Patent Application
20250105030
This application claims benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0126577, filed on Sep. 21, 2023, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates generally to semiconductor processes, and more particularly to, a substrate cleaning device and a substrate cleaning method using the same.
Among semiconductor processes, a cleaning process may remove impurities on a surface of a substrate through techniques that may include, but not be limited to, chemical material treatments, gas, physical methods, and the like. In the case of semiconductor processes that deal with fine processes, trace impurities (e.g., particles, metals, organic materials, natural oxide layers, and the like) on the surface of the substrate may have a negative impact on the yield and reliability of semiconductor products, such as, but not limited to, pattern defects and electric characteristic deterioration. Therefore, cleaning processes that clean the substrate may be a significant factor in an overall success of semiconductor processes.
Cleaning processes may be categorized into dipping methods and spraying methods. An example of a dipping method may include submerging the substrate in chemical materials and/or deionized water (DIW). An example of a spray method may include removing impurities by spraying chemical materials in the form of liquid or gas to a rotating substrate.
Recently, a majority of substrates may have been processed using a dipping method (e.g., a batch type), as such a method may provide for substantially simultaneous processing of several substrates at a time. However, spraying methods, which may be better suited for processing a single substrate at a time, may be gaining in popularity along with advancements of fine processes and changes in materials used to manufacture and/or process semiconductors.
In a related spraying method, a high-pressure spray device may be used to spray DIW at a high pressure. For example, the high-pressure spray device may be used to supply the DIW with a relatively high electrical resistance at a relatively high pressure (e.g., over 100 bar). However, foreign particles may reversely flow to the object (e.g., substrate) to be cleaned because of static electricity caused by a friction with the plate wall inside the pipe and/or a friction generated when the DIW is sprayed from a fine nozzle. In order to potentially reduce the possible contamination with foreign particles, the resistivity value of the DIW may be lowered by dissolving a carbon dioxide in the DIW.
One or more example embodiments of the present disclosure provide a substrate cleaning device for spraying a curtain body on an upper surface or an outside of an edge of a substrate parallel to a cleaner guard internal wall surrounding the substrate to thereby prevent droplets of a cleaning solution sprayed during a cleaning process or particles removed during the cleaning process from hitting the substrate, being bounced off from the substrate, and colliding with the cleaner guard, or being reflected again from the cleaner guard and contaminating the substrate, and a substrate cleaning method using the same.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a substrate cleaning device includes a cleaning module configured to spray a cleaning solution on an upper side of a substrate, a curtain module coupled with the cleaning module and configured to spray a curtain body to at least one of a first area including an upper side of an edge of the substrate, a second area between a cleaner guard at least partially surrounding the substrate and a first upper portion of the edge of the substrate, and a third area including a second upper portion of an outside of the edge of the substrate in parallel to an internal wall of the cleaner guard, and a driver coupled with the cleaning module and configured to horizontally move the cleaning module on a third upper portion of the substrate.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a substrate cleaning device includes a cleaning module configured to spray a cleaning solution toward an upper side of a substrate, a curtain module fixed to an internal wall of a cleaner guard and configured to spray a curtain body to at least one of an edge of the substrate and an outside of the edge in parallel to the internal wall of the cleaner guard, the cleaner guard at least partially surrounding the substrate, a driver coupled with the cleaning module and configured to horizontally move the cleaning module on the substrate, and a controller configured to control the curtain module to spray the curtain body based on the cleaning module spraying the cleaning solution on the edge of the substrate.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a substrate cleaning method includes rotating an arranged substrate, controlling a cleaning module to spray a cleaning solution on a surface of the substrate, and controlling a curtain module, disposed on at least one of a first upper portion of an edge of the substrate and a second upper portion of an outside of the edge of the substrate, to spray a curtain body between a cleaner guard at least partially surrounding the substrate and at least one of an upper side of the edge of the substrate and the cleaning module, based on the cleaning module spraying the cleaning solution on the edge of the substrate.
Further, one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure provide for a curtain body to be sprayed on the edge or outside of the edge of the substrate to prevent droplets or particles of the cleaning solution generated near the edge of the substrate during the cleaning process from colliding with the cleaner guard and contaminating the substrate again, thereby increasing detergency of the substrate.
