U.S. patent application number 14/551258 was filed with the patent office on 2015-09-24 for substrate treating apparatus.
The applicant listed for this patent is SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Masafumi INOUE, Akiyoshi NAKANO, Kurumi YAGI.
Application Number | 20150270145 14/551258 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 54142803 |
Filed Date | 2015-09-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150270145 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
INOUE; Masafumi ; et
al. |
September 24, 2015 |
SUBSTRATE TREATING APPARATUS
Abstract
An upper end of a tubular member surrounding a common pipe line
is closed by a lid member. The lid member has an opening formed
therein for supplying liquids to adjacent the rotation center on
the back surface of a wafer. Deionized water supplied at normal
temperature to the interior of the tubular member, after serving to
cool the common pipe line, flows out of a lower end of the tubular
member.
Inventors: |
INOUE; Masafumi; (Kyoto-shi,
JP) ; NAKANO; Akiyoshi; (Kyoto-shi, JP) ;
YAGI; Kurumi; (Kyoto-shi, JP) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd. |
Kyoto |
|
JP |
|
|
Family ID: |
54142803 |
Appl. No.: |
14/551258 |
Filed: |
November 24, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
156/345.18 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01L 21/67109 20130101;
H01L 21/6708 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H01L 21/67 20060101
H01L021/67 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 24, 2014 |
JP |
2014-059748 |
Claims
1. A substrate treating apparatus having a front surface treating
solution supply unit for supplying a treating solution to a front
surface of a substrate spinning as held by a spin chuck, a common
pipe line for supplying liquids to adjacent a rotation center on a
back surface of the substrate spinning as held by the spin chuck, a
back surface treating solution supply unit for supplying the
treating solution to the common pipe line, and a warm water supply
unit for supplying warm water to the common pipe line, the
apparatus comprising: a cooling mechanism for cooling the common
pipe line by supplying a fluid to outer peripheries of the common
pipe line.
2. The substrate treating apparatus according to claim 1, further
comprising: an organic solvent supply unit for supplying an organic
solvent to the front surface of the substrate spinning as held by
the spin chuck; wherein the warm water supply unit is arranged to
supply the warm water to the common pipe line when the organic
solvent supply unit supplies the organic solvent to the front
surface of the substrate spinning as held by the spin chuck.
3. The substrate treating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein
the organic solvent is isopropyl alcohol.
4. The substrate treating apparatus according to claim 1, further
comprising: a multiple valve having a plurality of inlet and outlet
ports; wherein the common pipe line is connected to one of the
inlet and outlet ports of the multiple valve; the back surface
treating solution supply unit is arranged to supply the treating
solution to one of the inlet and outlet ports of the multiple
valve; and the warm water supply unit is arranged to supply the
warm water to one of the inlet and outlet ports of the multiple
valve.
5. The substrate treating apparatus according to claim 4, further
comprising; a switch valve disposed between the multiple valve and
the common pipe line; a deionized water supply unit for supplying
deionized water at normal temperature to one of the inlet and
outlet ports of the multiple valve; and a suction unit for sucking
an interior space of the multiple valve from one of the inlet and
outlet ports of the multiple valve.
6. The substrate treating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the cooling mechanism is arranged to supply cooling water to the
outer peripheries of the common pipe line.
7. The substrate treating apparatus according to claim 6, wherein
the cooling mechanism includes a tubular member surrounding the
common pipe line, and is arranged to supply the cooling water to an
interior of the tubular member.
8. The substrate treating apparatus according to claim 7, further
comprising: an inert gas supplying device for supplying an inert
gas to the front surface of the substrate spinning as held by the
spin chuck when drying the substrate by spinning the substrate held
by the spin chuck at high speed; wherein the cooling mechanism is
arranged to supply the cooling water to the outer peripheries of
the common pipe line while the inert gas supply device is supplying
the inert gas to the front surface of the substrate spinning as
held by the spin chuck.
