US20110209829A1 - Surface treatment apparatus - Google Patents

Surface treatment apparatus Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US20110209829A1
US20110209829A1 US13/003,161 US200913003161A US2011209829A1 US 20110209829 A1 US20110209829 A1 US 20110209829A1 US 200913003161 A US200913003161 A US 200913003161A US 2011209829 A1 US2011209829 A1 US 2011209829A1
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
treatment
opening
gas
flow
carry
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
US13/003,161
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Takashi Umeoka
Hirofumi Yagisawa
Satoshi Mayumi
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Sekisui Chemical Co Ltd
Original Assignee
Sekisui Chemical Co Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Sekisui Chemical Co Ltd filed Critical Sekisui Chemical Co Ltd
Assigned to SEKISUI CHEMICAL CO., LTD. reassignment SEKISUI CHEMICAL CO., LTD. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: YAGISAWA, HIROFUMI, MAYUMI, SATOSHI, UMEOKA, TAKASHI
Publication of US20110209829A1 publication Critical patent/US20110209829A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J37/00—Discharge tubes with provision for introducing objects or material to be exposed to the discharge, e.g. for the purpose of examination or processing thereof
    • H01J37/32—Gas-filled discharge tubes
    • H01J37/32009—Arrangements for generation of plasma specially adapted for examination or treatment of objects, e.g. plasma sources
    • H01J37/32366—Localised processing
    • H01J37/32376—Scanning across large workpieces
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B08—CLEANING
    • B08B—CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
    • B08B5/00—Cleaning by methods involving the use of air flow or gas flow
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J37/00—Discharge tubes with provision for introducing objects or material to be exposed to the discharge, e.g. for the purpose of examination or processing thereof
    • H01J37/32—Gas-filled discharge tubes
    • H01J37/32431—Constructional details of the reactor
    • H01J37/3244—Gas supply means
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J37/00—Discharge tubes with provision for introducing objects or material to be exposed to the discharge, e.g. for the purpose of examination or processing thereof
    • H01J37/32—Gas-filled discharge tubes
    • H01J37/32431—Constructional details of the reactor
    • H01J37/3244—Gas supply means
    • H01J37/32449—Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J37/00—Discharge tubes with provision for introducing objects or material to be exposed to the discharge, e.g. for the purpose of examination or processing thereof
    • H01J37/32—Gas-filled discharge tubes
    • H01J37/32431—Constructional details of the reactor
    • H01J37/32733—Means for moving the material to be treated
    • H01J37/32752—Means for moving the material to be treated for moving the material across the discharge
    • H01J37/32761—Continuous moving
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J37/00—Discharge tubes with provision for introducing objects or material to be exposed to the discharge, e.g. for the purpose of examination or processing thereof
    • H01J37/32—Gas-filled discharge tubes
    • H01J37/32431—Constructional details of the reactor
    • H01J37/32798—Further details of plasma apparatus not provided for in groups H01J37/3244 - H01J37/32788; special provisions for cleaning or maintenance of the apparatus
    • H01J37/32816—Pressure
    • H01J37/32834—Exhausting
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/04—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer
    • H01L21/18—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer the devices having semiconductor bodies comprising elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table or AIIIBV compounds with or without impurities, e.g. doping materials
    • H01L21/30—Treatment of semiconductor bodies using processes or apparatus not provided for in groups H01L21/20 - H01L21/26
    • H01L21/302—Treatment of semiconductor bodies using processes or apparatus not provided for in groups H01L21/20 - H01L21/26 to change their surface-physical characteristics or shape, e.g. etching, polishing, cutting
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/04—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer
    • H01L21/18—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer the devices having semiconductor bodies comprising elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table or AIIIBV compounds with or without impurities, e.g. doping materials
    • H01L21/30—Treatment of semiconductor bodies using processes or apparatus not provided for in groups H01L21/20 - H01L21/26
    • H01L21/302—Treatment of semiconductor bodies using processes or apparatus not provided for in groups H01L21/20 - H01L21/26 to change their surface-physical characteristics or shape, e.g. etching, polishing, cutting
    • H01L21/306—Chemical or electrical treatment, e.g. electrolytic etching
    • H01L21/3065—Plasma etching; Reactive-ion etching
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/67011—Apparatus for manufacture or treatment
    • H01L21/67017—Apparatus for fluid treatment
    • H01L21/67028—Apparatus for fluid treatment for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like
    • H01L21/6704—Apparatus for fluid treatment for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like for wet cleaning or washing
    • H01L21/67051—Apparatus for fluid treatment for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like for wet cleaning or washing using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/677—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations
    • H01L21/67739—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations into and out of processing chamber
    • H01L21/6776—Continuous loading and unloading into and out of a processing chamber, e.g. transporting belts within processing chambers

