KR101935580B1 - Apparatus for steam cleaning - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a steam cleaning apparatus, and more particularly, to a steam cleaning apparatus which includes a saturated aquatic part for receiving and storing pure water and having a heater to generate saturated water; A particle removing unit for removing particles contained in the saturated water; A steam generator for generating at least one of steam and superheated steam by receiving the saturated water from which the particles have been removed; A nozzle unit for spraying at least one of the steam and the superheated steam; And a controller for controlling operations of the saturated aquatic part and the steam generating part.

Description

[0001] APPARATUS FOR STEAM CLEANING [0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a steam cleaning apparatus, and more particularly, to a steam cleaning apparatus for spraying steam generated by using saturated water from which particles have been removed onto a substrate.

Generally, semiconductor wafers and substrates of screen display devices are manufactured through various processes, and organic contaminants such as fine particles, inorganic substances containing various metals, and polymer compounds are generated in each process. This contaminant causes a problem that greatly affects the quality of the substrate. Also, as the industry develops, the miniaturization trend of the substrate becomes gradually from 90 → 65 → 45 nm, and as a result, miniaturization, high density, high integration and wiring multi-layering are progressed, . In addition, the chip area is increased and the diameter of the wafer is also increased from 200 mm to 300 mm, and a cleaning process is required to reduce minute contaminants such as particles (foreign particles), metal impurities, and surface adsorption chemicals .

The fine contaminants generated during the cleaning process deteriorate the distortion of the structural shape and the electrical characteristics of the substrate, thereby causing problems such as poor performance, reliability, and yield of the substrate. To solve this problem, .

However, pure water is produced by reducing the hardness of water and removing ions by removing calcium and magnesium so that it can be used in the cleaning process. In this pure water, a cation classified as a metal ion and a negative ion classified as a non- There is a problem that high purity steam for cleaning the substrate during the cleaning process can not be provided.

In addition, cations and anions remaining in pure water in a very small amount cause contamination of the substrate, and these ions have respective influences on the process.

For example, fine contaminants of the calcium component remaining on the substrate may cause defective in the dielectric strength of the insulating film of the substrate.

Accordingly, the cleaning process, which accounts for more than 30% of the entire process, is repeatedly used between substrate fabrication, and more strict contamination control is required due to the miniaturization of the substrate. Thus, various processes for designing process equipment for cleaning and optimization of process conditions Technology development has been demanded.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a steam cleaning apparatus for cleaning a substrate by providing saturated water in which particulates such as particulate matters and particles remaining in purified water remaining in the cleaning process are removed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a high purity steam by removing particles containing a very small amount of positive ions and negative ions generated when pure water is changed into saturated water.

To achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a steam cleaning apparatus comprising: a saturated aquatic part for receiving and storing pure water and generating a saturated water with a heater; A particle removing unit for removing particles contained in the saturated water; A steam generator for generating at least one of steam and superheated steam by receiving the saturated water from which the particles have been removed; A nozzle unit for spraying at least one of the steam and the superheated steam; And a controller for controlling operations of the saturated aquatic part and the steam generating part.

The pure water may include at least one of DI Water (Deionized Water) and Ultra Pure Water.

The heater is provided inside the saturated aquatic part to heat the stored pure water.

The heater may be provided outside the saturated aquatic part to heat the surface of the saturated water producing part.

Wherein the saturated water generating unit comprises: a pressure sensor for sensing a change in the internal pressure and the internal pressure before the saturated water is generated; A level sensor for sensing the level of the stored pure water; A temperature sensor for sensing an internal temperature at which the saturated water is generated based on the internal pressure; And a pure water concentration meter for measuring the concentration of the stored pure water, and may transmit at least one of the internal pressure, the internal pressure change, the water level, the internal temperature, and the concentration to the control unit.

The particle removing unit may remove particles included in the saturated water by using at least one of a cation exchange resin, an anion exchange resin, and a micro filter.

