KR20200044240A - Apparatus for treating substrate and method for treating substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus for treating a substrate. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus for treating the substrate comprises: a high-pressure chamber which provides a treatment space wherein a process of using a process fluid and treating the substrate is performed; a fluid supply source which provides the process fluid to the high-pressure chamber; a supply line which connects the high-pressure chamber and the fluid supply source; a first opening/closing valve and a second opening/closing valve which are sequentially installed on the supply line from the fluid supply source towards the high-pressure chamber; a branch line provided between the first opening/closing valve and the second opening/closing valve; a third opening/closing valve installed on the branch line; a discharge unit which discharges the process fluid in the high-pressure chamber; a returning robot which returns the substrate to the inside and the outside of the high-pressure chamber; and a controller. The controller, after the returning robot has returned the substrate treated in the high-pressure chamber, before a new substrate is re-introduced and the new substrate is treated, controls the process fluid remaining in the supply line to be discharged by opening the third opening/closing valve with the first opening/closing valve and second opening/closing valve closed. The present invention aims to provide the method of treating a substrate and an apparatus for treating a substrate, which are able to improve treatment efficiency when treating the substrate.

Description

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

The present invention relates to a substrate processing method and a substrate processing apparatus.

The semiconductor process includes a process of cleaning thin films, foreign substances, particles, and the like on a substrate. As the design rule of the semiconductor device decreases, a pattern collapses or adheres to adjacent patterns due to the surface tension of the chemical during drying of the chemical after the wet process such as an etching process or a cleaning process is completed. (bridge) Defects frequently occur. In addition, fine particles existing deep between the patterns cause defects in the substrate.

Recently, supercritical is used in the process of cleaning the substrate. According to an example, a liquid processing chamber for supplying a processing liquid to a substrate for liquid processing of the substrate and a high pressure chamber for removing the processing liquid from the substrate using a supercritical state fluid after the liquid processing are provided, respectively, in the liquid processing chamber The processed substrate is brought into the high-pressure chamber by the transfer robot.

An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method capable of improving processing efficiency when processing a substrate using a supercritical fluid.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method with reduced particles supplied to a substrate when processing a substrate using a supercritical fluid.

The object of the present invention is not limited to this, and other objects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

The present invention provides an apparatus for processing a substrate. According to an embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for processing a substrate includes: a high pressure chamber provided with a processing space in which a process of processing a substrate using a process fluid is performed; A fluid source providing the process fluid to the high pressure chamber; A supply line connecting the high pressure chamber and the fluid supply source; A first opening / closing valve and a second opening / closing valve which are sequentially installed in the supply line in the direction of the high pressure chamber from the fluid supply source; A branch line provided between the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve; A third open / close valve installed on the branch line; An exhaust unit that exhausts the process fluid in the high pressure chamber; A transfer robot for transporting the substrate into and out of the high-pressure chamber; A controller, wherein the controller includes the first opening / closing valve and the agent before the new robot is brought in and the new substrate is processed after the transfer robot carries out the processed substrate in the high pressure chamber. 2 Open the third on-off valve with the on-off valve closed to control to discharge process fluid remaining inside the supply line.

According to one embodiment, the third opening / closing valve may be opened after the processing space of the high-pressure chamber has reached atmospheric pressure.

According to an embodiment, discharge of process fluid remaining inside the supply line may be performed a predetermined time before the new substrate is brought in.

According to one embodiment, the pressure in the supply line may be reduced to atmospheric pressure according to the opening of the third opening / closing valve.

According to one embodiment, the high pressure chamber may process the substrate using the process fluid as a supercritical phase.

According to one embodiment, the fluid source may supply the process fluid to the high pressure chamber in a supercritical phase.

According to one embodiment, the process fluid may be carbon dioxide.

In addition, the present invention provides a method for processing a substrate. According to an embodiment, a high pressure chamber is provided with a processing space in which a process for processing a substrate using a substrate process fluid is performed; A fluid source providing the process fluid to the high pressure chamber; A supply line connecting the high pressure chamber and the fluid supply source; A first opening / closing valve and a second opening / closing valve which are sequentially installed in the supply line in the direction of the high pressure chamber from the fluid supply source; A branch line provided between the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve; A third open / close valve installed on the branch line; Using a substrate processing apparatus including an exhaust unit that exhausts the process fluid in the high-pressure chamber, before the substrate is processed and taken out from the high-pressure chamber, a new substrate is brought in and the new substrate is processed, After the transfer robot carries out the processed substrate from the high-pressure chamber, the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve are closed before the new substrate is brought in and the new substrate is processed. The third on-off valve is opened to discharge the remaining process fluid of the supply line.

