Apparatus for processing wafer-shaped articles - Patent Application 20070122997

Abstract

[Solution] An apparatus for processing wafer-shaped articles, the apparatus comprising: a support configured to support the wafer-shaped article; a heating assembly comprising an array of light-emitting heating elements configured to heat the wafer-shaped article supported by the support; and a gas supply mechanism configured to supply a first gas having an oxygen content of less than 1% by volume and a second gas having an oxygen content at least 2% higher by volume than the first gas to the array of light-emitting heating elements.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for processing wafer-shaped articles. The present invention also relates to a method for inhibiting degradation of, or at least partially restoring the power of, a light-emitting heating element in an apparatus for processing wafer-shaped articles. [Background technology]

[0002] Semiconductor wafers may undergo various surface treatment processes such as etching, cleaning, polishing, material deposition, etc. To perform such processes, the wafer is mounted on a rotatable chuck, which allows the various processes to be performed on the surface of the wafer.

[0003] For example, the surface of the wafer can be cleaned by applying a cleaning or rinsing liquid, such as isopropyl alcohol or deionized water, to the surface of the wafer. The surface of the wafer can then be dried by spinning the wafer using a rotatable chuck and heating the wafer to evaporate the cleaning or rinsing liquid. Such cleaning processes are commonly referred to as spin-clean processes.

[0004] An example of an apparatus that can be used to clean the surface of a wafer is described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0345681, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0005] The apparatus described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0345681 includes a rotatable chuck on which a wafer can be mounted and a liquid dispenser for dispensing a liquid onto an upper surface of the wafer when the wafer is mounted on the rotatable chuck. The apparatus also includes an array of LED heating elements disposed below the wafer and arranged to heat the wafer when the wafer is mounted on the rotatable chuck. After the liquid is dispensed onto the surface of the wafer, the array of LED heating elements is controlled to heat the wafer and evaporate the liquid.

[0006] During wafer processing, one or more flammable liquids may be dispensed onto the surface of the wafer, for example, isopropyl alcohol may be dispensed onto the top surface of the wafer to clean the top surface of the wafer in a spin clean process, as described above.

[0007] With such flammable liquids, there is a potential risk of fire or explosion when the array of LED heating elements is controlled to heat the wafer and vaporize the liquid. Specifically, an electrical circuit is provided to provide power to the array of LED heating elements. If the flammable liquid comes into contact with the electrical circuit, the electrical circuit can cause the flammable liquid to cause a fire or explosion.

[0008] To reduce the risk of fire or explosion, it is known to operate an array of LED heating elements in an inert atmosphere, such as a pure nitrogen atmosphere. This is achieved by providing a gas supply that supplies an inert gas to the array of LED heating elements. The lack of oxygen in an inert atmosphere means that fire or explosion is prevented even if a flammable liquid comes into contact with the electrical circuit. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The inventors have surprisingly discovered that operating the LEDs of an array of LED heating elements in an inert atmosphere degrades the light output of the LEDs over time. For example, the light output of the LEDs has been found to decrease to 30% of the original light output of the LEDs after extended operation in an inert atmosphere. The inventors have also observed significant bleaching of the LEDs after extended operation in an inert atmosphere.

[0010] The exact process by which degradation of the light output of LEDs occurs is not currently fully understood, but this is not believed to be critical to the present invention. However, without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is believed that degradation of the light output of LEDs occurs as a result of the LEDs being operated in an inert atmosphere that does not contain oxygen (or contains only small amounts of oxygen).

[0011] For example, the inventors have observed that when operating an LED in a normal atmosphere (e.g., air), the light output of the LED degrades by less than 10% over the LED's operating life. Thus, the same degradation in light output of an LED does not occur in air containing a large amount of oxygen.

[0012] The inventors have further surprisingly discovered that this degradation in the light output of an LED can be substantially reversed by providing a normal atmosphere (e.g., air) to the LED during operation of the LED.

[0013] Again, the exact process by which the degradation of LED light output is reversed is not currently fully understood, but this is not believed to be essential to the present invention. However, without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is believed that the reversal of the degradation of LED light output occurs as a result of the LED being operated in an oxygen-containing atmosphere instead of an inert atmosphere.

[0014] Thus, most generally, the present invention relates to improving the output of light-emitting heating elements that have been degraded by operating in an inert atmosphere (e.g., an oxygen-free or very oxygen-poor atmosphere, e.g., an atmosphere with less than 1% oxygen by volume) by providing the light-emitting heating element with an atmosphere that contains more oxygen than the inert atmosphere.

[0015] In particular, degradation of the output of the light-emitting heating element can be at least partially remedied by providing the light-emitting heating element with an atmosphere containing more oxygen, and in fact the light-emitting heating element is also operated while being provided with an atmosphere containing more oxygen to accelerate remedy of the degradation. According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for processing wafer-shaped articles, the apparatus comprising: a support configured to support a wafer-shaped article; a heating assembly comprising an array of light-emitting heating elements configured to heat a wafer-shaped article supported by a support; a first gas having an oxygen content of less than 1% by volume; and a second gas having an oxygen content at least 2% higher by volume than the first gas; a gas supply mechanism configured to supply a gas to the array of light emitting heating elements; Equipped with.

[0016] Thus, according to the present invention, the gas supply mechanism can supply a first gas (inert gas) having an oxygen content of less than 1% by volume to the light-emitting heating element when processing the wafer-shaped article, thereby reducing the risk of fire or explosion when processing the wafer-shaped article. In addition, the gas supply mechanism can supply a second gas having a higher oxygen content to the light-emitting heating element, thereby at least partially restoring the light output of a degraded light-emitting heating element.

[0017] Thus, in accordance with the present invention, the light output of a light-emitting heating element may be at least partially restored by supplying a second gas to the light-emitting heating element.

[0018] The apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention may have any one of the following optional features, or any combination where compatible.

[0019] The gas supply mechanism may be configured to alternately supply the first gas and the second gas to the array of light-emitting heating elements, in other words, the gas supply mechanism may be configured to supply the first gas but not the second gas, or the second gas but not the first gas, at a given time.

[0020] The gas supply mechanism may be configured to alternatively supply gases having at least two different oxygen contents to the array of light emitting heating elements.

[0021] The support may be a wafer holder adapted to hold a wafer.

[0022] The support may be a chuck.

[0023] The support may be rotatable, for example the support may be a rotatable chuck.

[0024] The support may be configured to rotate the wafer about an axis of rotation of the support that is substantially perpendicular to a surface of the wafer.

[0025] The support may include a mechanism adapted to receive the wafer and hold the wafer firmly in place relative to the support (eg, a clamp, a screw, a vacuum holder, a plurality of gripping pins, etc.).

[0026] The support may be adapted to receive a wafer of a predetermined size, for example a wafer having a diameter of 300 mm or 450 mm.

[0027] The support may include a motor for driving rotation of the support about the axis of rotation, or the support may be rotated by an external drive means, for example via magnetic induction.

[0028] The wafer-shaped article may be a wafer, for example a semiconductor wafer.

[0029] The heating assembly functions to heat a wafer supported by the support, and includes an array of light-emitting heating elements positioned to illuminate the wafer supported by the support.

[0030] The light emitting heating elements heat the wafer by radiative heating using light.

[0031] The term "array" may simply refer to a plurality of light-emitting heating elements and does not necessarily imply that the light-emitting heating elements are arranged in a particular order.

[0032] The array of light emitting heating elements may be positioned to face the wafer when the wafer is received by the support.

[0033] The array of light emitting heating elements may be positioned to face a first surface of the wafer opposite a second surface of the wafer on which processing (eg, cleaning, material deposition, etc.) is performed.

