JPH0423420A - Semiconductor processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to form a desired clean air flow in a housing and hence improve the degree of cleanness and yield in the interior of the housing by installing a control mechanism which changes an opening area of an opening section and controls the flow rate of clean air to be introduced into the housing. CONSTITUTION:A flow rate control mechanism is installed to an opening section 2 which incorporates clean air into a hosing 1. More specifically, this mechanism called a flow rate control panel 4 is designed to slide along guide rails 3a and 3b and control the flow rate of clean air introduced into the housing by changing the opening area. Therefore, this construction makes it possible to prevent the excess and deficiency of the flow rate of clean air to be introduced in the housing or more particularly prevent the generation of turbulent flow in the housing when the flow rate exceeds a specified value. It is, therefore, possible to form a desired clean air flow in the housing 1, and improve the degree of cleanness in the housing 1 and enhance yield.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Purpose of the invention] (Industrial application field) The present invention relates to semiconductor processing equipment.

(Prior Art) Semiconductor devices are generally manufactured using precision phototransfer technology. In such semiconductor manufacturing processes, for example, if dust adheres to semiconductor wafers or the like, it may cause defects and reduce yields, so various processes have traditionally been performed in a clean room with a clean atmosphere.

In such a lean room, a clean gas flow, a so-called downflow, is formed from the ceiling to the floor. This downflow discharges dust generated within the clean room to the outside of the clean room, thereby maintaining a clean atmosphere within the clean room.

The clean room also includes semiconductor processing equipment that performs various processes on semiconductor wafers, such as resist coating equipment (coater) that applies resist solution to semiconductor wafers and forms photoresist films, and An exposure device for exposing a pattern of light, a developing device (developer) for developing the exposed photoresist pattern, and the like are provided.

In such a semiconductor processing apparatus, mechanisms for performing various processes, such as a coating mechanism, an exposure mechanism, a developing mechanism, or a transport mechanism, are housed in a housing. However, even in these mechanisms, dust is generated from the mechanical sliding parts, etc., so there are usually openings on the top and bottom surfaces of the above-mentioned casing to take in and circulate the downflow from the clean room into the casing. is provided. In other words, the dust generated inside the housing is discharged using the downflow inside the clean room, and the inside of the housing is kept in a clean atmosphere.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, inside the casing of the above-mentioned semiconductor processing equipment,
Normally, a processing mechanism or a conveyance mechanism with a complicated shape is provided, and for example, downflow taken into the housing may cause turbulence within the housing, and it is difficult to form an optimal clean gas flow inside the housing. However, there was a problem in that it was not possible to maintain a desired clean atmosphere inside the housing.

The present invention has been made in response to such conventional circumstances, and is capable of forming a desired clean gas flow within the casing, and improves the yield by improving the cleanliness inside the casing compared to the past. The present invention aims to provide a semiconductor processing apparatus that can achieve the following.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) That is, the semiconductor processing apparatus of the present invention includes an opening for introducing a clean gas flow into the housing, and an opening for introducing a clean gas flow into the housing, on the upper surface of a housing that accommodates a predetermined processing mechanism. In a semiconductor processing apparatus equipped with an exhaust port at the bottom, changing the opening area of the opening,
The present invention is characterized in that a mechanism is provided for adjusting the flow rate of clean gas taken into the housing.

(Function) In the semiconductor processing apparatus of the present invention, the opening that takes in the clean gas flow into the casing is provided with a mechanism that changes the opening area and adjusts the flow rate of the clean gas taken into the casing.

Therefore, it is possible to prevent excess or deficiency in the flow rate of clean gas taken into the housing, such as when the flow rate of clean gas taken into the housing is too large and causes turbulence inside the housing. The cleanliness inside the housing can be improved by forming a clean gas flow of .

(Embodiment) Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a resist coating apparatus for coating a semiconductor wafer with a resist solution will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the casing 1 is made of a material such as stainless steel and has a rectangular container shape, and a resist coating mechanism as described below is provided inside the casing 1.

A downflow (clean gas flow) formed from the ceiling to the floor in the clean room is formed on a part of the upper surface of this housing 1.
A plurality of openings 2 are formed in regular rows for introducing the material into the housing 1. The openings 2 may have any shape, such as a circle, as long as they are regularly arranged at regular intervals. In this embodiment, the opening 2 is formed into a substantially rectangular shape, and as shown in FIG.
They are arranged regularly so that the distance A between the openings 2 and the openings 2 is approximately the same as the width of the openings 2. The above interval A (=
D) is set to, for example, several centimeters.

Further, guide rails 3 a % 3 b each having a U-shaped cross section are provided on the upper surface of the housing 1 so as to face each other along the direction of the row of the openings 2 . and,
A flow control plate 4 configured to be slidable is provided along the guide rails 3a, 3b so as to be loosely inserted into the guide rails 3a, 3b.