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an apparatus for causing a treatment gas to contact a surface of an object and treating the surface of the object, and in particular to a surface treatment apparatus that is suitable for treatment using a treatment gas having toxicity or corrosiveness.
  • Treatment gases used in such surface treatment often contain components undesirable for safety or environment when they leak to the outside. Therefore, in general, a treatment space is surrounded by a treatment housing (chamber) to prevent the treatment gases from leaking to the outside.
  • Each of the surface treatment apparatuses of the PATENT LITERATURES 1 and 2 includes: an inlet through which an object is led to a treatment housing (chamber); and an outlet through which the object is led out of the treatment housing.
  • a treatment housing chamber
  • An outlet through which the object is led out of the treatment housing.
  • Each of the inlet and the outlet has a slit-like shape.
  • a mitigation chamber is provided at each end of the treatment housing to mitigate a plasma-generating gas flowing out of the treatment housing and the outside air flowing into the treatment housing. Gas inside the treatment housing is discharged through an exhaust port.
  • the surface treatment apparatus of PATENT LITERATURE 3 includes: an internal housing which surrounds a discharge plasma generating unit; and an external housing which surrounds the internal housing.
  • the internal pressure of the space between the external housing and the internal housing is lower than the internal pressure of the internal housing, and is lower than the outside air pressure.
  • a treatment gas flows out of the internal housing into the space between the internal housing and the external housing, and outside air flows into the external housing.
  • a treatment housing needs an opening through which an object is taken in and out. There is also a possibility that a treatment gas in the treatment housing leaks through this opening.
  • an exhaust system is connected to the treatment housing and discharges the gas from the treatment housing. This can direct the direction of the gas flow at the opening toward the outside of the treatment housing into a direction toward the inside of the treatment housing.
  • the gas flowing in through the opening tends to be a turbulent flow. This makes gas distribution in the treatment housing unstable.
  • the turbulence may be propagated to the interior of the treatment housing via the opening.
  • the present inventor has confirmed a phenomenon in which when a swirl flow is formed outside the opening, gas in the opening comes out of the opening to the outside.
  • the present invention is made in view of the above situation, and intended to stabilize the gas flow at an opening, which is provided in a treatment housing for surface treatment, and through which the object is taken in and out.
  • the present invention is directed to an apparatus for causing a treatment gas to contact a surface of an object and treating the surface, the apparatus comprising:
  • a treatment housing including an opening through which the object is carried in or out in a conveying direction and a treatment space in which the surface treatment is performed;
  • the opening of the treatment housing is defined by a pair of flow-rectifying faces which face each other, with an interval therebetween, in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, and a depth of the opening along the conveying direction is twice or more of the interval.
  • a gas flow directed from the outside to the inside of the treatment housing can be formed at the opening. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the treatment gas from leaking to the outside through the opening.
  • the pair of flow-rectifying faces it is possible to stabilize the flow of the gas flowing into the treatment housing through the opening, and to prevent the flowing-in gas from becoming a turbulent flow or to turn the flowing-in gas into a flow similar to a laminar flow. Accordingly, it is possible to stabilize gas distribution in the treatment housing and moreover in the treatment space. Therefore, the stability of the surface treatment can be ensured. Further, it is possible to prevent the interior of the treatment housing from being affected by the outside environment.
  • the depth of the opening is six to ten times of the interval. This can stabilize the gas flow at the opening in a further assured manner.
  • the opening has a rectangular shape.
  • the interval is defined as an average value of the intervals.
  • the depth of the opening is twice or more of the average value of the intervals. More preferably, the depth of the opening is six to ten times of the average value of the intervals.