Additional aspects may be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, may be apparent from the description, and/or may be learned by practice of the presented embodiments.
The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain embodiments of the present disclosure may be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
In the following detailed description, only certain embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described, simply by way of illustration. As those skilled in the art may understand, the described embodiments may be modified in various different ways, without departing from the spirit and/or scope of the present disclosure.
The drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive, and like reference numerals may designate like elements throughout the specification.
The size and thickness of each configuration shown in the drawings may be arbitrarily shown for better understanding and ease of description, however, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In the drawings, the thickness of layers, films, panels, regions, and the like, may be enlarged for clarity. The thicknesses of some layers and areas may be exaggerated for ease of explanation.
Throughout the present disclosure and the claims that follow, when an element is described as being “coupled” or “connected” to another element, the element may be “directly coupled” to the other element and/or may be “indirectly coupled” to the other element through a third element.
Unless explicitly described to the contrary, the word “comprise”, and variations such as, but not limited to, “comprises” or “comprising”, may be understood to imply the inclusion of stated elements but not the exclusion of any other elements.
It is to be understood that when an element such as a layer, film, region, or substrate is referred to as being “over,” “above,” “on”, “below,” “under,” or “beneath” another element, the element may be directly over, above, below, under, or beneath the other element and/or intervening elements may also be present. Alternatively or additionally, when an element is referred to as being “directly over,” “directly above,” “directly on”, “directly below,” “directly under,” or “directly beneath” another element, there may be no intervening elements present. The word “on” or “above” may refer to being positioned on or below the object portion, and may not necessarily refer to being positioned on the upper side of the object portion based on a gravitational direction.
The phrase “in a plan view” may refer to viewing an object portion from the top, and the phrase “in a cross-sectional view” may refer to viewing a cross-section of which the object portion is vertically cut from the side.
As used herein, when an element or layer is referred to as “covering” another element or layer, the element or layer may cover at least a portion of the other element or layer, where the portion may include a fraction of the other element or may include an entirety of the other element.
As used herein, each of such phrases as “A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” “at least one of A or B,” “A, B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” and “at least one of A, B, or C,” may include any possible combinations of the items enumerated together in a corresponding one of the phrases. As used herein, such terms as “1st” and “2nd,” or “first” and “second” may be used to simply distinguish a corresponding component from another, and does not limit the components in other aspect (e.g., importance or order).
In the present disclosure, the articles “a” and “an” are intended to include one or more items, and may be used interchangeably with “one or more.” Where only one item is intended, the term “one” or similar language is used.
Reference throughout the present disclosure to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “an example embodiment,” or similar language may indicate that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the indicated embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present solution. Thus, the phrases “in one embodiment”, “in an embodiment,” “in an example embodiment,” and similar language throughout this disclosure may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment. The embodiments described herein are example embodiments, and thus, the disclosure is not limited thereto and may be realized in various other forms.
It is to be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of blocks in the processes/flowcharts disclosed are an illustration of exemplary approaches. Based upon design preferences, it is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of blocks in the processes/flowcharts may be rearranged. Further, some blocks may be combined or omitted. The accompanying claims present elements of the various blocks in a sample order, and are not meant to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.
As used herein, each of the terms “CO2”, “N2”, and the like may refer to a material made of elements included in each of the terms and is not a chemical formula representing a stoichiometric relationship.
Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Hereinafter, a substrate cleaning device and a substrate cleaning method according to example embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In a semiconductor process, a cluster-tool system may refer to a system in which processes such as, but not limited to, cleaning, oxidation, and thin film deposition may be performed in-situ within the same vacuum system. The cluster-tool system may provide for an increased reliability and/or reproducibility of the semiconductor process. Alternatively or additionally, the cluster-tool system may provide for detergency to be secured by mixing two or more types of solutions and using the mixed solutions as a cleaning solution in a non-contact cleaning process, as described with reference to
The substrate cleaning device and the substrate cleaning method, according to the present disclosure, may be applied to the cluster-tool system and/or to other various types of cleaning processes.
