Supercritical substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

The present invention relates to a supercritical substrate processing apparatus, characterized by comprising: a chamber provided with a processing space; a substrate support unit that supports the substrate; an opening / closing part for opening or closing the processing space; a carrying-in and carrying-out part which carries the substrate into the substrate supporting part or carries the substrate out of the substrate supporting part; a detection unit that detects the loading / unloading unit or the substrate; and a control unit that controls the opening / closing unit, the control unit controlling the driving of the opening / closing unit on the basis of the detection result of the carrying-in / out unit or the substrate by the detection unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a supercritical substrate processing apparatus that utilizes supercritical fluids to perform processing on substrates. Background Technology

[0002] Generally speaking, semiconductors are manufactured through processes such as deposition of thin films of specific materials on a substrate, photolithography to selectively expose the thin films using photosensitive materials, and etching to selectively remove the exposed portions of the thin films to form patterns. During these processes, contaminants such as metals, particles, and organic matter generated significantly impact the yield and quality of the semiconductors. Therefore, the substrate must undergo cleaning and drying processes to remove these impurities.

[0003] Here, the supercritical substrate processing apparatus performs a drying process on the substrate after the cleaning process. The drying process involves drying the cleaning solution on the substrate after the cleaning process. The supercritical substrate processing apparatus can dry the anti-drying solution coated onto the substrate during the cleaning process. The supercritical substrate processing apparatus sprays a drying fluid in a supercritical state onto the substrate, thereby drying the anti-drying solution coated onto the substrate during the cleaning process. In this case, the supercritical substrate processing apparatus needs to maintain a high temperature and high pressure inside the chamber to keep the drying fluid in a supercritical state.

[0004] Figure 1 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a supercritical substrate processing device based on existing technology.

[0005] A prior art supercritical substrate processing apparatus 100 may include: a chamber 110 having a processing space 110S for processing a substrate 200; a substrate support 120 for supporting the substrate 200; an opening / closing section 130 for opening or closing the processing space 110S; and a transfer / in section 140 for transferring the substrate 200 into or out of the substrate support 120. Here, the prior art supercritical substrate processing apparatus 100 maintains the processing space 110S under high temperature and high pressure to process the substrate 200 with supercritical fluid. Therefore, a problem with the prior art supercritical substrate processing apparatus 100 is that it is impossible to install a detection sensor for detecting the substrate 200 or the transfer / in section 140 inside the chamber 110. Consequently, in the prior art supercritical substrate processing apparatus 100, a malfunction of the opening / closing section 130 can cause the transfer / in section 140 or the substrate 200 to collide with each other. For example, in the prior art, the supercritical substrate processing apparatus 100 may collide with the transfer-in / transfer-out section 140 or the substrate 200 due to a malfunction in the opening / closing section 130. Therefore, damage to the transfer-in / transfer-out section 140 or the substrate 200 frequently occurs in the prior art supercritical substrate processing apparatus 100. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention was proposed to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a supercritical substrate processing apparatus that can prevent the opening and closing part from colliding with the loading and unloading part or the substrate.

[0007] To address the issues described above, the present invention may include the following configuration.

[0008] The present invention may include: a chamber having a processing space; a substrate support for supporting a substrate; an opening / closing section for opening or closing the processing space; a transfer / in section for transferring a substrate into or out of the substrate support; a detection section for detecting the transfer / in section or the substrate; and a control section for controlling the opening / closing section. The control section can control the driving of the opening / closing section based on the detection result of the detection section on the transfer / in section or the substrate.

[0009] According to the present invention, the following effects can be achieved.

[0010] This invention enables the control unit to drive the opening and closing unit by detecting the result of the transfer-out or transfer-in unit or substrate. Therefore, in this invention, by detecting the driving of the transfer-out or transfer-in unit or substrate, the detection unit can prevent the transfer-out or transfer-in unit or substrate from being driven simultaneously with the opening and closing unit. Thus, by preventing the opening and closing unit from colliding with the transfer-out or transfer-in unit or substrate due to simultaneous driving, this invention can prevent damage to the transfer-out or transfer-in unit or substrate. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a supercritical substrate processing device based on existing technology.

[0012] Figure 2 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the supercritical substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention.

[0013] Figure 3 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the supercritical substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, before the substrate is moved in.

[0014] Figure 4 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the supercritical substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, showing the state in which the loading / unloading section enters in order to load the substrate.

[0015] Figure 5 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the supercritical substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, showing the substrate being moved in and the moving-out section retracting.

