JPH0128671Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] The present invention relates to a manufacturing apparatus for semiconductor elements used as various ICs, etc., and in particular detects the remaining amount of developer, etc. when performing etching etc. on wafers. The present invention relates to a semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus that can perform the following steps.

[Background technology and its problems]

Today, advances in semiconductor technology such as IC and LSI have led to rapid development of the electronics industry, greatly contributing to the sophistication of industry and the creation of a prosperous economic society. These ICs and LSIs are not only used in electronic computers, but also include familiar examples such as televisions, radios, etc.
It is also used in watches, audio equipment, cameras, automobiles, etc. Furthermore, these applications can be applied in a variety of ways, such as as logic circuits, memory (storage elements), imagers (imaging devices), amplification, and even microcomputers with system functions. It is used to comprehensively control equipment.

Incidentally, these semiconductor elements used as ICs, LSIs, etc. are manufactured through various manufacturing processes. That is, manufacturing a wafer to serve as a substrate, forming semiconductor elements on this wafer by performing mask alignment, etching, impurity diffusion, ion implantation, vapor phase oxide film deposition, and metal vapor deposition for electrodes, and dicing the semiconductor chips. These include separation and assembly processes such as bonding and malting.

Here, we will particularly focus on the process of aligning the mask onto the wafer and the etching process.

In this mask alignment step, a wafer on which an oxide film has been formed is first coated with photoresist, and pattern exposure is performed by irradiating ultraviolet rays through a photomask prepared in advance. Then, the photoresist in the portions that are not irradiated with the ultraviolet rays blocked by the photomask is dissolved by a developer and developed. Next, the oxide film exposed by removing the photoresist is chemically treated by an etching process to remove the unnecessary photoresist.

Incidentally, a semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus as shown in FIG. 1 has conventionally been used to perform development by spraying a developer onto the wafer that has been subjected to the pattern exposure. This conventional semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus includes a rotatable wafer support 2 on which a pattern-exposed wafer 1 is placed, and a processing section such as a sprayer that sprays a developer such as xylene onto the wafer 1 to perform development. 3, a supply path 4 for transporting the developer to the processing section 3, and a stainless steel container 5 for containing the developer. The developer contained in this container 5 is supplied to the processing section 3 through the supply path 4, and is atomized onto the wafer by nitrogen gas supplied from, for example, a nitrogen gas supply path 6 as shown in FIG. The surface of the wafer 1 is developed by being sprayed onto the surface of the wafer 1.

However, in such conventional semiconductor device manufacturing equipment, it is not possible to check the remaining amount of developer in the container 1, and for example, if the developer is used until the developer in the container 1 is completely exhausted. In this case, air bubbles enter the supply path 4 and the processing section 3,
This may have an adverse effect on the wafer 1, and furthermore, it takes a considerable amount of time to expel the bubbles that have entered. For this reason, the development work on the wafer 1 has to be stopped until the bubbles are completely removed from the path, resulting in a significant reduction in production efficiency.

Therefore, various methods for detecting the amount of developer remaining in the container 5 have been studied. first,
It is conceivable to attach the content detection sensor directly to the container 5, but since the container 5 is replaced with a new container filled with developer when the developer is used up, it must be replaced each time. Not only does this require extremely poor workability, but there is also the risk of contamination with dust, which is undesirable in the production of semiconductor devices. Further, the container 5 is fixedly installed as a built-in tank, and the container 5 is fixedly installed as a built-in tank.
When a content detection sensor is attached to the device, it takes a considerable amount of time to transfer the developer to the container 5 incorporated in the device, resulting in a significant decrease in work efficiency. Another possibility is to check the remaining amount of developer based on the weight of the container 5, but in this case, it is necessary to leave a large amount of developer to prevent air bubbles from entering when replacing the container 5. There is an increasing amount of waste.

As described above, conventionally, it has not been possible to satisfactorily provide a device for detecting the amount of remaining developer in a semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus that performs development on wafers.

[Purpose of invention]

Therefore, the present invention provides a semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus that can detect the remaining amount of a processing agent such as a developer and reliably prevent air bubbles from entering the apparatus, thereby improving productivity. The purpose is to

A further object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus that facilitates the replenishment of processing agents and improves work efficiency.

[Summary of the idea]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention includes a first container containing a processing agent used for manufacturing a semiconductor device, a semiconductor processing section that processes a semiconductor with the processing agent, and a semiconductor processing section that contains the processing agent described above. It consists of a supply path that continuously supplies a processing agent, and the middle part of the supply path is filled with the processing agent, and the first
When the processing agent in the container is used up, the liquid level decreases, and the second container is provided with a content detection sensor for detecting the decrease in the liquid level of the processing agent.

〔Example〕

Prior to explaining the embodiments of the present invention, this is a step in which semiconductor devices are formed on a wafer. The so-called photolithography process and etching process will be explained with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 2a, an oxide film 32 is formed on a wafer 31, which is a silicon plate, prior to this photolithography process. A photoresist layer 33, which is a photosensitive material, is then deposited on the surface of this oxide film 32, as shown in FIG. 2b. As shown in FIG. 2c, a photomask 34 previously prepared using a device such as a pattern generator is superimposed on this and exposed to ultraviolet light to print a pattern. Then, the ultraviolet rays are blocked by a photomask, and the portions of the photoresist layer 33 that are not irradiated are dissolved by a developer made of, for example, a xylene-based organic solvent, and developed as shown in FIG. 2d. The photolithography process is completed by the above processing, and then the etching process is started. Then, the photoresist layer 33
The exposed portion of the oxide film 32A is removed by chemical treatment as shown in FIG. 2e. Further, as shown in FIG. 2f, the etching process is completed by removing the photoresist layer 33 which is no longer needed.

