KR102164247B1 - Substrate drying chamber - Google Patents

Abstract

According to the present invention, a substrate drying chamber includes: a substrate placement plate bonded to a bottom surface of a lower housing, wherein a substrate formed with an organic solvent is placed; an upper supply port for providing a supply path of a drying supercritical fluid; an integrated supply/discharge port extending from a side surface of the lower housing to a center region of the lower housing to face the substrate placement plate at the center region of the lower housing, and configured to provide a supply path of an initial pressurizing supercritical fluid and a discharge path of a mixed fluid in which the organic solvent is dissolved in the drying supercritical fluid after drying by the drying supercritical fluid supplied through the upper supply port; and a heating member for heating the initial pressurizing supercritical fluid and the mixed fluid by operating when supplying the initial pressurizing supercritical fluid and discharging the mixed fluid. According to the present invention, a problem for which the initial pressurizing supercritical fluid is liquefied or vaporized by a cooling phenomenon due to pressure drop occurring when the initial pressurizing supercritical fluid is introduced (pressurized) into the chamber so as to cause particulate pollution on the substrate, and a problem for which the mixed fluid is phase-separated by a cooling effect when the mixed fluid is discharged (decompressed) while finishing the drying process so as to cause the particulate pollution on the substrate or collapse of a pattern formed on the substrate due to a surface tension of the mixed fluid are solved.

Description

Substrate drying chamber {SUBSTRATE DRYING CHAMBER}

The present invention relates to a substrate drying chamber. More specifically, the present invention is a problem in which the supercritical fluid for initial pressurization is liquefied or vaporized by a cooling phenomenon due to a pressure drop occurring during the process of being introduced into the drying chamber (initial pressurization) to cause particle contamination on the substrate and drying When the mixed fluid in which IPA is dissolved in the supercritical fluid is discharged (reduced pressure), the mixed fluid is phase separated by the cooling effect, causing particulate contamination on the substrate, or a pattern formed on the substrate by the surface tension of the mixed fluid This collapse problem can be solved, and the supercritical fluid is uniformly distributed in the chamber to supply and discharge the supercritical fluid by inducing a symmetrical flow when supplying and discharging, thereby increasing the substrate drying efficiency, and the drying process is terminated. The present invention relates to a substrate drying chamber capable of preventing a problem in which particles are introduced to a substrate inside the chamber when the chamber is opened afterwards.

The semiconductor device manufacturing process includes various processes such as a lithography process, an etching process, and an ion implantation process, and after each process is completed, the surface of the wafer is removed by removing impurities or residues remaining on the wafer surface before proceeding to the next process. A cleaning process and a drying process are being performed for cleaning.

For example, in the cleaning treatment of the wafer after the etching process, a chemical liquid for cleaning treatment is supplied to the surface of the wafer, and then deionized water (DIW) is supplied to perform a rinse treatment. After the rinsing treatment, a drying treatment of drying the wafer by removing deionized water remaining on the wafer surface is performed.

As a method of performing the drying treatment, for example, a technique of drying a wafer by replacing deionized water on a wafer with isopropyl alcohol (IPA) is known.

However, according to such a conventional drying technique, as disclosed in FIG. 1, a problem occurs in that a pattern formed on a wafer is collapsed due to the surface tension of the liquid IPA during the drying process.

In order to solve this problem, a supercritical drying technique in which the surface tension becomes zero has been proposed.

According to this supercritical drying technique, IPA on the wafer is dissolved in the supercritical carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ) fluid by supplying carbon dioxide in a supercritical state to a wafer whose surface is moistened with isopropyl alcohol (IPA) in the chamber. And by gradually discharging the supercritical carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ) fluid dissolving IPA from the chamber, the wafer can be dried without collapse of the pattern.

On the other hand, the supercritical fluid is stored at a high pressure in a supercritical fluid generator provided outside the drying chamber, and then introduced into the drying chamber (initial pressure) while passing through a pipe and a valve, the valve and the pipe connection part. There is a problem in that a cooling phenomenon occurs due to a drop in pressure at, and during this process, it is liquefied or vaporized to cause particulate contamination on the substrate. In particular, when the pressurization speed is increased, there is a problem that sufficient heat transfer to the supercritical fluid is insufficient simply by maintaining the temperature of the pipe through a simple heat exchanger.