[0034] The light emitting heating elements may be disposed on a substantially planar surface (eg, on a substrate such as a circuit board).

[0035] The substrate may be positioned so as to be substantially parallel to the wafer when the wafer is received by the rotatable chuck.

[0036] The light emitting heating elements may be substantially evenly distributed over the planar surface to uniformly illuminate the wafer, thereby allowing for uniform heating of the wafer.

[0037] The array of light emitting heating elements may be arranged to cover an area substantially the same as the area of ​​the wafer, or within 10% of the area of ​​the wafer.

[0038] All of the light-emitting heating elements may be of the same type (eg, they may all have the same characteristics).

[0039] Generally, a light-emitting heating element is an element (or part) that uses light to perform radiant heating.

[0040] The light emitted by the light-emitting heating element may be visible light.

[0041] If the support is rotatable, the heating assembly may be mounted to the support such that it does not rotate with the support when the support rotates about the axis of rotation, in other words the array of light emitting heating elements may remain stationary when the support rotates about the axis of rotation, which allows for easy electrical connection to the array of light emitting heating elements.

[0042] As used herein, a light-emitting heating element can refer to a light source that emits light at a wavelength suitable for heating a wafer. For example, the light-emitting heating element can emit light with a maximum intensity in the wavelength range of 380 nm to 650 nm.

[0043] In some embodiments, the light-emitting heating element may include a phosphor.

[0044] In some embodiments, one or more of the light-emitting heating elements may be light-emitting diodes (LEDs). All of the light-emitting heating elements may be LEDs.

[0045] The light emitting heating elements may be arranged in the heating assembly in concentric circles (concentric around the center of the heating assembly).

[0046] In each concentric circle, the heating elements may be grouped differently, in other words, the heating elements in each concentric circle may not be evenly distributed around that concentric circle.

[0047] Each of the different groups may include the same number of heating elements, for example 16 heating elements.

[0048] Different groups of light-emitting heating elements may be independently controlled, for example, by different powers being supplied to different groups of light-emitting heating elements and / or by different groups of light-emitting heating elements operating at different times. The gas supply mechanism is a first gas having an oxygen content of less than 1% by volume; and a second gas having an oxygen content at least 2% higher by volume than the first gas; to an array of light-emitting heating elements.

[0049] The gas supply mechanism may be configured to supply only one of the first and second gases to the array of light-emitting heating elements at a time, in other words, the gas supply mechanism can supply either the first gas or the second gas to the array of light-emitting heating elements at a time, but not both simultaneously.

[0050] Gas supply mechanism means any arrangement for supplying gas to an array of light emitting heating elements and may include, for example, one or more valves and one or more gas flow passages, such as pipes or tubes.

[0051] The gas supply mechanism may comprise a first container containing a first gas and a second container containing a second gas.

[0052] The gas supply mechanism may include a first gas pipe connected to a first supply source containing a first gas, and a second gas pipe connected to a second supply source containing a second gas.

[0053] Supplying gas to an array of light-emitting heating elements means supplying gas around and / or to the exterior of the light-emitting heating elements.

[0054] For example, the array of light-emitting heating elements may be contained in a chamber, volume, or space, and supplying the gas to the array of light-emitting heating elements may include supplying the gas to the chamber, volume, or space that contains the array of light-emitting heating elements.

[0055] The first gas may have an oxygen content of less than 0.5% by volume, or less than 0.1% by volume.

[0056] The first gas may be an inert gas. Inert may mean that the gas is inert to the processing liquid used to process the wafer-shaped article. For example, the gas may be inert to isopropyl alcohol.

[0057] The oxygen content of the first gas may be insufficient for combustion, for example, the oxygen content of the first gas may be insufficient for combustion of isopropyl alcohol.

[0058] The first gas may comprise nitrogen or may be nitrogen, for example pure nitrogen, or any noble gas, for example argon.

[0059] The first gas may include or be carbon dioxide.

[0060] Alternatively, the first gas may have an oxygen content of less than 2% by volume.

[0061] The first gas is a gas that does not react with the combustible material.

[0062] The second gas may have an oxygen content that is at least 5% higher by volume than the first gas.

[0063] The oxygen content of the second gas may be greater than 2% by volume, or greater than 3% by volume, or greater than 4% by volume, or greater than 5% by volume. The second gas may have an oxygen content of greater than 10% by volume, or greater than 15% by volume.

[0064] The second gas may include air or may be air, for example, ultra-clean dry air.

[0065] The second gas may be a mixture of air and one or more other gases, for example a mixture of air and an inert or noble gas, such as nitrogen.

[0066] The apparatus may be configured to generate the first gas or the second gas by mixing together one or more gases supplied by one or more gas sources.

[0067] Supplying the first gas to the array of light-emitting elements may mean that only the first gas is supplied to the array of light-emitting elements.

[0068] Supplying the second gas to the array of light-emitting elements may mean that only the second gas is supplied to the array of light-emitting elements.

[0069] In practice, the apparatus is configured to supply a first gas to the array of light-emitting heating elements during processing of a wafer-shaped article by the apparatus. For example, processing of the wafer-shaped article may include dispensing a liquid, such as isopropyl alcohol, onto the surface of the wafer-shaped article and heating the wafer-shaped article, and the first gas may be supplied to the array of light-emitting heating elements simultaneously with dispensing the liquid, such as isopropyl alcohol, onto the surface of the wafer-shaped article and / or simultaneously with heating the wafer-shaped article. The process sequence may be programmed into the controller.

[0070] The first gas preferably provides an inert atmosphere around the array of light emitting heating elements during processing of the wafer-shaped article.

[0071] In practice, the apparatus is configured to supply only the second gas to the array of light-emitting heating elements when wafer-shaped articles are not being processed by the apparatus. In particular, the second gas contains more oxygen, which increases the risk of fire or explosion if flammable processing liquids are used during processing of wafer-shaped articles. Therefore, for safety reasons, it is preferable that the second gas is not supplied to the array of light-emitting heating elements when wafer-shaped articles are being processed.

[0072] The apparatus may include a liquid dispenser for dispensing a liquid onto the surface of the wafer-shaped article. For example, the liquid dispenser may include a rotatable dispensing arm having a dispensing nozzle. The liquid may be a flammable liquid, such as isopropyl alcohol.

[0073] In practice, the apparatus is configured to supply only the second gas to the array of light-emitting heating elements when the flammable liquid is not dispensed on the surface of the wafer-shaped article. A controller can be provided to control operation of the apparatus so that the second gas (oxygen-containing gas) is supplied only when the flammable liquid is not dispensed on the surface of the wafer-shaped article. In particular, because the second gas contains more oxygen, there is a higher risk of fire or explosion if a flammable processing liquid is used during processing of the wafer-shaped article.

[0074] The array of light emitting heating elements may be arranged to heat a surface of the wafer that is on the opposite side of the wafer compared to the surface of the wafer onto which the liquid is dispensed.

[0075] The apparatus may be configured to supply electrical power to the array of light emitting heating elements while the second gas is supplied to the array of light emitting heating elements.

[0076] As discussed above, supplying power to the array of light-emitting heating elements while in the second gas atmosphere significantly accelerates recovery of the light-emitting heating element output.

[0077] The same power may be supplied to each of the light-emitting heating elements. Alternatively, different powers may be supplied to different light-emitting heating elements or to different groups of light-emitting heating elements. The power supplied to the light-emitting heating elements may be less than the power supplied to the light-emitting heating elements when processing wafer-shaped articles.

[0078] The apparatus may alternate between supplying electrical power to the array of light-emitting heating elements and not supplying electrical power to the light-emitting heating elements while the second gas is supplied to the array of light-emitting heating elements.

[0079] The apparatus may be configured to supply only the second gas to the array of light emitting heating elements when the wafer-shaped article is not supported by the support.