The flow rate control plate 4 is made of, for example, stainless steel, like the case 1, but it is formed into a thin plate shape because it is undesirable for it to be heavy. Further, the flow rate control plate 4 is formed with the same number of through holes 5 having the same shape and size as the openings 2 of the casing 1 described above.

Then, as shown in FIG. 2, by sliding the flow rate control plate 4 in the direction of the arrow, the relative position between the opening 2 of the housing 1 and the through hole 5 of the flow rate control plate 4 is adjusted, and the opening It is configured so that the area (shaded area in the figure) can be changed. In other words, the opening area is maximized when the opening 2 and the through hole 5 are overlapped so that they match, and by shifting the positions of the opening 2 and the through hole 5 from this state, the opening area can be reduced. It is configured.

Although only one row of openings 2 is shown in FIG. 1, the rows of openings 2 are provided at multiple locations in the housing 1, similar to the openings for intake of clean gas flow in conventional devices. , all of these are provided with the flow rate control plate 4. Furthermore, a discharge opening (not shown) for discharging clean gas taken into the housing 1 is provided on the bottom surface of the housing 1 .

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a semiconductor wafer 11 as an object to be processed is suctioned and held on the upper surface of the housing 1 by, for example, a vacuum chuck, and a rotational drive mechanism 12 is used to
A wafer support mechanism 13 is provided that rotates the semiconductor wafer 11 at high speed.

Furthermore, a resist supply nozzle 14 is provided above the wafer support mechanism 13. The resist supply nozzle 14 is connected to a resist liquid delivery mechanism 16 configured to be able to continuously deliver a predetermined amount of the resist liquid in the resist liquid storage bottle 15.

Further, a cup 17 is provided around the wafer support mechanism 13 so as to surround the wafer support mechanism]3. This cup 17 is for preventing the resist liquid from scattering around when the semiconductor wafer 11 is rotated at high speed as described later.

The resist coating apparatus of this embodiment having the above configuration is placed in a clean room. Then, as previously described, by sliding the flow rate control plates 4 provided at multiple locations on the top surface of the casing 1 and adjusting the positions of the openings 2 and the through holes 5, the opening area is changed, and the casing 1 The flow rate of clean gas taken into the tank should be set to be optimal. In other words, for example, if the flow rate of clean gas taken into the casing 1 is too large, the casing 1
The settings should be made so that an optimal clean gas flow is formed within the housing, without causing turbulence within the housing or preventing the clean gas from reaching various parts due to insufficient flow.

Then, the semiconductor wafer 11 is placed on the wafer support mechanism 13 using, for example, an automatic transfer device, and a predetermined amount of resist liquid is supplied from the resist supply nozzle 14 to the approximate center of the semiconductor wafer 11 by the resist liquid delivery mechanism 16. , this semiconductor wafer 1 is rotated by the rotational drive mechanism 12.
1 is rotated at high speed, and the resist solution is spread over the entire surface of the semiconductor wafer 11 by centrifugal force, thereby forming a resist film of uniform thickness.

At this time, as described above, an optimal clean gas flow is formed within the casing 1, so that, for example, dust generated in the rotational drive mechanism 12, etc., is immediately discharged out of the casing 1 by this clean gas flow. , the inside of the housing 1 is maintained in a clean atmosphere. For this reason, for example, dust generated in the rotation drive mechanism 12 or the like may be blown up by the turbulence and attached to the surface of the semiconductor wafer 11, or
Because clean gas is not distributed to each part of the case 1, the case 1
It is possible to prevent the dust floating inside the IJ from falling and adhering to the surface of the semiconductor wafer 11, thereby preventing the occurrence of defects due to the adhesion of dust and improving the yield.

In the above embodiment, the present invention was applied to a resist coating device, but this is because dust adhesion poses a major problem, especially during pattern transfer in a series of photolithography steps. However, the present invention is not limited to such embodiments, but can be applied to any semiconductor processing equipment.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the semiconductor processing apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to form a desired clean gas flow inside the housing, and by improving the cleanliness inside the housing compared to the conventional case. , yield can be improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the main part configuration of a resist coating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the flow control plate of the resist coating apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the resist coating apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 1... Housing, 2... Opening, 3a, 3b
...Guide rail, 4 ...Flow control plate, 5 ...Through hole. Applicant Tokyo Electron Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) In a semiconductor processing device that includes an opening on the top surface of a casing that houses a predetermined processing mechanism for introducing a clean gas flow into the casing, and an exhaust port on the bottom of the casing, the opening area of the opening is A semiconductor processing apparatus comprising a mechanism for changing the flow rate of clean gas taken into the casing.