In addition, when the mixed fluid in which IPA is dissolved in the drying supercritical fluid for drying is discharged (depressurized) in the drying chamber, if the mixed fluid is phase separated by the cooling effect, it may cause particulate contamination of the substrate or the surface tension of the mixed fluid. As a result, the pattern formed on the substrate may collapse. Specifically, when the temperature and pressure drop below the critical point due to rapid adiabatic expansion in the high pressure region above the critical point, the mixed fluid forming the single phase is phase separated, resulting in poor drying on the substrate. Contamination, etc.), and the pattern collapse of the substrate may also be caused.

FIG. 2 shows a chamber for processing a substrate disclosed in Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2017-0137243, which is a prior art related to a substrate processing apparatus using such a supercritical fluid.

Referring to FIG. 2, in the process of removing the organic solvent in the supercritical drying process, the organic solvent may flow into the bonding surface of the upper body 430 and the lower body 420 constituting the high-pressure chamber 410. . In this way, the organic solvent introduced into the bonding surface of the upper body 430 and the lower body 420 becomes particles and accumulates around it.

After the supercritical drying process is over, the chamber is opened to transport the processed substrate to the outside. At this time, particles around the bonding surface of the upper body 430 and the lower body 420 due to the pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the chamber It can be introduced into this chamber.

According to Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2017-0137243, since the substrate is located below the bonding surface of the upper body 430 and the lower body 420, the bonding surface of the upper body 430 and the lower body 420 When surrounding particles are introduced into the chamber, there is a high possibility that some of the particles are introduced into the substrate due to gravity.

In this way, since particles flowing into the substrate cause a defect in the process, there is a need to additionally install a blocking film around the bonding surface of the upper body 430 and the lower body 420 in order to prevent particle inflow. Accordingly, there is a problem that the overall structure of the device becomes complicated.

In addition, according to the prior art including Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2017-0137243, a lower supply port 422 for supplying a supercritical fluid for initial pressure, and an exhaust port for exhausting the supercritical fluid after drying ( Since 426 is not located in the center of the lower body 420, it is difficult to supply and discharge the supercritical fluid by evenly distributing the supercritical fluid inside the chamber by forming an asymmetric flow when supplying and discharging the fluid, thereby reducing drying efficiency. A problem occurs.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2017-0137243 (published date: December 13, 2017, name: substrate processing apparatus and method)

The technical problem of the present invention is that the supercritical fluid is introduced into the drying chamber through pipes and valves in a supercritical fluid generator provided outside the drying chamber (initial pressurization). This is to solve the problem of causing particle contamination on the substrate due to liquefaction or vaporization by the cooling phenomenon.

In addition, the technical problem of the present invention is that when the mixed fluid in which IPA is dissolved in the drying supercritical fluid is discharged (reduced pressure) in the drying chamber, the mixed fluid is phase separated by the cooling effect, causing particulate contamination on the substrate. Or the pattern formed on the substrate collapses due to the surface tension of the mixed fluid.

In addition, the technical object of the present invention is to provide a supply path of the supercritical fluid for initial pressurization through one integrated supply/discharge port and a discharge path of the mixed fluid in which the organic solvent formed on the substrate after drying is dissolved in the supercritical fluid for drying. By doing so, it induces a symmetrical flow when supplying and discharging the supercritical fluid, and uniformly dispersing the supercritical fluid in the chamber to supply and discharge the supercritical fluid, thereby increasing the substrate drying efficiency.

In addition, the technical problem of the present invention is to block re-inflow particles when the chamber is opened after the drying process is completed by using a substrate placement plate that is required for arranging a substrate, and initial pressure directed directly to the substrate surface at the beginning of the drying process. It prevents the collapse of the pattern formed on the substrate by preventing the flow of the supercritical fluid for use, and prevents the problem that particles that may be contained in the supercritical fluid for initial pressurization are deposited on the substrate or reduces the amount of deposition, and The drying process time is shortened by reducing the working volume of the chamber due to the volume.

In addition, the technical problem of the present invention is to arrange the substrate on the substrate placement plate so as to be positioned higher than the bonding surface between the lower housing and the upper housing, so that when the drying process is completed and the chamber is opened, it is provided on the bonding surface between the lower housing and the upper housing. Particles around the sealed part are prevented from flowing into the substrate by gravity due to the height difference between the substrate and the bonding surface.

