This U.S. non-provisional patent application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2016-0045911, filed on Apr. 15, 2016, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Example embodiments of the inventive concepts relate to a substrate processing system and, more particularly, to a cleaning apparatus removing particles on a substrate or a substrate processing system including the same.
A semiconductor device may be fabricated by a plurality of unit processes. The unit processes may include a deposition process of a thin layer, a chemical mechanical polishing process, a photolithography process, an etching process, an ion implantation process, and a cleaning process. The cleaning process is a unit process for mainly removing particles existing on a substrate. Particles may be mainly removed by a water-based cleaning solution.
Embodiments of the inventive concepts may provide a cleaning apparatus capable of improving a cleaning efficiency.
Embodiments of the inventive concepts may also provide a cleaning apparatus capable of preventing occurrence of water mark stains and a substrate processing system including the same.
In one embodiment, a cleaning apparatus may comprise a chuck receiving a substrate, a first nozzle configured to provide a first cleaning water or a first organic solvent onto the substrate at a first pressure, and a second nozzle disposed adjacent to the first nozzle. The second nozzle may be configured to provide a cleaning solution including second cleaning water and a second organic solvent onto the substrate at a second pressure lower than the first pressure.
In one embodiment, a substrate processing system may comprise a deposition apparatus configured to deposit a thin layer on a substrate, and a cleaning apparatus configured to remove at least one particle on the thin layer. The cleaning apparatus may include a chuck receiving the substrate, a first nozzle configured to provide a first cleaning water or a first organic solvent onto the thin layer at a first pressure, and a second nozzle disposed adjacent to the first nozzle. The second nozzle may be configured to provide a cleaning solution including second cleaning water and a second organic solvent onto the thin layer at a second pressure lower than the first pressure.
In one embodiment, a cleaning apparatus may comprise a chuck configured to receive a substrate, a nozzle configured to provide a cleaning solution including a cleaning water onto the substrate, a detector configured to detect an image of the cleaning solution on the substrate, and a controller configured to determine a contact angle of the cleaning solution on the substrate and configured to adjust a mixture ratio of the organic solvent to the cleaning water in the cleaning solution based on the contact angle.
The inventive concepts will become more apparent in view of the attached drawings and accompanying detailed description.
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The first chamber 22 may provide a space which is independent of an outside of the first chamber 22 and into which a substrate W is provided. For example, the first chamber 22 may have a vacuum pressure of about 10−3 Torr to about 10−2 Torr.
The susceptor 24 may be disposed in the first chamber 22, e.g., in a lower region of the space of the first chamber 22. The susceptor 24 may receive the substrate W. The substrate W may be heated to a high temperature. For example, the substrate W may be heated to a temperature of about 200 degrees Celsius or more.
The shower head 25 may be disposed in the first chamber 22, e.g., in an upper region of the space of the first chamber 22. The shower head 25 may provide first and second reaction gases 27 and 29 onto the substrate W. A plasma electrode 23 may be disposed in the shower head 25. The plasma electrode 23 may induce plasma 21 by using high-frequency power. The plasma 21 may include the first and second reaction gases 27 and 29 which are activated between the susceptor 24 and the shower head 25 by the high-frequency power.
The first and second reaction gas supply parts 26 and 28 may supply the first and second reaction gases 27 and 29 into the first chamber 22. For example, the first reaction gas 27 may include a silane (SiH4) gas. The second reaction gas 29 may include a methane (CH4) gas. A thin layer 12 may be formed on the substrate W in the first chamber 22 by using the first reaction gas 27 and the second reaction gas 29. In some embodiments, the thin layer 12 may be a low-k dielectric layer of which a dielectric constant is lower than that of a silicon oxide (SiO2) layer. For example, the thin layer 12 may include a silicon carbide (SiC) layer, a silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) layer, or a silicon oxycarbonitride (SiOCN) layer. The thin layer 12 may mainly reduce a coupling capacitance between electrical interconnection lines. The thin layer 12 may have a hydrophobic property. After the formation of the thin layer 12, the first reaction gas 27 and the second reaction gas 29 may generate a post-reaction gas (e.g., a by-product gas). For example, the post-reaction gas may include a hydrogen gas. The post-reaction gas may be exhausted to the outside of the first chamber 22 by a vacuum pump.