The particle removing unit may include at least one particle remover disposed between the saturated aquatic part and the steam generating part, for removing particles contained in the saturated water.

The particle removing unit may include at least one particle removing unit disposed between the steam generating unit and the nozzle unit and removing particles included in at least one of the steam and the superheated steam.

The nozzle unit may include a discharge unit for spraying a mixed fluid obtained by mixing at least one of the steam and the superheated steam with another fluid.

The other fluid may include at least one of Clean Dry Air (CDA), cleaning liquid, mixed chemical liquid, ozone water, and pure water.

The discharging portion may include a slit or a plurality of spot shapes, and may spray the mixed fluid in the form of a slit or a plurality of spots.

The control unit may control the inflow of the pure water by measuring the concentration of the pure water stored in the saturated aquatic part through the electrical conductivity.

The steam generator may generate at least one of the steam and the superheated steam by heating the saturated water from which the particles have been removed to a temperature higher than the saturation aquatic function.

The saturated water generator may include at least two saturated water generators.

As described above, according to the present invention, steam is generated using saturated water from which particles have been removed through a particle removing unit, thereby providing high-purity steam containing no fine particles which may cause substrate contamination.

Particularly, the present invention provides a structure in which particles including a trace amount of positive ions and anions generated by the influence of temperature rise of pure water in the production of saturated water can be removed, thereby securing the purity of steam.

In addition, the present invention has the effect of providing a uniform concentration of saturated water by measuring the concentration of pure water introduced into the saturated aquatic part by the control unit to maintain a uniform concentration of pure water.

1 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration of a substrate cleaning apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
2 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of a substrate cleaning apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of a substrate cleaning apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of a substrate cleaning apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a perspective view illustrating a nozzle unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;
6 is a sectional view showing a discharge port of a nozzle unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to designate identical or similar elements, and redundant description thereof will be omitted. The suffix " module " and " part " for the components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of ease of specification, and do not have their own meaning or role. In the following description of the embodiments of the present invention, a detailed description of related arts will be omitted when it is determined that the gist of the embodiments disclosed herein may be blurred. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. , ≪ / RTI > equivalents, and alternatives.

Terms including ordinals, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited to these terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

It is to be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another element, it may be directly connected or connected to the other element, . On the other hand, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that there are no other elements in between.

The singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In this application, the terms " comprises " or " having "

But are not limited to, a feature, a number, a step, an operation, an element, a component,

One or more other features or numbers, steps, operations, configurations

Elements, components, or combinations thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention that fall within the spirit and essential characteristics thereof

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms.

1 to 6, only the necessary components are shown in introducing the characteristic functions according to the present invention, and various other components are included in the steam cleaning apparatus It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention can be carried out without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration of a substrate cleaning apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of a substrate cleaning apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the steam cleaning apparatus 10 includes a saturated aquatic part 100, a particle removing part 200, a steam generating part 300, a nozzle part 400 and a control part 500.

The saturated aquatic part (100) supplies the saturated water to the particle removing part (200). Here, the saturated water is generated by supplying pure water from the outside and the heater 110 provided inside the saturated aquatic part heating pure water.

Pure water is a liquid that cleans semiconductor and glass substrates by using distilled water and ultrapure water. It is usually manufactured by a resin column method in which positive ions (positive ions) and anions (negative ions) are removed, or salts And a reverse osmosis method through a desalination unit for removing water.

In addition, the saturated water can be produced by heating pure water.

Specifically, saturated water is water in which internal energy (pressure and temperature) reaches a saturated state, and saturated water is produced at a temperature of 100 ° C at 1 atm (standard atmospheric pressure). Such saturated water may be 100 ° C or higher, depending on the pressure, and may be 100 ° C or lower.