According to one embodiment, the third on-off valve may be opened after the processing space of the high-pressure chamber is at atmospheric pressure.

According to one embodiment, the third opening / closing valve may be opened to reduce the pressure in the supply line to atmospheric pressure.

According to an embodiment, discharge of process fluid remaining inside the supply line may be performed a predetermined time before the new substrate is brought in.

According to one embodiment, the process fluid may be carbon dioxide.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to improve the processing efficiency when processing a substrate using a supercritical fluid.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, when a substrate is processed using a supercritical fluid, particles supplied to the substrate may be reduced.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-described effects, and the effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

1 is a plan view schematically showing a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a view schematically showing an embodiment of the high pressure chamber of FIG. 1.
3 is a schematic diagram of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a view showing a first operating state of the substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a view showing a second operating state of the substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a view showing a third operating state of the substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a view showing a fourth operating state of the substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a view showing a fifth operating state of the substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments of the present invention can be modified in various forms, and the scope of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to the following embodiments. This embodiment is provided to more fully describe the present invention to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the shape of the elements in the drawings is exaggerated to emphasize a clearer explanation.

1 is a plan view schematically showing a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus includes an index module 10, a processing module 20, and a controller 30. According to one embodiment, the index module 10 and the processing module 20 are arranged along one direction. Hereinafter, a direction in which the index module 10 and the processing module 20 are disposed is referred to as a first direction 92, and a direction perpendicular to the first direction 92 when viewed from the top is referred to as a second direction 94. The direction perpendicular to both the first direction 92 and the second direction 94 is referred to as the third direction 96.

The index module 10 conveys the substrate W from the container 80 in which the substrate W is accommodated to the processing module 20, and the substrate W that has been processed in the processing module 20 has been completed. It is stored as. The length direction of the index module 10 is provided in the second direction 94. The index module 10 has a load port 12 and an index frame 14. The load port 12 based on the index frame 14 is located on the opposite side of the processing module 20. The container 80 on which the substrates W are stored is placed on the load port 12. A plurality of load ports 12 may be provided, and the plurality of load ports 12 may be arranged along the second direction 94.

As the container 80, a sealed container such as a Front Open Unified Pod (FOUP) may be used. The container 80 may be placed in the load port 12 by an operator (not shown) or an operator such as an overhead transfer, an overhead conveyor, or an automatic guided vehicle. You can.

In the index frame 14, an index robot 120 is provided. In the index frame 14, a guide rail 140 provided in the second direction 94 in the longitudinal direction is provided, and the index robot 120 may be provided to be movable on the guide rail 140. The index robot 120 includes a hand 122 on which the substrate W is placed, the hand 122 moves forward and backward, rotates in the third direction 96 as an axis, and the third direction 96 Accordingly, it may be provided to be movable. A plurality of hands 122 are provided spaced apart in the vertical direction, and the hands 122 may move forward and backward independently of each other.

The processing module 20 includes a buffer unit 200, a transfer chamber 300, a liquid processing chamber 400, and a high pressure chamber 500. The buffer unit 200 provides a space where the substrate W carried into the processing module 20 and the substrate W carried out from the processing module 20 temporarily stay. The liquid processing chamber 400 supplies a liquid on the substrate W to perform a liquid processing process for liquid-processing the substrate W. The high pressure chamber 500 performs a drying process to remove the liquid remaining on the substrate W. The transfer chamber 300 transfers the substrate W between the buffer unit 200, the liquid processing chamber 400, and the high pressure chamber 500.

The transport chamber 300 may be provided in the first direction 92 in its longitudinal direction. The buffer unit 200 may be disposed between the index module 10 and the transport chamber 300. The liquid processing chamber 400 and the high pressure chamber 500 may be disposed on the side of the transfer chamber 300. The liquid processing chamber 400 and the transfer chamber 300 may be disposed along the second direction 94. The high pressure chamber 500 and the transfer chamber 300 may be disposed along the second direction 94. The buffer unit 200 may be located at one end of the transport chamber 300.

