Tokyo Electron Limited

Satoshi Nakashima

Yuji Kamikawa

Kinya Ueno

Hiroki Taniyama

Hiroshi Tanaka

Wataru Okase

Yasushi Yagi

Takenobu Matsuo

Hiroshi Sato

Takanori Miyazaki

Takashi Terada

Yoshitsugu Tanaka

Yasuhiro Chouno

Yoshiyuki Harima

Kyungho Park

Kazuyuki Honda

Yoshinori Kato

Toshikazu Arihisa

Tameyasu Hyakuzuka

Jun Yamauchi

A cleaning apparatus and a cleaning method for cleaning a object are provided. In the cleaning apparatus, a drying chamber and a cleaning bath are separated from each other up and down, respectively. Thus, a space in the drying chamber can be insulated from a space of the cleaning bath through rotary doors and a slide door . In the cleaning method, a cleaning process in the cleaning bath is carried out while sealing it by the rotary doors . On the other hand, a drying process in the drying chamber is accomplished while sealing and closing it by the slide door . Consequently, there is no possibility that, during the drying process, the object is subjected to a bad influence from a chemical treatment.

Apparatus for and method of cleaning objects to be processed

Liquid treatment units are disposed in multi-tiers surrounding a main-arm . Among liquid treatment units, plating units M through M are disposed on a lower tier side, and a unit for post-treatment process such as a cleaning unit where a cleaner atmosphere is necessary is disposed on an upper tier side. Thereby, an improvement in an area efficiency and the formation and maintenance of a clean atmosphere can be simultaneously obtained.

Liquid treatment system and liquid treatment method

A method for cleaning an object to be processed in which the atmosphere in a drying chamber is replaced by an inert gas prior to placing an object to be cleaned from an external environment into the chamber. The object is then transported by an elongated retaining member from the drying chamber through a lower opening in the chamber into a processing bath disposed below the chamber. The object is then cleaned in the processing bath. The object is then transported from the processing bath to the drying chamber where it is dried by filling the atmosphere of the drying chamber with organic solvent. The cleaning process in the cleaning bath is carried out while the bath is screened by a nitrogen-gas curtain. The method also includes opening a lid of the chamber prior to insertion of the object into the chamber and closing the lid after insertion of the object, as well as the opening and closing of the lower opening in the chamber. The method may also include exhausting an atmosphere in the drying chamber while supplying inert gas, decompressing the atmosphere in the drying chamber as well as chemical cleaning, water cleaning, and ozone cleaning of the object.

Apparatus for and method of cleaning object to be processed

A cleaning apparatus and a cleaning method for cleaning an object are provided. In the cleaning apparatus, a drying chamber and a cleaning bath are separated from each other up and down, respectively. Thus, a space in the drying chamber can be insulated from a space of the cleaning bath through a slide door . In the cleaning method, a drying process and a cleaning process are carried out separately on condition that the space in the drying chamber is insulated from the space of the cleaning bath through the slide door . Consequently, there is no possibility that, during the drying process, the object is subjected to a bad influence from a chemical treatment.

A cleaning and drying apparatus includes a cleaning bath for collecting cleaning liquid and also discharging the liquid, a drying chamber arranged above the cleaning bath and a wafer boat for conveying semiconductor wafers W between the cleaning bath and the drying chamber . Dry gas nozzles for ejecting dry gas are provided in the drying chamber . A shutter is arranged between the cleaning bath and the drying chamber , for insulating the cleaning bath from the drying chamber . A central processing unit controls respective operations of the dry gas nozzles and a driving unit for the shutter . With the arrangement, after the wafers W have been cleaned in the cleaning bath , the cleaning liquid is discharged through a bottom of the bath , while the dry gas is supplied from the dry gas nozzles to contact with surfaces of the wafers W and the cleaning liquid in a first drying process. Next, a second drying process is carried out due to condensation of the cleaning liquid on the wafers and the dry gas. In this way, the improvement in drying efficiency and the reduction of consumed dry gas can be accomplished.

Cleaning and drying method and apparatus for objects to be processed

A cleaning apparatus and a cleaning method for cleaning an object are provided. In the cleaning apparatus, a drying chamber and a cleaning bath are separated from each other up and down, respectively. Thus, a space in the drying chamber can be insulated from a space of the cleaning bath through rotary doors and a slide door . In the cleaning method, a cleaning process in the cleaning bath is carried out while sealing it by the rotary doors . On the other hand, a drying process in the drying chamber is accomplished while sealing and closing it by the slide door . Consequently, there is no possibility that, during the drying process, the object is subjected to a bad influence from a chemical treatment.