At this time, the saturated water produced in the saturated aquatic function part 100 is supplied to the steam generating part 300 through the saturated water supply line L1 and is supplied to the particle removing part 200, a valve for adjusting the saturated water flow amount May be provided between the saturated aquatic part 100 and the steam generating part 300.

The saturated aquifer part 100 includes a pressure sensor 120, a water level sensor 130, a temperature sensor 140 and a pure water concentration meter 150. The saturated aquifer part 100 includes information sensed by the sensor and the meter to the control part 500 .

The pressure sensor 120 can sense the change in the internal pressure before the saturated water production and the internal pressure of the saturated aquatic production portion 100 between the pure water introduced into the saturated water producing portion 100 and the saturated water producing portion.

The water level sensor 130 senses the level of the pure water stored in the saturated aquatic part and the temperature sensor 140 senses the internal temperature at which the saturated water is generated based on the internal pressure. Can be measured. The pressure, pressure change, water level, temperature and concentration inside the saturated aquatic part 100 can be transmitted to the control part 500 by the information sensed by the sensor.

The particle removing unit 200 receives the saturated water from the saturated aquatic part 100 and performs filtration to supply the saturated water from which the particles have been removed to the steam generating part 300. In this case, the filtration process may include a cation exchange resin, an anion exchange resin, a microfilter, and the like as a process of filtering fine ionic particles generated during the production of saturated water. The particle removing unit 200 may be disposed between the saturated aquatic part 100 and the steam generating part 300 and may be disposed between the steam generating part 300 and the nozzle part 400. At this time, the particle removing unit 200 disposed at each position can remove particles of saturated water and remove particles of steam and superheated steam.

The steam generator 300 receives the saturated water from which the particles have been removed, and generates steam and superheated steam. At this time, the steam generator 300 can heat the saturated water from which the particles have been removed to a temperature higher than that of the saturated aquatic part 100.

Particularly, the steam generated in accordance with the temperature change of the steam generator 300 is a water vapor formed by heating the saturated water from which particles have been removed in the range of 100 ° C. to 150 ° C., and the particles containing the extremely small amounts of positive and negative ions And the superheated steam is a high-temperature gaseous body formed by heating saturated water from which particles have been removed in the range of 180 ° C to 220 ° C. The gas having a very small amount of cations and anions Lt; / RTI >

The nozzle unit 400 may supply steam and superheated steam generated in the steam generating unit 300 through the supply line L2 and spray steam and superheated steam on the washing surface of the object S. [ At this time, the nozzle unit 400 may include a mixed fluid in which other fluids are mixed according to the degree of difficulty of the cleaning process, in addition to the supplied steam and superheated steam. These other fluids can be sprayed on the surface of the object S by mixing Clean Dry Air (CDA), cleaning liquid, mixed chemical liquid, ozone water and pure water. In addition, the nozzle unit 400 may include a discharge unit 410 so that the mixed fluid may be injected into various shapes on the surface of the object S.

The controller 500 can control the generation and maintenance of the saturated water generated in the saturated aquatic part 100 uniformly using the sensed information. At this time, the controller 500 measures the concentration of the pure water stored in the saturated aquatic part 100 through the electrical conductivity and controls the operation so that the pure water flows into the saturated water generating part from the outside.

A separate power supply unit (not shown) may be connected to the controller 500 to supply power to the saturating aquatic part 100 and the steam generator 300, , Steam and superheated steam. In general, pure water produced according to needs in various industrial fields may contain trace amounts of positive ions and negative ions, and since it is difficult to narrow the concentration, the concentration of such pure water can be used to measure the amount of particles generated in the production of saturated water , And the amount of particles to be removed from the particle removal can be measured based on the concentration of the measured pure water.

Specifically, the resistivity value measured through pure electrical conductivity is 18 million ohm.cm, but the resistivity value of pure water used for semiconductor cleaning is 17 million ohm.cm, so that undesired particles may be generated during the cleaning process . In other words, the pure water used for cleaning the semiconductor is generated as saturated water, the particles of the saturated water are removed through the particle removing unit 200, and the resistivity value is raised to produce high purity steam and superheated steam. Can be improved.