[0080] The apparatus may be configured to supply the second gas to the array of light-emitting heating elements after a predetermined period of processing of wafer-shaped articles by the apparatus has elapsed, and / or to supply the second gas to the array of light-emitting heating elements after a predetermined number of wafer-shaped articles have been processed by the apparatus, and / or to supply the second gas to the array of light-emitting heating elements when the output of one or more of the light-emitting heating elements has decreased by a predetermined amount or reaches a predetermined value, and / or to supply the second gas to the array of light-emitting heating elements based on a predetermined schedule.

[0081] Alternatively, the apparatus may be configured to supply a second gas to the light-emitting heating element each time a wafer-shaped article is processed by the apparatus, thereby preventing significant degradation of the light-emitting heating element from occurring in the first place.

[0082] Alternatively, the apparatus may be configured to supply the second gas to the light-emitting heating element each time the first gas is supplied to the light-emitting heating element, thereby preventing significant degradation of the light-emitting heating element from occurring in the first place.

[0083] The gas supply mechanism may include a first gas path (or gas line) connected to a source of a first gas, and a second gas path (or gas line) connected to a source of a second gas.

[0084] The gas supply mechanism may comprise one or more valves configured to control the supply of the first gas and / or the supply of the second gas to the array of light-emitting heating elements. The one or more valves may control the supply of both the first and second gases, or the supply of only the second gas.

[0085] The gas supply mechanism may include a first valve for connecting to a source of a first gas and a gas flow path for conveying the first gas from the first valve to the array of light-emitting heating elements, and a second valve for connecting to a source of a second gas and a gas flow path for conveying the second gas from the second valve to the array of light-emitting heating elements.

[0086] Alternatively, the gas supply mechanism may include a multi-way valve connected to a first gas source and a second gas source, and a gas flow path for conveying the first gas and the second gas from the multi-way valve to the array of light-emitting heating elements. For example, the multi-way valve may be a three-way valve. The multi-way valve may be operable to supply both the first gas and the second gas, for example, by switching from the first gas to the second gas. Thus, instead of first and second valves, a single valve may be used to control the supply of the first and second gases. Alternatively, the gas supply mechanism may include a first gas path connected to a first gas source, a second gas path connected to a second gas source, and a valve in the second gas path. Thus, the valve may be closed to supply only the first gas, or opened to supply a mixture of the first and second gases. The mixture of the first and second gases can be controlled so that the resulting gas has an oxygen content that is at least 2% by volume greater than the oxygen content of the first gas alone. Thus, instead of first and second valves, only a single valve can be provided in the second gas path.

[0087] The gas supply arrangement may also include a container of a first gas connected to the first valve. The gas supply arrangement may also include a container of a second gas connected to the second valve.

[0088] One or more valves may be electronic valves controlled by a controller of the apparatus. For example, during wafer processing, the controller may control a first valve to be open and a second valve to be closed. In contrast, when restoring power to the light-emitting heating element, the controller may control the first valve to be closed and the second valve to be open.

[0089] The gas flow path for conveying a first gas from a first valve to the array of light-emitting heating elements and the gas flow path for conveying a second gas from a second valve to the array of light-emitting heating elements may be combined along a portion of their extents. For example, the flow paths may be combined into a single flow path upstream of the light-emitting heating elements. For example, the flow paths may be combined into a single flow path within stationary post 25.

[0090] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for processing wafer-shaped articles, the apparatus comprising: a support configured to support the wafer-shaped article; a heating assembly comprising an array of light-emitting heating elements configured to heat the wafer-shaped article supported by the support; and a gas supply mechanism configured to supply gas to the array of light-emitting heating elements, the gas supply mechanism comprising a first gas path connected to a source of a first gas, a second gas path connected to a source of a second gas, and one or more valves configured to control the supply of the first gas and / or the supply of the second gas to the array of light-emitting heating elements.

[0091] The second aspect of the invention may include any of the features of the first aspect of the invention described above, where compatible.

[0092] In particular, the first gas and the second gas can have any of the characteristics of the first and second gases described above.

[0093] Additionally, the support, heating assembly, and gas supply mechanism can have any of the features of the support, heating assembly, and gas supply mechanism described above.

[0094] The gas supply mechanism may include a first valve for connecting to a first gas source and a gas flow path for conveying the first gas from the first valve to the array of light-emitting heating elements, and a second valve for connecting to a second gas source and a gas flow path for conveying the second gas from the second valve to the array of light-emitting heating elements.

[0095] In a first aspect of the invention, degradation of a light-emitting heating element occurs due to operation of the light-emitting heating element in an oxygen-free or nearly oxygen-free atmosphere, and the degradation is then at least partially remedied by providing the light-emitting heating element with an oxygen-rich atmosphere.

[0096] In a third aspect of the invention, during processing of wafer-shaped articles, a gas is supplied to the light-emitting heating element having an oxygen content high enough to prevent significant degradation of the light-emitting heating element during operation of the element in the gas atmosphere, but low enough to reduce the risk of fire or explosion of the flammable processing liquid, in which case restoration of the power of the light-emitting heating element may not be necessary because degradation of the light-emitting heating element can be inhibited.

[0097] Thus, according to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for processing a wafer-shaped article, the apparatus comprising: a support configured to support the wafer-shaped article; a heating assembly comprising an array of light-emitting heating elements configured to heat the wafer-shaped article supported by the support; and a gas supply mechanism configured to supply a gas having an oxygen content of more than 1% by volume to the array of light-emitting heating elements during processing of the wafer-shaped article by the apparatus.

[0098] The third aspect of the present invention may include any of the features of the first or second embodiments described above, where compatible.

[0099] The gas may have an oxygen content of more than 2% by volume, or more than 3% by volume, or more than 4% by volume, or more than 5% by volume.

[0100] The gas may have an oxygen content of less than 10% by volume, or less than 9% by volume, or less than 8% by volume, or less than 7% by volume, or less than 6% by volume.

[0101] The oxygen content of the gas may be insufficient for combustion, for example, for isopropyl alcohol.

[0102] Supplying gas to the light-emitting heating element during processing of a wafer-shaped article by the apparatus may mean supplying gas to the light-emitting heating element while the wafer is supported by the support and / or while processing liquid is being dispensed onto the wafer-shaped article.

[0103] The support and heating assembly may have any of the features of the support and heating assembly of the first aspect of the invention described above.

[0104] The gas supply mechanism may include a channel connected to a source of gas.

[0105] The gas supply mechanism may comprise a container of gas and an electronic valve controlled by a controller to supply gas to the light-emitting heating element or to stop the supply of gas.

[0106] Alternatively, the gas supply mechanism may include two or more containers of gas and respective valves, and gas from two or more of the containers may be mixed to generate a gas. For example, one container may contain nitrogen and another container may contain an oxygen-containing gas such as oxygen or air, which may be mixed together to generate a gas that is supplied to the array of light-emitting elements. Alternatively, a multi-way valve may be used in place of multiple valves.

[0107] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of at least partially restoring the power of light-emitting heating elements in an apparatus comprising: a support configured to support a wafer-shaped article; a heating assembly comprising an array of light-emitting heating elements configured to heat the wafer-shaped article supported by the support; and a gas supply mechanism configured to supply a first gas having an oxygen content of less than 1% by volume and a second gas having an oxygen content at least 2% by volume higher than the first gas to the array of light-emitting heating elements, the method comprising: supplying the second gas to the array of light-emitting heating elements using the gas supply mechanism.

[0108] The apparatus may have any of the features of the apparatus of the first to third aspects of the invention described above, and in particular the support, heating assembly and gas supply mechanism may be the same as the support, heating assembly or gas supply mechanism of any of the other aspects of the invention described above.

