Classifications

• • 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
  • H01L21/02002—Preparing wafers
  • H01L21/02005—Preparing bulk and homogeneous wafers
  • H01L21/02008—Multistep processes
  • H01L21/0201—Specific process step
  • H01L21/02019—Chemical 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
  • H01L21/02—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
  • H01L21/30604—Chemical 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
  • H01L21/67057—Apparatus for fluid treatment for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like for wet cleaning or washing with the semiconductor substrates being dipped in baths or vessels
• • 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
  • H01L21/67063—Apparatus for fluid treatment for etching
  • H01L21/67075—Apparatus for fluid treatment for etching for wet etching
  • H01L21/67086—Apparatus for fluid treatment for etching for wet etching with the semiconductor substrates being dipped in baths or vessels

Definitions

• Example embodiments of the present invention relate to a method and an apparatus for etching a substrate. More particularly, example embodiments of the present invention relate to a method and an apparatus for etching a substrate such as a semiconductor substrate, a glass substrate, etc. Background Art
• an etching process for thinning, patterning, etc. a substrate may be performed. That is, a method of manufacturing the integrated circuit device may include the etching process for thinning a semiconductor substrate for the semiconductor memory device or a glass substrate for the flat display device, patterning the semiconductor substrate or the glass substrate to form desired patterns, etc.
• the etching process for thinning the substrate may include a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process, a wet etching process, etc.
• the etching process for patterning the substrate may include a wet etching process.
• the CMP process may not be suitable for thinning the substrate because an etched surface of the substrate may be uneven. Further, the CMP process may have low productivity because a processing speed of the CMP process may be very slow due to polishing the substrates sheet by sheet.
• a bubble process, a spray process, etc. may be additionally performed together with the wet etching process for thinning or patterning the substrate.
• an etching solution is bubbled using air, nitrogen, etc.
• the bubbled etching solution is applied to the substrate to uniformly etch the entire surface of the substrate.
• the application of the bubbled etching solution may be possible in case that the substrate has a short diameter or a small size.
• the entire surface of the substrate may not be uniformly etched by the bubble process.
• wavy marks may be frequently generated at the etched surface of the substrate due to the bubble in the etching solution.
• an etching solution may be directly sprayed using a nozzle, a knife, etc.
• the sprayed etching solution may prevent the byproducts from being adhered to the surface of the substrate.
• a spray hole of the nozzle or the knife may be clogged due to the byproducts.
• a spray pressure of the etching solution is increased to prevent the spray hole from being clogged with the byproducts, the substrate may be damaged. As a result, the thinning or patterning of the substrate may not be readily achieved by the spray process.
• radial marks may be frequently generated at the surface of the substrate caused by the sprayed etching solution.
• an apparatus for performing the spray process may require a very large etching space for receiving the elements such as the nozzle, the knife, etc. As a result, the spray process may not be suitable for etching a plurality of the substrates. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem
• Example embodiments of the present invention provide a method of uniformly etching a substrate that is capable of sufficiently reducing the influence of byproducts.
• Example embodiments of the present invention also provide an apparatus for performing the above-mentioned method.
• the substrate is dipped into a bath in which an etching solution is received to etch the substrate.
• a vortex is formed in the etching solution to control the etching of the substrate.
• the vortex may be formed by stirring the etching solution with the substrate in the etching solution being fixed. Further, a portion of the etching solution oriented toward an etched surface of the substrate may be stirred. Furthermore, the portion of the etching solution oriented toward the etched surface of the substrate may be stirred along upward and downward directions or left and right directions.
• the vortex may be oriented toward the entire surface of the substrate.
• the substrate may include a glass substrate.
• the etching solution may include fluoric acid, fluoric salt, a mixture thereof, etc. Further, the etching solution may include sulfuric acid, a surfactant, a mixture thereof, etc.
• the vortex may include a
• Kalman vortex formed by stirring the etching solution using a bar where swirls are regularly alternately arranged in two rows along opposite directions at a rear end of the bar.
• An apparatus for etching a substrate in accordance with another aspect of the present invention includes a bath and a vortex-generating member.
