KR102111960B1 - Substrate processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and, more specifically, to the substrate processing apparatus which performs a processing process for a substrate using a supercritical fluid, and prevents damage to an O-ring sealing a chamber, thereby extending a lifespan thereof. The substrate processing apparatus includes: the chamber; equal to or more than two O-ring units; and an O-ring protection unit.

Description

Substrate processing apparatus

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus, and more particularly, to a substrate processing apparatus performing a processing process for a substrate using a supercritical fluid, a substrate capable of prolonging life by preventing damage to an O-ring sealing the chamber It is about a processing device.

In general, when manufacturing a highly integrated semiconductor device such as large scale integration (LSI) on the surface of a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a wafer), it is necessary to form a very fine pattern on the wafer surface.

The ultra-fine pattern may be formed by patterning the resist through various processes of exposing, developing, and cleaning the wafer coated with the resist, and then transferring the resist pattern to the wafer by etching the wafer.

And after such etching, a process of cleaning the wafer is performed to remove dust and natural oxide films on the wafer surface. The cleaning treatment is performed by immersing a wafer having a pattern on its surface in a treatment liquid such as a chemical liquid or a rinse liquid, or by supplying a treatment liquid to the wafer surface.

However, when the treatment liquid is dried after the cleaning treatment is performed in accordance with the high integration of semiconductor devices, pattern collapse occurs in which patterns on the surface of the resist or wafer collapse.

Such pattern collapse, as shown in FIG. 9, when the treatment liquid 14 remaining on the surface of the wafer W is finished after the cleaning treatment is performed, the treatment liquid on the left and right sides of the patterns 11, 12, 13 is unevenly dried. , It corresponds to the phenomenon that the patterns (11, 12, 13) collapse due to the surface tension pulling the patterns (11, 12, 13) from side to side.

The root cause of the above-described pattern collapse is due to the surface tension of the processing liquid acting at the liquid / gas interface interposed between the atmospheric atmosphere surrounding the wafer W after the cleaning treatment and the processing liquid remaining between the patterns.

Accordingly, in recent years, attention has been paid to a treatment method of drying a treatment liquid using a supercritical fluid (hereinafter referred to as a 'supercritical fluid') that does not form an interface between a gas or a liquid.

In the drying method of the prior art using only temperature control in the state diagram of pressure and temperature in FIG. 10, since the gas-liquid coexistence line must be passed, surface tension occurs at the gas-liquid interface.

On the other hand, when drying through a supercritical state using both temperature and pressure control of the fluid, the gas-liquid coexistence line does not pass, so that it is possible to dry the substrate essentially in a surface tension-free state.

Looking at the drying using a supercritical fluid with reference to FIG. 10, when the pressure of the liquid is increased from A to B, and then the temperature is increased from B to C, it is converted to the supercritical state C without passing through the gas-liquid coexistence line. In addition, when the drying process is completed, the pressure of the supercritical fluid is lowered to convert to gas D without passing through the gas-liquid coexistence line.

However, as described above, in the case of a processing apparatus using a supercritical fluid, since the pressure inside the chamber must be maintained at a pressure equal to or higher than the critical pressure of the fluid, sealing means such as O-rings are employed to maintain the airtightness of the chamber.

When a sealing means such as an O-ring is used, damage and breakage of the O-ring may occur due to a high-pressure environment inside the chamber and high permeability of the supercritical fluid.

That is, a supercritical fluid having high permeability may penetrate at intervals between the chamber and the O-ring, and contaminants may accumulate due to separation or dissolution of the O-ring. In addition, a phenomenon in which external contaminants are transported and accumulates in the damaged portion may be caused. In this case, as the processing process for the substrate is repeated, contamination of the O-ring is intensified, and damage and breakage of the O-ring can be accelerated.

Furthermore, when performing rapid decompression in a high-pressure environment inside the chamber, damage and breakage of the O-ring may be caused.

As shown in FIG. 11A, voids 22 may be formed inside the O-ring 20 due to manufacturing defects or various factors. In this case, when the pressure inside the chamber rises, pressure is applied to the O-ring 20, and as shown in FIG. 11B, a supercritical fluid having high permeability is introduced into the pore 22 inside the O-ring 20. Will penetrate.

In this state, when the process inside the chamber ends and the pressure inside the chamber decreases, the internal stress increases as the supercritical state fluid that has penetrated into the O-ring 20 is converted into a gas state. As the internal stress increases, cracks or the like occur in the O-ring 20 as illustrated in FIG. 11C, thereby accelerating the damage and breakage of the O-ring 20.

In a chamber using a supercritical fluid, the damage and damage of the O-ring is difficult to detect easily, and when the O-ring is replaced due to the damage of the O-ring, the operation of the substrate processing apparatus is stopped. It is a factor that significantly decreases the production efficiency of.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus capable of preventing damage and breakage of an O-ring used in a substrate processing apparatus using a supercritical fluid and extending the life of the O-ring. It aims to do.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of preventing damage and breakage of the O-ring by reducing pressure applied to the O-ring.

The object of the present invention as described above is a chamber body for providing a receiving space for performing a processing process for a substrate using a supercritical fluid, a chamber having a chamber lid for sealing an opening of the chamber body, and the chamber lid A protective fluid is supplied to a buffer space formed between two or more O-ring units sequentially disposed toward the outside of the chamber between the chamber bodies and the O-ring units to communicate with neighboring O-ring units, and the protective fluid in the buffer space. It is achieved by a substrate processing apparatus characterized in that it comprises an O-ring protection unit for discharging.