  • the present invention it is possible to stabilize the gas flow at the opening through which the object is carried in or out. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the gas distribution in the treatment housing from varying, thereby ensuring the stability of the surface treatment.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic structure of a surface treatment apparatus of a first embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a side view of a treatment housing of the surface treatment apparatus, viewed from line II-II of FIG. 1 .
  • FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a carry-in opening of the treatment housing, viewed from line III-III of FIG. 2 .
  • FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a carry-in opening of the treatment housing of a second embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a carry-in opening of the treatment housing of a third embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention.
  • An object 9 in the present embodiment is formed of a glass substrate for a flat panel display.
  • the present invention is not limited thereto.
  • the present invention is applicable to various types of objects, such as semiconductor wafers and continuous sheet-like resin films.
  • the surface treatment of the present embodiment is etching of a silicon film (not shown) on a surface of a glass substrate 9 .
  • the present invention is not limited thereto.
  • the present invention is applicable to etching of oxidized silicon and silicon nitride.
  • the present invention is not limited to etching, and is applicable to various types of surface treatment such as film forming, cleaning, water repellent treatment, and hydrophilization.
  • the length (dimension in the lateral direction of FIG. 1 ) of the object 9 formed of a glass substrate for a flat panel display is, for example, 1500 mm
  • the width (dimension in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing of FIG. 1 ) is, for example, about 1100 mm
  • the thickness is, for example, about 0.7 mm.
  • a surface treatment apparatus 1 includes a treatment housing 10 , a conveyance means 20 , a supply system 30 , and an exhaust system 40 .
  • the treatment housing 10 has a container-like shape and is large enough for the object 9 to be arranged therein.
  • a treatment space 19 is formed in a substantially center portion in the treatment housing 10 .
  • the treatment housing 10 surrounds the treatment space 19 .
  • the treatment space 19 is defined between a supply nozzle 33 described below and the object 9 to be arranged below the supply nozzle 33 .
  • the thickness (vertical dimension) of the treatment space 19 is shown in an exaggerated manner.
  • the actual thickness of the treatment space 19 is about 0.5 to 5 mm.
  • a carry-in opening 13 is formed in a wall 11 on one end side (right side in FIG. 1 ) of the treatment housing 10 .
  • a carry-out opening 14 is formed in a wall 12 on the other end side (left side in FIG. 1 ) of the treatment housing 10 .
  • Each of the carry-in opening 13 and the carry-out opening 14 extends in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing of FIG. 1 .
  • the object 9 can be carried into and out of the treatment housing 10 through the carry-in opening 13 and the carry-out opening 14 , respectively.
  • the carry-in opening 13 and the carry-out opening 14 are always open.
  • the treatment housing 10 is not provided with doors to open/close the carry-in opening 13 and the carry-out opening 14 , respectively.
  • the structure of the carry-in opening 13 and the carry-out opening 14 will be described in detail below.
  • the conveyance means 20 is structured as a roller conveyor.
  • a large number of rollers 21 of the roller conveyor are arranged with their axes perpendicular to the plane of the drawing of FIG. 1 in such a manner as to be spaced from each other in the lateral direction.
  • a portion of the roller conveyor 20 is located inside the treatment housing 10 .
  • the object 9 is placed on the roller 21 , conveyed in a direction from right to left (conveying direction) in FIG. 1 , carried into the treatment housing 10 through the carry-in opening 13 to be located in the treatment space 19 , and then carried out of the treatment housing 10 through the carry-out opening 14 .
  • the conveyance means 20 is not limited to a roller conveyor, and may be structured as a mobile stage, a floating stage, a robot arm, or the like.
  • the supply system 30 includes a source gas supply unit 31 and the supply nozzle 33 .
  • a supply passage 32 extends from the source gas supply unit 31 .
  • the supply passage 32 is connected to the supply nozzle 33 .
  • the supply nozzle 33 is located on a ceiling portion of the treatment housing 10 .
  • the supply nozzle 33 extends in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing of FIG. 1 by a length slightly greater than the dimension of the object 9 in the same direction as above.
  • the supply system 30 supplies the treatment space 19 with a treatment gas containing a reaction component corresponding to the type of treatment to be performed, a material component for the reaction component, and the like.