Referring to
As shown in
The curtain body L3 may be and/or may include, but not be limited to, deionized water (DIW) and/or carbon dioxide (CO2). For example, the curtain body L3 may be and/or may include a mixed solution of the DIW and carbon dioxide (CO2). That is, in such an example the curtain body L3 may be and/or may include both a liquid and a gas.
In the process for cleaning the substrate 1, the cleaning module 200 may spray the cleaning solution L0 toward the substrate 1, according to the spraying method.
Although
That is, as shown in
The cleaning module 200 may include a first supply line 220 for supplying a first fluid L1, a second supply line 230 for supplying a second fluid L2, and a spraying nozzle 240 for spraying the cleaning solution L0, which may be and/or may include the mixed fluid of the first fluid L1 and the second fluid L2.
According to an embodiment, the first fluid L1 supplied by the first supply line 220 may be a DIW mixed solution including DIW and/or carbon dioxide (CO2), and the second fluid L2 supplied by the second supply line 230 may be nitrogen (N2). According to another embodiment, the first fluid L1 supplied by the first supply line 220 may be and/or may include nitrogen (N2), and the second fluid L2 supplied by the second supply line 230 may be and/or may include a DIW mixed solution including DIW and/or carbon dioxide (CO2). That is, the present disclosure is not limited in this regard.
The curtain body L3 may be and/or may include DIW, carbon dioxide (CO2), and/or may be and/or may include a mixed solution of DIW and carbon dioxide (CO2). The curtain body L3 may be supplied from the first fluid L1 and/or the second fluid L2 as described below.
Although
In some embodiments, the curtain module 300 of the substrate cleaning device 10, as shown in
In such embodiments, the second fluid L2 may be and/or may include a DIW mixed solution including DIW and/or carbon dioxide (CO2) from which the curtain body L3 may be supplied. That is, the curtain body L3 may be and/or may include at least one of DIW, carbon dioxide (CO2), and a mixture of DIW and carbon dioxide (CO2).
Although
As shown in
When the curtain module 300 is disposed on the edge of the upper side of the substrate 1 and the cleaning module 200 sprays the cleaning solution L0 at the edge of the substrate 1 as the cleaning module 200 moves horizontally, the curtain module 300 may, as shown in
The curtain body L3 may be sprayed on the upper side of the edge of the substrate 1. In some embodiments, the curtain body L3 may be sprayed on the upper side of the outside of the edge of the substrate 1, that is, between the edge of the substrate 1 and the cleaner guard 100.
That is, the curtain module 300 may be placed on the upper side of the edge of the substrate 1 and the curtain body L3 may be sprayed on the upper side of the edge of the substrate 1, and the curtain module 300 may be disposed nearer the outside on the upper side of the edge of the substrate 1 and/or may be disposed on the outside.
In an embodiment, the curtain module 300 may be disposed between a circumference of the substrate 1 and the cleaner guard 100 so that the curtain body L3 may be sprayed toward a lower side of the outside of circumference of the substrate 1 and not toward the upper side of the substrate 1.
The driver 210 may be connected to the cleaning module 200 and may serve to horizontally move the cleaning module 200 at the upper portion of the substrate 1.
The driver 210, which is a component of the cleaning module 200, is not limited thereto and may move the cleaning module 200 as long as the driver 210 has a structure that may move the cleaning module 200.
The driver 210 may be connected to any part of the cleaning module 200 and may be disposed in a position where the driver 210 may move the cleaning module 200 horizontally.
For example, the cleaning module 200 including the supply lines 220 and 230 and the spraying nozzle 240 may further include a housing in which a structure in which the supply lines 220 and 230 and the spraying nozzle 240 are connected, as described with reference to
The driver 210 may be connected to the housing and may simultaneously move the housing and all components connected within the housing. For example, the respective supply lines 220 and 230 may have a structure in which one side remains connected to a portion of the housing of the cleaning module 200, and may move horizontally together.