The operation of the substrate cleaning apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIG.

The steam cleaning device 10 includes a saturated aquatic part 100, a particle removing part 200, a steam generating part 300, a nozzle part 400 and a control part 500. Since these configurations are the same as those described with reference to FIG. 1, redundant description will be omitted.

In contrast to the first embodiment of the present invention, the heater 110 is provided outside the saturated aquatic portion 100 and heats the surface of the saturated aquatic portion 100 to generate saturated water.

The saturated water from which the particles have been removed is supplied to the steam generator 300 to generate steam and superheated steam and is supplied to the nozzle unit 400 through the supply line L2.

The steam and the superheated steam supplied to the nozzle unit 400 may be sprayed onto the washing surface of the object S with high-purity steam and superheated steam from which the particles have been removed. In addition to steam and superheated steam, Depending on the difficulty of the process requiring cleaning, the mixed fluid can be mixed with other fluids.

At this time, the controller 500 receives information sensed through the pressure sensor 120, the water level sensor 130, the temperature sensor 140, and the pure water concentration meter 150 provided in the saturated aquatic part 100, Temperature, concentration, flow of pure water, and operation of the steam generator.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of a substrate cleaning apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of a substrate cleaning apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

3, the steam cleaner 10 includes a saturated aquatic part 100, a particle removing part 200, a steam generating part 300, a nozzle part 400 and a control part 500. These configurations are the same as those described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, and a duplicate description will be omitted.

The saturated aquatic part 100 may be provided with two or more saturated water generators 100-1, 100-n. Here, each of the saturation number generators 100-1 and 100-n may include a heater or may be provided outside to generate saturated water. Also, at least one heater, which is provided outside the saturated water generators 100-1 and 100-n and heats the surface, may be provided in proportion to the area of the saturated water generators 100-1 and 100-n.

Referring to FIG. 4, the steam cleaner 10 includes a saturated aquatic part 100, a particle removing part 200, a steam generating part 300, a nozzle part 400 and a control part 500. These configurations are the same as those described above with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, so duplicate descriptions will be omitted.

The particle removing unit 200 may include two or more particle removing units 200-1 and 200-n. Here, the particle removers 200-1 and 200-n may supply the saturated water from the saturated aquatic part 100 to the steam generator 300 by performing the filtration process. The particle eliminator 210 may supply steam and superheated steam to the nozzle unit 400 by supplying steam and saturated steam from the steam generator 300 and performing filtration.

Although not shown in the figure, the number and spacing of the saturation water generators 100-1 and 100-n and the particle removers 200-1 and 200-n and 210 can be arbitrarily adjusted, and the application of the modified embodiment according to the degree of difficulty of the process It is possible.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a nozzle unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a discharge port of a nozzle unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the nozzle unit includes a steam and superheated steam supply unit 410, a fluid supply unit 420, a mixing unit 430, and a discharge unit 440.

The steam and superheated steam supply unit 410 can supply steam and superheated steam generated in the steam generator 300.

The fluid supply part 420 may be supplied with another fluid from the outside.

As a result, the different fluids supplied from the steam and overheated steam supply unit and the fluid supply unit can be mixed with each other in the mixing unit 430 to be able to stay as a mixed fluid.

Other fluids may include Clean Dry Air (CDA), cleaning liquid, mixed chemical liquid, ozonated water, and pure water. At this time, the mixed fluid can be generated by mixing various kinds of fluids.

The discharging unit 440 may be provided at a predetermined angle with respect to the washing surface of the object S, At this time, the discharge part provided on one surface of the nozzle part may be provided with a slit or a plurality of spots so that the mixed fluid can be sprayed on the cleaning surface of the object S in a slit shape or a plurality of spots.

