Substrate treatment apparatus

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor devices. Disclosed is a substrate treatment apparatus, comprising: a treatment tank used for storing a treatment liquid for treating a plurality of substrates, wherein the treatment tank comprises an overflow position, and the treatment liquid overflows to the outside through the overflow position; a blocking portion provided in the treatment tank, wherein the top of the blocking portion is higher than the overflow position, and the blocking portion is used for forming a treatment space and a partition space in the treatment tank; and a gas discharge portion provided at the bottom of the treatment tank, wherein a gas discharge area of the gas discharge portion is located in the treatment space and is used for forming rising bubbles in the treatment liquid. The blocking portion cuts off a main flow path of the treatment liquid in the partition space flowing to the treatment space, so that the influence on the flow field in the treatment space is reduced, and the bubbles in the treatment space are distributed more stably and uniformly, thereby avoiding the directional bubble deviation.

Description

Substrate processing device Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of semiconductor equipment, and in particular to a substrate processing device. Background Art

[0002] During the semiconductor manufacturing process, substrate processing equipment can simultaneously clean or etch multiple substrates by immersing them in a processing tank. To improve the uniformity of substrate processing, such as substrate etching, a bubbling process is often added to the tank to supply bubbles and agitate the processing liquid, promoting mass transfer efficiency across the substrate surface and improving substrate etching uniformity.

[0003] In the current bubbling process, the uniformity of bubbles in the fluid is difficult to control. In the actual process, deviation from the edge will occur, and the bubbles will move in one direction, resulting in no bubbles passing over the first or last wafer on the wafer support part, causing the process to fail. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a substrate processing device in order to overcome the defect of the bubbles in the processing tank of the substrate processing device in the prior art being deflected to the edge.

[0005] The present invention solves the above technical problems through the following technical solutions:

[0006] A substrate processing device, comprising:

[0007] a processing tank for storing a processing liquid for processing a plurality of substrates, the processing tank comprising an overflow position, through which the processing liquid overflows to the outside;

[0008] a blocking portion, disposed in the processing tank, wherein the height of the top of the blocking portion is higher than the height of the overflow position, and the blocking portion is used to form a processing space and a partition space in the processing tank;

[0009] A gas exhaust portion is provided at the bottom of the treatment tank, a gas exhaust region of the gas exhaust portion is located in the treatment space, and is used to form rising bubbles in the treatment liquid.

[0010] The positive progressive effect of the present invention is that by introducing a blocking portion into the processing tank, the processing tank is divided into a partition space and a processing space, the gas discharge area of ​​the gas discharge portion is set in the processing space, and the top of the blocking portion is configured to be higher than the overflow position, cutting off the upper reflux path of the processing liquid in the processing space to the partition space, which is beneficial to the stability of the flow field in the processing space, so that the bubbles in the processing space are more stable and uniform, avoiding the occurrence of bias.

[0011] Summary of the Figures

[0012] The features and performance of the present application are further described by the following examples and drawings.

[0013] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of flow field analysis of a substrate processing device exhibiting an edge deviation phenomenon;

[0014] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the isometric structure of the substrate processing device (excluding the substrate supporting portion) according to Example 1 of the present invention;

[0015] FIG3 is a schematic side view of the structure of FIG2 of the present invention;

[0016] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the GG portion in FIG3 of the present invention;

[0017] 5 is a schematic diagram of the isometric structure of the substrate processing device (including the substrate supporting portion) according to Example 1 of the present invention;

[0018] FIG6 is a schematic side view of the structure of FIG5 of the present invention;

[0019] FIG7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the structure taken along line MM in FIG6 of the present invention;

[0020] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of JJ in FIG6 of the present invention;

[0021] FIG9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the present invention from another perspective;

[0022] FIG10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the gas exhaust portion of Example 1 of the present invention;

[0023] FIG11 is a schematic structural diagram of a gas exhaust portion and a substrate according to Example 1 of the present invention;

[0024] 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a substrate processing apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0025] FIG13 is a schematic structural diagram of a gas exhaust portion according to Example 3 of the present invention.