[0016] Figure 6 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the supercritical substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, in which the processing space is closed after the substrate is moved in. Detailed Implementation

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the supercritical substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] refer to Figure 2 The supercritical substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention performs a processing process on a substrate S. The substrate S may be a silicon substrate, a glass substrate, a metal substrate, etc. The supercritical substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention can perform a drying process on the substrate S. The supercritical substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention can perform a drying process on the substrate S after a cleaning process has been completed. Therefore, the supercritical substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention can dry the cleaning liquid coated on the substrate S during the cleaning process using a drying process. Here, the cleaning liquid may be an anti-drying liquid. The anti-drying liquid may be isopropyl alcohol (IPA). The supercritical substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention can dry the anti-drying liquid coated on the substrate by spraying a drying fluid. The drying fluid may be a supercritical fluid. The supercritical substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention can dry the anti-drying liquid by spraying a drying fluid in a supercritical state onto the substrate. The supercritical substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention requires maintaining a high temperature and high pressure inside the chamber 2 to keep the drying fluid in a supercritical state.

[0019] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 The supercritical substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention may include: a chamber 2 having a processing space; a substrate support 3 supporting a substrate S; an opening / closing section 4 for opening or closing the processing space; a transfer / in section 5 for transferring the substrate S into or out of the substrate support 3; a detection section 6 for detecting the transfer / in section 5 or the substrate S; and a control section 7 for controlling the opening / closing section 4. In this case, the control section 7 may control the driving of the opening / closing section 4 based on the detection result of the detection section 6 of the transfer / in section 5 or the substrate S.

[0020] Therefore, the supercritical substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention can achieve the following effects.

[0021] According to the present invention, the supercritical substrate processing apparatus 1 can realize the control unit 7 driving the opening / closing unit 4 by detecting the result of the transfer-out / transfer-in unit 5 or the substrate S by the detection unit 6. Thus, in the supercritical substrate processing apparatus 1 of the present invention, the detection unit 6 can prevent the transfer-out / transfer-in unit 5 or the substrate S from being driven simultaneously with the opening / closing unit 4 by detecting the driving of the transfer-out / transfer-in unit 5 or the substrate S. Therefore, the supercritical substrate processing apparatus 1 of the present invention can prevent damage to the transfer-out / transfer-in unit 5 or the substrate S by preventing the opening / closing unit 4 from colliding with each other due to simultaneous driving.

[0022] The following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, will provide a detailed account of the chamber 2, the substrate support 3, the opening and closing part 4, the transfer and loading part 5, the detection part 6, and the control part 7.

[0023] refer to Figure 2 The supercritical substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention may include a chamber 2.

[0024] Chamber 2 is provided with a processing space. A drying process for drying the substrate S can be performed within chamber 2. The processing space can be located inside chamber 2. The processing space can be defined as an empty space located inside chamber 2. Chamber 2 may include an exhaust section (not shown) for discharging drying fluid from the processing space.

[0025] refer to Figure 2 The supercritical substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention may include a substrate support 3.

[0026] The substrate support 3 supports the substrate S. The substrate support 3 can be disposed in the processing space. With the substrate support 3 supporting the substrate S, a processing process can be performed. The substrate S can be placed on the upper side of the substrate support 3. In this case, a spraying unit (not shown) can spray drying fluid toward the substrate S. The spraying unit can be disposed on the upper side of the substrate support 3 with its surface facing the substrate S.

[0027] refer to Figure 2 The supercritical substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention may include an opening and closing section 4.

[0028] The opening / closing part 4 is used to open or close the processing space. The opening / closing part 4 can be detachably attached to the chamber 2. When the substrate S is moved into or out of the substrate support 3, the opening / closing part 4 can move to the position where the processing space is open. Conversely, when performing a drying process, the opening / closing part 4 can move to the position where the processing space is closed. The operation of the opening / closing part 4 can be controlled by the control unit 7.

[0029] refer to Figures 2 to 6 The supercritical substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention may include a transfer-out and transfer-in unit 5.

[0030] The transfer-in / export unit 5 transfers the substrate S into or out of the substrate support unit 3. The transfer-in / export unit 5 can move into the processing space. Conversely, it can also move backward to the opposite side of the processing space. When the substrate S is transferred into the chamber 2, the transfer-in / export unit 5 can move from the open portion of the chamber 2 into the processing space, thereby transferring the substrate S to the substrate support unit 3. When the substrate S is removed from the chamber 2, the transfer-in / export unit 5 receives the substrate S from the substrate support unit 3 and then moves from the processing space to the open portion of the chamber 2.