Here, the two or more O-ring units include a main O-ring unit provided between the chamber lead and the chamber body, and an auxiliary O-ring unit provided outside the main O-ring unit toward the outside of the chamber, and the buffer space is the It may be formed between the main O-ring unit and the auxiliary O-ring unit.

Meanwhile, the main O-ring unit is disposed in a first receiving portion between the chamber lead and the chamber body, and the auxiliary O-ring unit is disposed in a second receiving portion between the chamber lid and the chamber body outside the main O-ring unit. In addition, the buffer space may be in communication with the first receiving portion and the second receiving portion, respectively.

In this case, the O-ring protection unit is an auxiliary supply port for supplying the protective fluid to the buffer space, an auxiliary discharge port for discharging the protective fluid from the buffer space, and protection for supplying the protective fluid to the auxiliary supply port It may be provided with a fluid supply.

In addition, the main fluid supply unit for supplying the main fluid to the inside of the chamber is further provided, and the protective fluid supplied from the protective fluid supply unit to the buffer space is the same as the main fluid supplied into the chamber by the main fluid supply unit. Can be configured.

On the other hand, the protective fluid supply unit is connected to the auxiliary supply port and has an auxiliary supply flow path in which a pressure control unit and a heat exchange unit are disposed, and the pressure control unit can be adjusted to adjust the pressure of the protective fluid.

Furthermore, the main fluid supply unit includes a main fluid storage unit for storing the main fluid, a main supply channel for connecting the main fluid storage unit and a main supply port for supplying the main fluid to the chamber, and protecting the main fluid. The fluid supply part is connected to the auxiliary supply port and has an auxiliary supply flow path in which a pressure regulating part and a heat exchange part are disposed, and the auxiliary supply flow path is branched from the main supply flow passage and can be connected to the auxiliary supply port.

In this case, the protective fluid supplied to the buffer space through the protective fluid supply unit is supplied in a supercritical state or a gas state, and the pressure of the protective fluid may be smaller than the process pressure inside the chamber.

For example, the pressure of the protective fluid supplied to the buffer space through the protective fluid supply unit may be determined to be 20% to 80% with respect to the process pressure inside the chamber.

Meanwhile, the protective fluid supplied to the buffer space through the protective fluid supply unit is in a liquid state, and the pressure of the protective fluid may be equal to or less than the process pressure inside the chamber.

For example, the pressure of the protective fluid supplied to the buffer space through the protective fluid supply unit may be determined as 50% to 100% of the process pressure inside the chamber.

On the other hand, it is further connected to the protective fluid supply unit further comprises a phase switching fluid supply unit for supplying a phase change fluid to the protective fluid supplied from the protective fluid supply unit to the buffer space, a phase different from the protective fluid supplied to the buffer space The conversion fluid may be mixed with the protection fluid to make the protection fluid in which the phase conversion fluid is mixed into a gaseous state or a liquid state and supply it to the buffer space.

In addition, the main fluid supply unit for supplying a main fluid to the inside of the chamber is further provided, and the protective fluid supplied from the protective fluid supply unit to the buffer space is different from the main fluid supplied into the chamber by the main fluid supply unit. Can be decided.

Meanwhile, two or more additional O-ring units that are sequentially arranged toward the outside of the chamber between the opened and closed surfaces of the chamber and a buffer space formed between the O-ring units to communicate with neighboring O-ring units communicate with each other, and provide a protective fluid. , An additional O-ring protection unit for discharging the protective fluid from the buffer space may be further provided.

On the other hand, the object of the present invention described above is a chamber for providing a receiving space for performing a processing process for a substrate using a supercritical fluid, two or more O-ring units sealing the receiving space of the chamber, between the two or more O-ring units It can be achieved by a substrate processing apparatus characterized in that it comprises a buffer space to be formed and an O-ring protection unit that regulates the pressure acting on the O-ring unit by supplying and discharging a protective fluid to the buffer space.

According to the present invention having the above-described configuration, a plurality of O-ring units are sequentially arranged toward the outside of the chamber, and the pressure applied to the O-ring unit is reduced by supplying a protective fluid to the buffer space between the O-ring units, thereby reducing the O-ring unit. It can prevent damage and breakage and increase the life of the O-ring unit.

1 is a side cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the chamber in the substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention,
Figure 2 is a partially enlarged view showing the O-ring unit in the chamber,
Figure 3 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the O-ring and the backup ring in the absence of the O-ring protection unit according to the present invention,
Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention,
Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention,
6 is a graph comparing the first pressure (P ₁ ) of the receiving space inside the chamber and the second pressure (P ₂ ) of the buffer space to atmospheric pressure (P ₃ ),
7 to 8 is a schematic view showing the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention,
9 is a view schematically showing a state in which the pattern collapses when the pattern on the substrate is dried according to the prior art,
Figure 10 is a state diagram showing the pressure and temperature changes of the fluid in the treatment process using a supercritical fluid,
11 is a view showing a change in O-ring of a device using a supercritical fluid according to the prior art.

Hereinafter, the structure of the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 is a side sectional view showing the internal configuration of the chamber 100 in the substrate processing apparatus 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view showing the O-ring unit in the chamber 100.

The substrate processing apparatus 1000 according to the present invention performs a processing process for the substrate W using a supercritical fluid. Here, the supercritical fluid corresponds to a phase formed when the material reaches a critical state, that is, a state exceeding a critical temperature and a critical pressure. The supercritical fluid has a molecular density close to that of a liquid and a viscosity similar to that of a gas. Therefore, the supercritical fluid has excellent diffusion, penetration, and dissolving power, which is advantageous for chemical reactions, and has little surface tension, so it does not apply interfacial tension to the microstructure. The phenomenon can be avoided and can be very useful.

Carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ) may be used as the supercritical fluid in the present invention. Carbon dioxide has an advantage that the critical temperature is approximately 31.1 ° C and the critical pressure is relatively low at 7.38 Mpa, making it supercritical, easy to control the temperature and pressure, and low cost.

In addition, carbon dioxide is non-toxic and harmless to the human body, and has non-combustible and inert properties. Furthermore, the supercritical carbon dioxide has a high diffusion coefficient of about 10 to 100 times compared to water or other organic solvents, so the permeability is excellent, so the organic solvent is replaced quickly and has little surface tension to dry. It has properties that are advantageous for use in. In addition, it is possible to separate and reuse the organic solvent by converting the carbon dioxide used in the drying process into a gaseous state, thereby reducing the burden of environmental pollution.

1 and 2, the substrate processing apparatus 1000 includes a chamber 100 that provides an accommodation space 125 that performs a processing process for a substrate W using a supercritical fluid, and the chamber The main O-ring unit 311 (see FIG. 2) for sealing the accommodation space 125 of the (100), and the buffer space 123 formed toward the outside of the chamber 100 in the main O-ring unit 311 and The O-ring protection unit 900 for controlling the pressure applied to the main O-ring unit 311 by supplying and discharging the protective fluid to the buffer space 123 may be provided (see FIG. 4).

The substrate processing apparatus 1000 according to this embodiment acts on the main oring 310 of the main oring unit 311 by supplying a protective fluid to the buffer space 123 formed outside the main oring unit 311. By reducing the pressure difference between the inside and outside to reduce the degree of deformation of the main O-ring 310 and minimize the exposed area with the supercritical fluid can increase the life of the main O-ring (310).

Looking in more detail, the substrate processing apparatus 1000 uses the supercritical fluid to provide a receiving space 125 for performing a processing process for the substrate W, the chamber body 120 and the chamber body 120 Chamber 100 having a chamber lid 110 for sealing the opening of the, two or more O-ring units sequentially disposed toward the outside of the chamber 100 between the chamber lid 110 and the chamber body 120 ( 300) and an O-ring formed between the O-ring unit 300 to supply a protective fluid to a buffer space 123 communicating with neighboring O-ring units 300 to each other, and discharging the protective fluid from the buffer space 123 A protection unit 900 (see FIG. 4) may be provided.

The chamber 100 includes a chamber body 120 that provides a receiving space 125 for performing a process such as a drying process for the substrate W using a supercritical fluid, and the chamber body 120. A chamber lid 110 for closing the opening may be provided.

The receiving space 125 inside the chamber body 120 may include a substrate support part 200 on which the substrate W is mounted and supported.

In this case, prior to performing the processing process for the substrate W, the chamber lid 110 is opened and the substrate W is mounted on the substrate support 200 inside the chamber body 120. Subsequently, the opened top of the chamber body 120 is sealed by the chamber lid 110 to seal the chamber 100.

For example, the chamber body 120 may include a body 124 in which the accommodation space 125 is formed, and a flange portion 122 formed by bending toward the outside from the opening of the body 124. . In this case, the flange portion 122 may be connected in contact with the lower surface of the chamber lead 110. For example, the chamber lead 110 may be securely fixed to the flange portion 122 by a fastening means (not shown) such as a bolt or a clamp.

Meanwhile, a main supply port 132 for supplying a main fluid to the accommodation space 125 may be formed in the chamber lead 110. In the receiving space 125, the main fluid may exist in a gas, liquid or supercritical state depending on the pressure state inside the chamber 100.

The main supply port 132 is shown in the drawing is formed on the chamber lead 110, but is not limited thereto and may be formed on the chamber body 120. The main fluid may be appropriately selected among supercritical fluids, for example, carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ). In addition, a main discharge port 150 is formed in the main body 124 to discharge the fluid in the accommodation space 125 when the processing process for the substrate W is completed.

On the other hand, as described above, during the process for the substrate W, the interior of the chamber 100 should be maintained at a pressure above a critical pressure capable of converting the main fluid into a supercritical state. Therefore, when the chamber lid 110 and the chamber body 120 are fastened, sealing means capable of sealing the chamber lid 110 and the chamber body 120 to maintain the pressure inside the chamber 100. It will be provided.

As described above, when the O-ring unit is provided as a sealing means between the chamber lid 110 and the chamber body 120, the processing process for the substrate is terminated and the supercritical penetrating into the O-ring when the pressure is reduced. As the fluid is converted into gas, the volume becomes relatively large, which may damage or break the O-ring. In this way, when the O-ring is damaged or damaged, it is not easy to know whether the O-ring is damaged or damaged, and further, it takes a lot of time and money to replace the O-ring. In addition, the replacement of the O-ring or the like decreases the operation rate of the substrate processing apparatus and significantly lowers the production efficiency.

In the present invention, when the O-ring unit is disposed to solve the above-described problem, two or more O-ring units are sequentially arranged toward the outside of the chamber 100, and further, a protective fluid is supplied to the buffer space between the O-ring units. It is intended to extend the life of the O-ring unit by reducing the pressure difference acting on the inside and outside of the O-ring unit and protecting the O-ring unit.

Specifically, a plurality of O-ring units 300 may be provided between the chamber lid 110 and the chamber body 120. In this case, the plurality of O-ring units 300 may be sequentially arranged toward the outside of the chamber 100.