• the bath receives an etching solution.
• the vortex-forming member stirs the etching solution to form a vortex in the etching solution, thereby controlling the etching of the substrate.
• the vortex-forming member may include a bar and a driver.
• the bar may be oriented toward and spaced apart from an etched surface of the substrate. Further, the bar may be moved along upward and downward directions or left and right directions.
• the driver may be connected to the bar to move the bar along the upward and downward directions or the left and right directions with respect to the etched surface of the substrate.
• the bath may include an inner tank for receiving the etching solution, and an outer tank for receiving an overflowed portion of the etching solution from the inner tank.
• the apparatus may include a circulation line for circulating the etching solution from the outer tank to the inner tank.
• the apparatus may additionally include a filter for filtering byproducts in the etching solution, a buffer tank for temporarily storing the etching solution, and a pump for circulating the etching solution through the circulation line.
• the number of the vortex-forming members may be plural and the vortex-forming members may be arranged among the substrates when a plurality of the substrates is dipped into the bath. Further, the vortex- forming members may be connected to each other. Furthermore, the connected vortex- forming members may be simultaneously moved along the upward and downward directions or the left and the right directions to provide each of the substrates with the etching solution having the vortex.
• the vortex may be oriented toward the entire surface of the substrate.
• the substrate may include a glass substrate.
• the etching solution may include fluoric acid, fluoric salt, a mixture thereof, etc. Further, the etching solution may include sulfuric acid, a surfactant, a mixture thereof, etc.
• a vortex may be formed in an etching solution in a bath.
• the etching solution having the vortex may be applied to an etched surface of a substrate.
• the substrate may be uniformly etched and the influence of byproducts may be sufficiently reduced.
• FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an apparatus for etching a substrate in accordance with one example embodiment of the present invention
• FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an apparatus for etching a substrate in accordance with another example embodiment of the present invention
• FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an etching solution having a vortex that is formed by a vortex-forming member of the apparatus in FIG. 1 ;
• FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a method of thinning a substrate using the apparatus in FIG. 1 ;
• FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a method of patterning a substrate using the apparatus in FIG. 1. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
• spatially relative terms such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.
• FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an apparatus for etching a substrate in accordance with one example embodiment of the present invention.
• an apparatus 100 of this example embodiment may correspond to a wet etching apparatus.
• the apparatus 100 may include a bath 10 for receiving an etching solution that is used for etching a substrate 12.
• the substrate 12 may include a semiconductor substrate for a semiconductor memory device, a glass substrate for a flat display device, etc.
• the glass substrate for the flat display device may be used as the substrate 12.
• an etching process for etching the substrate 12 using the apparatus 100 may include an etching process for thinning the substrate 12, an etching process for patterning the substrate 12, etc.
• examples of the etching solution used in this example embodiment may include fluoric acid, fluoric salt, a mixture thereof, etc. These can be used alone or in a mixture thereof.
• the etching solution may additionally include sulfuric acid, a surfactant, a mixture thereof, etc. These can be used alone or in a mixture thereof. That is, the fluoric acid, the fluoric salt, the mixture thereof, etc., may be used as a main etching solution, and the sulfuric acid, the surfactant, the mixture thereof, etc., may be used as an auxiliary etching solution.
• An overflow manner which means that the etching solution in the bath 10 may overflow, may be employed in the apparatus 100 to smoothly circulate the etching solution in the bath 10 during etching of the substrate 10.
• the bath 10 may include an inner tank 10a for receiving the etching solution, and an outer tank 10b surrounding an upper portion of the inner tank 10a to receive an overflowed portion of the etching solution from the inner tank 10a.
• the apparatus 100 of this example embodiment may further include a vortex-forming member 15 for stirring the etching solution in the bath 10 along a predetermined direction to form a vortex in the etching solution.
• the vortex-forming member 15 may be oriented toward an etched surface of the substrate 12 dipped into the etching solution. Further, the vortex-forming member 15 may be moved along upward and downward directions or left and right directions with respect to the etched surface of the substrate 12. That is, the vortex-forming member 15 may stir the etching solution in the upward and downward directions or the left and right directions with respect to the etched surface of the substrate 12 to form the vortex in the etching solution.
