KR100892754B1 - Apparatus and method for treating substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for treating a substrate is provided to increase the effectiveness in the substrate processing process by preventing the generation of vortex at the edge neighboring of substrate. A supporting member(120) comprises a supporting body(122), a rotating shaft(124), a lower nozzle(126), and a guide member. The wafer(W) is supported by the supporting body. The supporting body has the cylindrical shape. A plurality of chucking pins(122c) are installed at the upper side(122a) of the supporting body. The rotating shaft rotates the supporting body in the inside of the housing. The rotating shaft is combined with the supporting body and the drive motor. The lower nozzle is installed at the center of the supporting body. The lower nozzle sprays the inflow prevention gas to the lower surface of the wafer(W) located on the top of the supporting body. The guide member guides the flow of the inflow prevention gas in order to effectively discharge the inflow prevention gas. The guide member comprises a plurality of blades(128).

Description

Substrate processing apparatus and method {APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TREATING SUBSTRATE}

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for processing a substrate, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for cleaning a semiconductor substrate by supplying a processing fluid on the substrate.

The semiconductor manufacturing process is a process for producing a semiconductor integrated circuit chip by performing a series of unit processes continuously and repeatedly. Among these unit processes, the cleaning process is a process of removing foreign matter remaining on the wafer.

Generally, among the apparatuses for cleaning a semiconductor substrate, the single wafer cleaning apparatus is a device for sequentially cleaning a single wafer. The sheet type substrate cleaning apparatus has a housing, a support member, and an injection member. The housing provides a space therein in which the cleaning process is performed. The support member is rotatably installed in the housing to support and rotate the wafer during the process. The support member is disposed along the edge of the cylindrical support body and the upper surface of the support body and chucking pins for chucking a part of the edge of the substrate, and is installed at the center of the support body to inject gas into the center of the lower surface of the substrate during the process. It has a lower nozzle. The injection member sequentially sprays the processing fluids onto the processing surface of the rotating wafer to remove foreign substances remaining on the wafer surface.

In the sheet type substrate cleaning apparatus having the above-described structure, when the injection member injects the cleaning liquid to the upper surface of the wafer during the cleaning process, the lower nozzle of the support member injects the gas into the space between the substrate and the upper surface of the support body. The gas injected into the interspace is discharged from the interspace to prevent the cleaning liquid from flowing into the interspace. However, the gas exiting the interspace produces vortex in the wafer edge region. Vortex generated at the wafer edge attracts foreign contaminants such as particles into the wafer edge region to contaminate the wafer.

The present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus and method for improving the efficiency of a substrate cleaning process.

The present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus and method for preventing the generation of vortex around the substrate during the substrate cleaning process.

The substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention for solving the above problems is a housing for providing a space for processing the substrate therein, a support member for supporting the substrate in the housing during the process, and a substrate placed on the support member during the process Including a spray member for injecting a processing fluid, the support member is a support body, a plurality of chucking pins disposed on the upper edge of the support body to support the substrate on the support body during the process, the center of the support body A lower nozzle for spraying gas to a lower surface of the substrate supported by the chucking pins during processing, and a fluid in a space between the processing surface of the substrate supported by the chucking pin and the upper surface of the support body; And a guide member for guiding the discharge from the interspace.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the guide member includes a plurality of blades formed on the side of the support body.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the blade is helical.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the blade is inclined upward toward the rotation direction of the support body.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the gas sprayed by the lower nozzle is an inflow preventing gas which prevents external air from flowing into the space between the substrate and the support body during the process, and the blade is the inflow preventing gas in the interspace. Guides them out effectively.

The substrate processing method according to the present invention for solving the above problems is a support body having a top surface on which the substrate is placed, rotatably installed, disposed on the edge of the top surface of the support body to process the substrate on the support body during the process. A plurality of chucking pins for supporting and a lower nozzle which is installed in the center of the support body for injecting gas to the lower surface of the substrate supported by the chucking pins during the process to process the substrate, Blades protruding from the side surface prevent vortices from being generated around the edge of the substrate by the gas supplied to the space between the substrate and the support body by the lower nozzle during the process.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the prevention of vortex generation around the edge of the substrate is performed by guiding the blades moving downward from the interspace.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the gas is a gas which prevents the processing liquid injected to the upper surface of the substrate from flowing into the interspace during the process.

The present invention prevents the generation of vortex around the edge of the substrate to improve the efficiency of the substrate processing process.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein and may be embodied in other forms. Rather, the embodiments introduced herein are provided to ensure that the disclosed subject matter is thorough and complete, and that the spirit of the present invention to those skilled in the art will fully convey. Portions denoted by like reference numerals denote like elements throughout the specification.