In addition, the plurality of O-ring units 300 may be disposed on opposite surfaces of the chamber lid 110 and the chamber body 120. For example, the plurality of O-ring units 300 may be disposed between the upper surface of the flange portion 122 of the chamber body 120 and the lower surface of the chamber lid 110.

In FIG. 1, a main oring unit 311 is provided between the chamber lid 110 and the chamber body 120 and an auxiliary oring unit 321 is disposed outside the main oring unit 311. However, the number of the O-ring unit is only an example, and may be adjusted to an appropriate number.

In this case, the main O-ring unit 311 is disposed in the first receiving portion 126 between the chamber lead 110 and the chamber body 120, and the auxiliary O-ring unit 321 is the main O-ring unit 311 ) May be disposed on the second receiving portion 128 between the chamber lead 110 and the chamber body 120.

The first accommodating part 126 and the second accommodating part 128 may be formed on either one of the chamber lid 110 and the chamber body 120. In the drawing, although the first receiving portion 126 and the second receiving portion 128 are formed on the flange portion 122 of the chamber body 120, this is only an example, and the chamber lid 110 It is also possible to form on the lower surface.

Meanwhile, the main O-ring unit 311 includes a main O-ring 310 accommodated in the first accommodation portion 126 and a main backup ring disposed outside the main O-ring 310 in the first accommodation portion 126 ( 312).

The main O-ring 310 serves to seal between the chamber lid 110 and the chamber body 120 when the chamber lid 110 is fastened to the upper end of the chamber body 120. In addition, the main backing ring 312, when the chamber lid 110 is fastened to the upper end of the chamber body 120, the main O-ring 310 is the chamber lead 110 and the chamber It serves to prevent it from leaking out through the body 120.

In addition, the auxiliary O-ring unit 321 is an auxiliary O-ring 320 accommodated in the second accommodating part 128 and an auxiliary backup ring disposed outside the auxiliary O-ring 320 in the second accommodating part 128 ( 322). Descriptions of the auxiliary O-ring 320 and the auxiliary backup ring 322 are similar to the descriptions of the main O-ring 310 and the main backup ring 312, and thus repeated descriptions are omitted.

Meanwhile, the buffer space 123 may be formed between the main O-ring unit 311 and the auxiliary O-ring unit 321 to communicate with the main O-ring unit 311 and the auxiliary O-ring unit 321. More specifically, the buffer space 123 may be formed to connect the first receiving portion 126 and the second receiving portion 128 in which the main O-ring unit 311 and the auxiliary O-ring unit 321 are respectively accommodated. Can be.

In this case, when the chamber lid 110 is fastened to the upper end of the chamber body 120, the chamber lid 110 is caused by the O-ring unit disposed between the chamber lid 110 and the chamber body 120. The lower surface may be fastened at a predetermined distance from the upper end of the chamber lead 110. Therefore, the space between the lower surface of the chamber lid 110 and the upper surface of the chamber body 120 is naturally connected to the buffer space 123 after the chamber lid 110 and the chamber body 120 are fastened. Can form.

Alternatively, the buffer space 123 may have a recess or groove in one of the chamber leads 110 and the chamber body 120 in the region between the first receiving portion 126 and the second receiving portion 128. It may be formed by forming.

In this case, in one embodiment of the present invention, the second space of the buffer space 123 and the auxiliary O-ring unit 321 is supplied by supplying a protective fluid toward the buffer space 123 by the O-ring protection unit 900. The pressure applied to the main O-ring 310 in the O-ring unit 300 may be reduced by the protective fluid filled in the portion 128 and damage and breakage of the main O-ring 310 may be prevented.

3 is an enlarged view of the upper ends of the O-ring 1310 and the backup ring 1312 when the O-ring protection unit 900 is not provided. Referring to FIG. 3, even when the chamber lid 110 is coupled to the chamber body 120, a fine gap 1200 may exist between the upper end of the backup ring 1312 and the lower surface of the chamber lid 110. have.

In this case, when the processing process for the substrate W using the supercritical fluid in the receiving space 125 inside the chamber 100, the O-ring due to the pressure difference between the receiving space 125 and the outside ( A part of the upper end portion of 1310) may be projected to the outside through the gap 1200 and deformed. In addition, when the processing process for the substrate W is finished and the inside of the chamber 100 is depressurized, the O-ring 1310 returns to its original shape.

When the processing process for the substrate W is repeated, the above-described deformation of the O-ring 1310 is repeated and the internal stress of the O-ring 1310 increases due to the penetration of the supercritical fluid, so that the O-ring 1310 Causes damage or breakage, thereby shortening the life of the O-ring 1310.

In the present invention, by reducing the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the chamber acting on the main O-ring 310 by the O-ring protection unit 900, the degree of deformation of the main O-ring 310 is reduced, and the protective fluid is used for seconds. By reducing penetration of the critical fluid, the life of the main O-ring 310 can be extended.

Specifically, the O-ring protection unit 900 includes an auxiliary supply port 412 for supplying a protective fluid to the buffer space 123, and an auxiliary discharge port 420 for discharging the protective fluid from the buffer space 123. And, it may be provided with a protective fluid supply unit 640 (see Fig. 4) for supplying the protective fluid to the auxiliary supply port (412).

For example, the auxiliary supply port 412 may penetrate the chamber lead 110 and be connected to the buffer space 123. In addition, the auxiliary discharge port 420 may be connected to the auxiliary discharge passage 667 through the flange portion 122 to discharge the protective fluid.

In this case, various sensors and valves (not shown) for adjusting the pressure of the buffer space 123 may be installed in the auxiliary discharge passage 667.