[0109] The method may include supplying a second gas to the depleted light-emitting heating element without processing a wafer-shaped article using the apparatus, as in the first and second aspects of the invention described above. The method may have any of the features of the first and second aspects of the invention described above.

[0110] Typically, the method also includes supplying a gas to the array of light-emitting heating elements while supplying electrical power to the array of light-emitting heating elements.

[0111] The method may further include supplying a first gas to the array of light emitting heating elements during processing of the wafer-shaped article.

[0112] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of inhibiting degradation of light-emitting heating elements in an apparatus for processing wafer-shaped articles, the apparatus comprising a support configured to support the wafer-shaped article, a heating assembly comprising an array of light-emitting heating elements configured to heat the wafer-shaped article supported by the support, and a gas supply mechanism for supplying gas to the array of light-emitting heating elements, the method comprising using the gas supply mechanism to supply a gas having an oxygen content of more than 1% by volume to the array of light-emitting heating elements during processing of the wafer-shaped article by the apparatus.

[0113] The apparatus may have any of the features of the apparatus of the first to third aspects of the invention described above, and in particular the support, heating assembly and gas supply mechanism may be the same as the support, heating assembly or gas supply mechanism of any of the other aspects of the invention described above. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0114] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a heating assembly that can be used in embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a first example of a gas supply mechanism that can be used in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a second example of a gas supply mechanism that can be used in an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0115] Aspects and embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying figures. Further aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. All documents mentioned herein are incorporated by reference.

[0116] Figure 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an apparatus 1 for processing wafer-shaped articles according to a first embodiment of the invention, in which a semiconductor wafer 3 is mounted in the apparatus 1 for processing.

[0117] The apparatus 1 includes a rotatable chuck 5 adapted to receive a wafer 3. The rotatable chuck 5 includes a chuck body 7 rotatably mounted on a base 9, for example, via one or more bearings. The chuck body 7 is rotatable relative to the base 9 about an axis of rotation indicated by reference numeral 11. Rotation of the chuck body 7 relative to the base 9 can be driven, for example, by a motor (not shown), which itself can be controlled by a controller (not shown).

[0118] The chuck body 7 includes a set of gripping pins 13 adapted to receive the wafer 3 and hold it firmly in place. In this manner, when the wafer 3 is mounted on the rotatable chuck 5 via the gripping pins 13, the wafer 3 can be rotated by rotating the chuck body 7 relative to the base 9.

[0119] 1, the gripping pins 13 apply a gripping force that holds the wafer 3 in place. However, instead of the gripping pins 13, other suitable mechanisms may be used to hold the wafer 3 in place (e.g., clamps, screws, suction holders, etc.).

[0120] The rotatable chuck 5 further includes a plate 15 mounted on the chuck body 7. The plate 15 is fixed to the chuck body 7 via, for example, one or more screws or bolts, so as to rotate together with the chuck body 7 relative to the base 9. As shown in FIG. 1 , the plate 15 is positioned so as to be substantially parallel to the wafer 3 when the wafer 3 is mounted on the rotatable chuck 5. In this embodiment, the plate 15 is a transparent plate made of, for example, quartz or sapphire.

[0121] The apparatus 1 further comprises a heating assembly 17. In this embodiment, the heating assembly 17 comprises an array of LEDs 19 positioned to illuminate the wafer 3 mounted on the rotatable chuck 5. The LEDs 19 function as light-emitting heating elements to heat the wafer 3 received by the rotatable chuck 5.

[0122] In this embodiment, the heating assembly 17 is housed within a chamber, volume, or space formed within the chuck body 7 and covered by a transparent plate 15 .

[0123] In this embodiment, the LED 19 is arranged to emit light in the wavelength range of 380 nm to 650 nm. For example, the LED 19 can emit light having a maximum intensity in the wavelength range of 380 nm to 650 nm. Such a wavelength range is suitable for heating semiconductor wafers.

[0124] Transparent plate 15 is configured to be substantially transparent to the wavelengths emitted by LEDs 19 , ie, such that all or most of the light emitted by LEDs 19 is transmitted by transparent plate 15 .

[0125] The heating assembly 17 further includes a plate 21. The array of LEDs 19 is mounted on the upper surface of the plate 21, which acts as a heat sink for the array of LEDs 19 and dissipates heat generated by the LEDs 19. For example, the plate 21 may be made of a metal such as aluminum. A circuit board 23 containing drive circuitry (not shown) for the LEDs 19 is provided on the lower surface of the plate 21. Interconnections between the array of LEDs 19 and the drive circuitry on the circuit board are made through the plate 21.

[0126] Plate 21 is mounted on a stationary post 25, i.e., a post that does not rotate. Stationary post 25 is not connected to chuck body 7 so that it does not rotate with chuck body 7. Plate 21 is substantially parallel to transparent plate 15.

[0127] The array of LEDs 19 is positioned to face the wafer 3 when the wafer is mounted on the rotatable chuck 5. As shown in FIG. 1 , when the wafer 3 is mounted on the rotatable chuck 5, the transparent plate 15 is positioned between the array of LEDs 19 and the wafer 3. Therefore, light emitted by the array of LEDs 19 can be transmitted by the transparent plate 15 and impinge on the wafer 3 to heat it. The transparent plate 15 can function to protect the array of LEDs 19 from processes performed on the wafer 3 when the wafer 3 is mounted on the rotatable chuck 5.

[0128] The array of LEDs 19 is positioned to illuminate a first surface 27 of the wafer 3 opposite a second surface 29 of the wafer 3. The second surface 29 of the wafer 3 is exposed so that a process (e.g., etching, material deposition, cleaning) can be performed on the second surface 29 of the wafer 3.

[0129] The array of LEDs 19 may be arranged substantially symmetrically about the axis of rotation 11 of the rotatable chuck 5. In this manner, the array of LEDs 19 may illuminate the wafer substantially symmetrically about the axis of rotation 11.

[0130] The apparatus 1 further comprises a liquid dispenser for dispensing liquid onto the second surface 29 of the wafer 3, for example to clean the second surface 29. In this embodiment, the liquid dispenser includes an arm 31 having a discharge nozzle 33. The arm 31 is supplied with process liquid and / or rinsing liquid, which is discharged through the discharge nozzle 33 downwardly onto the second surface 29 of the wafer 3.

[0131] The arm 31 is a swing arm 31 that is pivotally attached to the end of the arm 31 opposite to the end where the discharge nozzle 33 is located, so that the arm 31 can rotate about the pivot attachment to change the position of the discharge nozzle 33 relative to the second surface 29 of the wafer 3. In particular, by rotating the arm 31 about the pivot attachment, the radial position of the discharge nozzle 33 relative to the second surface 29 of the wafer 3 can be changed, for example, between a first position located at the center of the second surface 29 of the wafer 3 and a second position located radially outside the outer periphery of the wafer 3. The discharge nozzle 33 is moved in an arc above the second surface 29 of the wafer 3.

[0132] The above-described configuration of the liquid dispenser means that, together with rotation of the wafer 3 by the rotatable chuck 5, the liquid dispenser can be operated to dispense liquid over the entire second surface 29 of the wafer 3 by pivoting the arm 31 from the center of the second surface 29 to the edge of the second surface 29 while rotating the wafer 3.

[0133] Of course, in other embodiments, other suitable liquid dispensers may be used in place of this particular liquid dispenser.

[0134] An exemplary configuration of the heating assembly 17 in one embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG.

[0135] 2, the LEDs 19 are arranged in concentric rings around the center of the heating assembly 17. The arrangement of the LEDs 19 is rotationally symmetric around the center of the heating assembly 17.