  • Treatment gas components (such as the reaction component, the material component, and the like mentioned above) often have environmental impact, toxicity, and corrosiveness.
  • a fluorine-based reaction component and an oxidizing reaction component are used as the reaction component.
  • the fluorine-based reaction component include HF, COF 2 , fluorine radicals, and the like.
  • a fluorine-based reaction component can be generated by, for example, humidifying a fluorine-based material with water (H 2 O) and then converting the resultant material into a plasma (including decomposition, excitation, activation, ionization, and the like).
  • CF 4 is used as the fluorine-based material.
  • fluorine-based material instead of CF 4 , other PFCs (perfluorocarbons) such as C 2 F 6 , C 3 F 8 , and C 3 F 8 may be used; HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons) such as CHF 3 , CH 2 F 2 , and CH 3 F may be used; or fluorine containing compounds such as SF 6 , NF 3 , and XeF 2 other than PFCs and HFCs may be used.
  • PFCs perfluorocarbons
  • HFCs hydrofluorocarbons
  • fluorine containing compounds such as SF 6 , NF 3 , and XeF 2 other than PFCs and HFCs may be used.
  • the fluorine-based material may be diluted with a dilution gas.
  • a dilution gas for example, a rare gas such as Ar or He, or N 2 is used.
  • an OH group containing a compound such as alcohol may be used instead of water (H 2 O).
  • Examples of the oxidizing reaction component include O 3 , and O radicals.
  • O 3 is used as the oxidizing reaction component.
  • O 3 can be generated from oxygen (O 2 ) by using an ozonizer.
  • the oxidizing reaction component may be generated by converting an oxygen-based material such as O 2 into a plasma.
  • Converting the fluorine-based material and the oxygen-based material into a plasma can be performed by leading a gas containing the above described materials into a plasma space between a pair of electrodes of a plasma generating apparatus.
  • the plasma conversion is performed at a pressure near the atmospheric pressure.
  • a pressure near the atmospheric pressure means a range of 1.013 ⁇ 10 4 to 50.663 ⁇ 10 4 Pa.
  • the pressure is preferably 1.333 ⁇ 10 4 to 10.664 ⁇ 10 4 Pa, and more preferably 9.331 ⁇ 10 4 to 10.397 ⁇ 10 4 Pa.
  • CF 4 which is the fluorine-based material is diluted with Ar and then H 2 O is added to the diluted CF 4 to yield a fluorine-based source gas (CF 4 +Ar+H 2 O) in the source gas supply unit 31 .
  • This fluorine-based source gas is led via the supply passage 32 to the supply nozzle 33 .
  • the supply nozzle 33 is provided with a pair of electrodes.
  • the fluorine-based source gas is converted into a plasma between the electrodes.
  • the supply nozzle 33 also serves as a plasma generating apparatus. Accordingly, a fluorine-based reaction component such as HF is generated.
  • O 3 is separately generated as an oxidizing reaction component by an ozonizer, is led into the supply nozzle 33 , and mixed with the plasma gas described above.
  • a treatment gas containing a fluorine-based reaction component (such as HF) and an oxidizing reaction component (such as O 3 ) is generated.
  • the treatment gas contains source gas components (such as CF 4 , H 2 O, Ar, and O 2 ).
  • This treatment gas is blown from a nozzle hole, which is on the bottom surface (tip surface) of the supply nozzle 33 , to the treatment space 19 .
  • the supply flow rate of the treatment gas is, for example, about 32 slm.
  • a treatment gas containing a fluorine-based reaction component and an oxidizing reaction component may be generated in the gas supply unit 31 and the generated treatment gas may be sent via the supply passage 32 to the supply nozzle 33 to be blown.
  • the treatment gas blown out of the supply nozzle 33 is blown to the object 9 in the treatment space 19 , and thus the surface of the object 9 is treated.
  • silicon etching silicon is oxidized by the oxidizing component (such as O 3 ) in the treatment gas, the oxidized silicon reacts with the fluorine-based reaction component (such as HF) in the treatment gas, and SiF 4 , which is a volatile component, is generated. Accordingly, the silicon layer on the surface of the object 9 can be removed.
  • An exhaust port 43 is provided at, for example, a substantially center portion of the bottom of the treatment housing 10 .
  • An exhaust passage 42 extends from the exhaust port 43 .
  • a filter unit 45 and an exhaust pump 41 are provided in this order.
  • a local exhaust port is formed at the bottom surface of the supply nozzle 33 and at a position adjacent to the nozzle hole from which the treatment gas is blown.
  • a suction passage connected to the local exhaust port is drawn from an upper portion of the supply nozzle 33 . This suction passage joins the exhaust passage 42 at a position upstream (to the exhaust port 43 side) of the filter unit 45 .
  • the local exhaust port and the suction passage are also components of the exhaust system 40 .