4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4 schematically shows the configuration of a main fluid supply unit 600 for supplying a main fluid toward the main supply port 132 and a protection fluid supply unit 640 for supplying a protection fluid toward the auxiliary supply port 412. do.

2 and 4, the substrate processing apparatus 1000 is a main fluid supply unit 600 for supplying the main fluid toward the main supply port 132 by adjusting at least one of the temperature and pressure of the main fluid And, by controlling at least one of the temperature and pressure of the protective fluid may be provided with a protective fluid supply unit 640 for supplying the protective fluid toward the auxiliary supply port (412).

For example, the main fluid supply unit 600 includes a main fluid storage unit 605 for storing the main fluid, and a main supply channel connecting the main fluid storage unit 605 and the main supply port 132 ( 635).

In this case, the first pressure control unit 610 and the first heat exchange unit 620 may be disposed along the main supply channel 635. At this time, the first pressure control unit 610 may be configured of, for example, a pressure pump, and the first heat exchange unit 620 may be composed of a heater or a heat exchanger for heating the fluid.

Furthermore, the main supply channel 635 may further include a first sensing unit 630 that detects at least one of the pressure and temperature of the fluid. The pressure and temperature of the fluid flowing in the main supply passage 635 may be adjusted according to the pressure and temperature sensed by the first sensing unit 630. To this end, the substrate processing apparatus 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a control unit (not shown) that controls the first pressure control unit 610 and the first heat exchange unit 620. The control unit may control the first pressure control unit 610 and the first heat exchange unit 620 based on the pressure and temperature sensed by the first sensing unit 630.

In addition, the main supply flow path 635 is provided with valves 636 and 637 for controlling the flow of the main fluid to control the operation of the valves 636 and 637 by the control operation of the control unit, thereby controlling the flow of the main fluid. You can control the flow.

On the other hand, the internal environment of the receiving space 125 of the chamber 100, that is, the temperature and the pressure of the critical fluid and the temperature above the critical pressure that can convert the main fluid supplied into the chamber 100 into a supercritical state It should be able to create and maintain during the process.

To this end, while the main fluid is moving along the main supply channel 635, the main fluid may be pressurized to a critical pressure or higher by the first pressure regulating unit 610. The main fluid may be heated to a critical temperature or higher by the heat exchange unit 620.

On the other hand, when the chamber lid 110 covers the opening of the chamber body 120, the receiving space 125 of the chamber 100 is maintained in a closed state. Therefore, it is possible to maintain the pressure of the main fluid supplied to the receiving space 125 above the critical pressure.

In addition, the chamber 100 may further include a heating unit (not shown) to maintain the temperature of the accommodation space 125 above a predetermined temperature. During the process for the substrate W by the heating unit, the temperature of the accommodation space 125 or the temperature of the main fluid accommodated in the accommodation space 125 may be maintained above a critical temperature.

When the main fluid is supplied to the accommodation space 125 of the chamber 100 along the main supply passage 635, the main fluid exists in the gas state in the accommodation space 125. Subsequently, when the main fluid is continuously supplied and pressurized by the first pressure regulating unit 610, the main fluid in the receiving space 125 is phase-changed into a liquid. When the pressure of the main fluid in the receiving space 125 is pressurized to a critical pressure or higher, the main fluid is brought to a critical temperature or higher by a heating unit provided in the first heat exchange unit 620 or the chamber 100. When heated, the main fluid accommodated in the accommodation space 125 may be converted into a supercritical state.

Meanwhile, the protective fluid supply unit 640 may include an auxiliary supply channel 665 that connects to the auxiliary supply port 412.

In this case, when the protective fluid supplied by the protective fluid supply unit 640 is the same as the main fluid described above, the auxiliary supply channel 665 may be connected to the main fluid storage unit 605 as shown in the figure. .

Specifically, the auxiliary supply flow path 665 may be branched from the main supply flow path 635 as shown in the drawing, and may be formed to extend toward the auxiliary supply port 412.

In this case, a valve 666 is provided at a front end of the auxiliary supply channel 665 to control the flow of the protective fluid supplied along the auxiliary supply channel 665. In addition, although not shown in the drawing, one end of the auxiliary supply passage 665 may be directly connected to the main fluid storage unit 605 and the other end may be connected to the auxiliary supply port 412.

Meanwhile, a second pressure regulating unit 645 and a second heat exchanging unit 650 may be disposed along the auxiliary supply channel 665. Furthermore, the auxiliary supply channel 665 may further include a second sensing unit 660 that detects at least one of pressure and temperature of the protective fluid. The control unit may adjust pressure and temperature by the second pressure control unit 645 and the second heat exchange unit 650 according to the pressure and temperature sensed by the second detection unit 660.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 4, the protective fluid supplied from the protective fluid supply unit 640 to the buffer space 123 is the same as the main fluid supplied into the chamber 100 by the main fluid supply unit 600. It may correspond to the type.

That is, when the protection fluid supply unit 640 and the main fluid supply unit 600 are connected to the same main fluid storage unit 605, the protection fluid supply unit 640 allows the protection fluid supply unit 640 to pass through the auxiliary supply port 412. The protective fluid supplied to the buffer space 123 is the same as the main fluid supplied to the accommodation space 125 through the main supply port 132 by the main fluid supply unit 600.

In this case, when the protective fluid supplied to the buffer space 123 through the auxiliary supply port 412 is supplied in a supercritical state or a gas state, the control fluid pressure is applied to the substrate W. During the processing process, the pressure of the protective fluid may be adjusted to be smaller than the process pressure inside the chamber 100.