9. The substrate treating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the treating solution is hydrofluoric acid.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates to a substrate treating apparatus for
treating substrates by supplying treating solutions to front
surfaces and back surfaces of the substrates. The substrates may,
for example, be glass substrates for organic EL displays, glass
substrates for liquid crystal displays, panel substrates for solar
cells, glass substrates for plasma displays, glass substrates for
photomasks, substrates for optical disks, or semiconductor wafers,
for example.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] A substrate treating apparatus which carries out etching
treatment with hydrofluoric acid (HF) for surfaces of a
semiconductor wafer as a substrate, for example, supplies
hydrofluoric acid to front and back surfaces of the semiconductor
wafer for the purpose of etching both the front and back surfaces
of the semiconductor wafer, or for the purpose of bringing the
temperature of the semiconductor wafer close to the temperature of
hydrofluoric acid in order to etch the surfaces of the
semiconductor wafer uniformly. The apparatus employs a construction
which supplies deionized water to both the front and back surfaces
of the semiconductor wafer for rinsing treatment after the etching
treatment with hydrofluoric acid, subsequently supplies heated
deionized water to the back surface of the semiconductor wafer to
raise the temperature of the semiconductor wafer, and then spins
the semiconductor wafer at high speed to scatter the deionized
water off the semiconductor wafer and dry the latter. A
construction is also employed, which promotes the effect of drying
the surfaces of the semiconductor wafer in time of the spin drying
by supplying an organic solvent such as isopropyl alcohol (IPA) to
the surfaces of the semiconductor wafer when supplying the heated
deionized water to the surfaces of the semiconductor wafer (see
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-156561).
[0005] In such a substrate treating apparatus, generally, a
semiconductor wafer is held by a spin chuck, a treating solution
such as hydrofluoric acid is supplied to the front surface and back
surface of the semiconductor wafer spinning as held by the spin
chuck. At this time, plural types of treating liquid can be
supplied to the front surface of the semiconductor wafer by
selectively using a plurality of treating liquid supply nozzles
corresponding to the plural types of treating liquid. However, such
degree of freedom is hardly available for the back surface of the
semiconductor wafer. That is, when supplying plural types of
treating liquid to the back surface of the semiconductor wafer, it
is necessary to use a common pipe line for flowing the plural types
of treating liquid, and supply the plural types of treating liquid
from this common pipe line toward the spin center on the back
surface of the semiconductor wafer spinning as held by the spin
chuck.
[0006] Further, when heated deionized water is supplied to the back
surface of the semiconductor wafer using such a common pipe line,
the temperature of the common pipe line will rise. Since the
temperature of the common pipe line rises further by heat
accumulation when such a process is performed continuously, the
temperature of the common pipe line exerts a gradually increasing
influence on the treating liquid supplied to the back surface of
the semiconductor wafer through the common pipe line.
[0007] Generally, the etching rate by hydrofluoric acid is
dependent on the temperature of hydrofluoric acid. Therefore, when
changes occur to the temperature of the treating liquid supplied to
the back surface of the semiconductor wafer, that etching rate will
also change. This makes it impossible to carry out uniform etching
treatment between a plurality of semiconductor wafers.
[0008] In contrast with hydrofluoric acid supplied to the front
surface, a hot treating liquid, when supplied toward the rotation
center on the back surface of the semiconductor wafer spinning as
held by the spin chuck, will produce a temperature difference
between an area adjacent the rotation center and an area adjacent
an edge of the semiconductor wafer. Such a temperature difference
gives rise to a problem of marring the uniformity of etching over
the surface of the semiconductor wafer.
[0009] In order to solve such problem, it is conceivable to rinse
the semiconductor wafer with deionized water before hydrofluoric
acid treatment. However, when such construction is employed, it
will become difficult to collect and reuse hydrofluoric acid, and
there will occur a problem that treatment time will become all the
longer for execution of the rinsing step.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a
substrate treating apparatus capable of treating a substrate
uniformly also when a treating solution and warm water are supplied
to the back surface of the substrate using a common pipe line.
[0011] The above object is fulfilled, according to this invention,
by a substrate treating apparatus having a front surface treating
solution supply unit for supplying a treating solution to a front
surface of a substrate spinning as held by a spin chuck, a common
pipe line for supplying liquids to adjacent a rotation center on a
back surface of the substrate spinning as held by the spin chuck, a
back surface treating solution supply unit for supplying the
treating solution to the common pipe line, and a warm water supply
unit for supplying warm water to the common pipe line, the
apparatus comprising a cooling mechanism for cooling the common
pipe line by supplying a fluid to outer peripheries of the common
pipe line.
[0012] According to such substrate treating apparatus, the
substrate can be treated uniformly by cooling the common pipe line
by action of the cooling mechanism to prevent a temperature
increase of the treating solution supplied to the back surface of
the substrate.
