperature control device

25. Recirculation Bath 26. Circulation Bath

27. Solution temperature control unit 28. Alumina substrate

29. Megasonic Oscillator 30. O-ring

31. Power supply 32. Pneumatic supply

33. Megasonic vibrator jig 34. Handler

35. Megasonic Oscillator Holder

36. Board Manipulation Device 37. Fixing Connection Device

38. Upper holder 39. Lower holder

40. Electronic pressure regulator 41. Holder fixing screw

42. Bellows 43. Force or pressure applied parts

44. Board Manipulator Holder

Claims (3)

As a wet etching device, Wet Etch Bath for Wet Etch Reaction, An inlet for circulation of the wet etching solution, located at the bottom of the wet etching reaction tank, Outlet for circulation of the wet etching solution, located at the top of the wet etching reactor, Cover located on top of the wet etch bath Wet etching reaction portion consisting of; A Megasonic Transducer holder portion configured to be positioned in a direction perpendicular to the ground of the wet etching reaction tank; A substrate holder part positioned to face the megasonic vibrator holder part in a direction perpendicular to the ground of the wet etching reaction tank; Recirculation Bath, A condenser for maintaining a constant concentration of the wet etching solution at the top and a stirring device for diluting and stirring the wet etching solution, A circulation pump positioned outside the circulation tank to circulate the wet etching reaction solution from the circulation tank to the wet etching reaction part; A circulation unit consisting of; Microwave oscillator for heating the wet etching reaction solution outside the recirculation bath, Microwave Power Supplies Temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the wet etching reaction solution heated by microwave energy, Solution temperature control unit consisting of a temperature control unit consisting of a temperature control unit for controlling the energy of the high frequency power supply unit via a temperature sensor Wet etching apparatus comprising a The method of claim 1, Microwave is a wet etching device, characterized in that it comprises a frequency range from 900 MHz to 3 GHz. The method of claim 1, Megasonic is a wet etching apparatus comprising a frequency ranging from 600 kHz to 3 MHz.