[0026] Description of Reference Numerals

[0027] Processing tank 110

[0028] Overflow surface 111

[0029] Overflow port 112

[0030] Non-overflow surface 113

[0031] Outer tank 120

[0032] Blocking portion 200

[0033] Circulation line 310

[0034] Intake pipe 320

[0035] Liquid inlet line 330

[0036] Processing liquid discharge unit 410

[0037] Gas exhaust part 420

[0038] Substrate supporting portion 500

[0039] Substrate 600

[0040] Center Point 610

[0041] First connecting member 710

[0042] Second connecting member 720

[0043] Preferred embodiment of this application

[0044] The present invention is further described below by way of examples, but the present invention is not limited to the scope of the examples.

[0045] As shown in Figure 1, after the bubbling process is introduced into the substrate processing device, the uniformity of the bubbles in the processing liquid is difficult to control. In the actual process, a bias phenomenon will occur, and the bubbles will move in one direction. Referring to Figure 1, the internal space of the processing tank 110 is divided into two parts using the dotted line as the dividing line, which are respectively denoted as space V1' and space V2'. Among them, space V1' is generally used to accommodate various pipelines, and space V2' is used to accommodate the gas discharge area of ​​the gas discharge part 420, which is used to provide bubbles into the processing tank 110. Due to the upward flow generated by the bubbles in space V2', the liquid flow rate in space V2' is faster than the liquid flow rate in space V1'. According to the Bernoulli effect, the pressure in areas with low flow rates (space V1') is greater than that in areas with high flow rates (space V2'), generating a thrust F from space V1' toward space V2'. As a result, the liquid in space V1' will flow into space V2', causing the bubbles in space V2' to shift away from space V1', resulting in a deflection phenomenon. This, in turn, results in a region of space V2' near space V1' (hereinafter referred to as the bubble deflection region) with few or no bubbles, ultimately affecting the substrate processing effect. Furthermore, as indicated by the arrow in FIG1 , the liquid will flow back from the upper region of space V2' into space V1', forming a vortex in the upper region of space V1', causing the flow field within the processing tank 110 to become turbulent.

[0046] The existing solution is to introduce an additional air supply device to increase the amount of bubbles in the bubble edge area in the space V2 ′, so as to ensure that bubbles flow through the substrates at both ends during the process.

[0047] As shown in Figures 2 to 5, an embodiment of the present invention provides a substrate processing device that does not require the introduction of an additional gas supply device, and includes: a processing tank 110, a blocking portion 200, and a gas exhaust portion 420. The processing tank 110 is used to store a treatment liquid for treating a plurality of substrates 600, and the processing tank 110 includes an overflow position, which is used to allow the treatment liquid to overflow through the overflow position. The blocking portion 200 is arranged in the processing tank 110, and the height of the top of the blocking portion 200 is higher than the height of the overflow position. The blocking portion 200 is used to form a processing space V2 and a partition space V1 in the processing tank 110. The gas exhaust portion 420 is arranged at the bottom of the processing tank 110, and the gas exhaust area of ​​the gas exhaust portion 420 (the dotted rectangular frame area in Figure 4) is located in the processing space V2, for providing rising bubbles in the processing liquid. Wherein, in order to clearly show the structure of the blocking portion, the partially obscured internal structure of the blocking portion 200 is shown in Figure 2 with dotted lines.

[0048] By introducing a vertically disposed barrier 200 into the processing tank 110, the processing tank 110 is divided into a partition space V1 and a processing space V2. The gas exhaust area of ​​the gas exhaust portion 420 is located within the processing space V2. The top of the barrier 200 is higher than the overflow level, preventing the process liquid in the processing space V2 from overflowing over the top of the barrier 200 into the partition space V1. This prevents the process liquid from flowing back from the processing space V2 to the upper portion of the partition space V1. This reduces the impact of the partition space V1 on the flow field within the processing space V2, minimizes eddy currents, and ensures more stable and uniform bubbles in the processing space V2, preventing bias.