For example, the control unit may control the pressure of the protective fluid supplied to the buffer space 123 by controlling the second pressure adjusting unit 645 disposed in the auxiliary supply channel 665.

In this case, the control unit controls the second pressure regulating unit 645 so that the pressure of the protective fluid supplied to the buffer space 123 is applied to the chamber during the processing process using the supercritical fluid to the substrate W. 100) It is controlled to be smaller than the internal process pressure, or the process pressure of the receiving space 125.

For example, the control unit is configured such that the pressure of the protective fluid supplied to the buffer space 123 through the auxiliary supply port 412 is approximately 20% to 80% with respect to the process pressure inside the chamber 100. The pressure of the fluid can be adjusted.

On the other hand, when the protective fluid is supplied in a gaseous state, the temperature of the protective fluid may be maintained to be the same as the process temperature inside the receiving space 125. In this case, since it is not necessary to separately adjust the temperature of the protective fluid, the configuration of the second heat exchange unit 650 may be omitted from the protective fluid supply unit 640.

In addition, when the protective fluid is supplied in the gaseous state, the buffer space 123 is filled with the gaseous protective fluid, thereby reducing the exposure area of the main O-ring 310 to the supercritical fluid to the main O-ring 310. It can prolong the service life.

6 illustrates the first pressure P ₁ of the receiving space 125 inside the chamber 100 and the buffer space 123 when the protective fluid is supplied to the buffer space 123 as described above. It is a graph comparing the second pressure (P ₂ ) with atmospheric pressure (P ₃ ).

Referring to FIG. 6, the first pressure P ₁ of the accommodation space 125 rises as the process progresses, and reaches a maximum first pressure P _{1 max} during the process, and decreases when the process ends Is done. In addition, the second pressure (P ₂ ) of the buffer space 123 also rises as the process progresses, reaches the maximum second pressure (P _{2 max} ) during the process, and goes down when the process ends after the process Is done.

In this case, the maximum pressure acting on the main O-ring 310 corresponds to the maximum value of the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the main O-ring 310. That is, the difference between the maximum pressure up to a first pressure (P _{1 max)} and the maximum second pressure (P _{2 max)} of the buffer space 123 of the receiving space (125) that acts on the main O-ring 310 ( It corresponds to the first pressure difference value (ΔP ₁ ) corresponding to P _{1 max} -P _{2 max} ).

On the other hand, in the case of a structure without the auxiliary O-ring unit 321 and the buffer space 123 as in the prior art, the maximum pressure acting on the main O-ring 310 is the maximum first pressure P of the accommodation space 125 _{1 max} ) and the pressure (P ₃ ) outside the chamber 100, that is, the second pressure difference value (ΔP ₂ ) corresponding to the difference (P _{1 max} -P ₃ ) between atmospheric pressure (P ₃ ) .

In this case, when comparing the first pressure difference value (ΔP ₁ ) and the second pressure difference value (△ P ₂ ) acting on the main O-ring 310, the second pressure difference value (△ P ₂ ) is remarkably large. You can see that

Therefore, in the case of the prior art, the second pressure difference value (ΔP ₂ ) acts on the main O-ring.

On the other hand, in the case of the present invention, the first pressure difference value (ΔP ₁ ) acts on the main O-ring 310. At this time, the first pressure difference value (ΔP ₁ ) is relatively smaller than the second pressure difference value (ΔP ₂ ) described above.

Therefore, in the present invention, the pressure acting by the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the main O-ring 310 is significantly reduced compared to the prior art, thereby preventing damage or damage due to deformation of the main O-ring 310.

Meanwhile, the control unit may supply a protective fluid in a liquid state to the buffer space 123 through the auxiliary supply port 412. At this time, the control unit may control the pressure of the protective fluid filled in the buffer space 123 to be approximately 50% to 100% with respect to the process pressure inside the chamber 100.

The control unit controls the second pressure regulating unit 645 and the second heat exchanger 650 disposed in the auxiliary supply channel 665 to control the auxiliary supply port 412 along the auxiliary supply channel 665. Through this, the pressure and temperature of the protective fluid supplied to the buffer space 123 can be adjusted.

In this case, the control unit may control the second heat exchange unit 650 to control the temperature of the protective fluid such that the protective fluid supplied to the buffer space 123 is supplied in a liquid state. That is, the control unit may control the temperature of the protective fluid supplied to the buffer space 123 not to reach the critical temperature.

When the second receiving portion 128 of the buffer space 123 and the auxiliary O-ring unit 321 is filled with a protective fluid in a liquid state, the pressure of the protective fluid in the buffer space 123 is described in the above-described embodiment, that is, protection The fluid may be relatively higher than in the supercritical or gaseous state. That is, the pressure of the protective fluid in the buffer space 123 may be the same as or smaller than the process pressure inside the chamber 100. For example, the pressure of the protective fluid in the buffer space 123 may correspond to approximately 50% to 100% of the process pressure inside the chamber 100.

When the pressure of the protective fluid in the buffer space 123 is increased to be similar to or equal to the process pressure inside the chamber 100, the first pressure P ₁ of the receiving space 125 and the buffer The difference from the second pressure P ₂ of the space 123 is reduced. This allows the pressure acting on the main o-ring 310 to be reduced, thereby preventing damage and breakage of the main o-ring 310.

In this case, the difference between the second pressure (P ₂ ) and the atmospheric pressure (P ₃ ) of the buffer space 123 becomes relatively larger, but the protective fluid filled in the buffer space 123 is applied to the supercritical fluid. Compared to the liquid state with low permeability, the auxiliary O-ring unit 321 can be sufficiently protected.