As a result, the steam cleaning apparatus according to the present invention can generate steam using the saturated water from which particles have been removed, thereby providing high-purity steam that does not contain fine particles that cause substrate contamination, It is possible to secure the purity of steam by providing a structure in which particles including a very small amount of positive ions and negative ions generated by the influence of the temperature rise of the particles can be removed.

In addition, when undesired particles may be generated during the cleaning process, the particles of the saturated water are removed through the particle removing unit to increase the resistivity value of the saturated water to generate high purity steam and superheated steam, thereby improving the yield of the cleaning process .

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and equivalent arrangements may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Accordingly, the true scope of the present invention should be determined by the technical idea of the appended claims. It is also to be understood that the invention includes all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

10: steam cleaner 100: saturated aquatic part
100-1, 100-n: Saturated water generator 110: heater
120: pressure sensor 130: water level sensor
140: Temperature sensor 150: Concentration meter
200: particle removing unit 200-1, 200-n, 210: particle removing unit
300: steam generator 400: nozzle unit
410: steam and superheated steam supply part 420: fluid supply part
430: mixing section 440:
500: control unit L1, L2: supply line
S: object (S)

Claims (14)

A saturated aquatic part which is supplied with and stores pure water and has a heater to generate saturated water containing particles including positive and negative ions;
A particle removing unit for removing the particles included in the saturated water;
A steam generator for generating at least one of steam and superheated steam by receiving the saturated water from which the particles have been removed;
A nozzle unit for spraying at least one of the steam and the superheated steam; And
And a controller for controlling operations of the saturated aquatic part and the steam generating part,
In the nozzle unit,
And a discharge portion for spraying a mixed fluid obtained by mixing at least one of the steam and the superheated steam with another fluid,
The discharge unit
A plurality of spot shapes are provided, and the mixed fluid is sprayed into the slit shape or the plurality of spot shapes,
Wherein the plurality of spot shapes include:
Wherein the steam cleaning device is provided in a zigzag form of a first row and a second row. The method according to claim 1,
The pure water,
Wherein the steam cleaning device comprises at least one of DI Water (Deionized Water) and Ultra Pure Water. The method according to claim 1,
The heater
And a steam cleaning device provided inside the saturated aquatic part for heating the stored pure water. The method according to claim 1,
The heater
And a heater provided outside the saturated aquatic part to heat the surface of the saturated water producing part. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the saturation number generating unit comprises:
A pressure sensor for detecting a change in the internal pressure and the internal pressure before the saturated water is generated;
A level sensor for sensing the level of the stored pure water;
A temperature sensor for sensing an internal temperature at which the saturated water is generated based on the internal pressure;
And a pure water concentration meter for measuring the concentration of the stored pure water,
And transmits at least one of the internal pressure, the change in the internal pressure, the water level, the internal temperature, and the concentration to the control unit. The method according to claim 1,
The particle removing unit includes:
Wherein at least one of a cation exchange resin, an anion exchange resin, and a micro filter is used to remove particles contained in the saturated water. The method according to claim 1,
The particle removing unit includes:
And at least one particle remover disposed between the saturated aquatic part and the steam generating part for removing particles contained in the saturated water. The method according to claim 1,
The particle removing unit includes:
And at least one particle removing unit disposed between the steam generating unit and the nozzle unit for removing particles contained in at least one of the steam and the superheated steam. delete The method according to claim 1,
The other fluid,
A clean air (CDA), a cleaning liquid, a mixed chemical liquid, ozone water, and pure water. delete The method according to claim 1,
Wherein,
Wherein the concentration of the pure water stored in the saturated aquatic part is measured through electrical conductivity to control the inflow of the pure water. The method according to claim 1,
The steam generator comprises:
And the saturated water from which the particles are removed is heated to a temperature higher than that of the saturated aquatic part to generate at least one of the steam and the superheated steam. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the saturation number generating unit comprises:
And at least two saturated water generators.

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