[0031] refer to Figures 2 to 6 The supercritical substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention may include a detection unit 6 and a control unit 7. Although Figures 3 to 6 The control unit 7 is omitted, but it is actually provided and can control the movement of the opening and closing unit 4.

[0032] The detection unit 6 detects the transfer-in / out unit 5 or the substrate S. The detection unit 6 can detect the transfer-in / out unit 5. Additionally, the detection unit 6 can also detect the weight of the cleaning solution CL coated on the substrate S. The detection unit 6 can detect the weight of the transfer-in / out unit 5 or the cleaning solution CL before the substrate S is transferred in. In this case, the control unit 7 can restrict the driving of the opening / closing unit 4 while the detection unit 6 is detecting the weight of the transfer-in / out unit 5 or the cleaning solution CL, so that the opening / closing unit 4 remains in the open processing space state. Therefore, according to the supercritical substrate processing apparatus 1 of the present invention, when the detection unit 6 detects the weight of the transfer-in / out unit 5 or the cleaning solution CL, by blocking the operation of the opening / closing unit 4, collisions between the opening / closing unit 4 and the transfer-in / out unit 5 or the substrate S can be prevented. On the other hand, the detection unit 6 can be disposed outside the chamber 2.

[0033] Control unit 7 (e.g.) Figure 2(As shown) The control unit 7 controls the driving of the opening / closing section 4. The control unit 7 can control the driving of the opening / closing section 4 based on the detection results of the detection unit 6 on the transfer-in / transfer-out section 5 or the substrate S. The control unit 7 can control the opening / closing section 4 to limit its driving. The control unit 7 can control the opening / closing section 4 based on the detection results detected by the detection unit 6.

[0034] Here, to prevent the transfer-out / transfer-in section 5 from colliding with the opening / closing section 4, the detection section 6 and the control section 7 may perform the following operations. In this case, the detection section 6 may include a first detection component 61 and a second detection component 62 to detect the weight of the transfer-out / transfer-in section 5 or the cleaning fluid CL.

[0035] The first detection component 61 detects the weight of the cleaning fluid CL. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the first detection unit 61 can detect the weight of the cleaning solution CL coated on the substrate S before the substrate S is moved into the processing space by the loading / unloading unit 5. In this case, when the weight detected by the first detection unit 61 exceeds a preset set weight, the control unit 7 can control the opening / closing unit 4 to not be driven. For example, when the weight detected by the first detection unit 61 exceeds the preset set weight by 100 grams, the control unit 7 can determine that the loading / unloading unit 5 is in a state before the substrate S coated with cleaning solution CL is moved in, thereby controlling the opening / closing unit 4 to not be driven. Thus, according to the supercritical substrate processing apparatus 1 of the present invention, by blocking the operation of the opening / closing unit 4 before the substrate S is moved in, collision between the substrate S and the opening / closing unit 4 can be prevented.

[0036] The second detection unit 62 detects the transport-out / transport-in section 5. The second detection unit 62 can detect whether the transport-out / transport-in section 5 exists. Figure 3 As shown, the second detection unit 62 can detect the transfer-in / transfer-out unit 5 before the substrate S is transferred in. In this case, when the second detection unit 62 detects the transfer-in / transfer-out unit 5, the control unit 7 can control the opening / closing unit 4 to not be driven. Thus, according to the supercritical substrate processing apparatus 1 of the present invention, by blocking the operation of the opening / closing unit 4 before the substrate S is transferred in by the transfer-in / transfer-out unit 5, collision between the transfer-in / transfer-out unit 5 and the opening / closing unit 4 can be prevented. When the second detection unit 62 detects the transfer-in / transfer-out unit 5, the control unit 7 can determine that the transfer-in / transfer-out unit 5 is positioned before the substrate S is transferred in. When the second detection unit 62 does not detect the transfer-in / transfer-out unit 5, the control unit 7 can determine that the transfer-in / transfer-out unit 5 is not positioned before the substrate S is transferred in. On the other hand, the detection unit 6 can be embodied as a photosensitive sensor.