The present invention for solving these technical problems is a chamber for drying a substrate using a supercritical fluid, an upper housing, a lower housing that is opened and closed to the upper housing, and is coupled to the bottom surface of the lower housing, and has an organic solvent. A substrate placement plate on which a substrate is disposed, an upper supply port formed to face the substrate placement plate in the central region of the upper housing to provide a supply path for a supercritical fluid for drying, starting from the side of the lower housing The drying supercritical fluid is extended to the central area of the lower housing and is formed to face the substrate arrangement plate in the central area of the lower housing, and is supplied through the supply path of the initial pressure supercritical fluid and the upper supply port. After drying by the integrated supply/discharge port providing a discharge path of the mixed fluid in which the organic solvent is dissolved in the drying supercritical fluid, and installed on the substrate arrangement plate, when the initial pressure supercritical fluid is supplied and And a heating member for heating the initial pressurization supercritical fluid and the mixed fluid by operating when the mixed fluid is discharged.

In the substrate drying chamber according to the present invention, the heating member operates during an initial pressing time in which the initial pressing supercritical fluid is supplied, and controls the temperature of the initial pressing supercritical fluid to be above a critical point. To do.

In the substrate drying chamber according to the present invention, the heating member is operated during a discharge time during which the mixed fluid is discharged, and compensates for a temperature decrease caused by adiabatic expansion due to a pressure drop occurring in the discharge process of the mixed fluid. By doing so, it is characterized in that the temperature of the drying supercritical fluid contained in the mixed fluid is controlled to be above the critical point.

In the substrate drying chamber according to the present invention, the integrated supply/discharge port is in communication with the common pipe portion formed from the side of the lower housing to the central region of the lower housing and the common pipe portion in the central region of the lower housing. It characterized in that it comprises a common port portion formed to face the substrate arrangement plate.

In the substrate drying chamber according to the present invention, the initial pressure supercritical fluid is supplied from the outside to the drying space sealed to the upper housing and the lower housing through the common pipe part and the common port part, and The mixed fluid in which the organic solvent is dissolved in the critical fluid is discharged to the outside through the common port part and the common pipe part from the drying space.

The substrate drying chamber according to the present invention is characterized in that it further comprises a sealing part provided on a coupling surface between the lower housing and the upper housing.

In the substrate drying chamber according to the present invention, the substrate is disposed on the substrate mounting plate so as to be positioned higher than the bonding surface of the lower housing and the upper housing, and the drying process is completed to open the lower housing and the upper housing. In this case, particles around the sealing part provided on the bonding surface are prevented from entering the substrate by gravity according to a height difference between the substrate and the bonding surface.

In the substrate drying chamber according to the present invention, the supercritical fluid for initial pressurization supplied through the common pipe part and the common port part is blocked by the substrate arrangement plate so that direct injection to the substrate is prevented.

The substrate drying chamber according to the present invention has one end coupled to the bottom surface of the lower housing and the other end coupled to the substrate placement plate to support the substrate placement plate while separating the substrate placement plate from the bottom surface of the lower housing. It characterized in that it further comprises a substrate arrangement plate support.

In the substrate drying chamber according to the present invention, the first spaced space existing between the bottom surface of the lower housing and the substrate placement plate by the substrate placement plate support part is for initial pressure supplied through the integrated supply/discharge port. It is characterized in that the supercritical fluid moves along the lower surface of the substrate arrangement plate to gradually diffuse into the processing area in which the substrate is disposed.

The substrate drying chamber according to the present invention further includes a substrate support portion having one end coupled to the upper surface of the substrate arrangement plate and the other end coupled to the substrate, supporting the substrate and separating the substrate from the upper surface of the substrate arrangement plate. It features.

In the substrate drying chamber according to the present invention, the second separation space existing between the upper surface of the substrate arrangement plate and the substrate by the substrate support portion is an initial pressurization supplied to the lower surface of the substrate through the integrated supply/discharge port. It is characterized in that the drying process is shortened by exposure to the supercritical fluid for drying and the supercritical fluid for drying supplied through the upper supply port.