[0013] In one preferred embodiment, the substrate treating
apparatus further comprises an organic solvent supply unit for
supplying an organic solvent to the front surface of the substrate
spinning as held by the spin chuck, wherein the warm water supply
unit is arranged to supply the warm water to the common pipe line
when the organic solvent supply unit supplies the organic solvent
to the front surface of the substrate spinning as held by the spin
chuck.
[0014] According to such substrate treating apparatus, the
substrate can be dried promptly by action of the organic solvent
and warm water.
[0015] In another preferred embodiment, the substrate treating
apparatus further comprises a multiple valve having a plurality of
inlet and outlet ports, wherein the common pipe line is connected
to one of the inlet and outlet ports of the multiple valve, the
back surface treating solution supply unit is arranged to supply
the treating solution to one of the inlet and outlet ports of the
multiple valve, and the warm water supply unit is arranged to
supply the warm water to one of the inlet and outlet ports of the
multiple valve.
[0016] According to such substrate treating apparatus, the treating
solution and warm water can be supplied to the common pipe line by
using the multiple valve.
[0017] In a further preferred embodiment, the substrate treating
apparatus further comprises a switch valve disposed between the
multiple valve and the common pipe line, a deionized water supply
unit for supplying deionized water at normal temperature to one of
the inlet and outlet ports of the multiple valve, and a suction
unit for sucking an interior space of the multiple valve from one
of the inlet and outlet ports of the multiple valve.
[0018] According to such substrate treating apparatus, a
temperature increase of the multiple valve can be prevented by
supplying deionized water at normal temperature from the deionized
water supply unit into the multiple valve, and sucking deionized
water in the multiple valve by the suction unit, in a state of the
switch valve being closed.
[0019] In a still further preferred embodiment, the substrate
treating apparatus further comprises an inert gas supplying device
for supplying an inert gas to the front surface of the substrate
spinning as held by the spin chuck when drying the substrate by
spinning the substrate held by the spin chuck at high speed,
wherein the cooling mechanism is arranged to supply the cooling
water to the outer peripheries of the common pipe line while the
inert gas supply device is supplying the inert gas to the front
surface of the substrate spinning as held by the spin chuck.
[0020] According to such substrate treating apparatus, the common
pipe line can be cooled while drying of the substrate is expedited
by the inert gas.
[0021] Other features and advantages of the invention will be
apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments
of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are
shown in the drawings several forms which are presently preferred,
it being understood, however, that the invention is not limited to
the precise arrangement and instrumentalities shown.
[0023] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a substrate treating apparatus
according to this invention;
[0024] FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a cooling mechanism;
[0025] FIG. 3 is a table illustrating steps of treating a
semiconductor wafer; and
[0026] FIG. 4 shows graphs representing temperature changes of the
semiconductor wafer.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0027] An embodiment of this invention will be described
hereinafter with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic
view of a substrate treating apparatus according to this
invention.
[0028] This substrate treating apparatus is used to perform etching
treatment with hydrofluoric acid of a semiconductor wafer 100 as a
substrate, and includes a spin chuck 11 for rotatably holding the
semiconductor wafer 100. The spin chuck 11 has a plurality of chuck
members 12 arranged on an upper surface thereof for holding edges
of the semiconductor wafer 100. The spin chuck 11 is driven by a
motor mounted inside a base 13 to spin about a central axis
extending vertically. The spin chuck 11 is surrounded by a cup
member, not shown, for capturing liquids scattering from the
semiconductor wafer 100 in a spin.
[0029] This substrate treating apparatus includes a compound nozzle
41 for supplying isopropyl alcohol as an organic solvent and
nitrogen gas as an inert gas to the front surface of the
semiconductor wafer 100 spinning as held by the spin chuck 11. The
substrate treating apparatus further includes a nozzle 43 for
supplying hydrofluoric acid as a treating solution, and a nozzle 42
for supplying deionized water (DIW) as a rinsing liquid, to the
front surface of the semiconductor wafer 100 spinning as held by
the spin chuck 11. These compound nozzle 41, nozzle 42 and nozzle
43 are selectively placed above the semiconductor wafer 100
spinning as held by the spin chuck 11. As the compound nozzle 41,
for example, what is described in the specification of U.S. Pat.
No. 5,308,211 may be used.