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The second chamber 100 may be a housing surrounding the chamber 110. The second chamber 100 may reduce or prevent external exhaust of the first cleaning fluid 159 and the second cleaning solution 165. The first cleaning fluid 159 and the second cleaning solution 165 on the substrate W may be collected to a scrubber (not shown) disposed under the second chamber 100.
The chuck 110 may clamp the substrate W. In addition, the chuck 110 may rotate the substrate W. For example, the chuck 110 may rotate the substrate W at a rotational speed of about 60 rpm to about 1000 rpm.
The arm 120 may be disposed between a shaft 122 and the first and second nozzles 130 and 140. One end of the arm 120 may be connected to the shaft 122, and another end of the arm 120 may be connected to the first and second nozzles 130 and 140. The shaft 122 may be fixed outside the chuck 110 and the substrate W. The shaft 122 may rotate the arm 120 and the first and second nozzles 130 and 140. The first and second nozzles 130 and 140 may be movable in a radial direction of the substrate W. The first cleaning fluid 159 and the second cleaning solution 165 may be provided to an entire top surface of the thin layer 12 by the rotation of the shaft 122 and the chuck 110. For example, the first and second nozzles 130 and 140 may provide the first cleaning fluid 159 and the second cleaning solution 165 while moving at a speed of about 5 mm/sec to about 50 mm/sec by the arm 120 and the shaft 122.
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The first nozzle 130 may be a spray nozzle. The first cleaning fluid 159 may separate particles 16 from the thin layer 12. For example, the particles 16 may include carbon or polymer included in the thin layer 12. The first cleaning fluid 159 may include a first cleaning solution 155 and a carrier gas 157, as described above. In some embodiments, the first cleaning solution 155 may dissolve the particles 16. Alternatively, the first cleaning solution 155 may have a high pressure and may impact on the particles 16. The particles 16 may be separated from the thin layer 12 by pressure and impact force of the first cleaning fluid 159. The carrier gas 157 may accelerate the first cleaning solution 155. For example, the carrier gas 157 may include a nitrogen (N2) gas.
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The second cleaning solution 165 may include second cleaning water 161 and a second organic solvent 163. The second cleaning water 161 may be the same as the first cleaning water 151. For example, the second cleaning water 161 may include deionized water, ammonia water, a surfactant, oxygenated water, or a standard cleaning 1 (SC1) solution (NH4OH:H2O2:H2O). The second organic solvent 163 may be the same as the first organic solvent 153. For example, the second organic solvent 163 may include isopropyl alcohol.
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When the mixture ratio of the second organic solvent 163 to the second cleaning water 161 increases, the drops 14 may be removed from the thin layer 12 without the water mark stains 15. The second organic solvent 163 may increase wettability of the second cleaning solution 165 with respect to the thin layer 12. When the wettability is increased, the second cleaning solution 165 may slide on the thin layer 12 without adhesion of the drops 14. As a result, the wettability of the second cleaning solution 165 may be increased to reduce the water mark stains 15.
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The controller 180 may determine a contact angle θ of the drop 14 from the detected image. The contact angle θ may be defined as an inclination angle from a top surface of the thin layer 12 to an extending line 13 of an edge of the drop 14. The contact angle θ may be inversely proportional to the wettability. In other words, as the contact angle θ is reduced, the wettability of the second cleaning solution 165 with respect to the substrate W may be increased. Contrariwise, as the contact angle θ increases, the wettability may be reduced. The contact angle θ may be proportional to an occurrence of the water mark stains 15. In other words, as the contact angle θ is reduced, the occurrence of the water mark stains 15 may be reduced. For example, when the contact angle θ is in a range of 0 degree to 30 degrees, the occurrence of the water mark stains 15 may be prevented.