According to the present invention, the supercritical fluid is introduced into the drying chamber through pipes and valves in the supercritical fluid generator provided outside the drying chamber (initial pressurization). There is an effect of solving the problem of causing particle contamination on the substrate by being liquefied or vaporized by the cooling phenomenon.

In addition, when the mixed fluid in which IPA is dissolved in the drying supercritical fluid is discharged (depressurized) in the drying chamber, the mixed fluid is phase separated by the cooling effect, causing particulate contamination on the substrate or the surface tension of the mixed fluid. There is an effect of solving the problem that the pattern formed on the substrate collapses.

In addition, by providing a supply path for the initial pressurization supercritical fluid through one integrated supply/discharge port and a discharge path for the mixed fluid dissolved in the drying supercritical fluid formed on the substrate after drying, the supercritical fluid When supplying and discharging, a symmetrical flow is induced and the supercritical fluid is uniformly distributed in the chamber to supply and discharge, thereby increasing substrate drying efficiency.

In addition, by using a substrate placement plate that is required for arranging the substrate, it blocks re-inflow particles when the chamber is opened after the drying process is completed, and the initial pressure supercritical fluid flows directly to the substrate surface at the beginning of the drying process. It is possible to prevent the collapse of the pattern formed on the substrate, prevent the problem that particles that may be contained in the initial pressurization supercritical fluid are deposited on the substrate, or reduce the amount of deposition, and reduce the amount of deposition. Due to the reduced working volume of the chamber there is an effect of shortening the drying process time.

In addition, by placing the substrate on the substrate mounting plate so as to be positioned higher than the bonding surface between the lower housing and the upper housing, when the drying process is completed and the chamber is opened, particles around the sealing portion provided on the bonding surface between the lower housing and the upper housing There is an effect of preventing a problem from flowing into the substrate due to gravity due to a height difference between the substrate and the bonding surface.

1 is a diagram showing a pattern collapse phenomenon occurring in a substrate drying process according to the prior art,
2 is a view showing a conventional substrate drying chamber,
3 is a view showing a substrate drying chamber according to an embodiment of the present invention,
4 is a diagram showing a diffusion path of a supercritical fluid for initial pressurization in an embodiment of the present invention,
5 is a diagram showing a diffusion path of a supercritical fluid for drying in an embodiment of the present invention,
6 is a diagram showing a discharge path of a mixed fluid in which an organic solvent is dissolved in a drying supercritical fluid in an embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a sealing portion provided on a bonding surface between the upper housing and the lower housing and a substrate of particles existing therearound when the drying process is completed and the lower housing and the upper housing are opened, according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a diagram for explaining the principle of preventing the inflow of.

Specific structural or functional descriptions of the embodiments according to the concept of the present invention disclosed in the present specification are only exemplified for the purpose of describing the embodiments according to the concept of the present invention, and the embodiments according to the concept of the present invention are in various forms. And are not limited to the embodiments described herein.

Since the embodiments according to the concept of the present invention can apply various changes and have various forms, embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and will be described in detail in the present specification. However, this is not intended to limit the embodiments according to the concept of the present invention to specific disclosed forms, and includes all changes, equivalents, or substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Terms such as first or second may be used to describe various elements, but the elements should not be limited by the terms. The terms are only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from other components, for example, without departing from the scope of the rights according to the concept of the present invention, the first component may be named as the second component and similarly the second component. The component may also be referred to as a first component.

When a component is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that it is directly connected or may be connected to the other component, but other components may exist in the middle. will be. On the other hand, when a component is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there is no other component in the middle. Other expressions describing the relationship between components, such as "between" and "directly between" or "adjacent to" and "directly adjacent to" should be interpreted as well.

Terms used in the present specification are used only to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In the present specification, terms such as "comprise" or "have" are intended to designate the presence of features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described herein, but one or more other features. It is to be understood that the possibility of addition or presence of elements or numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof is not preliminarily excluded.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms, including technical or scientific terms, used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. Terms as defined in a commonly used dictionary should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related technology, and should not be interpreted as an ideal or excessively formal meaning unless explicitly defined herein .