Method of cleaning objects to be processed

In a pneumatically driven liquid supply apparatus comprising a circulation pump,or constant-volume pump,for supplying a washing liquid or chemical to a washing tank,for semiconductor wafers used during the fabrication of semiconductor devices; an electromagnetic switching valve,and a pressure regulator,that configure an air-pressure adjustment means,are connected to an air source,; and air supply pipelines,, and,are each connected to the air-pressure adjustment means,, the circulation pump,and the constant-volume pump,. A leakage sensor,is interposed within each of the air supply pipelines,, and,between the air-pressure adjustment means,and the circulation pump,or constant-volume pump,, so that any liquid that flows backward through the circulation pump,or the constant-volume pump,and into the air supply pipeline,, or,is detected by the leakage sensor,. This makes it possible to prevent damage or halting of the functions of the air-pressure adjustment means due to liquid flowing into the air supply pipelines via one of the pumps.

Pneumatically driven liquid supply apparatus

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a cleaning apparatus and a cleaning method which can prevent the object to be processed being subjected to a bad influence caused by a chemical treatment, have a high degree of freedom in designing the apparatus, make the cleaning process rapid and be designed in smaller size. In this cleaning apparatus, a drying chamber 42 and a cleaning bath 41 are separated from each other up and down, respectively. Thus, a space in the drying chamber 42 can be insulated from a space of the cleaning bath 41 by a nitrogen-gas curtain 59c and a slide door 72. In the cleaning method, a cleaning process in the cleaning bath 41 is carried out while screening it by the nitrogen-gas curtain 59c. On the other hand, a drying process in the drying chamber 42 is accomplished while sealing and closing it by the slide door 72.

In order to remove water adhering to the surfaces of cleaned semiconductor wafers W, a vibration transmitting device 20 capable of approaching the surfaces of the semiconductor wafers W, and an oscillator 25 for applying an ultrasonic vibration to the vibration transmitting device 20. The oscillator 25 is driven to apply the ultrasonic vibration to the vibration transmitting plates 24 of the vibration transmitting device 20 and to apply energy of the ultrasonic vibration to a gas between the vibration transmitting device 20 and the surfaces of the semiconductor wafer W to remove water adhering the surfaces of the semiconductor wafers W. Thus, it is possible to surely remove water adhering to the surfaces of cleaned objects to be treated, to dry the objects without the need of a dry gas of an organic solvent vapor, such as IPA.

System for drying semiconductor wafers using ultrasonic or low frequency

An apparatus for cleaning both sides of a substrate, incorporating a spin chuck for holding a substrate such that contact with at least a central portion of the substrate is prevented, a motor having a hollow shaft connected to the spin chuck to transmit rotating force to the spin chuck, a front-side cleaning mechanism for cleaning a surface of the substrate held by the spin chuck, and a back-side cleaning mechanism for rinsing a back side of the substrate held by the spin chuck, wherein the back-side cleaning mechanism is disposed to face the back side of the substrate held by the spin chuck through hollow portions of the hollow shaft.

Apparatus for cleaning both sides of substrate

A cleaning apparatus and a cleaning method for cleaning an object are provided. In the cleaning apparatus, a drying chamber 42 and a cleaning bath 41 are separated from each other up and down, respectively. Thus, a space in the drying chamber 42 can be insulated from a space of the cleaning bath 41 through rotary doors 59a and a slide door 72. In the cleaning method, a cleaning process in the cleaning bath 41 is carried out while sealing it by the rotary doors 59a. On the other hand, a drying process in the drying chamber 42 is accomplished while sealing and closing it by the slide door 72. Consequently, there is no possibility that, during the drying process, the object is subjected to a bad influence from a chemical treatment.

A cleaning apparatus and a cleaning method for restricting an occurrence of water marks on a surface of a object to be processed are provided. The cleaning apparatus is constructed so as to dry wafers W, which have been rinsed by DIW in a drying chamber 42, in a cooling system. Thus, the reaction between, for example, IPA, DIW etc. and silicon in surfaces of the wafers W is inactivated to cause the surfaces to be oxidized with difficulty, so that it is possible to restrict the occurrence of the water marks on the surfaces.

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Kikusui-machi, Japan

Satoshi Nakashima