• the vortex-forming member 15 may be arranged movably along the upward and downward directions with respect to the etched surface of the substrate 12.
• the vortex-forming member which may be arranged movably along the left and right directions with respect to the etched solution of the substrate 12, may be illustrated later.
• the vortex-forming member 15 stirs the etching solution, the vortex-forming member 15 may make contact with the substrate 12 to generate damage to the substrate 12. Therefore, the vortex-forming member 15 may be advantageously spaced apart from the substrate 12 to prevent the contact between the vortex-forming member 15 and the substrate 12.
• the distance between the vortex-forming member 15 and the substrate 1 may be about 1 mm to about 20 mm, and preferably about 3 mm to about 10 mm.
• the vortex-forming member 15 may be arranged movably along the upward and downward directions in a state in which the substrate 12 is fixed. That is, the vortex-forming member 15, not the substrate 12, may stir the etching solution along the upward and downward directions with respect to the etched surface of the substrate 12 in the state in which the substrate 12 is fixed.
• the substrate 12 may be damaged. Particularly, when the substrate 12 having a relatively long diameter or a relatively large size is moved to form the vortex, the substrate 12 may be significantly damaged.
• a movement path of the vortex-forming member 15, which is moved along the upward and downward directions with respect to the etched surface of the substrate 12, may correspond to the entire surface of the substrate 12. That is, the vortex-forming member 15 may be moved from one end of the substrate 12 from the other end of the substrate 12 to provide the entire surface of the substrate 12 with the etching solution having the vortex.
• the vortex-forming member 15 may include bars 13a for stirring the etching solution along the upward and downward directions with respect to the etched surface of the substrate 12.
• the vortex-forming layer 15 includes a manually operated single bar 13a
• the single bar 13a may not be provided with a constant speed. Therefore, the vortex-forming member 15 may further include a driver 14a connected to the bars 13a to move the bars 13a along the upward and downward directions with respect to the etched surface of the substrate 12.
• the driver 14a may include an air cylinder, a motor, etc., connected to a gear, a pulley, etc.
• each of the bars 13a may have various cross-sections such as a circular cross-section, an elliptical cross-section, a rectangular cross-section, a hexagonal cross- section, etc.
• the vortex-forming member 15 oriented toward the etched surfaces of the substrates 12 may be arranged between the substrates 12 when a plurality of substrates 12 is loaded into the bath 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the vortex-forming member 15 may be placed between the substrates 12. However, the number of the substrates 12 in the bath 10 to be etched using the apparatus 100 may not be restricted within a specific range. That is, the number of the substrates 12 loaded into the bath 10 may be determined in accordance with the volume of the bath 10. Thus, the numbers of the vortex-forming member 15 may also be determined in accordance with the number of the substrates 12.
• the arrangement of the vortex-forming member 15 between the substrates 12 means that the bars 13a are arranged among the substrates 12. Further, although the bars 13a are positioned between the substrates 12, the driver 14a may be a single structure. That is, the single driver 14a may be connected to the bars 13a between the substrates 12. Thus, the bars 13a among the substrates 12 may be moved at substantially the same time. Alternatively, a plurality of the drivers 14a may be connected to the bars 13a, respectively. The drivers 14a may allow the bars 13a to stir the etching solution, thereby sufficiently forming the vortex in the etching solution. However, when the drivers 14a are connected to the bars 13a, respectively, the apparatus 100 may have a complicated structure.
• the substrates 12 when the substrates 12 are dipped into the etching solution in the bath 10, the substrates 12 may be vertically arranged.
• the number of the substrates 12 may be plural. That is, the dipping of the substrates 12 may be performed per unit cassette in which the substrates 12 are received, not per unit substrate 12. Thus, twenty-five or fifty of the substrates 12 may be dipped into the etching solution.
• slits (not shown) for receiving lower ends of the substrates 12 may be formed at a bottom face of the bath 10.