[0030] This substrate treating apparatus also includes a multiple
valve 20 having six inlet and outlet ports. One of the inlet and
outlet ports of this multiple valve 20 is connected through a
switch valve 28 to a common pipe line 29 for supplying liquids to
adjacent the rotation center on a back surface of the semiconductor
wafer 100 spinning as held by the spin chuck 11. The other inlet
and outlet ports of the multiple valve 20 are connected,
respectively, to a pipe line 21 connected to a sackback unit 27 for
sacking an interior space of the multiple valve 20, to a pipe line
22 for supplying deionized water at normal temperature to the
multiple valve 20, to a pipe line 23 for supplying deionized water
heated as warm water to the multiple valve 20, to a pipe line 24
for supplying hydrofluoric acid as a treating solution to the
multiple valve 20, and to a pipe line 25 for discharging deionized
water at a pre-dispense time of the multiple valve 20.
[0031] The substrate treating apparatus further includes cooling
water supply piping 26 constituting part of a cooling mechanism for
cooling the common pipe line 29 by supplying deionized water at
normal temperature as cooling water to outer peripheries of the
common pipe line 29.
[0032] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the cooling mechanism for
cooling the common pipe line 29.
[0033] This cooling mechanism has a tubular member 31 surrounding
the common pipe line 29. The tubular member 31 has an upper end
thereof closed by a lid member 32. The lid member 32 has an opening
33 connected to an end edge of the common pipe line 29 for
supplying liquids to adjacent the rotation center on the back
surface of the semiconductor wafer 100 spinning as held by the spin
chuck 11. The tubular member 31 is disposed in a central area of
the spin chuck 11 as spaced from the spin chuck 11. The tubular
member 31 does not therefore rotate with spinning of the spin chuck
11, and supports the opening 33 in a position opposed to the
central area on the back surface of the semiconductor wafer 100.
The cooling water supply piping 26 supplies deionized water at
normal temperature to the interior of this tubular member 31. The
deionized water supplied at normal temperature to the interior of
the tubular member 31, after having served to cool the common pipe
line 29, flows out of a lower end of the tubular member 31. The
deionized water having flowed out of the lower end of the tubular
member 31 is discharged from a butt 39 disposed below, out of the
apparatus.
[0034] Next, an etching process of the semiconductor wafer 100 by
this substrate treating apparatus will be described. FIG. 3 is a
table illustrating steps of treating the semiconductor wafer
100.
[0035] First, the semiconductor wafer 100 is loaded into the
apparatus and is held by the chuck members 12 on the spin chuck 11.
Then, the semiconductor wafer 100 is spun with the spin chuck 11.
In this state, the nozzle 43 is moved to a position over the
semiconductor wafer 100 spinning as held by the spin chuck 11, and
hydrofluoric acid is discharged from the nozzle 43 onto the front
surface of the semiconductor wafer 100. In parallel with this, by
supplying hydrofluoric acid from the pipe line 24 to the multiple
valve 20 and opening the switch valve 28, hydrofluoric acid is
supplied from the common pipe line 29 to adjacent the rotation
center on the back surface of the semiconductor wafer 100 spinning
as held by the spin chuck 11. This results in the entire surfaces
of the semiconductor wafer 100 having a uniform temperature
distribution, which enables uniform etching treatment of the
surfaces. By supplying the same hydrofluoric acid to the front and
back surfaces, the hydrofluoric acid is captured by the cup member
disposed around the semiconductor wafer 100. Therefore, the
hydrofluoric acid can be collected without impurities such as
deionized water mixing in.
[0036] Next, the nozzle 42 is moved to a position over the
semiconductor wafer 100 spinning as held by the spin chuck 11, and
deionized water is discharged from the nozzle 42 onto the front
surface of the semiconductor wafer 100. In parallel with this, by
supplying deionized water from the pipe line 22 to the multiple
valve 20, deionized water is supplied from the common pipe line 29
to adjacent the rotation center on the back surface of the
semiconductor wafer 100 spinning as held by the spin chuck 11.
Consequently, rinsing treatment of both the front and back surfaces
of the semiconductor wafer 100 is carried out with deionized
water.
[0037] Next, the compound nozzle 41 is moved to a position over the
semiconductor wafer 100 spinning as held by the spin chuck 11, and
isopropyl alcohol is discharged from compound nozzle 41 onto the
front surface of the semiconductor wafer 100. In parallel with
this, by supplying deionized water heated to about 75 degrees C.
from the pipe line 23 to the multiple valve 20, the heated
deionized water is supplied from the common pipe line 29 to
adjacent the rotation center on the back surface of the
semiconductor wafer 100 spinning as held by the spin chuck 11.
Consequently, while the front surface of the semiconductor wafer
100 is covered by highly volatile isopropyl alcohol, the
temperature of the semiconductor wafer 100 is raised by the warm
water which has been heated to about 75 degrees C.