According to an example, the liquid processing chambers 400 are disposed on both sides of the transfer chamber 300, the high pressure chambers 500 are disposed on both sides of the transfer chamber 300, and the liquid processing chambers 400 are high pressure chambers ( It may be disposed closer to the buffer unit 200 than 500). On one side of the transfer chamber 300, the liquid treatment chambers 400 may be provided in an AXB (A and B are each a natural number greater than 1 or 1, respectively) along the first direction 92 and the third direction 96. have. In addition, at one side of the transfer chamber 300, the high-pressure chambers 500 may be provided with CXD (C, D is a natural number greater than 1 or 1, respectively) along the first direction 92 and the third direction 96, respectively. have. Unlike the above, only the liquid processing chambers 400 may be provided on one side of the transfer chamber 300, and only the high pressure chambers 500 may be provided on the other side.

The transfer chamber 300 has a transfer robot 320. A guide rail 340 in which the longitudinal direction is provided in the first direction 92 is provided in the transport chamber 300, and the transport robot 320 may be provided to be movable on the guide rail 340. The transfer robot 320 includes a hand 322 on which the substrate W is placed, the hand 322 moves forward and backward, rotates about the third direction 96, and the third direction 96 Accordingly, it may be provided to be movable. A plurality of hands 322 are provided to be spaced apart in the vertical direction, and the hands 322 can move forward and backward independently of each other.

The buffer unit 200 includes a plurality of buffers 220 on which the substrate W is placed. The buffers 220 may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other along the third direction 96. The buffer unit 200 has a front face and a rear face open. The front side faces the index module 10 and the rear side faces the transfer chamber 300. The index robot 120 may access the buffer unit 200 through the front surface, and the transfer robot 320 may access the buffer unit 200 through the rear surface.

2 is a view schematically showing an embodiment of the high pressure chamber 500 of FIG. 1. According to one embodiment, the high pressure chamber 500 removes the liquid on the substrate W using a supercritical fluid. The high pressure chamber 500 has a body 520, a substrate support unit (not shown), a fluid supply unit 560, and a blocking plate (not shown).

The body 520 provides an interior space 502 in which a drying process is performed. The body 520 has an upper body 522 and an upper body 524 and a lower body 524, and the upper body 522 and the lower body 524 are combined with each other to provide the above-described inner space 502. Upper body 522 is provided on top of lower body 524. The position of the upper body 522 is fixed, and the lower body 524 may be moved up and down by a driving member 590 such as a cylinder. When the lower body 524 is separated from the upper body 522, the inner space 502 is opened, and at this time, the substrate W is carried in or out. During the process, the lower body 524 is in close contact with the upper body 522, and the inner space 502 is sealed from the outside. The high pressure chamber 500 has a heater 570. According to one example, the heater 570 is located inside the wall of the body 520. The heater 570 heats the inner space 502 of the body 520 so that the fluid supplied into the inner space of the body 520 maintains a supercritical state.

Meanwhile, although not illustrated in the drawing, a substrate support unit (not shown) for supporting the substrate W may be provided inside the processing space 502. The substrate support unit (not shown) supports the substrate W within the interior space 502 of the body 520. A substrate support unit (not shown) may be installed on the lower body 524 to support the substrate W. In this case, the substrate support unit (not shown) may be in the form of lifting and supporting the substrate W. Alternatively, a substrate support unit (not shown) may be installed on the upper body 522 to support the substrate W. In this case, the substrate support unit (not shown) may be in the form of hanging and supporting the substrate W.

The fluid supply unit 560 supplies the processing fluid to the inner space 502 of the body 520. According to one example, the processing fluid may be supplied to the interior space 502 in a supercritical state. Alternatively, the processing fluid is supplied to the internal space 502 in a gaseous state, and may be phase-changed to the supercritical state in the internal space 502. The processing fluid can be a drying fluid.

According to one example, the fluid supply unit 560 has a supply line 562. The supply line 562 supplies the processing fluid on top of the substrate W placed on the substrate support unit (not shown). According to one example, the supply line 562 is coupled to the upper body 522. Furthermore, the supply line 562 may be coupled to the center of the upper body 522.

