Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Yo-Han Ahn

Ji-Young Kim

Hyun-Joon Kim

Byung-Moo Lee

Jung-sung Hwang

Dong-Seok Ham

Jae-Hyun Yang

Hyung-Seok Choi

Ju-A Ryu

Tae-Jin Hwang

Tae-Ho Kim

Jin-Ho Kim

Joo-Young Kim

Jae-won Choi

Byung Moo Lee

Soo-Woong Lee

Mi-Ae Kim

Jung-Sung Hwang

Yang-Koo Lee

Kun-Hyung Lee

Hyeog-Ki Kim

Suk-Hee Im

Chang-Su Lim

Jeong-In Yoon

Sun-Wook Park

Ki-Doo Kim

Hweon Jin

Jai-Heung Choi

Myung-Ki Lee

Jae-Bong Kim

Hun-Hwan Ha

Chang-Min Cho

Ok-Sun Lee

Gui-Young Cho

Hong-Hee Jeong

Jeong-Heung Kong

Seok-Ryeul Lee

A photomask cleaning apparatus includes a photomask receiving stage and a laser supply unit. The photomask receiving stage is configured to receive and retain a photomask in a desired orientation. The photomask has a front face having a pellicle adhesive residue region thereon. The desired orientation is with the front face positioned to allow gravity to move particles on the front face away from the front face without interference from the front face of the photomask. The laser supply unit is configured to generate a laser beam that irradiates a target region on the front face of the photomask to remove a pellicle adhesive residue from the target region. The photomask cleaning apparatus is configured to move the target region on the front face of the photomask to irradiate the entire pellicle adhesive residue region. Methods of using the photomask cleaning apparatus are also provided.

Photomask cleaning apparatus and methods of cleaning a photomask using the same

A contamination analysis unit and method for inspecting pollutants remaining on a target side of an inspection object such as a reticle after cleaning the object is provided. After steeping the target side in a solution, a sampling liquid may be abstracted therefrom after a predetermined time and may be analyzed.

Contamination analysis unit and method thereof, and reticle cleaning system

The present inventive concept provides a substrate treating apparatus and an exposing apparatus that a chuck member, a chuck cleaning member including a cleaning tool removing a foreign substance on a substrate loading surface of the chuck member and a tool cleaning member cleaning a cleaning tool are disposed to be adjacent to each other inside a treating room. The present inventive concept also provides a method of cleaning a cleaning tool using a tool cleaning member. According to the above the apparatuses and the method, contamination of a chuck member by a cleaning tool is prevented and a defocus phenomenon caused by a particle on a chuck member during an exposing process can be minimized.

Substrate treating apparatus and exposing apparatus for cleaning a chuck cleaning tool with treating bath

An air filtering device and an air cleaning system of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus to reduce cost and increase manufacturing productivity. The air filtering device may include a frame having an open aperture coupled to an air supply line. A buffer frame configured to be inserted into the frame may include a plurality of slot parts, each slot part having a plurality of air in/out apertures through which air may flow in or out from the buffer frame. A plurality of filters may be releasably fastened to the plurality of slot parts to filter pollution material contained in air flowing through the air in/out apertures. An air interrupter for interrupting air flowing through the air in/out apertures may be used when replacing the plurality of filters, thereby providing purified air to the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus during the replacement.

Air filtering device and cleaning system of semiconductor manufacturing apparatus with the same

In an embodiment, heat treatment equipment comprises a process tube, an exhaust duct connected to the process tube, and, during operation, exhausting gases present within the process tube. The heat treatment equipment also comprises a hollow pressure control member interposed between the process tube and the exhaust duct, the pressure control member being operatively connected to the process tube and the exhaust duct respectively, and including one or a number of openings. Negative pressure is avoided in the process tube during heat treatment processes so that unwanted gas and impurities cannot enter the process tube from outside.

Heat treatment equipment

An air-conditioning system of a substrate processing apparatus includes an air inlet line for providing air to a clean room. A contamination control apparatus for removing contaminants in the air is connected to the air inlet line. A controller controls temperature and humidity of the air without the contaminants. An air outlet line provides the air having the controlled temperature and humidity to a substrate processing chamber that is disposed in the clean room. The contamination control apparatus includes a spray unit having at least one nozzle that sprays water. At least one eliminator that traps the water for capturing contaminants in the air and drops the trapped water into a tank. A water circulation unit provides the water that includes an additive for controlling pH of the water to the spray unit.