  • the filter unit 45 includes a scrubber which removes HF and the like in the discharged gas, a mist trap which removes H 2 O in the discharged gas, and an ozone killer which removes O 3 in the discharged gas, in addition to a filter which removes dusts and the like in the discharged gas.
  • the gas inside the treatment housing 10 is sucked into the exhaust passage 42 through the exhaust port 43 .
  • the treatment gas having been blown to the object 9 in the treatment space 19 (hereinafter referred to as post-treatment gas) is mainly sucked into the local exhaust port, and is brought into the exhaust passage 42 via the suction passage.
  • the post-treatment gas contains the components of the treatment gas (such as HF, O 3 , CF 4 , H 2 O, and Ar) and by-products (such as SiF 4 ) resulting from the surface treatment reaction.
  • the post-treatment gas is sucked through the exhaust port 43 .
  • the discharged gas flow rate of the exhaust system 40 is set to a rate that is low but sufficient to prevent the gas inside the treatment housing 10 from leaking through the carry-in opening 13 and the carry-out opening 14 .
  • the discharged gas flow rate is set at a value greater than the supply flow rate of the treatment gas, so that the atmospheric gas (air) outside the treatment housing 10 flows into the treatment housing 10 through the carry-in opening 13 and the carry-out opening 14 .
  • the supply flow rate of the treatment gas is about 32 slm as described above, whereas the discharged gas flow rate of the first exhaust system 40 is, for example, about 200 to 400 slm.
  • the discharged gas further contains components of the post-treatment gas (such as HF, O 3 , CF 4 , H 2 O, Ar, and SiF 4 ).
  • the surface treatment apparatus 1 further includes a reuse unit 50 .
  • the reuse unit 50 recovers the reaction components contained in the treatment gas from the gas discharged by the exhaust system 40 .
  • the reuse unit 50 includes a separation/recovery device 51 .
  • the separation/recovery device 51 includes a separation membrane 52 .
  • the interior of the separation/recovery device 51 is divided into a condensation chamber 53 and a dilution chamber 54 by the separation membrane 52 .
  • As the separation membrane 52 a glassy polymer membrane is used, for example (see Japanese Patent No. 3151151).
  • the separation membrane 52 allows CF 4 (reaction component) to permeate itself at a relatively low speed, and nitrogen (impurity) to permeate itself at a relatively high speed.
  • the exhaust passage 42 is connected to the condensation chamber 53 at a position downstream of the exhaust pump 41 .
  • the discharged gas from the exhaust pump 41 is led into the condensation chamber 53 , and separated by the separation membrane 52 into a recovery gas which remains in the condensation chamber 53 and a release gas which permeates the separation membrane 52 to enter the dilution chamber 54 .
  • the reuse unit 50 may include a plurality of separation/recovery devices 51 .
  • Such a plurality of separation/recovery devices 51 may be connected in series or in parallel, or in a combination of series and parallel arrangements.
  • a recovery passage 55 extends from a downstream end of the condensation chamber 53 .
  • the recovery passage 55 is connected to the source gas supply unit 31 .
  • a release passage 46 extends from the dilution chamber 54 .
  • the release passage 46 is connected to detoxification equipment 47 .
  • an opening 16 is formed in the carry-in-side wall 11 .
  • the opening 16 is formed in a shape of a slit extending in a width direction (in the lateral direction in FIG. 2 , or in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing of FIG. 3 ) of the carry-in-side wall 11 .
  • a pair of flow-rectifying plates 15 which are disposed to face each other in the vertical direction, is mounted to the carry-in-side wall 11 .
  • the upper flow-rectifying plate 15 and the lower flow-rectifying plate 15 are need to be identified separately, the upper flow-rectifying plate 15 is designated as a flow-rectifying plate 15 A and the lower flow-rectifying plate 15 is designated as a flow-rectifying plate 15 B.
  • the upper flow-rectifying plate 15 A is divided into two upper flow-rectifying plate parts 15 a.
  • each flow-rectifying plate part 15 a has a shape of a thin plate extending in the width direction of the carry-in-side wall 11 .
  • the two upper flow-rectifying plate parts 15 a sandwich a portion above the opening 16 of the carry-in-side wall 11 , from the outside (right in FIG. 3 ) and the inside (left in FIG. 3 ). Lower surfaces of the upper flow-rectifying plate parts 15 a are flush with an upper edge of the opening 16 .
  • the lower surfaces of the upper flow-rectifying plate parts 15 a and the upper edge of the opening 16 which are flush with one another, form an upper flow-rectifying face 17 .
  • the upper flow-rectifying face 17 horizontally extends in the width direction of the carry-in-side wall 11 .