[0136] Within a given concentric ring, the LEDs 19 are organized into groups 35, e.g., 16 LEDs 19 in each group 35. In other words, the LEDs 19 within a given concentric ring are not evenly distributed around the ring. Power to each of the groups 35 of LEDs 19 can be controlled independently.

[0137] In this example, there are 20 concentric rings of LEDs 19, although of course in other embodiments the number of concentric rings may be different.

[0138] In FIG. 2, the heating assembly 17 is divided into four quadrants 37 which are joined together by connectors 39 .

[0139] Each LED has a power consumption of 10W and can supply 3W of power.

[0140] Of course, the heating assembly 17 may differ from that shown in Figure 2. In particular, the placement of the LEDs in the heating assembly 17 is not critical to the invention.

[0141] The apparatus 1 of the present invention can be used to clean the second surface 29 of the wafer 3 by applying a cleaning liquid, such as isopropyl alcohol, to the second surface 29 of the wafer 3 using a liquid dispenser. The second surface 29 of the wafer 3 can then be dried by spinning the wafer 3 using the chuck body 7 and heating the wafer 3 using the LEDs 19 to evaporate the cleaning or rinsing liquid. Such a cleaning process is commonly referred to as a spin-cleaning process.

[0142] During processing of wafer 3 by apparatus 1, one or more flammable liquids may be dispensed onto second surface 29 of wafer 3 by discharge nozzle 33. For example, in spin cleaning of wafer 3, flammable isopropyl alcohol may be dispensed onto second surface 29 of wafer 3.

[0143] As described above, the transparent plate 15 is disposed between the wafer 3 and the heating assembly 17 to prevent the heating assembly 17 from contacting such processing liquid. However, there is still a possibility that some of the processing liquid may penetrate into the interior of the chuck body 7, for example, by penetrating along the contact area between the transparent plate 15 and the chuck body 7 or through one or more mounting holes formed in the transparent plate 15. Thus, there is still a possibility that some of the processing liquid may come into contact with the heating assembly 17 located inside the chuck body 7.

[0144] As mentioned above, the heating assembly 17 includes a circuit board 23 containing drive circuitry for the LEDs 19 mounted on the underside of the plate 21. If a flammable processing liquid comes into contact with the circuit board 23, a potential risk of fire or explosion of the flammable liquid exists.

[0145] To eliminate or greatly reduce this risk, it is known to provide an inert atmosphere around the heating assembly 17, so that there is no or greatly reduced risk of fire or explosion if the flammable processing liquid comes into contact with the circuit board 23.

[0146] In particular, it is known to supply pure nitrogen gas (N2) to the space surrounding the heating assembly 17 such that the pure nitrogen gas surrounds the LEDs 19 and circuit board 23. The absence of oxygen in the atmosphere around the LEDs 19 and circuit board 23 reduces the risk of fire or explosion if a flammable processing liquid comes into contact with the circuit board 23.

[0147] In particular, the heating assembly 17 is substantially enclosed within a chamber 34 formed by the inner surface of the chuck body 7 and the bottom surface of the transparent plate 15. Pure nitrogen gas can be supplied to the chamber 34 so that an inert atmosphere exists within the chamber 34 surrounding the heating assembly 17.

[0148] For example, a gas supply passageway may be provided in stationary post 25 with an outlet in chamber 34, allowing nitrogen gas to be supplied to chamber 34 through stationary post 25. However, the gas supply passageway may alternatively be provided in another location.

[0149] One or more gas outlets may be provided from the chamber 34 to the exterior of the chamber 34 so that there is a flow of gas into the chamber and out of the one or more gas outlets.

[0150] The inventors have surprisingly discovered that operating LED 19 in such an inert atmosphere results in a decrease in the light output of LED 19 over time. For example, the light output of LED 19 has been observed to decrease to 30% of its original value after prolonged operation of LED 19 in an inert atmosphere. This decrease in the light output of the LED causes a corresponding decrease in the heating of wafer 3 and, therefore, in the effectiveness of drying wafer 3. In contrast, the inventors have observed that when LED 19 is operated in a normal atmosphere (e.g., air), the light output of LED 19 decreases by less than 10% over the entire (much longer) lifetime of LED 19.

[0151] A change in the color of the LED 19 with a decrease in the light output of the LED 19 during operation of the LED 19 in an inert atmosphere has also been observed by the inventors.

[0152] The inventors have further discovered that this degradation in the light output of LED 19 can be at least partially reversed by operating the aged LED 19 in a normal atmosphere (e.g., air) for a period of time. In particular, the inventors have discovered that operating the aged LED 19 in a normal atmosphere (e.g., air) for a period of time can restore the light output of the LED to a value close to its original value, e.g., within 1% of its original value.

[0153] Thus, the apparatus 1 according to the present invention includes a gas supply mechanism arranged to supply an inert gas (a gas that is oxygen-free or contains low levels of oxygen) to the chamber 34, and to supply a non-inert gas (an oxygen-containing gas) to the chamber 34.

[0154] An example of a gas supply mechanism according to the present invention is shown in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 3, a gas supply mechanism 41 includes a first container 43 containing a first gas and a second container 45 containing a second gas.

[0155] The first gas in the first container 43 is an inert gas (a gas that is oxygen-free or contains low levels of oxygen). In this embodiment, the first gas is pure nitrogen. However, in other embodiments, a different inert gas may be used in place of nitrogen.

[0156] The second gas in the second container 45 is a gas (non-inert gas) that contains more oxygen than the first gas. In this embodiment, the second gas is ultra-clean dry air (XCDA). However, in other embodiments, a different oxygen-containing gas may be used in place of air or XCDA.

[0157] The gas supply mechanism further comprises a first valve 47 connected to the first container 43 and a second valve 49 connected to the second container 43 .

[0158] The first and second valves 47 and 49 are electronic valves that can be controlled by a controller to open to allow the flow of the first or second gas, respectively, and close to block the flow of the first or second gas, respectively.

[0159] The gas supply mechanism 41 further includes a first gas flow path 51 that passes from the first container 43 through the first valve 47 to the inside of the chamber 34, and a second flow path 53 that passes from the second container 45 through the second valve 49 to the inside of the chamber 34.

[0160] In this embodiment, the first and second gas passages 47 and 53 are combined into a single gas passage 55 before entering the interior of the chamber 34. However, in alternative embodiments, the first and second gas passages 47 and 53 may be completely separate.

[0161] The gas flow passages may be in communication with the chamber 34 via the stationary post 25. Specifically, the stationary post 25 may include a passageway (or respective passageways) that form part of the first and second gas flow passages 47, 53 and have one or more outlets into the chamber 34, for example, via one or more outlet holes formed in the side of the stationary post 25. Thus, the first and second gases may be supplied to the chamber 34 via the stationary post 25.

[0162] Thus, the first and second gases may be discharged into the chamber 34 by the first and second gases being supplied through a passage (or respective passages) formed in the stationary post 25 and being discharged into the chamber 34 through one or more outlet holes or nozzles 26 formed in the side of the stationary post 25.

[0163] In one embodiment, a passageway is provided in stationary post 25, connecting an inlet at the bottom end surface of stationary post 25 with an outlet (nozzle 26) at the side of stationary post 25 located in chamber 34. Thus, a first or second gas can be supplied to chamber 34 by inputting the first or second gas into the inlet of the passageway, and it is released into chamber 34 via nozzle 26.

[0164] The provision of one or more gas outlets allows gas to escape from chamber 34. Thus, when a first or second gas is supplied to chamber 34, the first or second gas sequentially flows into the chamber and out through the gas outlet(s). For example, the gas outlet(s) may comprise one or more through-holes formed in the wall of chuck body 7 or in the periphery of transparent plate 15.