When the curtain module 300 is disposed at the edge of the upper side of the substrate 1 as the cleaning module 200 moves horizontally, and the cleaning module 200 sprays the cleaning solution L0 at the edge of the substrate 1, the curtain module 300 may include a controller 330 for controlling the curtain body L3 to be sprayed.
The curtain module 300 of the substrate cleaning device 10 may spray the curtain body L3 including a predetermined component of the cleaning solution L0 on the edge of the substrate 1 or the outside of the upper side of the edge of the substrate 1. That is, the curtain module 300 may spray the curtain body L3 between the circumference of the substrate 1 and the cleaner guard 100 in parallel to the internal wall of the cleaner guard 100 surrounding the substrate 1.
In an embodiment, the curtain module 300 may be placed on the upper portion of the edge of the substrate 1 or may be placed in the space between the circumference of the substrate 1 and the cleaner guard 100 at the time of spraying the curtain body L3, and hence, the curtain module 300 may spray the curtain body L3 toward a space between the edge of the substrate 1 or the external side of the circumference of the substrate 1 and the cleaner guard 100.
Consequently, the droplets and/or the particles P removed during the cleaning process, caused by the cleaning solution L0 sprayed for the cleaning process, may be prevented from hitting the substrate 1, and/or bouncing off from the same, colliding with cleaner guard 100. When the droplets and/or the particles P already bounced off to the cleaner guard 100, the contaminated materials bouncing off again from the cleaner guard 100 and falling toward the substrate 1 may be blocked, and the substrate 1 may be prevented from being contaminated during the cleaning process.
In some embodiments, the substrate cleaning device 10 may include a sensor 320 for detecting the cleaning module 200 disposed at the edge of the substrate 1.
In an embodiment, the sensor 320 may be included in the curtain module 300, and may sense whether the cleaning module 200 is disposed near the curtain module 300 or whether the cleaning module 200 is disposed near the edge of the substrate 1.
Alternatively or additionally, the sensor 320 may be included in the cleaning module 200 and not the curtain module 300, and in such an embodiment, the sensor 320 may sense whether the cleaning module 200 is disposed near the edge of the substrate 1 or may sense whether the cleaning module 200 moves near the curtain module 300 disposed near the edge of the substrate 1.
According to the present disclosure, the substrate cleaning device 10 may include a connector 400 for connecting (e.g., coupling) the cleaning module 200 and the curtain module 300.
The connector 400 may connect the cleaning module 200 and the curtain module 300, and by connecting any part of the cleaning module 200 and the curtain module 300, the position and method for connecting the connector 400 may not be limited when the cleaning module 200 and the curtain module 300 may move simultaneously.
Referring to
As shown in
As shown in
When the cleaning solution L0 is sprayed at the circumference of the substrate 1, the droplets of the cleaning solution L0 and the particles P removed from the substrate 1 may collide with the cleaner guard 100 disposed near so when the curtain body L3 is sprayed at the curtain module 300 disposed between the upper portion of the edge of the substrate 1, the edge circumference and the cleaner guard 100, the droplets of the cleaning solution L0 and the particles P may be swept downward together along the curtain body L3 by the curtain body L3.
Referring to
Referring to
As shown in
For example, the curtain module 300 may include a separate third supply line 310 for supplying the curtain body L3. For example, the curtain body L3 supplied through the third supply line 310 may be and/or may include DIW, carbon dioxide (CO2), and/or a mixed solution of DIW and carbon dioxide (CO2).
The embodiments shown in
In an embodiment, the curtain module 300 including the separate third supply line 310 may further include a curtain module driver for enabling an independent movement of the curtain module 300, separate from the driver 210 for moving the cleaning module 200.
As shown in
Although in
The cleaning module 200 may include a first supply line 220 for supplying the first fluid L1, a second supply line 230 for supplying the second fluid L2, and a spraying nozzle 240 for spraying a mixed fluid of the first fluid L1 and the second fluid L2.
The curtain module 300 may include a third supply line 310 for supplying the curtain body L3, and the curtain body L3 may be and/or may include DIW, carbon dioxide (CO2), and/or a mixed solution including DIW and carbon dioxide (CO2).