The present invention can be applied to a semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus that performs the above-mentioned process, particularly a process in which a wafer is developed with a developer.

Hereinafter, a specific embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 3, the semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus constructed according to the present invention includes a wafer support 12 on which a wafer 11 is placed and rotatably provided, and a developer solution made of xylene or the like applied to the wafer 11. A semiconductor processing section 13 such as a sprayer that sprays a processing agent such as the above to perform processing such as development; a first supply path 14 and a second supply path 15 that supply the processing agent to the semiconductor processing section 13; A first container 16 made of stainless steel, for example, contains the processing agent. A second container 17 made of Teflon is provided between the first supply path 14 and the second supply path 15.
is provided. This second container 17 includes a content detection sensor 18, such as a so-called glass light sensor, which detects the liquid level of the processing agent by utilizing the difference in refractive index between the processing agent and air, and a second container 17.
An air vent valve 19 is provided for venting air from the container 17. In addition, the second container 1
A second supply path 15 connected to the second container 17 is connected to the bottom of the second container 17.

The processing agent in the first container 16 is first transferred to the second container 1 through the first supply path 14.
It is accommodated in 7. Next, the processing agent contained in the second container 17 is connected to the semiconductor processing section 13 through the second supply path 15 with its flow rate adjusted by the electromagnetic valve 20, for example, as shown in FIG. Nitrogen gas supplied from a nitrogen gas supply path 21 as shown in FIG. That is, whenever the second container 17 contains the processing agent, it only constitutes a part of the flow path together with the supply path 14 and the supply path 15, and therefore the processing agent in the first container 16 are the first supply path 14, the second supply path 14,
The semiconductor processing section 13 is connected to the semiconductor processing section 13 through the container 17 and the second supply path 15.

By the way, when the processing agent in the first container 16 runs out, the liquid level of the processing agent in the second container 17 gradually decreases. Then, when this liquid level becomes lower than the tip 18A of the inner volume detection sensor 18, the inner volume detection sensor 18 detects this and issues some sort of alarm. This content detection sensor 1
The position of the tip 18A of No. 8 is such that, for example, there is enough processing agent in the second container 17 to process about 25 wafers even if the liquid level of the processing agent drops below the tip 18A. It is said that some amount remains. Therefore, after the above warning was issued, the first
If the container 16 is replaced with a new container filled with a processing agent, the air in the second container 17 is removed from the air vent valve 19, and the second container 17 is filled with the processing agent again, the processing agent can be removed. It can be continuously supplied to the semiconductor processing section 13, and there is no possibility that air bubbles will enter the second supply path 15. especially,
Even after the above-mentioned alarm is issued, the processing agent capable of processing about 25 wafers remains in the second container 17, so that the first container 16 can be replaced in sufficient time.

In this way, in the above embodiment, it is possible to detect the remaining amount of the processing agent and prevent air bubbles from entering the second supply path 15, and the first container 1
The wafers 11 can be processed continuously even during six exchanges, and productivity can be greatly improved.

In addition, replenishment of the processing agent requires only replacing the first container 16, resulting in very good workability.

By the way, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and for example, various sensors capable of detecting the liquid level of the processing agent, such as a capacitance sensor, may be used as the content detection sensor 18.

Alternatively, the content detection sensor 18 may be installed in a filter tank provided in the middle of the supply path to remove particulate impurities contained in the processing agent without providing the second container 17. Effects can be obtained.

[Effect of idea]

As is clear from the description of the embodiments above,
The present invention detects the remaining amount of processing agent in the middle of the supply path in a device where processing agent is continuously supplied, so even if the processing agent in the first container is completely exhausted. Even if the device is used up to the point where it is used, it is possible to reliably prevent air bubbles from entering the semiconductor processing section, making it possible to significantly improve productivity.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is possible to easily replenish the processing agent in the container, thereby improving work efficiency.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a conventional semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus. FIGS. 2a to 2f are schematic vertical cross-sectional views of main parts showing the process order of the photolithography process and the etching process, FIG. 2a is the oxide film forming process, and FIG. 2b is the photoresist layer deposition process. , second
Figure c is the pattern exposure process, Figure 2 d is the development process,
FIG. 2e shows an oxide film etching process, and FIG. 2f shows a removing process of an unnecessary photoresist layer. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus to which the present invention is applied. 13... Semiconductor processing section, 14... First supply path, 15... Second supply path, 16... First container, 17... Second container, 18... Contents detection sensor.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] Consisting of a first container containing a processing agent used for manufacturing semiconductor devices, a semiconductor processing section for processing a semiconductor with the processing agent, and a supply path for continuously supplying the processing agent to the semiconductor processing section, When the middle part of the supply path is filled with the processing agent and the processing agent in the first container runs out, the liquid level decreases, and the first container has a content detection sensor that detects a decrease in the liquid level of the processing agent. A semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus comprising two containers.