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

3 is a view showing a substrate drying chamber according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 4 is a view showing a diffusion path of the initial pressure supercritical fluid in an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 is the present invention In an embodiment of, Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a diffusion path of a drying supercritical fluid, and FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a discharge path of a mixed fluid in which an organic solvent is dissolved in a drying supercritical fluid in an embodiment of the present invention. 7 is a drawing, in an embodiment of the present invention, when the drying process is completed and the lower housing and the upper housing are opened, the sealing portion provided on the bonding surface of the upper housing and the lower housing and particles existing therearound It is a diagram for explaining the principle of preventing the inflow of the into the substrate.

3 to 7, a substrate drying chamber 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an upper housing 10, a lower housing 20, a sealing unit 30, a substrate placement plate 40, and heating. A member 45, an integrated supply/discharge port 50, an upper supply port 60, a substrate mounting plate support 70, a substrate support 80, and a housing drive 90 are included.

The upper housing 10 and the lower housing 20 are coupled to each other so as to be able to open and close, and provide a space in which a drying process is performed. For example, the upper housing 10 and the lower housing 20 may be configured to have a cylindrical shape, but are not limited thereto. As will be described later, an upper supply port 60 is formed in the upper housing 10, and an integrated supply/discharge port 50 is formed in the lower housing 20.

The sealing part 30 is provided on the coupling surface (C) of the lower housing 20 and the upper housing 10, and maintains the airtightness of the coupling surface (C) between the lower housing 20 and the upper housing 10. Block the inner area of the chamber from the outside.

For example, when the drying process is completed and the lower housing 20 and the upper housing 10 are opened, the sealing part 30 provided on the coupling surface C of the upper housing 10 and the lower housing 20 And, as illustrated in FIG. 7 for explaining the principle of preventing the inflow of particles existing in the vicinity into the substrate W, the substrate W is a bonding surface of the lower housing 20 and the upper housing 10 When the lower housing 20 and the upper housing 10 are opened when the drying process is completed and the lower housing 20 and the upper housing 10 are opened, the sealing part provided on the bonding surface (C) (30) The surrounding particles may be configured to be prevented from entering the substrate W by gravity according to a height difference between the substrate W and the bonding surface C.

The substrate arranging plate 40 is a component on which a substrate W on which an organic solvent is formed is attached to the bottom surface 22 of the lower housing 20.

The heating member 45 is installed on the substrate arranging plate 40 and operates when the supercritical fluid for initial pressurization is supplied and when the mixed fluid is discharged to heat the supercritical fluid for initial pressurization and the mixed fluid. do.

For example, the heating member 45 may be implemented in the form of an electric resistance heating element or an oil-filled heater formed in the substrate mounting plate 40, but the implementation form of the heating member 45 is It is not limited thereto.

For example, 1) the initial pressure supercritical fluid is supplied during the set initial pressure time through the common pipe section 510 and the common port section 520 constituting the integrated supply/discharge port 50, and 2) the initial stage After the pressurization time elapses, the supply of the initial pressurization supercritical fluid is blocked, and the drying supercritical fluid is supplied through the upper supply port 60 for the drying time, and 3) the drying supercritical fluid is after the drying time. The supply of the mixture is blocked, and the mixed fluid may be discharged during the discharge time through the common port part 520 and the common pipe part 510 constituting the integrated supply/discharge port 50. In this case, for example, the supply of the drying supercritical fluid and the discharge of the mixed fluid may be repeated a set number of times.

For example, the heating member 45 may be operated during an initial pressing time during which the initial pressing supercritical fluid is supplied, so that the temperature of the initial pressing supercritical fluid may be adjusted to be above a critical point.

The reason for this configuration and its effect will be described as follows.

The supercritical fluid is stored at a high pressure in a supercritical fluid generator provided outside the substrate drying chamber 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and then passed through a pipe and a valve to the substrate drying chamber 1. During the process of introduction (initial pressurization), a cooling phenomenon occurs due to a pressure drop at the connection portion of the valve and the pipe, and during this process, the temperature may be liquefied or vaporized to cause particulate contamination on the substrate W. It is important to maintain it, but the prior art has not provided an effective technical measure for this. In particular, when the pressurization speed is increased, there is a problem that sufficient heat transfer to the supercritical fluid is insufficient simply by maintaining the temperature of the pipe through a simple heat exchanger.