The curtain module 300 may include a separate third supply line 310 connected to the curtain module 300 for supplying the curtain body L3. In such an embodiment, the curtain body L3 that may be supplied through the third supply line 310 may be and/or may include DIW, carbon dioxide (CO2), and/or a mixed solution of DIW and carbon dioxide (CO2).
The substrate cleaning device 10 shown in
For example, the substrate cleaning device 10 may include a driver 210 connected to the cleaning module 200 to horizontally move the cleaning module 200 on the upper portion of the substrate 1, and the curtain module 300 may include a controller 330 for controlling the spraying of the curtain body L3 when the cleaning module 200 is disposed near the edge upper side of the substrate 1 and sprays the cleaning solution L0.
Referring to
Referring to
Although
That is, the curtain module 300 may be an independent structure that is separate from the cleaning module 200, and may be fixed to the internal wall of the cleaner guard 100, and as shown in
The connector 400 for connecting the curtain module 300 and the cleaning module 200 may have a length-adjustable structure, and regardless of the position of the cleaning module 200, the curtain module 300 may be fixed to the outside of the edge of the substrate 1 by increasing the length of the connector 400.
The cross-section that may be parallel to the substrate 1 of the curtain module 300 may have various shapes as shown in
For example, as shown in
The bar-shaped curtain module 300 shown in
Accordingly, the bar-shaped curtain module 300 may be more effective in preventing the droplets and the removed particles P from colliding with the cleaner guard 100, and the bar-shaped curtain module 300 may also be more effective in preventing reverse contamination that may occur when the droplets and the removed particles P return to the substrate 1 after colliding with the cleaner guard 100.
Additionally, as shown in
13 show a curtain module 300 disposed in the substrate cleaning device 10. According to various embodiments, a plurality of curtain modules 300 may be disposed in the substrate cleaning device 10.
The cleaner guard 100 shown in
In such an embodiment, the shape of the curtain module 300 may be arranged to correspond with the protruding portion of the cleaner guard 100, and as such, may be arranged to protrude as shown in
When the curtain modules 300 are arranged as shown in
The curtain module 300 may spray the curtain body L3 in the form of the cross-section of the curtain module 300 that is parallel to the substrate 1 so the curtain body L3 may be sprayed as if forming a film that is like stretching the curtain to cover the cleaner guard 100.
Accordingly, when some of the curtain modules 300 are arranged to overlap each other, the curtain may have the effect of being stretched in multiple layers in the overlapping part so the reverse contamination of the substrate 1 caused by reaching the cleaner guard 100 or the bouncing off from the cleaner guard 100 may be blocked tightly as a result.
When the curtain modules 300 are arranged in this manner, the supply lines supplying the curtain body L3 may be connected to the supply line supplying the cleaning solution L0 to receive the curtain body L3. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and separate supply lines may be provided as shown in
As shown in
In an embodiment, the substrate cleaning method may include controlling the sensor 320 to sense the cleaning module 200 to spray the cleaning solution L0 when disposed on the edge of the substrate 1.
The spraying of the cleaning solution L0 in S200 may include mixing the first fluid L1 supplied from the first supply line 220 and the second fluid L2 supplied from the second supply line 230, and spraying the mixed cleaning solution L0 through the spraying nozzle 240 facing the upper side of the substrate 1, and the spraying of the curtain body L3 in S300 may prevent the particles P generated when spraying the cleaning solution L0 from colliding with the internal wall of the cleaner guard 100 as the curtain module 300 sprays the curtain body L3 in parallel to the internal wall of the cleaner guard 100.
As described above, the substrate cleaning device 10, according to the present disclosure, and the substrate cleaning method using the same, may spray the spray curtain body L3 on the outside of the upper side of the edge of the substrate 1 in parallel with the internal wall of the cleaner guard 100 surrounding the substrate 1, thereby preventing the droplets of the cleaning solution L0 sprayed during the cleaning process or the particles P removed during the cleaning process from hitting the substrate 1, bouncing off, and colliding with the cleaner guard 100, or reflecting once more from the cleaner guard 100 to reversely contaminate the substrate 1.
While the present disclosure has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical embodiments, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2023-0126577 | Sep 2023 | KR | national |