[0037] refer to Figure 3According to the present invention, before the supercritical substrate processing apparatus 1 moves the substrate S into the processing space in a state of supporting it via the loading / unloading section 5, the first detection unit 61 can detect the weight of the cleaning solution CL, and the second detection unit 62 can detect the loading / unloading section 5. Thus, the supercritical substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention performs dual detection of the substrate S and the loading / unloading section 5 via the first detection unit 61 and the second detection unit 62, thereby preventing erroneous operation of the opening / closing section 4. Therefore, the supercritical substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention prevents collision between the loading / unloading section 5 and the opening / closing section 4 by preventing the operation of the opening / closing section 4 before the substrate S is moved into the loading / unloading section 5.

[0038] refer to Figure 4 The loading / unloading section 5 can enter the processing space while supporting the substrate S. In this case, the second detection member 62 can remain open to detect the loading / unloading section 5. Therefore, in the supercritical substrate processing apparatus 1 of the present invention, the second detection member 62 can detect the loading / unloading section 5 during the process of loading the substrate S into the loading / unloading section 5. Therefore, the supercritical substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention can prevent the opening / closing section 4 from colliding with the loading / unloading section 5 during the process of loading the substrate S into the loading / unloading section 5 by means of the second detection member 62. In addition, the second detection member 62 can also remain open to detect the loading / unloading section 5 when the loading / unloading section 5 has loaded the substrate S and is retracting from the processing space. Therefore, the supercritical substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention can detect the loading / unloading section 5 during the process of loading the substrate S into the loading / unloading section 5 and retracting. Therefore, the supercritical substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention can prevent the opening and closing part 4 from colliding with the loading and unloading part 5 during the loading and unloading of the substrate S in the loading and unloading part 5 and the retraction process by means of the second detection member 62.

[0039] refer to Figure 5 After loading the substrate S onto the substrate support 3, the loading / unloading unit 5 can retract from the processing space. In this case, since the loading / unloading unit 5 has moved from the position used to load the substrate S to another position, the first detection member 61 and the second detection member 62 can remain closed. Since neither the first detection member 61 nor the second detection member 62 is detected, Figure 2 The control unit 7 can send signals to the opening and closing unit 4 to drive the opening and closing unit 4.

[0040] refer to Figure 6 , opening and closing part 4 from Figure 2 After receiving a signal, the control unit 7 can move from the position of opening the processing space to the position of closing the processing space. In this case, since the transfer-out and transfer-in unit 5 has been removed, there is no possibility of collision between the transfer-out and transfer-in unit 5 and the opening / closing unit 4.

[0041] The present invention described above is not limited to the foregoing embodiments and drawings. Various substitutions, modifications and alterations can be made without departing from the technical concept of the present invention, which will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains.

Claims

1. A supercritical substrate processing apparatus, characterized in that, include: The chamber contains processing space; A substrate support portion that supports the substrate; Opening and closing section, used to open or close the processing space; The loading and unloading section moves the substrate into the substrate support section or moves the substrate out of the substrate support section. The inspection department inspects the loading / unloading sections or substrates. as well as The control unit controls the opening and closing mechanism. The control unit controls the driving of the opening and closing unit based on the detection results of the detection unit on the loading and unloading unit or the substrate.

2. The supercritical substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before the substrate is moved into the loading / unloading section, the inspection department measures the weight of the cleaning solution applied to the loading / unloading section or the substrate. When the detection unit detects the weight of the loading / unloading section or the cleaning fluid, the control unit restricts the drive of the opening / closing section so that the opening / closing section remains in the open processing space state.

3. The supercritical substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The testing unit includes a first testing component that measures the weight of the cleaning solution coated on the substrate. When the weight detected by the first detection component exceeds the preset weight, the control unit controls the opening and closing part to not be driven.

4. The supercritical substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inspection section includes a second inspection component that inspects the loading and unloading sections. When the second detection unit detects the transfer-out or transfer-in part, the control unit controls the opening and closing part to be deactivated.

5. The supercritical substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inspection unit includes a first inspection component that inspects the weight of the cleaning solution coated on the substrate; and a second inspection component that inspects the loading and unloading parts. Before the substrate is moved into the processing space by the transfer-out and transfer-in section while being supported, the first detection unit detects the weight of the cleaning fluid, and the second detection unit detects the transfer-out and transfer-in section.

6. The supercritical substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, When the transfer-in section enters the processing space while supporting the substrate, the second detection unit remains open to detect the transfer-in section.

7. The supercritical substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, When the substrate is loaded in the loading section and retracts from the processing space, the second detection unit remains open to detect the loading section.

8. The supercritical substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, When the loading unit loads the substrate onto the substrate support unit and then retracts from the processing space, the first detection unit and the second detection unit remain closed.

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