[0165] This means that when the gas is switched from a first gas to a second gas, or vice versa, the first gas is flushed out of the chamber 34 by the subsequent gas.

[0166] Thus, the gas supply mechanism 41 of the present invention is operable to supply a first gas to the chamber 34 to provide an atmosphere comprising the first gas in the chamber 34 surrounding the heating assembly 17, or to supply a second gas to the chamber 34 to provide an atmosphere comprising the second gas in the chamber 34 surrounding the heating assembly 17. Thus, the LED 19 can be operated in either an atmosphere comprising the first gas (pure nitrogen in this embodiment) or an atmosphere comprising the second gas (ultra-clean dry air in this embodiment).

[0167] Next, the operation of the device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0168] 1, when a wafer 3 is processed by the apparatus 1, the wafer 3 is mounted on the rotatable chuck 5 via gripping pins 13. In particular, the gripping pins 13 contact the wafer 3 and restrain lateral movement of the wafer 3. For example, the gripping pins 13 may be movable to contact the periphery of the wafer 3 on opposite sides of the periphery of the wafer 3, whereby the wafer 3 is held in place by the gripping pins 13. Of course, in other embodiments, a different mechanism for mounting the wafer on the rotatable chuck 5 may be provided in place of the gripping pins 13.

[0169] Once the wafer 3 is mounted on the rotatable chuck 5 , a motor coupled to the rotatable chuck 5 is used to rotate the rotatable chuck 5 so as to rotate the wafer 3 .

[0170] While the wafer 3 is rotated by the rotatable chuck 5, a processing liquid such as isopropyl alcohol is dispensed onto the top surface 29 of the wafer 4 using a discharge nozzle 33. The discharge nozzle 33 moves in an arc across the second surface 29 of the wafer 3 while the wafer 3 is rotating, causing the isopropyl alcohol to be dispensed across the entire surface of the wafer 3.

[0171] The gas supply mechanism 41 is controlled by the controller of the apparatus 1 so that the first valve 47 is opened and the second valve 45 is closed. This means that the pure nitrogen gas in the first container 43 is supplied to the chamber 34 around the heating assembly 17. Therefore, the chamber 34 around the heating assembly 17 is filled with pure nitrogen, which is an inert gas. Therefore, the atmosphere around the heating assembly 17 is an inert atmosphere.

[0172] The controller of the apparatus supplies power to the heating assembly 17 such that power is supplied to the LEDs 19. As mentioned above, different amounts of power can be supplied to different ones of the LEDs or different groups of LEDs 19 so that the LEDs 19 or groups of LEDs provide different amounts of light. Alternatively, the same amount of power can be supplied to all of the LEDs 19 so that all of the LEDs 19 produce the same amount of light.

[0173] Thus, the LED 19 emits light that passes through the transparent plate 15 and impinges on the first surface 27 of the wafer 3. The light is absorbed by the first surface 27 of the wafer 3 such that the wafer 3 is heated. The heating of the wafer 3 causes the processing liquid on the second surface 29 of the wafer 3 to evaporate.

[0174] The transparent plate 15 is positioned between the heating assembly 17 and the wafer 3 to protect the heating assembly 17 from the processing liquid. However, there is a risk that some of the processing liquid may penetrate through the transparent plate 15 into the chamber 34 where it may come into contact with the heating assembly 17.

[0175] As mentioned above, heating assembly 17 includes circuit board 23 that contains drive circuitry for LED 19. If a flammable processing liquid were to come into contact with circuit board 23 in a normal atmosphere, there is a risk of fire or explosion of the flammable liquid. However, in the present invention, the inert atmosphere within chamber 34 prevents or greatly reduces the risk of such fire or explosion.

[0176] As mentioned above, the inventors have discovered that operating the LED 19 for extended periods in an inert atmosphere within the chamber 34 degrades the light output of the LED. For example, it has been found that the light output of the LED can drop to as low as 30% of the original light output of the LED after extended operation in an inert atmosphere.

[0177] As discussed above, the inventors have further surprisingly discovered that this degradation in the light output of LED 19 can be at least partially reversed by operating the degraded LED 19 in a normal atmosphere (e.g., air) for a period of time. In particular, the inventors have found that operating the degraded LED 19 in a normal atmosphere (e.g., air) for a period of time can restore the light output of the LED to a value close to its original value, e.g., within 1% of the original value.

[0178] Therefore, in the present invention, the device 1 restores the light output of the LED 19 by periodically performing an LED repair procedure, as described below.

[0179] The LED reconditioning procedure may be performed after operating the LEDs 19 in an inert atmosphere for a predetermined period of time, or after a predetermined number of wafers 3 have been processed by the apparatus 1, or when it is detected (e.g., as detected using a light sensor or camera) that the light output of one or more of the LEDs 19 has decreased by a predetermined amount or to a predetermined level. Alternatively, the LED reconditioning procedure may instead be performed at set time intervals, according to a predetermined schedule, or each time a wafer 3 is processed by the apparatus 1.

[0180] The LED repair procedure is performed only when flammable liquid is not being dispensed from the discharge nozzle 33 to reduce the risk of fire or explosion.

[0181] The LED repair procedure is generally performed without the wafer 3 being received on the rotatable chuck 5 .

[0182] In the LED repair procedure, the gas supply mechanism 41 is controlled so that the first valve 47 is closed and the second valve 49 is open, meaning that only the second gas is supplied to the chamber 34. Thus, the chamber 34 around the heating assembly 17 is filled with the second gas.

[0183] In this embodiment, the second gas is ultra-clean dry air. Thus, the atmosphere in chamber 34 during the LED repair procedure is air (the normal atmosphere), not an inert gas.

[0184] While the chamber 34 is being filled with ultra-clean dry air, the controller supplies power to the LEDs 19. For example, the same amount of power may be supplied to all of the LEDs 19. Alternatively, different amounts of power may be supplied to different LEDs 19 or groups of LEDs 19. The power supplied to the LEDs 19 may be lower than the power supplied to the LEDs 19 during the wafer 3 processing operation.

[0185] Power is supplied to the LED 19 in the atmosphere of ultra-clean dry air for a predetermined period of time. For example, power may be supplied to the LED in the atmosphere of ultra-clean dry air for one hour in one example. However, in some cases, power may only be supplied to the LED in the atmosphere of ultra-clean dry air for a few seconds or minutes. The length of time that power is supplied to the LED is generally predetermined.

[0186] The inventors have surprisingly discovered that this LED repair procedure partially or substantially repairs the degradation of the light output of LED 19, thereby increasing (at least partially restoring) the light output of LED 19 to approach its original value. For example, it may be possible to restore the output of LED 19 to within 1% of the original light output of LED 19.

[0187] Providing power to the LED 19 is advantageous because it significantly reduces the amount of time required to restore the light output of the LED 19. However, in alternative embodiments, the second gas may be provided to the LED 19 in an LED restoration procedure without providing power to the LED, and this procedure may be carried out for a significantly longer period of time.

[0188] In this embodiment, the first gas is nitrogen. However, the first gas does not need to be nitrogen. Instead, it is only necessary that the first gas have a sufficiently low oxygen content and be substantially inert so as to reduce the risk of fire or explosion of the flammable treatment liquid. Generally, an oxygen content of less than 1% by volume is sufficient to make the first gas sufficiently inert. Thus, the first gas may instead be any gas having an oxygen content of less than 1% by volume. Generally, the oxygen content of the first gas is insufficient for combustion.

[0189] In this embodiment, the heating element is an LED 19. However, similar degradation is expected to occur with other types of light-emitting heating elements, and therefore, the LED 19 may instead be another type of light-emitting heating element.