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The first cleaning fluid supply part 150 may be connected to the first nozzle 130. In some embodiments, the first cleaning fluid supply part 150 may include a first cleaning water tank 152, a first organic solvent tank 154, a carrier gas tank 156, a first mixer 158, and first to third valves 181 to 183. The first cleaning water tank 152 may store the first cleaning water 151. The first valve 181 may be connected between the first cleaning water tank 152 and the first nozzle 130. The first valve 181 may adjust a supply flow rate of the first cleaning water 151. The first organic solvent tank 154 may store the first organic solvent 153. The second valve 182 may be connected between the first organic solvent tank 154 and the first nozzle 130. The second valve 182 may adjust a supply flow rate of the first organic solvent 153. The first mixer 158 may be connected between the first nozzle 130 and the first and second valves 181 and 182. The first mixer 158 may mix the first cleaning water 151 and the first organic solvent 153 with each other to provide the first cleaning solution 155 into the first nozzle 130. The carrier gas tank 156 may store the carrier gas 157. The third valve 183 may be connected between the carrier gas tank 156 and the first nozzle 130. The third valve 183 may adjust a supply flow rate of the carrier gas 157. The controller 180 may be connected to the first to third valves 181 to 183. The controller 180 may control the flow rate and the pressure of the first cleaning fluid 159. The controller 180 may adjust the mixture ratio of the first organic solvent 153 and the first cleaning water 151.
The second cleaning fluid supply part 160 may be connected to the second nozzle 140. In sonic embodiments, the second cleaning fluid supply part 160 may include a second cleaning water tank 162, a second organic solvent tank 164, a second mixer 166, and fourth and fifth valves 184 and 185. The second cleaning water tank 162 may store the second cleaning water 161. The fourth valve 184 may be connected between the second cleaning water tank 162 and the second nozzle 140. The fourth valve 184 may adjust a supply flow rate of the second cleaning water 161. The second organic solvent tank 164 may store the second organic solvent 163. The fifth valve 185 may be connected between the second organic solvent tank 164 and the second nozzle 140. The fifth valve 185 may adjust a flow rate of the second organic solvent 163. The second mixer 166 may be connected between the second nozzle 140 and the fourth and fifth valves 184 and 185. The second mixer 166 may mix the second cleaning water 161 and the second organic solvent 163 with each other to provide the second cleaning solution 165 into the second nozzle 140. The fourth and fifth valves 184 and 185 may be connected to the controller 180. In some embodiments, the controller 180 may adjust the mixture ratio of the second organic solvent 163 to the second cleaning water 161 on the basis of the contact angle θ of the drop 14 of the second cleaning solution 165. For example, the controller 180 may adjust the mixture ratio of the second organic solvent 163 to the second cleaning water 161 in a range of 2:1 to 40:1, thereby preventing the occurrence of the water mark stains 15. In certain embodiments, the controller 180 may adjust the mixture ratios of the first and second organic solvents 153 and 163 to the first and second cleaning waters 151 and 161 in the range of 2:1 to 40:1, thereby preventing the occurrence of the water mark stains 15. Hereinafter, a method of cleaning the substrate W will be described.
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As described above, the cleaning apparatus according to some embodiments of the inventive concepts may include the first and second nozzles fixed on one arm. The pressure of the cleaning fluid provided onto the substrate by the first nozzle may be higher than the pressure of the cleaning solution provided onto the substrate by the second nozzle. The cleaning fluid of the first nozzle may separate the particles from the substrate by the pressure and the impact force, and the cleaning solution of the second nozzle may float the separated particles by etching or electrical repulsive force. Adhesive force of the floated particles may be reduced, and thus the floated particles may be easily removed by the rotation of the substrate or may be easily removed by the pressure of the first nozzle even though the pressure of the first nozzle is low. Thus, the cleaning efficiency of the cleaning apparatus may be improved. The cleaning solution may include the organic solvent and the cleaning water. The cleaning water may float the particles. The organic solvent may be mixed with the cleaning water to increase the wettability of the cleaning solution with respect to the substrate. The mixed organic solvent may prevent the occurrence of the watermark stains of the cleaning water.
While the inventive concepts have been described with reference to example embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirits and scopes of the inventive concepts. Therefore, it should be understood that the above embodiments are not limiting, but illustrative. Thus, the scopes of the inventive concepts are to be determined by the broadest permissible interpretation of the following claims and their equivalents, and shall not be restricted or limited by the foregoing description.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10-2016-0045911 | Apr 2016 | KR | national |