In addition, in the embodiment of the present invention will be described taking the sheet type substrate processing apparatus for performing the cleaning and drying process as an example. However, the present invention can be applied to any semiconductor manufacturing apparatus provided with a substrate supporting member for supporting a substrate.

(Example)

1 is a view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the support member shown in FIG. 3 is a view showing a cross section of the support body cut along the line AA ′ of FIG. 2.

1 to 3, an apparatus for treating substrate 100 according to the present invention includes a housing 110, a support member 120, and a recovery member. 130, a driving member 140, and an injection member 150.

The housing 110 provides a space in which a process of cleaning the semiconductor substrate (hereinafter, referred to as “wafer”) W is performed. The housing 110 has a cylindrical shape with an open top. An open upper portion of the housing 110 is used as a passage through which the substrate W enters and exits during the process. The lower wall of the housing 110 is provided with an exhaust line 112 for discharging air inside the housing 110.

The support member 120 supports the wafer W in the housing 110 during the process. The support member 120 is installed to be rotatable inside the housing 110. Therefore, the support member 120 rotates the wafer W loaded on the support member 120 in the housing 110 at a predetermined rotation speed during the process. Details of the configurations of the support member 120 will be described later.

The recovery member 130 recovers the processing liquids scattered from the wafer W during the process. The recovery member 120 has first to third recovery canisters 132, 134, and 136. Each of the first to third recovery containers 132, 134, and 136 has inlets 132a, 134a, and 136a into which the treatment liquid is introduced. The inlets 132a, 134a, and 136a of the recovery bins 132, 134, and 136 are arranged to be stacked up and down. Each of the first to third recovery containers 132, 134, and 136 has first to third recovery lines 132b, 134b, and 136b. The first recovery line 132b recovers the processing liquid recovered into the first recovery container 132, and the second recovery line 134b recovers the processing liquid from which the second recovery container 134 is recovered. The recovery line 136b recovers the processing liquid recovered to the third recovery container 136.

The driving member 140 drives the support member 120 and the recovery member 130. The driving member 140 includes a driving motor 142 and a lifting part 144. The driving motor 142 rotates the support member 120 to rotate the wafer W placed on the support member 120 during the process. The elevator 144 up / downs the recovery member 130 up and down, so that the processing liquid scattered from the wafer W placed on the support member 120 during the process receives the first to third recovery containers ( 132, 134, 136 to be recovered to the recovery bin to be recovered.

In the present embodiment, the driving member 140 is described as an example of up-down the recovery member 130, but the driving member 140 is the processing to be scattered from the wafer (W) during the process by up and down the support member 120 The liquid may be returned to the recovery container to be recovered. Alternatively, the driving member 140 may proceed with the up and down of both the support member 120 and the recovery member 130.

The injection member 150 injects the processing fluid to the processing surface of the substrate (W). The injection member 150 includes at least one nozzle 152 and a nozzle driving part 154. The nozzle 152 may dry the first and second cleaning liquids for removing foreign substances remaining on the surface of the wafer W, the rinse liquid for removing the cleaning liquid remaining on the surface of the wafer W, and the surface of the wafer W. Spray dry gas for For example, the first and second treatment liquids may be different kinds of cleaning liquids, and the third treatment liquid may be a rinse liquid. For example, a hydrofluoric acid (HF) solution may be used as the first cleaning solution, and Standard Clean-1 (SC-1) may be used as the second cleaning solution. In addition, ultrapure water may be used as the rinse liquid, and isopropyl alcohol gas (IPA gas) or nitrogen gas (N 2 gas) may be used as the drying gas.

The nozzle driver 154 drives the nozzle 152. The nozzle driver 154 moves the nozzle 152 between the injection position (a) and the standby position (b). The injection position (a) is the position where the nozzle 152 injects the processing fluid to the processing surface of the wafer (W), and the standby position (b) is the housing 110 before the nozzle 152 is moved to the injection position (a). ) Waiting position from outside. In addition, the nozzle driver 154 may swing the nozzle 152 at the injection position a so that the processing fluid is evenly sprayed on the entire surface of the wafer W during the process.

Subsequently, the configurations of the supporting member 120 according to the present invention will be described in detail. 2 and 3, the support member 120 includes a support body 122, a rotating shaft 124, a lower nozzle 126, and a guide member. ).

The support body 122 supports the wafer W during the process. The support body 122 has a generally cylindrical shape. A plurality of chucking pins 122c are installed on the upper surface 122a of the support body 122. Each of the chucking pins 122c chucks and unchucks a portion of the edge of the wafer W placed on the support body 122 during the process. The chucking pins 122c are disposed at equal angles with respect to the center of the upper surface 122a of the support body 122.

The rotating shaft 124 rotates the support body 122 inside the housing 110 during the process. The upper end of the rotary shaft 124 is coupled to the lower center of the support body 122, the lower end of the rotary shaft 124 is coupled to the drive motor 142. Therefore, during the process, the rotating shaft 124 is rotated by the drive motor 142, thereby rotating the support body 122.