As a result, in the case where the main fluid and the protective fluid are the same fluid as in the above-described embodiment, the temperature of the protective fluid is controlled through the second heat exchanger 650 so that the protective fluid is not in a supercritical state in the buffer space 125. It can be reduced and supplied.

In this case, the present invention provides a fluid having a relatively low temperature compared to the main fluid to the buffer space 125, thereby maintaining a liquid state even when the pressure of the buffer space 125 is 100% of the process pressure. Deterioration of the main O-ring 310 may be minimized by performing a function of cooling the main O-ring 310.

Meanwhile, FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 1000 according to another embodiment. The same reference numbers were used for the same components as compared with the embodiment of FIG. 4.

Referring to FIG. 5, in the substrate processing apparatus 1000, when the auxiliary supply flow path 665 of the protective fluid supply portion 640 'is branched from the main supply flow path 635, the first pressure regulating portion 610 ).

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the protective fluid supply unit 640 'does not have a separate pressure control unit, and the pressure of the main fluid and the protective fluid by the first pressure control unit 610 of the main fluid supply unit 600 Will be adjusted together.

In this case, a second heat exchange unit 650 and a second detection unit 660 that control the temperature of the protective fluid may be provided in the auxiliary supply channel 665.

On the other hand, depending on the type of the protective fluid, it may be difficult to convert and supply the protective fluid to a state other than the supercritical state only by adjusting the pressure and temperature of the protective fluid. In this case, the control unit may mix different fluids into the protective fluid supplied to the buffer space 123 and switch to a liquid state or a gas state to supply the fluid.

7 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 1000 according to another embodiment. The same reference numbers were used for the same components as compared with the embodiment of FIG. 4.

Referring to FIG. 7, the substrate processing apparatus 1000 may further include a phase conversion fluid supply unit 700 for introducing a phase change fluid different from the protection fluid into the protection fluid of the aforementioned auxiliary supply passage 665. .

For example, the phase change fluid supply unit 700 connects the phase change fluid storage unit 705 for storing the phase change fluid, the phase change fluid storage unit 705 and the auxiliary supply flow channel 665. A mixed supply flow path 720 may be provided. A third pressure regulating unit 712 and a valve 710 may be provided in the mixed supply channel 720 to supply the phase change fluid. In addition, a third heat exchange unit (not shown) may be provided in the mixed supply channel 720.

In this case, the control unit may control the driving of the third pressure regulating unit 712, the valve 710, and the third heat exchanger to supply the phase change fluid to the protective fluid of the auxiliary supply channel 665, wherein The temperature and pressure of the phase change fluid can be adjusted and supplied to the protective fluid.

Meanwhile, the phase change fluid supplied through the phase change fluid supply unit 700 does not affect the process inside the chamber 100 and may be determined as an appropriate fluid that does not provide particle elements.

For example, the phase change fluid may be determined as an alcohol-based fluid, and may be made of IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol).

Even when the protective fluid flowing along the auxiliary supply passage 665 is in a supercritical state, phase change fluids such as IPA can be supplied to the protective fluid of the auxiliary supply passage 665 through the phase conversion fluid supply unit 700. When the supercritical state of the protective fluid is broken, it is converted into a liquid state or a gas state and supplied.

In this case, the protective fluid in which the phase change fluid is mixed may be supplied in a gas or liquid state, and the pressure of the protective fluid in which the phase change fluid is mixed is equal to the process pressure of the receiving space 125, or the It may be smaller than the process pressure of the receiving space 125.

On the other hand, Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 1000 having a protective fluid supply unit 800 according to another embodiment of the present invention. The same reference numbers are used for the same components as compared with the above-described embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 8, the protection fluid supply unit 800 according to the present embodiment may supply a protection fluid different from the main fluid when supplying the protection fluid to the buffer space 123. That is, the protective fluid supplied to the buffer space 123 may be determined to be of a different type from the main fluid supplied into the chamber 100.

Specifically, the protective fluid supply unit 800 is a protective fluid storage unit 805 for storing the protective fluid, and the additional supply passage 860 connecting the protective fluid storage unit 805 and the auxiliary supply port 412 ). In this case, a fourth pressure regulating part 810 and a fourth heat exchanging part 820 may be disposed along the additional supply passage 860.

Furthermore, the additional supply channel 860 may further include a third sensing unit 830 that detects at least one of the pressure and temperature of the protective fluid. The control unit controls the pressure and temperature of the protective fluid by adjusting the fourth pressure control unit 810 and the fourth heat exchange unit 820 according to the pressure and temperature sensed by the third detection unit 830. .

When the protective fluid supplied to the buffer space 123 by the protective fluid supply unit 800 is supplied in a supercritical state or in a gaseous state, the pressure of the protective fluid is less than the process pressure inside the chamber 100. For example, the pressure of the protective fluid supplied to the buffer space 123 may correspond to approximately 20% to 80% of the process pressure inside the chamber 100.

In addition, the protective fluid supplied to the buffer space 123 by the protective fluid supply unit 800 may be supplied in a liquid state. In this case, the pressure of the protective fluid supplied to the buffer space 123 may be less than or equal to the process pressure inside the chamber 100. For example, the pressure of the protective fluid may correspond to approximately 50% to 100% of the process pressure.

Furthermore, when the protective fluid is supplied by the protective fluid supply unit 800, a different phase change fluid may be introduced to convert the protective fluid into a liquid state and supply it.