[0049] In this embodiment, the processing tank 110 includes an overflow surface 111 and a non-overflow surface 113. The overflow position is provided on the overflow surface 111, and the processing liquid overflows to the outside through the overflow surface 111. The blocking portion 200 is provided near the non-overflow surface 113, and the partition space V1 is located between the blocking portion 200 and the non-overflow surface 113. The processing space V2 is the space in the processing tank 110 excluding the partition space V1.

[0050] The processing tank 110 includes an overflow surface 111 and a non-overflow surface 113. As long as the height of the overflow position in the overflow surface 111 is lower than the height of the non-overflow surface 113, the processing liquid can overflow from the overflow surface 111. Compared with the processing tank 110 composed entirely of overflow surfaces 111 (it is necessary to ensure that multiple overflow surfaces 111 are of the same height), the processing accuracy is lower, and the blocking part 200 is set close to the non-overflow surface 113, which will not affect the overflow of the processing liquid.

[0051] 4 , the processing tank 110 includes a processing tank 110 and an outer tank 120. The processing tank 110 includes two oppositely disposed overflow surfaces 111 and two oppositely disposed non-overflow surfaces 113. The processing liquid overflows into the outer tank 120 through the overflow surfaces 111, and the blocking portion 200 is disposed near one of the non-overflow surfaces 113. Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus further includes a circulation device, which includes a circulation line 310 and a processing liquid discharge portion 410. The circulation line 310 connects the processing tank 110 and the outer tank 120, and a circulation pump 311 is disposed on the circulation line 310. The processing liquid discharge portion 410 is disposed at the bottom of the processing tank 110 and is located within the processing space V2. One end of the circulation line 310 passes through the partition space V1 and is connected to the processing liquid discharge portion 410 to transport the processing liquid to the processing liquid discharge portion 410. The processing liquid discharge portion 410 generates an upward flow by discharging the processing liquid into the processing tank 110. The other end of the circulation pipe 310 is connected to the outer tank 120 . After the treatment liquid overflows from the treatment tank 110 to the outer tank 120 , it will flow back to the treatment liquid discharge part 410 through the circulation pipe 310 under the action of the circulation pump 311 .

[0052] The overflow surface 111 is provided with a plurality of overflow ports 112. After being discharged from the treatment liquid discharge portion 410, the treated liquid flows upward and overflows from the overflow ports 112 into the outer tank 120. The circulation device can complete the circulation between the treatment tank 110 and the outer tank 120. The lowest point of the overflow port 112 is the overflow position.

[0053] As shown in FIG4 , by disposing a plurality of pipelines in the partition space V1 , it is possible to avoid the influence of each pipeline on the flow field of the processing space V2 , thereby ensuring the uniformity of bubbles in the processing space V2 .

[0054] Specifically, in an embodiment of the present invention, the substrate processing apparatus includes an air inlet pipeline 320 , which is connected to the gas exhaust portion 420 and is used to provide gas to the gas exhaust portion 420 . The air inlet pipeline 320 is disposed in the partition space V1 .

[0055] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the processing space V2 is used to clean the substrate 600. The substrate processing device also includes a substrate carrying portion 500, which is arranged in the processing space V2 and carries multiple substrates 600 in a vertical direction. The blocking portion 200 is a plate-like structure with a flat surface. The flat surface will not hinder the upward flow of bubbles and treatment liquid, which is conducive to maintaining the stability of the flow field in the processing space V2. In this example, the main surface 210 of the blocking portion 200 is arranged relative to the substrate 600, and the blocking portion 200 is arranged near the non-overflow surface 113. The overflow surface 111 is perpendicular to the surface of the substrate 600. The overflowing treatment liquid basically flows out upward in the vertical direction, and the overflow direction is parallel to the substrate 600. The flow field is not easy to generate pressure on the substrate 600, thereby causing shaking or even fragmentation.