The lower nozzle 126 is installed at the center of the support body 122. The lower nozzle 126 injects an inflow preventing gas toward the lower surface of the wafer W placed on the support body 122 during the process. The inflow preventing gas is a gas for preventing external air from flowing into the space c between the lower surface of the wafer W and the upper surface 122a of the support body 122. As an inflow preventing gas, an inert gas such as nitrogen gas (N2 gas) may be used. Alternatively, isopropyl alcohol gas (IPA gas) may be used as the inflow preventing gas.

The guide member guides the flow of the inflow preventing gas so that the inflow preventing gas supplied to the interspace c is effectively discharged from the interspace c during the process. In one embodiment, the guide member comprises a plurality of blades 128. The blades 128 have a threaded shape that protrudes from the side surface 122b of the support body 122. The blades 128 are disposed at equal angles with respect to the center of the upper surface 122a of the support body 122. At this time, each of the blades 128 has a spiral shape that is gradually upward in the direction of rotation (X) of the support body 122. The blades 128 also have a face 128 ′ that collides with air in the housing 110 when the support body 122 is rotated. When the support body 122 rotates, the surface 128 ′ collides with the air in the housing 110 to induce a flow of inflow preventing gas in the interspace c downward.

In the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the spiral blade 128 protruding from the side surface 122b of the support body 122 has been described as an example, but the shape of the blades may be variously changed and modified. For example, referring to FIG. 4, the guide member according to another embodiment of the present invention has blades 128a having rounded surfaces 128a ′ colliding with air during the process. At this time, the rounded surface 128a 'is shaped to be convex toward the rotational direction X of the support body 122. The blades 128a of this structure, when the support body 122 is rotated during the process, induces a large amount of air in the housing 110 in the downward direction, so that the inflow preventing gas in the interspace c is stronger than the interspace ( from c).

Alternatively, referring to FIG. 5, the blade 128b according to another embodiment of the present invention has a surface 128b ′ that collides with air during the process of the blade 128a according to another embodiment described above. 128a ') is rounded in the opposite direction. That is, the rounded surface 128b ′ is shaped to concave toward the rotational direction X of the support body 122. Compared with the blade 128a according to another embodiment of the present invention, the blade 128b of this structure has less air resistance of the blade 128a when the support body 122 rotates, so that the housing 110 and the support member 120 are lower. To prevent the formation of vortices in the space between them.

Alternatively, referring to FIG. 6, the guide member according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a blade 128c having a first guide 128c ′ and a second guide 128c ″. The first protrusion 128c 'is a portion that projects generally vertically from the side surface 122b of the support body 122, and the second protrusion 128c' 'is a portion extending from the end of the first protrusion 128c'. . At this time, the second protrusion 128c ″ is formed to be inclined in a direction opposite to the rotational direction X of the support body 122 so as to accommodate a larger amount of air during the process. The guide member having the blades 128c having such a structure guides a larger amount of air downward in the process, so that the inflow preventing gas supplied to the interspace c can more efficiently flow out of the interspace c.

Hereinafter, the process of the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present invention will be described in detail. 7 is a view showing a state during the wafer cleaning process of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, Figure 8 is a view showing a state in which the guide member according to the present invention to control the flow of the inlet prevention gas.

7 and 8, when cleaning of the wafer W of the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present invention is started, the wafer W is loaded on the support member 120. That is, when the wafer W is placed on the upper surface 122a of the support body 122 of the support member 120, each of the chucking pins 122c chucks a portion of the edge of the wafer W, thereby supporting the body 122. The wafer W is fixed on the surface.

When the wafer W is loaded, the elevator 144 of the driving member 140 has a treatment liquid scattered from the wafer W among the first to third recovery containers 132, 134, and 136 into one recovery container. The height of the recovery member 130 is adjusted to be recovered. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 7, when the processing liquid sprayed by the injection member 150 is to be recovered into the first recovery container 132, the elevator 144 is an inlet 132a of the first recovery container 132. ) Adjusts the height of the recovery member 130 so as to face the side surface of the wafer W placed on the support member 120.

When the height of the recovery member 130 is adjusted, the driving motor 142 rotates the support member 120 to rotate the wafer W placed on the support body 122 at a predetermined process speed. Then, the nozzle 152 of the injection member 150 injects the processing liquid F1 to the processing surface of the wafer W to be rotated. The injected treatment liquid F1 is removed from the wafer W by the centrifugal force of the rotated wafer W after removing foreign matter remaining on the surface of the wafer W and then recovered into the first recovery container 132. The processing liquid F1 recovered to the first recovery container 132 is recovered to a facility (not shown) for regenerating the processing liquid used by the first recovery line 132b. At this time, the lower nozzle 122c sprays the inflow preventing gas F2 to the lower surface of the wafer W. The inflow preventing gas F2 supplied to the space c between the wafer W and the upper surface 122a of the support body 122 is moved from the center of the lower surface of the wafer W to the edge and then the interspace c. By outflow from the outside, external contaminants such as the processing liquid F1 and particles are prevented from entering the interspace c.