[0190] In this embodiment, the second gas is ultra-clean dry air. Of course, normal air may be used instead of ultra-clean dry air. More generally, any gas containing an appropriate amount of oxygen may be used as the second gas. For example, an oxygen content of more than 1% by volume may be sufficient to repair degradation of the LED 19. Preferably, the second gas has an oxygen content of more than 2% by volume, or more than 3% by volume, or more than 4% by volume, or more than 5% by volume. The second gas may have an oxygen content of more than 10% by volume, or more than 15% by volume.

[0191] In other embodiments, the chuck 5 may not be rotatable.

[0192] In other embodiments, the structure and / or appearance of chuck 5 may differ from that shown in FIG.

[0193] A gas supply mechanism 57 according to a second embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 4. In this embodiment, the gas supply mechanism 57 includes only a single container 59 and a valve 61. A gas flow path 63 is provided from the container 59 through the valve 61 to the interior of the chamber 34.

[0194] In this embodiment, the container 59 contains a gas having an oxygen content high enough to prevent significant degradation of the LEDs 19 during operation of the LEDs 19 in the gas atmosphere, but low enough to reduce the risk of fire or explosion of the flammable treatment liquid. For example, the gas may have an oxygen content of 1% to 10% by volume, or 2% to 10% by volume, or 3% to 10% by volume, or 1% to 5% by volume, or 2% to 5% by volume, or 3% to 5% by volume.

[0195] In this embodiment, there is no LED repair procedure. Instead, during operation of the apparatus 1 to process the wafer 3, the valve 61 is opened, thereby supplying gas from the container 59 to the chamber 34, and the LED 19 is then operated to heat the wafer 3 in the gas atmosphere. The oxygen content of the gas is sufficient so that no significant degradation of the LED 19 occurs, and therefore no separate LED repair procedure is required.

[0196] In a further embodiment, two gas containers 43, 45 and valves 47, 49 may be provided, as in Figure 3. However, the two gases in the two containers 43, 45 may be mixed together in a flow path to provide a single gas to chamber 34, the single gas having the same composition as the single gas described above. This may be achieved by simultaneously opening or partially opening both valves 47 and 49 to generate a mixture of the two gases in flow path 55. For example, one of containers 43, 45 may contain an inert gas such as nitrogen, and the other of containers 43, 45 may contain oxygen or an oxygen-containing gas.

[0197] The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, are expressed in their specific form, or in terms of means for performing a disclosed function, or methods or processes for obtaining a disclosed result, and can, where appropriate, be utilized to realize the invention in various of its forms, either separately or in any combination of such features.

[0198] While the present invention has been described in conjunction with the above exemplary embodiments, many equivalent modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art given this disclosure. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments of the invention set forth above are considered to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Various changes can be made to the described embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0199] For the avoidance of doubt, any theoretical explanations provided herein are provided for the purpose of enhancing the understanding of the reader, and the inventors do not wish to be bound by any of these theoretical explanations.

[0200] The section headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not to be construed as limiting the subject matter described.

[0201] Throughout this specification, including the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the words "comprise" and "include," and variations such as "comprises," "comprising," and "including," will be understood to mean the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

[0202] It should be noted that as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed herein as from "about" one particular value and / or to "about" another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and / or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values ​​are expressed as approximations, using the preposition "about," it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment. The term "about" with respect to numerical values ​​is arbitrary and means, for example, + / - 10%. The present disclosure can also be realized in the following forms. [Form 1] 1. An apparatus for processing wafer-shaped articles, comprising: a support configured to support a wafer-shaped article; a heating assembly comprising an array of light-emitting heating elements configured to heat a wafer-shaped article supported by said support; a first gas having an oxygen content of less than 1% by volume; and a second gas having an oxygen content at least 2% higher by volume than said first gas; a gas supply mechanism configured to supply a gas to the array of light emitting heating elements; An apparatus comprising: [Form 2] 10. The device according to claim 1, The apparatus, wherein the second gas has an oxygen content at least 5% higher by volume than the first gas. [Form 3] 3. The device according to claim 1 or 2, The apparatus, wherein the first gas has an oxygen content of less than 0.5% by volume, or less than 0.1% by volume. [Form 4] The device according to any one of aspects 1 to 3, The apparatus, wherein the first gas is an inert gas. [Form 5] The device according to any one of aspects 1 to 4, The apparatus, wherein the first gas comprises nitrogen. [Form 6] The device according to any one of aspects 1 to 5, The apparatus, wherein the second gas comprises air. [Form 7] The device according to any one of aspects 1 to 6, The apparatus is configured to supply the first gas to the array of light emitting heating elements during processing of a wafer-shaped article by the apparatus. [Form 8] The device according to any one of aspects 1 to 7, The apparatus is configured to supply only the second gas to the array of light emitting heating elements when a wafer-shaped article is not being processed by the apparatus. [Form 9] The device according to any one of aspects 1 to 8, The device wherein the light emitting heating element is an LED. [Form 10] The device according to any one of aspects 1 to 9, The apparatus comprises a liquid dispenser for dispensing a liquid onto the surface of the wafer-shaped article. [Form 11] 11. The apparatus of claim 10, The apparatus is configured to supply only the second gas to the array of light emitting heating elements when the liquid is not being dispensed onto the surface of the wafer-shaped article. [Form 12] 12. The device of claim 10 or 11, The apparatus wherein the array of light emitting heating elements is positioned to heat a surface of the wafer opposite the wafer compared to the surface of the wafer onto which the liquid is dispensed. [Form 13] The device according to any one of aspects 1 to 12, The apparatus is configured to supply electrical power to the array of light emitting heating elements while the second gas is supplied to the array of light emitting heating elements. [Form 14] The device according to any one of aspects 1 to 13, The apparatus is configured to supply only the second gas to the array of light emitting heating elements when a wafer-shaped article is not supported by the support. [Form 15] The device according to any one of aspects 1 to 14, The device comprises: supplying the second gas to the array of light emitting heating elements after a predetermined period of processing of the wafer-shaped article by the apparatus; and / or supplying the second gas to the array of light emitting heating elements after a predetermined number of wafer-shaped articles have been processed by the apparatus; and / or supplying the second gas to the array of light-emitting heating elements when the power of one or more of the light-emitting heating elements drops by a predetermined amount or reaches a predetermined value; and / or supplying the second gas to the array of light-emitting heating elements according to a predetermined schedule; The apparatus is configured to: [Form 16] The device according to any one of aspects 1 to 15, The gas supply mechanism includes: a first gas path connected to a source of the first gas; a second gas path connected to a source of the second gas; An apparatus comprising: [Form 17] The device according to any one of aspects 1 to 16, The apparatus, wherein the gas supply mechanism comprises one or more valves configured to control the supply of the first gas and / or the supply of the second gas to the array of light emitting heating elements. [Form 18] The device according to any one of aspects 1 to 17, The gas supply mechanism includes: a first valve for connecting to a source of the first gas and a gas passage for conveying the first gas from the first valve to the array of light emitting heating elements, and a second valve for connecting to a source of the second gas and a gas passage for conveying the second gas from the second valve to the array of light emitting heating elements; or a multi-way valve connected to a source of the first gas and a source of the second gas, and gas flow paths for conveying the first gas and the second gas from the multi-way valve to the array of light-emitting heating elements; a first gas path connected to a source of the first gas, a second gas path connected to a source of the second gas, and a valve in the second gas path; An apparatus comprising: [Form 19] 1. An apparatus for processing wafer-shaped articles, comprising: a support configured to support a wafer-shaped article; a heating assembly comprising an array of light-emitting heating elements configured to heat a wafer-shaped article supported by said support; a gas supply mechanism configured to supply gas to the array of light emitting heating elements, the gas supply mechanism comprising: a first gas path connected to a source of a first gas; a second gas path connected to a source of a second gas; and one or more valves configured to control the supply of the first gas and / or the supply of the second gas to the array of light-emitting heating elements; a gas supply mechanism comprising: An apparatus comprising: [Form 20] 1. An apparatus for processing wafer-shaped articles, comprising: a support configured to support a wafer-shaped article; a heating assembly comprising an array of light-emitting heating elements configured to heat a wafer-shaped article supported by said support; a gas supply mechanism configured to supply a gas having an oxygen content greater than 1% by volume to the array of light-emitting heating elements during processing of a wafer-shaped article by the apparatus; An apparatus comprising: [Form 21] 1. A method of at least partially restoring power to a light-emitting heating element in an apparatus for processing wafer-shaped articles, the apparatus comprising: a support configured to support a wafer-shaped article; a heating assembly comprising an array of light-emitting heating elements configured to heat a wafer-shaped article supported by said support; a first gas having an oxygen content of less than 1% by volume; and a second gas having an oxygen content at least 2% higher by volume than said first gas; a gas supply mechanism configured to supply a gas to the array of light emitting heating elements; Equipped with The method comprises: supplying the second gas to the array of light emitting heating elements using the gas supply mechanism. Including, method. [Form 22] 1. A method of inhibiting degradation of light emitting heating elements in an apparatus for processing wafer-shaped articles, the apparatus comprising: a support configured to support a wafer-shaped article; a heating assembly comprising an array of light-emitting heating elements configured to heat a wafer-shaped article supported by said support; a gas supply mechanism for supplying gas to said array of light emitting heating elements; Equipped with The method comprises: using the gas supply mechanism to supply a gas having an oxygen content greater than 1% by volume to the array of light-emitting heating elements during processing of a wafer-shaped article by the apparatus. Including, method.