Contamination control system and air-conditioning system of a substrate processing apparatus using the same

An apparatus for cleaning air, and a method for cleaning air using the apparatus, includes a housing including an air inlet through which air to be cleaned flows into the housing and an air outlet through which air that has been cleaned is exhausted from the housing, the housing isolating an interior thereof from external surroundings. A first filtering unit is disposed adjacent to the air inlet and includes a plurality of first filters for removing a first group of contaminants from the air to be cleaned. Each of the plurality of first filters is disposed substantially parallel to each other. A fan for drawing the air to be cleaned into the housing from the external surroundings is disposed in the housing.

Apparatus and method for cleaning air

A management system and method of a reticle in an exposing process are disclosed. A calculator calculates an accumulated dosage of an illuminating light irradiated onto a reticle used in a photolithography process. The calculator is connected to an exposing apparatus to expose photoresist on a semiconductor substrate. A comparator compares the calculated accumulated dosage with a preset reference dosage. When the calculated accumulated dosage is greater than or equal to the reference dosage, a controller suspends the photolithography process. Minimizing haze contamination on the reticle, thus preventing process failures.

Photolithography system and method of monitoring the same

A module for transferring a substrate includes a load port for supporting a container to receive a plurality of substrates, a substrate transfer chamber disposed between the load port and a substrate process module, a substrate transfer robot disposed in the substrate transfer chamber for transferring the substrates between the container and the substrate process module, a gas supply unit connected to the substrate transfer chamber for supplying a purge gas into the substrate transfer chamber to purge an interior of the substrate transfer chamber, and a contamination control unit connected to the substrate transfer chamber for circulating the purge gas supplied into the substrate transfer chamber, resupplying the circulated purge gas into the substrate transfer chamber and removing particles and airborne molecular contaminants from the purge gas being circulated. Contamination of a substrate may be prevented and a necessary amount of purge gas may be reduced.

Module for transferring a substrate

A substrate processing apparatus for processing substrates prevents the substrates from contaminating as they are transferred. The apparatus includes a container, like a FOUP, for containing substrates, at least one processing chamber where the substrates are processed, a substrate transferring module including a substrate transfer chamber and at least one load port for supporting a container, and a contamination controlling system for the substrate transfer chamber. The contamination controlling system includes a purge gas supply inlet connected to the substrate transfer chamber, and a gas circulating tube for recycling the purging gas to circulate through the chamber. The substrate transfer chamber is purged using the purging gas to remove moisture and contaminating materials from the substrate transfer chamber. The formation of particles on the substrate otherwise caused by a reaction between the moisture and contaminating materials while the substrate is standing by in the container can be prevented.

Substrate processing apparatus and method of processing substrate while controlling for contamination in substrate transfer module

An air shower head of an exposure device of photolithography equipment is free of chemical substances that could otherwise contaminate a photoresist layer on a semiconductor wafer and degrade the profile of the photoresist pattern. The air shower head is interposed between a lens system of the exposure device and a wafer stage, and has a hole in the middle thereof through which exposure light can pass to a wafer supported on the stage. The air shower head includes an upper frame defining a cavity open at the bottom thereof, and a porous bottom member covering the bottom of the upper frame. The porous member is mechanically secured to bottom ends of both the inner and outer side walls of the upper frame, i.e., without the use of chemical binders, to reduce the ability of the air shower head to serve as a source of contamination.

Air shower head of photolithography equipment for directing air towards a wafer stage

A chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) apparatus for planarizing the surface of a semiconductor wafer is provided with a washing unit including first, second and third nozzles installed within a load-cup where the loading and unloading of the wafers takes place. The first nozzles spray deionized water toward the top face of a pedestal on which the wafers are placed in the load cup, thereby washing contaminants off of the pedestal. The second nozzles spray deionized water toward a membrane provided at the bottom of a polishing head, thereby washing the membrane. The third nozzles spray deionized water through purge holes formed in a retainer ring of the polishing head toward a space formed between the outer surface of the membrane and the inner surface of the retainer ring. Consequently, contaminants induced into the space are washed away. The CMP apparatus also includes an exhaust unit having an outlet, an exhaust pump and an exhaust pipe connecting the outlet and the exhaust pump, for exhausting contaminants to the outside of the CMP apparatus through a protective cover thereof. The exhaust outlet is provided at the bottom of a side of the protective cover.

Chemical mechanical polishing apparatus and method of washing contaminants off of the polishing head thereof

Growing community of inventors

Yongin-si, South Korea

Yo-Han Ahn