• the apparatus 100 of this example embodiment includes the vortex-forming member 15 having the bars 13a and the driver 14a. Therefore, the apparatus 100 may continuously stir the etching solution at a constant speed to apply the etching solution having the vortex to the substrates 12 in the etching solution.
• the apparatus 100 of this example embodiment may include a circulation line 16 for circulating the etching solution from the outer tank 10b to the inner tank 10a. Since the circulated etching solution may be reused, costs for etching the substrates 12 may be remarkably reduced. Further, when the apparatus 100 includes the circulation line 16, a filter 18, a buffer tank 20 and a pump 22 may be installed on the circulation line 16. The filter 18 may filter the circulated etching solution. The buffer tank 20 may temporarily store the circulated etching solution. The pump 22 may circulate the etching solution through the circulation line 16. Particularly, the filter 18 may remove byproducts in the circulated etching solution.
• the buffer tank 20 may temporarily store the circulated etching solution to control a flow rate of the circulated etching solution.
• the pump 22 may smoothly circulate the etching solution through the circulation line 16.
• the filter 18, the buffer tank 20 and the pump 22 may be sequentially arranged on the circulation line 16.
• the arrangement of the filter 18, the buffer tank 20 and the pump 22 may not be restricted within the above-mentioned sequence.
• the apparatus 100 may stir the etching solution to form the vortex in the etching solution.
• the etching solution having the vortex may be applied to the substrates 12 to etch the substrates 12. Particularly, since the vortex may be formed throughout the entire etching solution, the etching solution having the vortex may be uniformly provided to the entire surfaces of the substrates 12. Thus, the apparatus 100 may uniformly etch the entire surfaces of the substrates 12. Further, the adhesion of the byproducts on the surfaces of the substrates 12 may be sufficiently reduced.
• the apparatus 100 of this example embodiment may include the vortex-forming member 15 being moved along the upward and downward directions with respect to the etched surfaces of the substrates 12.
• an apparatus 200 in accordance with another example embodiment of the present invention may include a vortex-forming member 15 that is moved along the left and right directions with respect to the etched surfaces of the substrates 12. That is, the vortex-forming member 15 of the apparatus 200 in FIG. 2 may be moved along the left and right directions (front and rear directions on FIG. 2).
• the vortex-forming member 15 of the apparatus 200 in accordance with this example embodiment may include bars 13b and a driver 14b.
• the apparatus 200 of this example embodiment may include the elements substantially the same as those of the apparatus 100 except for the movement directions of the vortex-forming member 15.
• any further illustrations with respect to the apparatus 200 of this example embodiment are omitted herein for brevity.
• the substrates 12 may be vertically loaded into the bath 10.
• apparatuses in accordance with other example embodiments may have a structure where the substrates 12 may be horizontally loaded into the bath 10.
• the vortex-forming member 15 when the vortex-forming member 15 is moved along the upward and downward directions, the vortex-forming member 15 may make contact with the substrates 12.
• the vortex-forming member 15 when the substrates 12 are horizontally loaded into the bath 10, the vortex-forming member 15 may be moved along the left and right directions in order to prevent the contact between the vortex-forming member 15 and the substrates 12.
• the apparatuses 100 and 200 may form the etching solution having the vortex and then provide the etching solution having the vortex to the etched surfaces of the substrates 12.
• the etching solution having the vortex formed by the vortex-forming member 15 may be applied to the entire surfaces of the substrates 12. Therefore, the substrates 12 may be uniformly etched using the apparatuses 100 and 200. Further, the byproducts generated during the etching process may not be adhered to the surfaces of the substrates 12 owing to the vortex.
• the bath 10 is filled with the etching solution.
• the etching solution may vary in accordance with kinds of the substrates 12 to be loaded into the bath 10.
• examples of the etching solution may include fluoric acid, fluoric salt, a mixture thereof, etc. These can be used alone or in a mixture thereof.
• the etching solution may additionally include sulfuric acid, a surfactant, a mixture thereof, etc. These can be used alone or in a mixture thereof.
• etching efficiency may be lowered.