Alternatively, the supply line 562 may be branched into an upper branch line 563 and a lower branch line (not shown) connected to the upper body 522. The lower branch line (not shown) may be coupled to the lower body 524. A circulation valve may be installed in the upper branch line 563 and the lower branch line (not shown), respectively.

An exhaust line 550 is coupled to the lower body 524. The supercritical fluid in the interior space 502 of the body 520 is exhausted out of the body 520 through the exhaust line 550.

When the lower branch line (not shown) is coupled to the lower body 524, a blocking plate (not shown) may be disposed in the inner space 502 of the body 520. The blocking plate (not shown) may be provided in a disc shape. The blocking plate (not shown) is supported by a support (not shown) to be spaced upward from the bottom surface of the body 520. The support (not shown) is provided in a rod shape, and a plurality of pieces are arranged to be separated from each other by a certain distance. The discharge port of the lower branch line (not shown) and the inlet port of the exhaust line 550 may be provided at positions that do not interfere with each other. The blocking plate (not shown) can prevent the processing fluid supplied through the lower branch line (not shown) from being directly discharged toward the substrate W to damage the substrate W.

3 is a schematic diagram of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The fluid supply unit 560 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 3.

The fluid supply unit 560 includes a fluid supply source 610 and supply lines 561 and 562.

The fluid source 610 stores process fluid provided to the high pressure chamber 500. For example, the fluid supply source 610 is a storage tank or a reservoir tank. For example, the process fluid is carbon dioxide. The process fluid supplied from the fluid source 610 is provided as a supercritical fluid phase to the high pressure chamber 500.

Supply lines 561 and 562 connect high pressure chamber 500 and fluid source 610. Supply lines 561 and 562 supply the process fluid stored in the fluid source 610 to the high pressure chamber 500. The supply lines 561 and 562 are provided with a first on-off valve 581 and a second on-off valve 582 in order from upstream to downstream. In the present specification, a supply line installed upstream of the first on / off valve 581 among the supply lines 561 and 562 is referred to as a first supply line 561, and the first on / off valve 581 and the second on / off valve 582 ) Is a second supply line (562). According to one embodiment, an upper branch line 563 is provided downstream of the second on-off valve 582.

The branch line 564 is branched to the second supply line 562. The branch line 564 is provided with a third on-off valve 583. An exhaust line 565 is provided downstream of the third on-off valve 583.

A filter 585 may be installed in the second supply line 562. According to one embodiment, the filter 585 is provided upstream of the branch line 564 on the second supply line 562.

A fourth on-off valve 551 is provided in the exhaust line 550 of the high-pressure chamber 500. When the fourth on-off valve 551 is opened, process fluid inside the high-pressure chamber 500 is discharged to the outside of the high-pressure chamber 500. The substrate inside the high pressure chamber 500 may be carried into the high pressure chamber 500 by the transfer robot 320 or may be taken out of the high pressure chamber 500.

4 is a view showing a first operating state of the substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 5 is a view showing a second operating state of the substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a view showing a third operating state of the substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 7 is a view showing a fourth operating state of the substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 8 is a view showing a fifth operating state of the substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The operating state of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 8.

4 and 5, process fluid is supplied to the high pressure chamber 500 to process the first substrate W1 loaded inside the high pressure chamber 500. In order to supply process fluid to the high-pressure chamber 500, the first on-off valve 581 and the second on-off valve 582 are opened. At this time, the third on-off valve 583 is closed. The fourth on-off valve 551 is opened or closed as necessary. The processing of the substrate can be performed by repeating supply and exhaust of the process fluid within a certain pressure range.

Referring to FIG. 6, after the processing of the first substrate W1 is completed, the fourth on-off valve 551 is completely opened to exhaust the processing space 502 of the high-pressure chamber 500. The interior of the high pressure chamber 500 can be returned to the atmospheric pressure state.

Referring to FIG. 7, the processing space 502 of the high pressure chamber 500 returned to the atmospheric pressure state is opened to take out the first substrate W1. The carrying out of the substrate W is carried out by the transfer robot 320. The first on-off valve 581 and the second on-off valve 582 are closed when the substrate W1 is unloaded. Then, the third on-off valve 583 is opened and vents the second supply line 562. The process fluid remaining inside the second supply line 562 is vented by the opening of the third on-off valve 583, and the inside of the second supply line 562 can be returned to the atmospheric pressure state.