[0056] Furthermore, referring to FIG. 9 , to provide a more stable processing environment for substrate 600, in this embodiment, the width W1 of barrier 200 is greater than the width W2 of substrate 600. Barrier 200 can block the majority of the processing and partition spaces along the width of the substrate, ensuring a relatively stable flow field within the space surrounding substrate 600 and uniform bubble distribution without bias. In other embodiments, the arrangement of barrier 200 and substrate 600 is not limited to this and can be flexibly configured based on actual usage requirements, such as arranging the main surface of barrier 200 perpendicular to substrate 600.

[0057] 6 and 7 , the substrate processing device further includes a first connecting member 710 , which is disposed in the upper region of the blocking portion 200 , one end of the first connecting member 710 being connected to the blocking portion 200 , and the other end of the first connecting member 710 being fixed to the processing tank 110 , thereby being able to fix the blocking portion 200 .

[0058] Furthermore, as shown in FIG8 , the substrate processing apparatus further includes a second connector 720, through which the barrier portion 200 is connected to the non-overflow surface 113 of the processing tank 110. The second connector 720 is disposed at the lower portion of the barrier portion 200, further improving the reliability of the connection between the barrier portion 200 and the non-overflow surface 113. In other embodiments, the second connector 720 may also be disposed in the middle region of the barrier portion 200, as long as the barrier portion 200 is securely connected to the non-overflow surface 113.

[0059] In some embodiments, the blocking portion 200 may also be connected to the overflow surface of the processing tank 110 through a second connecting member 720 .

[0060] In some embodiments, the substrate processing apparatus may be provided with only the first connecting member 710 or only the second connecting member 720 .

[0061] In this embodiment, referring to FIG. 7 , the substrate processing apparatus further includes a liquid inlet pipeline 330 for providing processing liquid to the processing tank 110 . The liquid inlet pipeline 330 is disposed in the partition space V1 .

[0062] Furthermore, referring to Figures 7 and 9 , the partition space V1 and the processing space V2 are not completely separated; a connecting region 800 exists between the partition space V1 and the processing space V2. The liquid inlet line 330 delivers the processing liquid into the partition space V1, where it enters the processing space V2 through the connecting region 800, thereby filling the entire processing tank 110. It should be noted that when the substrate processing apparatus performs the bubbling process, the liquid inlet line 330 is closed, and the circulation line 310 is open.

[0063] In this embodiment, the communication region 800 includes a first communication region 810, which is disposed between the bottom of the barrier portion 200 and the bottom of the processing tank 110. Specifically, the bottom of the barrier portion 200 is higher than the bottom of the processing tank 110. Preferably, the bottom of the barrier portion 200 is set to a height not higher than the center point 610 of the substrate 600. In this way, the barrier portion 200 can only separate the processing space V2 from the upper half of the partition space V1, while the partition space V1 is connected to the lower region of the processing space V2 (i.e., the first communication region 810). When replenishing liquid to the processing tank 110, the liquid inlet pipeline 330 transports the processing liquid into the partition space V1. Through the first communication region 810, the processing liquid can enter the processing space V2 until the entire processing tank 110 is filled.

[0064] In this embodiment, the communication region 800 also includes a second communication region 820, which is disposed between the side end surface of the barrier portion 200 and the inner side wall of the treatment tank 110. Specifically, there is a gap between the side end surface of the barrier portion 200 and the inner side wall of the treatment tank 110, and this gap is the second communication region 820. By reasonably setting the size of the gap according to the liquid inlet flow rate and the liquid inlet pressure of the liquid inlet pipeline 330, it is possible to avoid deformation of the barrier portion 200 due to excessive pressure in the partition space V1 during the liquid inlet process. Specifically, the second communication region 820 is distributed on both sides of the substrate 600, and the substrate 600 is disposed opposite the barrier portion 200. The width of the barrier portion 200 is greater than the width of the substrate 600. The provision of the second communication region 820 has little effect on the liquid flow and bubble distribution on the surface of the substrate 600.