Claims

1. 1. An apparatus for processing wafer-shaped articles, comprising: a support configured to support a wafer-shaped article; a heating assembly comprising an array of light-emitting heating elements configured to heat a wafer-shaped article supported by said support; a first gas having an oxygen content of less than 1% by volume; and a second gas having an oxygen content at least 2% higher by volume than said first gas; a gas supply mechanism configured to supply a gas to the array of light emitting heating elements; Equipped with The gas supply mechanism supplies the second gas to the array of light-emitting heating elements to at least partially restore the power output of the light-emitting heating elements.

2. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, The apparatus, wherein the second gas has an oxygen content at least 5% higher by volume than the first gas.

3. 3. The device according to claim 1 or 2, The apparatus, wherein the first gas has an oxygen content of less than 0.5% by volume, or less than 0.1% by volume.

4. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The apparatus, wherein the first gas is an inert gas.

5. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The apparatus, wherein the first gas comprises nitrogen.

6. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The apparatus, wherein the second gas comprises air.

7. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The apparatus is configured to supply the first gas to the array of light emitting heating elements during processing of a wafer-shaped article by the apparatus.

8. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, The apparatus is configured to supply only the second gas to the array of light emitting heating elements when a wafer-shaped article is not being processed by the apparatus.

9. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, The device wherein the light emitting heating element is an LED.

10. 10. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, The apparatus comprises a liquid dispenser for dispensing a liquid onto the surface of the wafer-shaped article.

11. 11. The apparatus of claim 10, The apparatus is configured to supply only the second gas to the array of light emitting heating elements when the liquid is not being dispensed onto the surface of the wafer-shaped article.

12. 12. The device according to claim 10 or 11, The apparatus wherein the array of light-emitting heating elements is positioned to heat a surface of the wafer-shaped article that is on an opposite side of the wafer-shaped article compared to the surface of the wafer-shaped article onto which the liquid is dispensed.

13. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, The apparatus is configured to supply electrical power to the array of light emitting heating elements while the second gas is supplied to the array of light emitting heating elements.

14. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13, The apparatus is configured to supply only the second gas to the array of light emitting heating elements when a wafer-shaped article is not supported by the support.

15. 15. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, The device comprises: supplying the second gas to the array of light emitting heating elements after a predetermined period of processing of the wafer-shaped article by the apparatus; and / or supplying the second gas to the array of light emitting heating elements after a predetermined number of wafer-shaped articles have been processed by the apparatus; and / or supplying the second gas to the array of light-emitting heating elements when the power output of one or more of the light-emitting heating elements drops by a predetermined amount or reaches a predetermined value; and / or supplying the second gas to the array of light-emitting heating elements according to a predetermined schedule; The apparatus is configured to:

16. 16. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, The gas supply mechanism includes: a first gas path connected to a source of the first gas; a second gas path connected to a source of the second gas; An apparatus comprising:

17. 17. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 16, An apparatus, wherein the gas supply mechanism comprises one or more valves configured to control the supply of the first gas and / or the supply of the second gas to the array of light emitting heating elements.

18. 18. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 17, The gas supply mechanism includes: a first valve for connecting to a source of the first gas and a gas passage for conveying the first gas from the first valve to the array of light emitting heating elements, and a second valve for connecting to a source of the second gas and a gas passage for conveying the second gas from the second valve to the array of light emitting heating elements; or a multi-way valve connected to a source of the first gas and a source of the second gas, and gas flow paths for conveying the first gas and the second gas from the multi-way valve to the array of light-emitting heating elements; or a first gas path connected to a source of the first gas, a second gas path connected to a source of the second gas, and a valve in the second gas path; An apparatus comprising:

19. 1. An apparatus for processing wafer-shaped articles, comprising: a support configured to support a wafer-shaped article; a heating assembly comprising an array of light-emitting heating elements configured to heat a wafer-shaped article supported by said support; a gas supply mechanism configured to supply gas to the array of light emitting heating elements, the gas supply mechanism comprising: a first gas path connected to a source of a first gas; a second gas path connected to a source of a second gas; and one or more valves configured to control the supply of the first gas and / or the supply of the second gas to the array of light-emitting heating elements; a gas supply mechanism comprising: Equipped with the first gas has an oxygen content of less than 1% by volume; the second gas has an oxygen content at least 2% higher by volume than the first gas; The gas supply mechanism supplies the second gas to the array of light-emitting heating elements to at least partially restore the power output of the light-emitting heating elements.

20. 1. An apparatus for processing wafer-shaped articles, comprising: a support configured to support a wafer-shaped article; a heating assembly comprising an array of light-emitting heating elements configured to heat a wafer-shaped article supported by said support; a gas supply mechanism configured to supply a gas having an oxygen content greater than 1% by volume to the array of light-emitting heating elements to inhibit degradation of the light-emitting heating elements during processing of wafer-shaped articles by the apparatus; and An apparatus comprising:

21. 1. A method of at least partially restoring power to a light-emitting heating element in an apparatus for processing wafer-shaped articles, the apparatus comprising: a support configured to support a wafer-shaped article; a heating assembly comprising an array of light-emitting heating elements configured to heat a wafer-shaped article supported by said support; a first gas having an oxygen content of less than 1% by volume; and a second gas having an oxygen content at least 2% higher by volume than said first gas; a gas supply mechanism configured to supply a gas to the array of light emitting heating elements; Equipped with The method comprises: supplying the second gas to the array of light emitting heating elements using the gas supply mechanism. Including, method.

22. 1. A method of inhibiting degradation of light emitting heating elements in an apparatus for processing wafer-shaped articles, the apparatus comprising: a support configured to support a wafer-shaped article; a heating assembly comprising an array of light-emitting heating elements configured to heat a wafer-shaped article supported by said support; a gas supply mechanism for supplying gas to said array of light emitting heating elements; Equipped with The method comprises: using the gas supply mechanism to supply a gas having an oxygen content greater than 1% by volume to the array of light-emitting heating elements during processing of wafer-shaped articles by the apparatus. Including, method.

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