Meanwhile, the above-described O-ring protection unit and two or more O-ring units are not limited to and applied between the chamber lid and the chamber body. Although not shown in the drawing, it can be opened and closed, such as a slit valve in a chamber, and applied to all areas or regions requiring sealing.

For example, two or more additional O-ring units (not shown) that are sequentially arranged toward the outside of the chamber 100 between the opened and closed surfaces of the chamber 100 and neighboring additions formed between the additional O-ring units The O-ring unit may further include an additional O-ring protection unit (not shown) that supplies a protective fluid to a buffer space (not shown) communicating with each other, and discharges the protective fluid from the buffer space.

Since the additional O-ring unit and the additional O-ring protection unit are similar to the above-described embodiments, repeated descriptions are omitted.

Although described above with reference to preferred embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art variously modify and change the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below. You will be able to. Therefore, if the modified implementation basically includes the components of the claims of the present invention, it should be considered that all are included in the technical scope of the present invention.

100: chamber
110: chamber lead
120: chamber body
200: substrate support
300: O-ring unit
311: main O-ring unit
321: Auxiliary O-ring unit
600: main fluid supply
640, 800: Protective fluid supply
700: phase conversion fluid supply

Claims (15)

A chamber having a chamber body that provides an accommodation space for performing a processing process for a substrate using a supercritical fluid, and a chamber lid that seals an opening of the chamber body;
Two or more O-ring units sequentially disposed toward the outside of the chamber between the chamber lead and the chamber body; And
And an O-ring protection unit formed between the O-ring units to supply a protective fluid to a buffer space communicating with neighboring O-ring units and discharging the protective fluid from the buffer space. According to claim 1,
The two or more O-ring units include a main O-ring unit provided between the chamber lead and the chamber body, and an auxiliary O-ring unit provided outside the main O-ring unit toward the outside of the chamber,
The buffer space is formed between the main O-ring unit and the auxiliary O-ring unit substrate processing apparatus. According to claim 2,
The main O-ring unit is disposed in a first receiving portion between the chamber lid and the chamber body, and the auxiliary O-ring unit is disposed in a second receiving portion between the chamber lid and the chamber body outside the main O-ring unit, and the The buffer space is a substrate processing apparatus characterized in that the first receiving portion and the second receiving portion respectively communicate. According to claim 2,
The O-ring protection unit
And an auxiliary supply port for supplying the protective fluid to the buffer space, an auxiliary discharge port for discharging the protective fluid from the buffer space, and a protective fluid supply for supplying the protective fluid to the auxiliary supply port. Substrate processing device. The method of claim 4,
Further comprising a main fluid supply for supplying the main fluid into the chamber,
The protective fluid supplied from the protective fluid supply unit to the buffer space is the same as the main fluid supplied to the chamber by the main fluid supply unit. The method of claim 5,
The protective fluid supply unit is connected to the auxiliary supply port and is provided with an auxiliary supply channel in which a pressure control unit and a heat exchange unit are disposed,
A substrate processing apparatus characterized in that the pressure of the protective fluid is adjusted by adjusting the pressure adjusting unit. The method of claim 5,
The main fluid supply unit includes a main fluid storage unit for storing the main fluid, and a main supply channel for connecting the main fluid storage unit and a main supply port for supplying the main fluid to the chamber.
The protective fluid supply unit is connected to the auxiliary supply port and is provided with an auxiliary supply channel in which a pressure control unit and a heat exchange unit are disposed,
The auxiliary supply flow path is branched from the main supply flow path, the substrate processing apparatus, characterized in that connected to the auxiliary supply port. The method of claim 5,
The protective fluid supplied to the buffer space through the protective fluid supply is supplied in a supercritical state or a gaseous state, and the pressure of the protective fluid is smaller than the process pressure inside the chamber. The method of claim 8,
The pressure of the protective fluid supplied to the buffer space through the protective fluid supply unit is a substrate processing apparatus, characterized in that 20% to 80% of the process pressure inside the chamber. The method of claim 5,
The protective fluid supplied to the buffer space through the protective fluid supply is in a liquid state, and the pressure of the protective fluid is equal to or less than the process pressure inside the chamber. The method of claim 10,
The pressure of the protective fluid supplied to the buffer space through the protective fluid supply unit is a substrate processing apparatus, characterized in that 50% to 100% of the process pressure inside the chamber. The method of claim 5,
A phase change fluid supply unit connected to the protection fluid supply unit to supply a phase change fluid to the protection fluid supplied from the protection fluid supply unit to the buffer space, the phase change fluid different from the protection fluid supplied to the buffer space And mixing the protective fluid with the phase change fluid to form a protective fluid in a gaseous state or a liquid state and supplying it to the buffer space. The method of claim 4,
Further comprising a main fluid supply for supplying the main fluid into the chamber,
The protective fluid supplied from the protective fluid supply unit to the buffer space is different from the main fluid supplied into the chamber by the main fluid supply unit substrate processing apparatus. According to claim 1,
A protective fluid is supplied to a buffer space between two or more additional O-ring units sequentially disposed toward the outside of the chamber between the opened and closed surfaces of the chamber and the O-ring units formed between the O-ring units to communicate with adjacent O-ring units. And an additional O-ring protection unit that discharges the protective fluid from the buffer space. A chamber providing an accommodation space for performing a processing process for the substrate using a supercritical fluid;
Two or more O-ring units sealing the accommodation space of the chamber;
A buffer space formed between the two or more O-ring units; And
And an O-ring protection unit that regulates the pressure applied to the O-ring unit by supplying and discharging a protective fluid to the buffer space.

Images