[0065] In other embodiments, the second connecting region may not be provided, and the partition space V1 and the processing space V2 may be connected only through the first connecting region 810 .

[0066] In other embodiments, the connecting area may not exist, the partition space V1 and the processing space V2 are completely separated, and liquid can be replenished to the partition space V1 and the processing space V2 respectively.

[0067] In this embodiment, the gas discharge portion 420 is a box-type structure, and the bubbling is more uniform. Specifically, with reference to Figures 10 and 11 regarding the specific structure of the gas discharge portion 420, the gas discharge portion 420 includes: a bubbling plate 422 and a bubbling cavity 421. The bubbling plate 422 faces the multiple substrates 600, and the bubbling plate 422 has multiple openings 423. The bubbling cavity 421 is flat and is used to provide gas to the multiple openings 423. The interior of the bubbling cavity 421 is divided into four independent gas channels, and the gas supply flow rates of the four gas channels are independently controlled. The bubbling cavity 421 can be supplied with gas through the air inlet pipe 410. In other embodiments, the internal division of the bubbling cavity 421 is not limited to this. At least two independent gas channels can be provided as needed, and each gas channel performs independent gas supply flow control.

[0068] The independent control of the gas flow rate of each gas channel is illustrated using the division of the bubbling chamber 421 shown in Figure 11. The bubbling chamber 421 is divided into gas channels L1 to L4 along the X-direction. Similarly, the substrate 600 is divided into processing areas M1 to M4 along the X-direction, corresponding to the gas channels L1 to L4. In this embodiment, the bubbling behavior, such as the number of bubbles, in the corresponding processing area is controlled by adjusting the gas flow rate of the gas channel to ensure a consistent processing rate in each processing area on the substrate 600, thereby improving the in-plane uniformity of the substrate 600 processing. For example, when processing substrate 300 under the same gas supply conditions through gas channels L1-L4, average processing rates V1-V4 are obtained for processing regions M1-M4 of substrate 300. If the experimental results show that V1=V4<V2=V3, then by increasing the gas supply flow rates through gas channels L1 and L4, the number of bubbles in processing regions M1 and M4 is increased, the agitation effect and mass transfer efficiency in processing regions M1 and M4 are improved, and thus the processing rates in processing regions M1 and M4 are increased, so that V1=V2=V3=V4, thereby achieving the purpose of improving the in-plane uniformity of processing of substrate 600. In addition, in an embodiment of the present invention, the gas exhaust portion 420 is located within the processing space, and the gas inlet conduit 320 is located within the partition space. This stabilizes the flow field within the processing space, thereby ensuring a more ideal bubble distribution effect.

[0069] Example 2

[0070] The structure of this embodiment is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment, except that, referring to FIG. 12 , in this embodiment, the projection of the substrate 600 in a direction perpendicular to its plane is within the main surface 210 of the barrier 200 .

[0071] The area of ​​the barrier portion 200 is larger than that of the barrier portion 200 in Example 1, and the distribution of bubbles in the processing space V2 is relatively more stable.

[0072] In this embodiment, the first connected area is not provided, and only the second connected area is provided.

[0073] Example 3

[0074] This embodiment is basically the same as the substrate processing device in Example 1, with the difference being that, as shown in FIG13 , in this embodiment, the gas exhaust portion 820 includes: four independently arranged bubbling units 8201, each bubbling unit 8201 being connected to an air inlet pipe 810 and capable of independent gas supply, the top surface of each bubbling unit 8201 including a plurality of openings, a bubbling cavity being formed inside each bubbling unit 8201 for providing gas to the plurality of openings, wherein the bubbling cavity includes a gas channel.