[0038] Next, nitrogen gas is discharged from the compound nozzle 41
toward the front surface of the semiconductor wafer 100, and the
spin chuck 11 is spun at high speed to spin-dry the semiconductor
wafer 100. At this time, the front surface of the semiconductor
wafer 100 is covered with highly volatile isopropyl alcohol, and
the semiconductor wafer 100 itself has been heated by action of the
heated deionized water, whereby the semiconductor wafer 100 is
dried promptly. In parallel with this step of drying the
semiconductor wafer 100, the multiple valve 20 and common pipe line
29 are cooled.
[0039] For the multiple valve 20, first, in a state of the switch
valve 28 being closed, the interior space of the multiple valve 20
is sacked by action of the sackback unit 27 to discharge heated
deionized water remaining in the interior space of the multiple
valve 20 (step SB in FIG. 3). Next, the multiple valve 20 is cooled
by supplying deionized water at normal temperature from the pipe
line 22 to the multiple valve 20 (step DIW in FIG. 3). Then, the
interior space of the multiple valve 20 is sacked again by action
of the sackback unit 27 to discharge deionized water and the like
remaining in the interior space of the multiple valve 20 (step SB
in FIG. 3). This completes the cooling of the multiple valve
20.
[0040] On the other hand, in parallel with this multiple valve
cooling process, deionized water is supplied at normal temperature
from the cooling water supply piping 26 to the interior of the
tubular member 31 surrounding the common pipe line 29. The
deionized water supplied at normal temperature to the interior of
the tubular member 31, after having served to cool the common pipe
line 29, flows out of the lower end of the tubular member 31.
Consequently, the common pipe line 29 is cooled.
[0041] When the etching process for one semiconductor wafer 100 is
completed through the above steps, the semiconductor wafer 100 is
unloaded from the apparatus. Subsequently, a next semiconductor
wafer 100 is loaded into the apparatus, and an etching process is
performed for both the front and back surfaces of the semiconductor
wafer 100 with hydrofluoric acid. At this time, the multiple valve
20 and common pipe line 29 have been cooled by deionized water at
normal temperature. This can effectively prevent the semiconductor
wafer 100 being treated unevenly due to a temperature increase of
hydrofluoric acid supplied to the back surface of the semiconductor
wafer 100.
[0042] FIG. 4 shows graphs representing temperature changes of the
semiconductor wafer 100 occurring with a series of etching
processes. The vertical axis in FIG. 4 represents temperatures of
the semiconductor wafer 100, and the horizontal axis represents
time from start of treatment of one semiconductor wafer 100.
[0043] The graph with circular marks in FIG. 4 indicates
temperature changes of a first semiconductor wafer 100 being
treated. The graph with square marks indicates temperature changes
of a semiconductor wafer 100 occurring when the above cooling
operation for the multiple valve 20 is carried out, but the cooling
operation is not carried out for the common pipe line 29. Further,
the graph with triangular marks indicates temperature changes of a
semiconductor wafer 100 when the cooling operations are carried out
for both the multiple valve 20 and common pipe line 29.
[0044] As shown in this figure, when the cooling operations are
carried out for both the multiple valve 20 and common pipe line 29,
a temperature increase of the semiconductor wafer 100 can be
prevented by heat storage in the common pipe line 29. Consequently,
when treating semiconductor wafers 100 successively, the heat
storage in the common pipe line 29 is effective in preventing
uneven treatment of the semiconductor wafers 100.
[0045] In the embodiment described above, the common pipe line 29
is cooled with deionized water at normal temperature as cooling
water. While this is done in order to keep the apparatus clean, tap
water or the like may be used as cooling water as long as the flow
path of the cooling water can be blocked completely. Not only with
a liquid, the common pipe line 29 may be cooled with a fluid such
as air.
[0046] In the embodiment described above, this invention is applied
to the substrate treating apparatus which carries out an etching
process for semiconductor wafers 100 using hydrofluoric acid as
treating solution. However, this invention may be applied to
substrate treating apparatus which use other treating
solutions.
[0047] This invention may be embodied in other specific forms
without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof
and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims,
rather than to the foregoing specification, as indicating the scope
of the invention.
[0048] This application claims priority benefit under 35 U.S.C.
Section 119 of Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-059748 filed in
the Japanese Patent Office on Mar. 24, 2014, the entire disclosure
of which is incorporated herein by reference.
* * * * *