  • the lower flow-rectifying plate 15 B is divided into two lower flow-rectifying plate parts 15 b. As shown in FIG. 2 , each flow-rectifying plate part 15 b has a shape of a thin plate extending in the width direction of the carry-in-side wall 11 . As shown in FIG. 3 , the two lower flow-rectifying plate parts 15 b sandwich a portion below the opening 16 of the carry-in-side wall 11 , from the outside (right in FIG. 3 ) and the inside (left in FIG. 3 ). Upper surfaces of the lower flow-rectifying plate parts 15 b are flush with a lower edge of the opening 16 .
  • the upper surfaces of the lower flow-rectifying plate parts 15 b and the lower edge of the opening 16 which are flush with one another, form a lower flow-rectifying face 18 .
  • the lower flow-rectifying face 18 horizontally extends in the width direction of the carry-in-side wall 11 .
  • the upper flow-rectifying face 17 and the lower flow-rectifying face 18 are parallel to each other, and face each other in the vertical direction (a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the object 9 (the lateral direction in FIG. 3 )).
  • the carry-in opening 13 is formed between a pair of the flow-rectifying faces 17 and 18 .
  • the upper flow-rectifying face 17 defines an upper edge of the opening 13 .
  • the lower flow-rectifying face 18 defines a lower edge of the opening 13 .
  • a length L of each of the flow-rectifying faces 17 and 18 along the conveying direction (the lateral direction in FIG. 3 ) of the object 9 is twice or more of an interval D between the flow-rectifying faces 17 and 18 , that is, a vertical thickness D of the opening 13 (L ⁇ 2 ⁇ D), and more preferably six times or more of the vertical thickness D (L ⁇ 6 ⁇ D).
  • the upper limit of the depth L of the opening 13 is set as appropriate in consideration of easiness of mounting the flow-rectifying plates 15 , interference with the rollers 21 , and the like.
  • the upper limit of the depth L of the opening 13 is preferably about 15 times, and more preferably about 10 times, of the interval D.
  • the interval D between the flow-rectifying faces 17 and 18 is about 5 mm, for example. Accordingly, the depth L of the opening 13 is 10 mm or more, and more preferably, 30 mm or more.
  • the carry-out opening 14 also has a similar structure to that of the carry-in opening 13 . That is, the opening 16 is formed in the carry-out-side wall 12 .
  • the flow-rectifying plates 15 are mounted to the opening 16 , thereby forming a pair of the flow-rectifying faces 17 and 18 which face each other in the vertical direction.
  • the carry-out opening 14 is defined between the flow-rectifying faces 17 and 18 .
  • the depth L of the carry-out opening 14 is twice or more, and more preferably six times or more, of the thickness D.
  • the object 9 is carried into the interior of the treatment housing 10 through the carry-in opening 13 and led to the treatment space 19 by the conveyance means 20 . Further, the treatment gas is supplied to the treatment space 19 by the supply system 30 . The treatment gas contacts the object 9 , thereby performing surface treatment such as etching. The treated object 9 is carried out of the treatment housing 10 through the carry-out opening 14 .
  • a plurality of the objects 9 are aligned on the roller conveyor 20 in such a manner as to be spaced from each other in a line, sequentially carried into the treatment housing 10 to be subjected to surface treatment, and then carried out of the treatment housing 10 .
  • the gas inside the treatment housing 10 (including the post-treatment gas in the treatment space 19 ) is discharged by the exhaust system 40 .
  • gas outside the treatment housing 10 flows into the treatment housing 10 through the carry-in opening 13 and the carry-out opening 14 .
  • each of the carry-in opening 13 and the carry-out opening 14 is twice or more of the thickness D (L ⁇ 2 ⁇ D), and more preferably six times or more (L ⁇ 6 ⁇ D).
  • the gas discharged out of the treatment housing 10 by the exhaust system 40 is filtered in the filter unit 45 and then compressed by the exhaust pump 41 , and then led into the separation/recovery device 51 .
  • the discharged gas is separated into a recovery gas of a high CF 4 concentration and a release gas of a low CF 4 concentration by the separation/recovery device 51 .
  • the recovery gas is sent to the source gas supply unit 31 via the recovery passage 55 .
  • the reaction component (CF 4 ) recovered in the separation/recovery device 51 can be returned into the recovery passage 55 for reuse. This allows reduction of the total amount of CF 4 used in the surface treatment apparatus 1 and suppression of the running cost.
  • the release gas is sent to the detoxification equipment 47 via the release passage 46 to be detoxified and then released to the atmosphere.