An embodiment of the present invention solves this problem through the heating member 45 installed on the substrate mounting plate 40. That is, the initial pressurization through the heating member 45 installed on the substrate arranging plate 40 in the chamber, especially when the initial pressurization proceeds rapidly, minimizes the phase change of the supercritical fluid for initial pressurization in the substrate drying chamber 1 W) particle contamination can be prevented, and the process speed can be improved by facilitating formation or maintenance of a supercritical fluid.

In addition, for example, the heating member 45 is operated during the discharge time during which the mixed fluid is discharged, and compensates for the temperature decrease caused by the adiabatic expansion due to the pressure drop occurring in the discharge process of the mixed fluid, The temperature of the supercritical fluid for drying included in can be adjusted to be above the critical point.

The reason for this configuration and its effect will be described as follows.

When the mixed fluid in which an organic solvent such as IPA is dissolved in the drying supercritical fluid in the chamber is discharged (reduced pressure), when the mixed fluid is phase separated by the cooling effect, particulate contamination or mixed fluid of the substrate (W) The pattern formed on the substrate W may collapse due to the surface tension of. Specifically, when the temperature and pressure drop below the critical point due to rapid adiabatic expansion in the high pressure region above the critical point, the mixed fluid constituting the single phase is phase separated, resulting in poor drying on the substrate (W). (Particulate contamination, etc.) may be caused, and pattern collapse of the substrate W may also be caused.

An embodiment of the present invention solves this problem through the heating member 45 installed on the substrate mounting plate 40. That is, when the mixed fluid is discharged, the decompression rate is considered in consideration of the phase change, and the heating member 45 is used to transfer sufficient heat to proceed with the decompression discharge step in consideration of the cooling effect, thereby preventing drying failure and speeding up the process. It can be improved.

On the other hand, for example, the initial pressure supercritical fluid supplied through the common conduit portion 510 and the common port portion 520 constituting the integrated supply/discharge port 50 is blocked by the substrate mounting plate 40 and It can be configured to prevent direct injection to (W).

More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 4 showing the diffusion path of the initial pressure supercritical fluid and FIG. 6 showing the discharge path of the mixed fluid in which the organic solvent is dissolved in the drying supercritical fluid, the substrate ( For initial pressurization directed to the surface of the substrate (W) at the beginning of the drying process by blocking re-inflow particles when the chamber is opened after the drying process is completed by using the substrate placement plate (40) required to arrange W) By preventing the flow of the supercritical fluid, it is possible to prevent the collapse of the pattern formed on the substrate (W), and prevent the problem that particles that may be contained in the supercritical fluid for initial pressure are deposited on the substrate (W) or reduce the amount of deposition. The drying process time can be shortened by reducing the working volume of the chamber by using the volume occupied by the substrate arrangement plate 40.

The integrated supply/discharge port 50 starts from the side surface 24 of the lower housing 20 and extends to the central area 28 of the lower housing 20, and the substrate is located in the central area 28 of the lower housing 20. A substrate (W) on the supercritical fluid for drying after drying by the supercritical fluid for initial pressure supply path and the supercritical fluid for drying supplied through the upper supply port 60, formed to face the placement plate 40 The organic solvent formed in is a component that provides a discharge path for the dissolved mixed fluid.

By providing a supply path of the supercritical fluid for initial pressurization and a discharge path of the mixed fluid dissolved in the drying supercritical fluid after drying, the organic solvent formed on the substrate W is provided through one such integrated supply/discharge port 50 , When supplying and discharging the supercritical fluid, a symmetrical flow is induced, and the supercritical fluid is uniformly distributed in the chamber to supply and discharge the supercritical fluid, thereby increasing substrate drying efficiency.

For example, such an integrated supply/discharge port 50 includes a common conduit portion 510 formed from the side surface 24 of the lower housing 20 to the central region 28 and the central region 28 of the lower housing 20. ) May be configured to include a common port portion 520 formed to be in communication with the common conduit portion 510 to face the substrate mounting plate 40. According to this configuration, 1) the initial pressurization supercritical fluid is sealed from the outside of the chamber through the common conduit portion 510 and the common port portion 520 into the chamber, that is, the upper housing 10 and the lower housing 20 The mixed fluid in which the organic solvent is dissolved in the 2) supercritical fluid for drying is discharged from the drying space inside the chamber to the outside of the chamber through the common port part 520 and the common conduit part 510.