In addition, the guide member prevents a phenomenon in which the vortex is generated in the edge region of the wafer W by the inflow preventing gas F2 injected by the lower nozzle 122c. That is, when the inflow preventing gas F2 injected into the interspace c exits from the interspace c, vortices may be generated in the edge region of the wafer W. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the guide member guides the flow of the inflow preventing gas F2 so that the inflow preventing gas F2 injected by the lower nozzle 122c effectively flows out from the interspace c. That is, when the support member 120 is rotated during the process, the blades 128 generate a downdraft in the housing 110. At this time, a pressure difference is generated between the upper region of the support body 122 and the lower region of the support body 122. Therefore, the inflow preventing gas F2 flowing out from the interspace c by the downdraft generated by the blade 128 is guided downward and is exhausted to the outside through the exhaust line 112. Therefore, the inflow preventing gas F2 flowing out from the interspace c is forced to move downward by the downward airflow generated by the blade 128, thereby preventing the inflow preventing gas F2 from the interspace c. When exiting, eddy currents are prevented from occurring in the wafer W edge region.

As described above, the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention has a vortex in the edge region of the wafer W when the inflow preventing gas F2 injected into the lower surface of the wafer W during the process exits from the interspace C. By preventing the phenomenon of generating, the efficiency of the wafer W cleaning process is improved.

The foregoing detailed description illustrates the present invention. In addition, the foregoing description merely shows and describes preferred embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention can be used in various other combinations, modifications, and environments. That is, changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the concept of the invention disclosed in this specification, the scope equivalent to the disclosed contents, and / or the skill or knowledge in the art. The above-described embodiments are for explaining the best state in carrying out the present invention, the use of other inventions such as the present invention in other state known in the art, and the specific fields of application and uses of the present invention. Various changes are also possible. Accordingly, the detailed description of the invention is not intended to limit the invention to the disclosed embodiments. Also, the appended claims should be construed to include other embodiments.

1 is a view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the supporting member shown in FIG. 1. FIG.

3 is a cross-sectional view of the support body cut along the line AA ′ of FIG. 2.

Figure 4 is a view showing a cross section of the support body according to another embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a view showing a cross section of the support body according to another embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a view showing a cross section of the support body according to another embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a view showing a state in the wafer cleaning process of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention.

8 is a view showing a guide member according to the present invention to control the flow of inflow preventing gas.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

100: substrate processing apparatus

110: housing

120: support member

130: recovery member

140: drive member

150: injection member

Claims (8)

delete In the apparatus for processing a substrate, A housing providing a space for processing the substrate therein; A support member supporting the substrate in the housing during the process, and Including a spray member for injecting the processing fluid to the substrate placed on the support member during the process, The support member, Support body, A plurality of chucking pins disposed on an edge of an upper surface of the support body to support a substrate on the support body during a process; A lower nozzle provided at the center of the support body and spraying gas to the lower surface of the substrate supported by the chucking pins during the process; and It includes a guide member for guiding the fluid in the space between the processing surface of the substrate supported by the chucking pin and the upper surface of the support body to be effectively discharged from the interspace, The guide member comprises a plurality of blades formed on the side of the support body. The method of claim 2, The blade, The substrate processing apparatus characterized by the spiral shape. The method of claim 3, wherein The blade, Substrate processing apparatus, characterized in that the inclined upward toward the rotation direction of the support body. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, The gas injected by the lower nozzle, It is an inflow preventing gas which prevents outside air from flowing into the space between the substrate and the support body during the process, The blade, And guides the inflow preventing gas to effectively flow out of the interspace. delete A support body having a top surface on which the substrate is placed and rotatably installed, a plurality of chucking pins disposed on an edge of the top surface of the support body to support the substrate on the support body during the process, and in the center of the support body Installed and provided with a lower nozzle for injecting gas to the lower surface of the substrate supported by the chucking pins to process the substrate, Providing blades protruding from the side of the support body, to prevent the vortex generated around the edge of the substrate by the gas supplied to the space between the substrate and the support body by the lower nozzle during the process, The prevention of vortex generation around the edge of the substrate, And the blades are guided so that the gas escaping from the interspace is moved downward. The method of claim 7, wherein The gas is, The substrate processing method, characterized in that the gas to prevent the processing liquid injected into the upper surface of the substrate to flow into the interspace.

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