[0075] While the gas discharge section in Example 2 was machined as a whole, the gas discharge section 820 in this embodiment is divided into multiple independent bubbling units 8201. The processing difficulty of each bubbling unit 8201 is reduced. When machining the gas discharge section 820, each bubbling unit 8201 can be machined individually. When used, multiple bubbling units 8201 can be combined together, which helps reduce the processing difficulty of the gas discharge section 820 and improves the yield of the gas discharge section 820. Furthermore, each bubbling unit 8201 is independent of each other. If damaged, each bubbling unit 8201 can be replaced individually without replacing the entire gas discharge section 820, which helps reduce replacement costs.

[0076] In other embodiments, the number of bubbling units 8201 is not limited thereto, and at least two bubbling units 8201 may be provided as needed. Furthermore, the bubbling cavity formed inside each bubbling unit 8201 may also be provided with two or more gas channels, and the gas supply of each gas channel may be independently controlled.

[0077] Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, those skilled in the art will appreciate that these are merely illustrative and that the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims. Those skilled in the art may make various changes or modifications to these embodiments without departing from the principles and essence of the present invention, and such changes and modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus, characterized in that, Comprising: A processing tank for storing a processing liquid for processing a substrate, the processing tank including an overflow level for overflowing the processing liquid through the overflow level; A blocking portion disposed within the processing tank, the height of the top of the blocking portion being higher than the height of the overflow level, the blocking portion for forming a processing space and a partition space in the processing tank; A gas discharge portion disposed at the bottom of the processing tank, the gas discharge area of the gas discharge portion being located within the processing space, the gas discharge portion for forming rising bubbles in the processing liquid.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The processing tank further includes an overflow surface and a non-overflow surface, the overflow level being disposed on the overflow surface, the blocking portion being disposed close to the non-overflow surface, the partition space being located between the blocking portion and the non-overflow surface, and the processing space being the space in the processing tank other than the partition space.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein Further included is an intake pipeline connected to the gas discharge portion for supplying gas to the gas discharge portion, the intake pipeline being disposed within the partition space.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, Further included is a liquid supply pipeline for supplying the processing liquid to the processing tank, the liquid supply pipeline being disposed within the partition space.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, There is a communication area between the partition space and the processing space.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein The communication area includes a first communication area and / or a second communication area, the first communication area being disposed between the bottom of the blocking portion and the bottom of the processing tank, and the second communication area being disposed between the side end surface of the blocking portion and the inner side wall of the processing tank.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, The main surface of the blocking portion is disposed opposite to the substrate.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, The width of the blocking portion is greater than the width of the substrate.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, The projection of the substrate in the direction perpendicular to its plane is within the main surface of the blocking portion.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The height of the bottom of the blocking portion is not higher than the height of the center point of the substrate.

11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein Further comprising: An outer tank disposed outside the processing tank; A circulation pipeline for connecting the processing tank and the outer tank, and a circulation pump is disposed on the circulation pipeline; A processing liquid discharge portion disposed at the bottom of the processing tank and within the processing space, one end of the circulation pipeline passes through the partition space and is connected to the processing liquid discharge portion to convey the processing liquid to the processing liquid discharge portion, and the processing liquid discharge portion generates an upward flow by discharging the processing liquid into the processing tank, and the other end of the circulation pipeline is connected to the outer tank.

12. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, Further included is a connecting member, and the blocking portion is connected to the processing tank through the connecting member.

13. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein, The connecting member includes a first connecting member and / or a second connecting member, the first connecting member being disposed in the upper region of the blocking portion, and the second connecting member being disposed in the lower region or the middle region of the blocking portion.

14. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The gas discharge portion includes: A bubbling plate facing the substrate, and the bubbling plate has a plurality of openings; A bubbling chamber for supplying gas to the plurality of openings; Wherein, the interior of the bubbling chamber includes at least two independent gas channels, and the gas supply flow rates of the at least two gas channels are independently controlled.

15. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The gas discharge part includes: at least two bubbling units, the top surface of each bubbling unit includes a plurality of openings, a bubbling cavity is formed inside each bubbling unit for supplying gas to the plurality of openings, and the bubbling cavity includes at least one gas channel that can be independently controlled.

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