  • the exhaust flow rate of the exhaust system 40 is low but sufficient to prevent the post-treatment gas from leaking through the carry-in opening 13 and the carry-out opening 14 . This allows the load to the separation/recovery device 51 to be reduced. Further, the load to the detoxification equipment 47 can also be reduced. This allows the size of the separation/recovery device 51 and the detoxification equipment 47 to be reduced.
  • FIG. 4 shows a modification of the carry-in and carry-out openings.
  • the upper flow-rectifying plate 15 is not divided into the flow-rectifying plate parts 15 a and the lower flow-rectifying plate 15 is not divided into the flow-rectifying plate parts 15 b, and each of the flow-rectifying plates 15 is formed of a plate.
  • the upper flow-rectifying plate 15 A is attached to a portion, above the opening 16 , of an outside surface of the carry-in-side wall 11 .
  • a lower surface of the upper flow-rectifying plate 15 A and the upper edge of the opening 16 are flush with each other.
  • the lower surface of the upper flow-rectifying plate 15 A and the upper edge of the opening 16 which are flush with each other, form the upper flow-rectifying face 17 .
  • the lower flow-rectifying plate 15 B is attached to a portion, below the opening 16 , of the outside surface of the carry-in-side wall 11 .
  • An upper surface of the lower flow-rectifying plate 15 B and the lower edge of the opening 16 are flush with each other.
  • the upper surface of the lower flow-rectifying plate 15 B and the lower edge of the opening 16 which are flush with each other, form the lower flow-rectifying face 18 .
  • the flow-rectifying plates 15 at the carry-out-side wall 12 also have a similar structure to that of the flow-rectifying plates 15 at the carry-in-side wall 11 shown in FIG. 4 .
  • each of the carry-in opening 13 and the carry-out opening 14 is twice or more of the thickness D (L ⁇ 2 ⁇ D), and preferably six times or more (L ⁇ 6 ⁇ D).
  • the flow-rectifying plates 15 may be attached not to the outside surfaces of but to the inside surfaces of the walls 11 and 12 , in such a manner as to protrude to the interior of the treatment housing 10 .
  • FIG. 5 shows another modification of the carry-in and carry-out openings.
  • the opening 16 in the carry-in-side wall 11 has a larger vertical dimension than those in the above described embodiments ( FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 ).
  • Each of the upper and lower flow-rectifying plates 15 is formed of a plate. A center portion of the upper flow-rectifying plate 15 A is attached to the upper edge of the opening 16 .
  • the upper flow-rectifying face 17 is formed only by the lower surface of the upper flow-rectifying plate 15 A.
  • a center portion of the lower flow-rectifying plate 15 B is attached to the lower edge of the opening 16 .
  • the lower flow-rectifying face 18 is formed only by the upper surface of the lower flow-rectifying plate 15 B.
  • the carry-in opening 13 is defined between the upper and lower flow-rectifying plates 15 .
  • the carry-out opening 14 is defined similarly to the carry-in opening 13 shown in FIG. 5 .
  • the length of each of the flow-rectifying plates 15 along the conveying direction of the object 9 coincides with the depth L of each of the carry-in opening 13 and the carry-out opening 14 .
  • the depth L of each of the carry-in opening 13 and the carry-out opening 14 is twice or more of the thickness D (L ⁇ 2 ⁇ D), and more preferably six times or more (L ⁇ 6 ⁇ D).
  • the carry-in opening 13 and the carry-out opening 14 may be provided in a form of a single common opening.
  • the conveyance means 20 may carry the object 9 through the common opening into the treatment housing 10 , locate the object 9 in the treatment space 19 to be subjected to surface treatment, and then carry the treated object 9 through the common opening to the outside.
  • the operations of carrying the object 9 into and out of the treatment housing 10 may be performed by an operator instead of the conveyance means 20 .
  • the positions of the outer edges of the upper flow-rectifying plate 15 A and the lower flow-rectifying plate 15 B may not coincide with each other in the conveying direction of the object 9 , or the positions of the inner edges of the upper flow-rectifying plate 15 A and the lower flow-rectifying plate 15 B may not coincide with each other in the conveying direction of the object 9 .
  • One of the upper and lower flow-rectifying plates 15 A and 15 B may protrude further than the other to the outside of the treatment housing 10 , or to the inside of the treatment housing 10 .
  • the depth (L), along the conveying direction, of the space (the opening 13 or 14 ) between the overlapping portions of the flow-rectifying plates 15 in their facing direction only has to be twice or more of the interval (D) between the flow-rectifying plates 15 , and more preferably six times or more.
  • the present invention is applicable, for example, to manufacture of flat panel displays (FPDs) and semiconductor wafers.
  • FPDs flat panel displays
  • semiconductor wafers semiconductor wafers