• the etching solution in the bath 10 has a temperature of above about 5O 0 C, it may be difficult to control etching process conditions such as an etching speed.
• the etching solution in the bath 10 may have a temperature of about 2O 0 C to about 5O 0 C.
• the number of the substrates 12 capable of being loaded into the bath 10 may not be restricted. That is, the number of the substrates 12 loaded into the bath 10 may be determined in accordance with the volume of the bath 10, the etching process conditions, etc. However, as mentioned above, the number of the substrates 12 loaded into the bath 10 may be determined per unit cassette.
• the substrates 12 when the substrates 12 are etched by only dipping the substrates 12 into the etching solution in the bath 10, the substrates 12 may not be uniformly etched. Further, a large amount of the byproducts may be adhered to the surfaces of the substrates 12.
• the vortex-forming member 15 forms the vortex in the etching solution.
• the driver 14a of the vortex-forming member 15 moves the bars 13a of the vortex-forming member 15 connected to the driver 14a.
• the bars 13a stir the etching solution.
• the bars 13a stir the portion of the etching solution in the bath 10 oriented toward the etched surfaces of the substrates 12.
• the bars 13a stir the etching solution along the upward and downward direction or the left and right directions.
• the movement path of the bars 13a corresponds to the entire surfaces of the substrates 12 from one end to the other end of each of the substrates 12.
• the vortex formed by the vortex-forming member 15 may include a Kalman vortex formed by stirring the etching solution using the bars 13a where swirls are regularly alternately arranged in two rows along opposite directions at rear ends of the bars 13a.
• the speed of the bars 13a may be about 10 mm/s to about 1,000 mm/s, preferably about 10 mm/s to about 200 mm/s, and more preferably about 50 mm/s to about 150 mm/s.
• the etching solution having the vortex that is formed by stirring the etching solution using the vortex-forming member 15 is then applied to the etched surfaces of the substrates 12.
• the etching of the substrates 12 in the bath 10 may be desirably controlled. That is, when the substrates 12 dipped into the etching solution in the bath 10 are etched, the vortex may be formed in the etching solution using the vortex- forming member 15 to sufficiently suppress the adhesion of the byproducts on the surfaces of the substrates 12.
• the etching states of the substrates 12, which are dipped into the etching solution in the bath 10, such as the etching uniformity, the adhesion prevention of the byproducts, etc., may be desirably controlled by applying the vortex to the substrates 12.
• the etching solution may continuously overflow and circulate. That is, the etching solution may overflow from the inner tank 10a to the outer tank 10b and then circulate from the outer tank 10b to the inner tank 10a through the circulation line 16. Particularly, in the circulation of the etching solution, the byproducts in the etching solution may be removed by the filter 18. A flow rate of the etching solution may be properly adjusted by temporarily storing the etching solution in the buffer tank 20. The pump 22 may allow the smooth circulation of the etching solution.
• the etching solution having the vortex that is formed by the vortex-forming member 15 may be applied to the substrates 12 as well as dipping the substrates 12 into the etching solution to etch the substrates 12, thereby desirably controlling the etching of the substrates 12.
• the method of etching the substrates 12 in accordance with this example embodiment may be used for thinning the substrates 12 in FIG. 4 and for patterning the substrates 12 in FIG. 5.
• a vortex may be formed in an etching solution in a bath.
• the etching solution having the vortex may be applied to a substrate to etch the substrate.
• the substrate may be uniformly etched and the influence of byproducts may be sufficiently reduced.
• the method and the apparatus of the present invention may provide improved productivity and reliability in the etching process.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
• Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
• Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Power Engineering (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Weting (AREA)
• ing And Chemical Polishing (AREA)
• Surface Treatment Of Glass (AREA)

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• 2007
  • 2007-01-31 KR KR20070009933A patent/KR100855541B1/ko not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2008
  • 2008-01-28 JP JP2009548148A patent/JP2010517314A/ja active Pending
  • 2008-01-28 WO PCT/KR2008/000496 patent/WO2008093969A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2008-01-31 TW TW97103685A patent/TW200832539A/zh unknown

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