Referring to FIG. 8, the second substrate W2 is carried into the high pressure chamber 500. The inside of the second supply line 562 may be vented until the second substrate W2 is loaded into the high pressure chamber 500. The inside of the second supply line 562 may be vented during a delay time until the first substrate is unloaded and the second substrate is unloaded. Process processing for the second substrate may be performed after the inside of the second supply line 562 is returned to the atmospheric pressure state. In one embodiment, the discharge of the process fluid remaining inside the second supply line 562 may be performed up to a predetermined time from the time when the second substrate is loaded. In one embodiment, the predetermined time may be around 10 seconds. In addition, the discharge of the process fluid remaining inside the two supply lines 562 may proceed from a certain time after the first substrate is unloaded.

The above detailed description is to illustrate the present invention. In addition, the above-described content is to describe and describe preferred embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention can be used in various other combinations, modifications and environments. That is, it is possible to change or modify the scope of the concept of the invention disclosed herein, the scope equivalent to the disclosed contents, and / or the scope of the art or knowledge in the art. The embodiments described describe the best conditions for implementing the technical spirit of the present invention, and various changes required in specific application fields and uses of the present invention are possible. Accordingly, the detailed description of the invention is not intended to limit the invention to the disclosed embodiments. In addition, the appended claims should be construed to include other embodiments.

500: high pressure chamber, 560: fluid supply unit,
561, 562: supply line,
581: first on-off valve, 582: second on-off valve,
583: third on-off valve, 610: fluid supply.

Claims (12)

In the apparatus for processing a substrate,
A high pressure chamber provided with a processing space in which a process for processing a substrate using a process fluid is performed;
A fluid source providing the process fluid to the high pressure chamber;
A supply line connecting the high pressure chamber and the fluid supply source;
A first opening / closing valve and a second opening / closing valve which are sequentially installed in the supply line in the direction of the high pressure chamber from the fluid supply source;
A branch line provided between the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve;
A third open / close valve installed on the branch line;
An exhaust unit that exhausts the process fluid in the high pressure chamber;
A transfer robot for transporting the substrate into and out of the high-pressure chamber;
Including a controller,
The controller,
After the transfer robot has taken out the processed substrate from the high-pressure chamber, before the new substrate is brought in,
A substrate processing apparatus for controlling to discharge process fluid remaining inside the supply line by opening the third open / close valve with the first open / close valve and the second open / close valve closed. According to claim 1,
The third opening and closing valve,
A substrate processing apparatus that is opened after the processing space of the high-pressure chamber becomes an atmospheric pressure state. According to claim 1,
Discharge of the process fluid remaining inside the supply line is carried out a predetermined time before the new substrate is carried in. According to claim 1,
The substrate processing apparatus in which the pressure in the supply line is reduced to atmospheric pressure as the third opening / closing valve is opened. According to claim 1,
The high pressure chamber is a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate using the process fluid as a supercritical phase. According to claim 1,
The fluid source is a substrate processing apparatus for supplying the process fluid to the high pressure chamber in a supercritical phase. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The process fluid is a carbon dioxide substrate processing apparatus. In the method of processing a substrate using a substrate processing apparatus,
The substrate processing apparatus,
A high pressure chamber provided with a processing space in which a process for processing a substrate using a substrate process fluid is performed;
A fluid source providing the process fluid to the high pressure chamber;
A supply line connecting the high pressure chamber and the fluid supply source;
A first opening / closing valve and a second opening / closing valve which are sequentially installed in the supply line in the direction of the high pressure chamber from the fluid supply source;
A branch line provided between the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve;
A third open / close valve installed on the branch line;
And an exhaust unit that exhausts the process fluid in the high-pressure chamber,
After the substrate is processed and taken out in the high-pressure chamber, before a new substrate is brought in,
A substrate processing method for discharging the remaining process fluid of the supply line by opening the third open / close valve with the first open / close valve and the second open / close valve closed. The method of claim 8,
A substrate processing method of opening the third on-off valve after the processing space of the high-pressure chamber is at atmospheric pressure. The method of claim 7,
A method of processing a substrate by opening the third on-off valve and reducing the pressure in the supply line to atmospheric pressure. The method of claim 8,
Discharge of the process fluid remaining inside the supply line is carried out a predetermined time before the new substrate is carried in. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 11,
The process fluid is carbon dioxide substrate processing method.

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