The upper supply port 60 is a component formed to face the substrate mounting plate 40 in the central region of the upper housing 10 to provide a supply path of the supercritical fluid for drying.

The substrate placement plate support part 70 has one end coupled to the bottom surface 22 of the lower housing 20 and the other end coupled to the substrate placement plate 40, and supports the substrate placement plate 40 while supporting the substrate placement plate ( It is a component that separates 40) from the bottom surface 22 of the lower housing 20.

For example, the first spaced space R1 existing between the bottom surface 22 of the lower housing 20 and the substrate placement plate 40 by the substrate placement plate support part 70 is an integral supply/discharge port 50 The supercritical fluid for initial pressure supplied through) may move along the lower surface of the substrate placement plate 40 to gradually diffuse into the processing area where the substrate W is disposed.

The substrate support 80 has one end coupled to the upper surface of the substrate placement plate 40 and the other end coupled to the substrate W. While supporting the substrate W, the substrate W is attached to the upper surface of the substrate placement plate 40. It is a component that separates from

For example, the second separation space R2 existing between the upper surface of the substrate mounting plate 40 and the substrate W by the substrate support 80 provides the lower surface of the substrate W as the integrated supply/discharge port ( It performs a function of shortening the drying process time by exposure to the initial pressure supercritical fluid supplied through 50) and the drying supercritical fluid supplied through the upper supply port 60.

The housing driving unit 90 is a means for opening and closing the housing, and after the drying process is completed, the lower housing 20 is driven to separate the lower housing 20 from the upper housing 10 to open the chamber or initiate the drying process. In this case, the lower housing 20 may be driven to couple the lower housing 20 to the upper housing 10 to close the chamber. In the drawings, the housing driving unit 90 is expressed as driving the lower housing 20, but this is only an example, and the housing driving unit 90 may be configured to drive the upper housing 10.

For example, the overall drying process may be performed in the following order.

1) As illustrated in FIG. 4 showing the diffusion path of the supercritical fluid for initial pressurization, it is for initial pressurization through the common conduit part 510 and the common port part 520 constituting the integrated supply/discharge port 50 A process in which the supercritical fluid is supplied during the set initial pressing time may be performed.

2) As illustrated in FIG. 5 showing the diffusion path of the drying supercritical fluid, after the initial pressurization time has elapsed, the supply of the initial pressurization supercritical fluid is cut off and the drying supercritical fluid through the upper supply port 60 A process in which fluid is supplied may be performed.

3) As illustrated in FIG. 6, which shows the discharge path of the mixed fluid in which the organic solvent is dissolved in the drying supercritical fluid, the supply of the drying supercritical fluid is blocked, and the integrated supply/discharge port 50 is formed. The mixed fluid may be discharged through the port part 520 and the common pipe part 510.

For example, the supply of the supercritical fluid for drying illustrated in FIG. 5 and the discharge of the mixed fluid illustrated in FIG. 6 may be repeated as many times as a set number of times.

4) After the drying of the substrate W is finally completed, as illustrated in FIG. 7, a process of discharging the dried substrate W to the outside by opening the chamber may be performed.

For example, the supercritical fluid for initial pressurization and the supercritical fluid for drying may include carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ), and the organic solvent may include alcohol, but is not limited thereto. As a specific example, the alcohol may include methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, IPA, and 1-butanol. It is not limited.

For example, according to the supercritical drying technique performed in the substrate drying chamber according to an embodiment of the present invention, carbon dioxide in a supercritical state is applied to the substrate W whose surface is moistened with an organic solvent such as alcohol in the chamber. By supplying, the alcohol on the wafer is dissolved in the supercritical carbon dioxide fluid. In addition, by gradually discharging the supercritical carbon dioxide fluid in which alcohol is dissolved from the chamber, the substrate W can be dried without collapse of the pattern.

1: substrate drying chamber
10: upper housing
20: lower housing
22: bottom surface
24: side of lower housing
28: central area
30: sealing part
40: substrate placement plate
45: heating member
50: Integrated supply/discharge port
60: upper supply port
70: substrate arrangement plate support
80: substrate support
90: housing drive
510: common pipeline
520: common port part
C: bonding surface
R1: first separation space
R2: second separation space
W: substrate

Claims (12)

As a chamber for drying a substrate using a supercritical fluid,
Upper housing;
A lower housing coupled to the upper housing to be opened and closed;
A substrate mounting plate coupled to a bottom surface of the lower housing and on which a substrate on which an organic solvent is formed is disposed;
An upper supply port formed in a central region of the upper housing toward the substrate mounting plate to provide a supply path of the supercritical fluid for drying;
It starts from the side of the lower housing and extends to the central region of the lower housing and is formed to face the substrate arrangement plate in the central region of the lower housing, through the supply path of the supercritical fluid for initial pressure and the upper supply port. An integrated supply/discharge port for providing a discharge path of the mixed fluid in which the organic solvent is dissolved in the drying supercritical fluid after drying by the supplied drying supercritical fluid; And
Drying the substrate, which is installed on the substrate arrangement plate and includes a heating member for heating the initial pressure supercritical fluid and the mixed fluid by operating at the time of supplying the initial pressure supercritical fluid and discharging the mixed fluid chamber.
The method of claim 1,
The heating member,
The substrate drying chamber, characterized in that operating during an initial pressing time in which the initial pressing supercritical fluid is supplied, and controlling the temperature of the initial pressing supercritical fluid to be above a critical point.
The method of claim 1,
The heating member,
The temperature of the drying supercritical fluid contained in the mixed fluid is operated during the discharge time during which the mixed fluid is discharged, and compensates for the temperature decrease caused by the adiabatic expansion due to the pressure drop occurring in the discharge process of the mixed fluid. A substrate drying chamber, characterized in that it is adjusted to be above the critical point.
The method of claim 1,
The integrated supply/discharge port,
A common conduit formed from a side surface of the lower housing to a central region of the lower housing; And
And a common port portion formed to be in communication with the common pipe portion in a central region of the lower housing and face the substrate mounting plate.
The method of claim 4,
The initial pressurization supercritical fluid is supplied from the outside to the drying space sealed to the upper housing and the lower housing through the common pipe part and the common port part,
The mixed fluid in which the organic solvent is dissolved in the drying supercritical fluid is discharged from the drying space to the outside through the common port part and the common conduit part.
The method of claim 1,
A substrate drying chamber, characterized in that it further comprises a sealing portion provided on the coupling surface of the lower housing and the upper housing.
The method of claim 6,
The substrate is disposed on the substrate mounting plate so as to be positioned higher than a bonding surface between the lower housing and the upper housing,
When the drying process is completed and the lower housing and the upper housing are opened, particles around the sealing portion provided on the bonding surface are prevented from entering the substrate by gravity due to the difference in height between the substrate and the bonding surface. It characterized in that the substrate drying chamber.
The method of claim 5,
A substrate drying chamber, characterized in that the initial pressure supercritical fluid supplied through the common pipe part and the common port part is blocked by the substrate arrangement plate to prevent direct injection to the substrate.
The method of claim 1,
One end is coupled to the bottom surface of the lower housing and the other end is coupled to the substrate placement plate, further comprising a substrate placement plate support part that supports the substrate placement plate and separates the substrate placement plate from the bottom surface of the lower housing. Characterized in that, the substrate drying chamber.
The method of claim 9,
The first spaced space existing between the bottom surface of the lower housing and the substrate placement plate by the substrate placement plate support part is a supercritical fluid for initial pressure supplied through the integrated supply/discharge port. The substrate drying chamber according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is moved along and gradually diffuses into a processing area in which the substrate is disposed.
The method of claim 1,
A substrate drying chamber, characterized in that it further comprises a substrate support unit having one end coupled to the upper surface of the substrate arrangement plate and the other end coupled to the substrate, supporting the substrate and separating the substrate from the upper surface of the substrate arrangement plate .
The method of claim 11,
The second spaced space existing between the upper surface of the substrate arrangement plate and the substrate by the substrate support part includes a supercritical fluid for initial pressurization and the upper supply port supplied through the integrated supply/discharge port on the lower surface of the substrate. The substrate drying chamber, characterized in that to shorten the time of the drying process by exposure to the drying supercritical fluid supplied through.

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