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Drying Of Semiconductors (AREA)
  • Cleaning In General (AREA)
  • Cleaning Or Drying Semiconductors (AREA)
US13/003,161 2008-09-30 2009-09-16 Surface treatment apparatus Abandoned US20110209829A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP2008-252334 2008-09-30
JP2008252334A JP4486146B2 (ja) 2008-09-30 2008-09-30 表面処理装置
PCT/JP2009/004634 WO2010038372A1 (ja) 2008-09-30 2009-09-16 表面処理装置

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US20110209829A1 true US20110209829A1 (en) 2011-09-01

Family

ID=42073156

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US13/003,161 Abandoned US20110209829A1 (en) 2008-09-30 2009-09-16 Surface treatment apparatus

Country Status (6)

Country Link
US (1) US20110209829A1 (ja)
JP (1) JP4486146B2 (ja)
KR (1) KR101045486B1 (ja)
CN (1) CN102165566B (ja)
TW (1) TW201021627A (ja)
WO (1) WO2010038372A1 (ja)

Families Citing this family (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2013148221A (ja) * 2010-05-11 2013-08-01 Sharp Corp クリーンルーム
CN103365120B (zh) * 2012-03-30 2016-05-04 细美事有限公司 基板处理装置及方法
KR101452316B1 (ko) * 2012-03-30 2014-10-22 세메스 주식회사 기판 처리 장치 및 방법
KR101654293B1 (ko) * 2013-01-16 2016-09-06 주식회사 잉크테크 습식 공정 챔버 및 이를 포함하는 습식 공정 장치
JP6020483B2 (ja) * 2014-02-14 2016-11-02 トヨタ自動車株式会社 表面処理装置と表面処理方法
JP6700605B2 (ja) * 2016-11-16 2020-05-27 日本電気硝子株式会社 ガラス基板の製造方法
CN107833830B (zh) * 2017-11-22 2021-03-12 上海华力微电子有限公司 一种改善一体化刻蚀聚集残留缺陷的方法
JP7125332B2 (ja) * 2018-11-14 2022-08-24 株式会社ディスコ スラッジ乾燥装置

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3294670A (en) * 1963-10-07 1966-12-27 Western Electric Co Apparatus for processing materials in a controlled atmosphere
US4480585A (en) * 1983-06-23 1984-11-06 Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. External isolation module
US4811583A (en) * 1986-10-23 1989-03-14 N.V. Bekaert S.A. Feed-through elements therefor
US20060096536A1 (en) * 2004-11-10 2006-05-11 Daystar Technologies, Inc. Pressure control system in a photovoltaic substrate deposition apparatus

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH05235520A (ja) * 1992-02-20 1993-09-10 Matsushita Electric Works Ltd 回路用基板のプラズマ処理方法
JP2005005579A (ja) * 2003-06-13 2005-01-06 Sharp Corp プラズマ処理装置
JP4530825B2 (ja) * 2004-12-06 2010-08-25 シャープ株式会社 インライン型プラズマ処理装置

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3294670A (en) * 1963-10-07 1966-12-27 Western Electric Co Apparatus for processing materials in a controlled atmosphere
US4480585A (en) * 1983-06-23 1984-11-06 Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. External isolation module
US4811583A (en) * 1986-10-23 1989-03-14 N.V. Bekaert S.A. Feed-through elements therefor
US20060096536A1 (en) * 2004-11-10 2006-05-11 Daystar Technologies, Inc. Pressure control system in a photovoltaic substrate deposition apparatus

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CN102165566A (zh) 2011-08-24
CN102165566B (zh) 2012-11-21
WO2010038372A1 (ja) 2010-04-08
JP2010087079A (ja) 2010-04-15
KR101045486B1 (ko) 2011-06-30
KR20110040992A (ko) 2011-04-20
JP4486146B2 (ja) 2010-06-23
TW201021627A (en) 2010-06-01

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
JP4681640B2 (ja) 表面処理方法
US20110209829A1 (en) Surface treatment apparatus
TWI415185B (zh) Etching method and device
KR20100038382A (ko) 반도체 웨이퍼 수납용기 내로의 드라이에어 또는 질소가스 충전 장치 및 그 장치를 이용한 웨이퍼 정전 제거장치
KR100830246B1 (ko) 반도체 프로세싱의 동안 가스들의 사용 효율을 증가시키기위한 장치와 방법들
JP4551290B2 (ja) 撥水化用常圧プラズマ処理装置
JP5984622B2 (ja) 水洗装置
JP2009129997A (ja) 表面処理装置
WO2010053149A1 (ja) 基板処理装置
JP5670229B2 (ja) 表面処理方法及び装置
JP4914415B2 (ja) 表面処理装置
JP5743649B2 (ja) エッチング装置及び方法
KR100811658B1 (ko) 플라즈마 식각 장치
JP7507042B2 (ja) 水素希釈装置および水素希釈方法
TW201820452A (zh) 氣相蝕刻反應裝置與氣相蝕刻方法
JP2012129239A (ja) エッチング装置及び方法
JP2005268572A (ja) 基板処理装置
JP6908489B2 (ja) エッチング装置
JP6076667B2 (ja) プラズマ処理装置
JP6894340B2 (ja) エッチング装置
JP2006331736A (ja) 大気圧プラズマ処理装置
JP2013075794A (ja) ガラスカレットの除去方法
KR100798037B1 (ko) 상압 플라즈마 세정장치
JP2011228593A (ja) プラズマ処理装置
JP2010082494A (ja) 表面処理用ノズル装置

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

Owner name: SEKISUI CHEMICAL CO., LTD., JAPAN

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:UMEOKA, TAKASHI;YAGISAWA, HIROFUMI;MAYUMI, SATOSHI;SIGNING DATES FROM 20110416 TO 20110418;REEL/FRAME:026280/0970

STCB Information on status: application discontinuation

Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION