JP7427232B2 - wafer processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a wafer processing apparatus that performs predetermined processing on wafers using supercritical fluid.

In recent years, patterns formed on the surface of wafers have become increasingly finer, and their aspect ratios have become higher. Therefore, if the pattern is dried while a processing liquid such as an organic solvent used for cleaning the pattern remains on the surface, a problem arises in that the pattern collapses due to the surface tension of the processing liquid. In order to solve this problem, a supercritical fluid is sometimes used in a drying process to remove a processing liquid from the surface of a substrate (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-254904 US Patent Application Publication No. 2018/0114707

However, in conventional wafer processing apparatuses that perform drying processing and the like, wafers are taken in and out of the chamber from one direction. Therefore, when wafers are being carried into the chamber, preparations for wafers cannot be carried out, and when wafers are being carried out, preparations for wafers cannot be carried out There was a problem in that the takt time for performing predetermined processing on wafers became longer.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a wafer processing apparatus that can further shorten the takt time when performing predetermined processing on a wafer.

In order to achieve the above object, a wafer processing apparatus according to the present invention includes an upper unit and a lower unit that faces the upper unit and constitutes a housing space for accommodating the wafer. a chamber for processing; an upper heater provided in the upper unit so as to be rotatable around a vertical axis; and a support means provided on the lower side for supporting wafers carried in in a horizontal direction; and opening/closing means for opening and closing the chamber by vertically moving at least one of the lower units; and rotation means for rotating the upper heater around a vertical axis, the rotation means for transferring the wafer to the upper heater. The upper heater is rotated so that the loading direction and the wafer unloading direction from the upper heater are at a predetermined angle.

With such a configuration, the direction in which the wafer is carried into the chamber and the direction in which it is carried out can be set to be different directions. Therefore, for example, a wafer can be carried in by a transport robot for carrying in, and the wafer can be carried out by another transport robot for carrying out. In that case, it is possible to prepare for wafer unloading while wafers are being loaded, or to prepare for wafer loading while wafers are being unloaded. As a result, the takt time for wafer loading and unloading can be made shorter than when the wafer loading and unloading directions are the same.

Further, in the wafer processing apparatus according to the present invention, the rotating means may rotate the upper heater even when a predetermined process is being performed on the wafer accommodated in the chamber.

With such a configuration, when performing a predetermined process using supercritical fluid on a wafer, the supercritical fluid can be stirred by rotating the upper heater in the storage space, for example, to efficiently perform the process. You will be able to do this.

According to the wafer processing apparatus according to the present invention, the direction in which the wafer is carried into the chamber and the direction in which the wafer is carried out can be set in different directions, and the takt time for carrying in and carrying out the wafer can be further shortened. For example, by setting the loading and unloading directions of the wafer into the chamber in different directions, the transfer robot that inserts and removes the wafer can be separated into one for loading and one for unloading, thereby reducing the time required for loading and unloading. Furthermore, for example, by transporting the wafer after the cleaning step (which is the previous step) and the wafer after the drying step using different robots, it is possible to prevent the cleaning agent or the like from re-adhering to the wafer after drying.

A partially cutaway perspective view showing the configuration of a wafer processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention A sectional view showing a vertical section of a chamber of a wafer processing apparatus according to the same embodiment. A perspective view of the upper unit in the same embodiment A top view showing a rotation means for rotating the upper heater in the same embodiment. A diagram showing rotation of the upper heater and loading/unloading of wafers in the same embodiment. A top view for explaining loading and unloading of wafers in the same embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A wafer processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described below using embodiments. Note that in the following embodiments, constituent elements with the same reference numerals are the same or correspond to each other, and a repeated explanation may be omitted. The wafer processing apparatus according to the present embodiment is installed in the upper unit of the chamber so that the direction in which the wafer is carried into the chamber is different from the direction in which the wafer is carried out. It rotates by an angle of .

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing the configuration of a wafer processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a longitudinal section of the chamber 11 of the wafer processing apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. Note that FIG. 2 shows the chamber 11 in a closed state. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the upper unit 21 viewed from the bottom side. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a rotating means 30 for rotating the upper heater 24. As shown in FIG. Note that in FIG. 4, the upper unit 21 is omitted. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining loading and unloading of the wafer 2 and rotation of the upper heater 24. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a processing chamber 3 that includes the wafer processing apparatus 1 therein, and hands 4 and 5 of a transfer robot that carries the wafer 2 into and out of the processing chamber 3.

The wafer processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a chamber 11 having an upper unit 21 and a lower unit 22, an opening/closing means 12 for opening and closing the upper unit 21 and the lower unit 22 of the chamber 11, and a An upper heater 24 provided in the upper unit 21 so as to be rotatable, a lower heater 25 provided in the lower unit 22, and a rotating means 30 for rotating the upper heater 24 are provided.

In the chamber 11, the wafer 2 is subjected to a predetermined process using a supercritical fluid. In this embodiment, a case will be mainly described in which the predetermined process is a drying process of the wafer 2 using a supercritical fluid, but other processes, such as a cleaning process or a cleaning/drying process using a supercritical fluid, will be described. may be performed on the wafer 2. The drying process for the wafer 2 is performed, for example, by removing the processing liquid such as an organic solvent remaining on the surface of the wafer 2 by replacing it with a supercritical fluid, and then drying the supercritical fluid. In this embodiment, the case where the fluid used for processing is carbon dioxide, that is, the case where a supercritical fluid of carbon dioxide is used will be mainly described, but other supercritical fluids may be used.

The upper unit 21 and the lower unit 22 are opposed to each other, and together constitute an accommodation space 22c in which the wafer 2 is accommodated. The accommodation space 22c is usually a substantially cylindrical space. If the volume of the housing space 22c is large, the time required to increase the pressure to bring the fluid to a supercritical state will be long, so it is preferable that the volume of the housing space 22c is small. In this embodiment, a case will be mainly described in which the accommodation space 22c is formed on the lower unit 22 side. As shown in FIG. 2, the upper unit 21 and the lower unit 22 are respectively provided with cylindrical holes 21e and 22e that extend in the vertical direction. The holes 21e and 22e are used for mounting the upper heater 24 and the lower heater 25, respectively.

The lower unit 22 may be provided with a fluid injection path 221 and a fluid discharge path 222, as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, in plan view, the fluid inlet is provided on the peripheral side of the accommodation space 22c, and the fluid outlet is provided on the peripheral side of the accommodation space 22c opposite to the inlet, and around the hole 22e. However, these are only examples, and the arrangement of the inlet and outlet, as well as the inlet path 221 and the outlet path 222, may be different from those. For example, the injection path 221 may be provided to inject fluid from the upper surface side of the wafer 2 . Further, for example, an injection path 221 and a discharge path 222 may be provided on the side (side surface) of the accommodation space 22c within a range that does not interfere with the clamp 41 described later. Note that it is preferable that the fluid injection path 221 and the fluid discharge path 222 be provided in the fixed unit rather than in the movable unit.

The upper unit 21 and the lower unit 22 are preferably made of a pressure-resistant material. The material may be, for example, stainless steel. Further, the surface may be subjected to, for example, a process to form a passive film to prevent the generation of particles, or a DLC process to harden it.

The chamber 11 may have a seal portion 23 for sealing between the upper unit 21 and the lower unit 22 when the chamber 11 is closed. The seal portion 23 is an annular member, and may be arranged at the annular edge of the opening of the accommodation space 22c in the lower unit 22 or at a portion of the upper unit 21 opposite to the edge. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the seal portion 23 may be attached to the lower end side of the upper unit 21. The seal portion 23 may have a substantially U-shaped cross section. In that case, when the chamber 11 is closed and the fluid in the accommodation space 22c attempts to flow out to the outside through the seal portion 23, the pressure in the substantially U-shaped inner portion increases and the sealing performance is impaired. This is further improved, and it is possible to effectively prevent the fluid from flowing out of the accommodation space 22c. The seal portion 23 may be made of, for example, a fluororesin such as polytetrafluoroethylene, or a material such as silicon.

The opening/closing means 12 opens and closes the chamber 11 by moving at least one of the upper unit 21 and the lower unit 22 in the vertical direction. The upper unit 21 and the lower unit 22 are closed by the opening/closing means 12, and are fitted and integrated to form a housing space 22c for processing the wafer 2. Moreover, the airtightness of the accommodation space 22c is improved by the seal portion 23, and an upper seal portion 21d and a lower seal portion 22d, which will be described later. In this embodiment, the opening/closing means 12 is an air cylinder fixed to the base 15, and moves the four corners of the rectangular top plate 16 up and down with respect to the base 15 at the same timing. The case where the unit 21 is moved in the vertical direction will be mainly explained. In addition, in FIG. 1, a part of the opening/closing means 12 is omitted.

The opening/closing means 12 may be constituted by a solenoid other than an air cylinder, a rotational drive means for driving a rack and pinion and a pinion, a rotational drive means for rotating a ball screw and a screw shaft, or the like. Additionally, opening/closing means 12 are provided at one to three of the four corners of the top plate 16, and guide members for vertically guiding the apex portion of the top plate 16 are provided at other locations. may be provided. In this embodiment, a case will be described in which the opening/closing means 12 moves the upper unit 21 in the vertical direction, but this may not be the case. The opening/closing means 12 may move the lower unit 22 in the vertical direction, or may move both the upper unit 21 and the lower unit 22 in opposite directions in the vertical direction.

The upper heater 24 includes a heating plate 24a extending horizontally in the housing space 22c, and a cylindrical support portion 24b connected to the upper surface of the heating plate 24a. The heating plate 24a may have a disk shape, for example. Further, one end of the support portion 24b may be fixed near the center of the disk-shaped heating plate 24a so that the plane of the heating plate 24a and the central axis of the cylindrical shape of the support portion 24b are perpendicular. For example, the heating plate 24a and the support portion 24b may be integrally configured or may be independent members. The upper heater 24 is attached to the upper unit 21 by inserting the support portion 24b of the upper heater 24 into the cylindrical hole 21e provided in the upper unit 21. Note that the support portion 24b may have a cylindrical shape as a whole, or may have a cylindrical shape at least in part. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a case will be mainly described in which the support portion 24b is constituted by a plurality of cylindrical portions having different radii. The same applies to the support portion 25b, which will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 2, the support portion 24b of the upper heater 24 is provided so as to be freely rotatable in the hole 22e of the upper unit 21 by means of a rotary bearing 21b. In this way, the upper heater 24 is provided in the upper unit 21 so as to be rotatable around a vertical axis. Normally, an upper seal portion 21d, which will be described later, is provided on the housing space 22c side of the rotary bearing 21b.

As shown in FIG. 2, a horizontally extending gap may exist between the upper surface of the heating plate 24a of the upper heater 24 and the lower surface of the upper unit 21, through which fluid can flow. That is, the upper heater 24 may be attached to the upper unit 21 so that a predetermined distance is left between the upper surface of the heating plate 24a and the lower surface of the upper unit 21 in the vertical direction. This is because when the upper heater 24 rotates, it is preferable that the upper surface of the heating plate 24a and the lower surface of the upper unit 21 do not come into contact with each other.

The lower heater 25 includes a heating plate 25a extending horizontally in the accommodation space 22c, and a cylindrical support portion 25b connected to the lower surface of the heating plate 25a. The lower heater 25 is the same as the upper heater 24 except that it is upside down, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The lower heater 25 is attached to the lower unit 22 by inserting the support portion 25b of the lower heater 25 into the cylindrical hole 22e provided in the lower unit 22. In this embodiment, unlike the upper heater 24, the case where the lower heater 25 is not rotated will be mainly described, but the lower heater 25 may also be rotated.

As shown in FIG. 2, a horizontally extending gap may exist between the lower surface of the heating plate 25a of the lower heater 25 and the upper surface of the lower unit 22, or, It doesn't have to be that way. For example, when a discharge port is provided below the heating plate 25a of the lower heater 25, it is preferable that a gap exists between the discharge ports.

The upper heater 24 and the lower heater 25 are used to heat the fluid within the accommodation space 22c. This is to bring the fluid into a supercritical state in the accommodation space 22c. When the fluid is carbon dioxide, for example, the carbon dioxide may be heated to 31.1° C. or higher by the upper heater 24 and the lower heater 25.

The upper seal portion 21d seals between the support portion 24b of the upper heater 24 and the hole 21e of the upper unit 21. Further, the lower seal portion 22d seals between the support portion 25b of the lower heater 25 and the hole 22e of the lower unit 22. The upper seal portion 21d prevents fluid from leaking between the support portion 24b and the hole 21e, and the lower seal portion 22d prevents fluid from leaking between the support portion 25b and the hole 22e. The accommodation space 22c is kept airtight. The upper seal portion 21d and the lower seal portion 22d may be similar to the seal portion 23. Note that in order to properly position the seal portion 21d, a seal holder that prevents the seal portion 21d from moving upward, a cylindrical spacer that maintains a constant distance between the seal portion 21d and the rotation bearing 21b, etc. may be used. good.

The upper heater 24 and the lower heater 25 may be removed, for example, for maintenance. Further, the upper heater 24 is rotated by a rotating means 30. In this way, when both are attached and detached, and when the upper heater 24 is rotated, the contact portions between the upper heater 24 and the lower heater 25 and the chamber 11, more specifically, the upper seal portion 21d and the lower seal Particles and the like are likely to be generated at the portion 22d. It is preferable that such particles are discharged so as not to diffuse toward the wafer 2. As a method for discharging the generated particles, for example, methods described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-324777 and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-036109 may be used.

A support means 21a is provided on the lower surface side of the upper heater 24 to support the wafer 2 carried in in the horizontal direction. Therefore, when the wafer 2 is carried in, the wafer 2 is positioned below the upper heater 24, as shown in FIG. For example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the supporting means 21a has a substantially L-shaped cross section, and supports the peripheral edge of the wafer 2 carried in at the distal end portion extending in the horizontal direction. Good too. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, a case will be mainly described in which the upper heater 24 is provided with three supporting means 21a, but this need not be the case. The number of supporting means 21a may be, for example, one or two, or four or more. Moreover, the shape of the supporting means 21a is not limited as long as it can support the wafer 2 appropriately.

The rotating means 30 rotates the upper heater 24 around a vertical axis, and includes an air cylinder 31 and a crank 32. The base end side of the air cylinder 31 is provided so as to be freely rotatable in the horizontal direction with respect to the top plate 16 by a rotating shaft 31b. Further, the tip of the piston rod 31a of the air cylinder 31 is connected to the crank 32. As shown in FIG. 4, the crank 32 and the upper heater 24 connected to the crank 32 rotate about the vertical axis of rotation 24c in response to the longitudinal movement of the piston rod 31a. become. As the crank 32 rotates, the position of the tip of the piston rod 31a changes, and in response to the change in position, the base end of the air cylinder 31 rotates around the rotation shaft 31b. Note that instead of the air cylinder 31, a solenoid or the like may be used. Further, the rotation means 30 may be, for example, a rotation drive means such as a motor that rotates the upper heater 24 around a vertical axis.

As described above, the accommodation space 22c is usually a substantially cylindrical space, and the holes 21e and 22e and the support parts 24b and 25b are cylindrical. This embodiment mainly deals with the case where the vertically extending central axes of the approximately cylindrical shape of the housing space 22c, the holes 21e and 22e, and the cylindrical shapes of the supporting parts 24b and 25b are on the same straight line. explain. Further, it is assumed that the rotating shaft 24c is also coaxial with the central axis of the cylindrical shape of the hole portion 21e and the support portion 24b.

The wafer processing apparatus 1 is configured to operate the periphery of the chamber 11 in a state in which the chamber 11 is closed, that is, in a state in which the upper unit 21 and the lower unit 22 are fitted in the vertical direction and the internal accommodation space 22c is kept airtight. It may have a clamp 41 for tightening. The clamp 41 is fixed to the upper surface of the stage 42. A slide rail 43 is fixed to the base 15, and a slide guide 44 is slidably provided on the slide rail 43. Since the slide guide 44 is fixed to the stage 42, the clamp 41 is movable in the longitudinal direction of the slide rail 43. The movement of the clamp 41, that is, the movement of the stage 42, may be realized using a driving means (not shown). The driving means may be, for example, an air cylinder, a solenoid, a rotational driving means for driving a rack and pinion and a pinion, a rotational driving means for rotating a ball screw and a screw shaft, or the like. The clamp 41 is moved between a locked position and a released position of the chamber 11 by the driving means. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a case will be mainly described in which the upper unit 21 and lower unit 22 of the chamber 11 are locked by three clamps 41. , may be two, or may be four or more. The movement of the plurality of clamps 41 between the lock position and the release position may be performed independently or may be performed in conjunction with each other.

Next, referring to FIG. 5, the upper heater 24 is rotated by the rotating means 30, and the direction in which the wafer 2 is carried into the upper heater 24 and the direction in which the wafer 2 is carried out from the upper heater 24 become a predetermined angle. The process to do this will be explained.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the upper unit 21 viewed from below. As shown in FIG. 5(a), the wafer 2 is carried in the direction of the arrow. Thereafter, the chamber 11 is closed, and as shown in FIG. 5(b), the upper heater 24 is rotated by 90 degrees in the direction of the arrow by the rotation means 30 while the wafer 2 is supported by the support means 21a. The result is as shown in FIG. 5(c). Thereafter, predetermined processing will be performed on the wafer 2. When the predetermined process is completed, the chamber 11 is opened, and the wafer 2 is carried out in the direction of the arrow, as shown in FIG. 5(d). Note that after being carried out, the upper heater 24 is rotated by 90 degrees by the rotating means 30 again so as to be in the state shown in FIG. 5(a). In FIG. 5, the angle between the loading direction and the unloading direction of the wafer 2 is 90 degrees. Note that the angle between the loading direction and the unloading direction of the wafer 2 may be within a range that does not interfere with the door provided at the loading port 3a of the wafer 2 and the door provided at the loading port 3b, which will be described later, and is preferably 90°. It may be within a range of 180 degrees to 180 degrees. Further, the upper heater 24 may be rotated at any timing, as long as it is after the wafer 2 is carried in and before it is carried out. For example, the upper heater 24 may be rotated before the chamber 11 is closed, and after the rotation, the chamber 11 may be closed and a predetermined process may be performed on the wafer 2, and the predetermined process using a supercritical fluid is completed. Afterwards, the upper heater 24 may be rotated.

Next, the operation of the wafer processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be specifically explained. Here, as shown in FIG. 6, a wafer processing apparatus 1 is installed in a processing chamber 3, and the processing chamber 3 is provided with an inlet 3a and an outlet 3b for wafers 2. The door is closed except when unloading. Next, a case where the wafer 2 is inserted into the wafer processing apparatus 1 through the loading port 3a and taken out from the wafer processing apparatus 1 through the loading port 3b will be described.

First, in a state where the upper unit 21 and lower unit 22 of the wafer processing apparatus 1 are separated in the vertical direction, the door of the entrance 3a of the processing chamber 3 is opened. Then, in the cleaning device of the pre-process, the wafer 2 that has been cleaned with a cleaning agent such as IPA (isopropyl alcohol) is transported by the hand 4 of the transport robot, and is carried into the lower surface side of the upper heater 24 through the loading port 3a. Ru. The loaded wafer 2 is supported by the support means 21a.

Next, the door is closed at the timing when the hand 4 comes out of the entrance 3a. Then, the chamber 11 is closed by lowering the top plate 16 by the opening/closing means 12. Further, by moving the stage 42 toward the axis of the chamber 11, the upper unit 21 and the lower unit 22 are locked by the clamp 41 (FIG. 2). Thereafter, the upper heater 24 is rotated by 90 degrees by the rotating means 30.

Then, the injection valve connected to the carbon dioxide injection path 221 is opened, and carbon dioxide is injected into the accommodation space 22c of the chamber 11. For example, carbon dioxide is pressurized using a pressure increasing mechanism such as a pressurizing pump and then injected into the accommodation space 22c. Further, the injected carbon dioxide is heated by the upper heater 24 and the lower heater 25.

The injected carbon dioxide becomes a supercritical state when the pressure in the accommodation space 22c reaches a critical pressure of 7.38 MPa or higher and the temperature reaches a critical temperature of 31.1° C. or higher, and the IPA and the like on the wafer 2 become supercritical carbon dioxide. Dissolved in carbon. When the pressure of supercritical carbon dioxide (supercritical fluid) in the accommodation space 22c exceeds a certain value, a discharge valve (pressure adjustment valve) connected to the discharge path 222 releases the supercritical carbon dioxide (supercritical fluid) while maintaining the pressure in the accommodation space 22c. The critical fluid is gradually drained. In this way, the supercritical fluid in which IPA and the like adhering to the wafer 2 have been dissolved is discharged, and IPA and the like are removed from the wafer 2 in the accommodation space 22c.

Note that the accommodation space 22c is preferably maintained at a pressure and temperature at which carbon dioxide becomes supercritical at least until discharge of IPA and the like is completed. Preferably, the pressure of the accommodation space 22c is maintained at 7.4 to 15 MPa, and the temperature is maintained at 31 to 50° C. by the upper heater 24 and the lower heater 25, for example.

Since the injection of carbon dioxide into the accommodation space 22c continues, the injection of the supercritical carbon dioxide fluid and the discharge of the supercritical carbon dioxide fluid in which IPA and the like are dissolved are performed in parallel. When the discharge of the supercritical fluid in which IPA and the like are dissolved is completed, the injection valve is closed, the pressure in the accommodation space 22c is lowered by the discharge valve, and the phase of the supercritical fluid is converted into a gas before being discharged. The exhaust valve is then closed. Heating of the accommodation space 22c may be stopped and may be maintained at a temperature of 31 to 50°C. Note that whether or not the supercritical fluid has finished discharging IPA or the like may be confirmed by, for example, detecting IPA or the like in the accommodation space 22c using a sensor that detects IPA or the like. The sensor that detects IPA or the like may be, for example, an alcohol detection sensor.

Thereafter, each clamp 41 is moved to the release position. Moreover, the chamber 11 is opened by lifting the upper surface plate 16 by the opening/closing means 12, and the upper unit 21 and the lower unit 22 are separated. Further, the door of the exit 3b of the processing chamber 3 is opened. Then, the wafer 2 dried using the supercritical fluid is carried out by the hand 5 of the transfer robot through the door of the outlet 3b, and the door of the outlet 3b is closed. Thereafter, the upper heater 24 is rotated by 90 degrees in the opposite direction by the rotating means 30, so that the angle at which the wafer 2 can be loaded is reached, and the series of drying processes is completed. Thereafter, the above process may be repeated. Note that the hands 4 and 5 are normally operated by different transfer robots. Furthermore, control of timing and the like regarding the series of processes described above may be performed by a control means (not shown).

As described above, according to the wafer processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the direction in which the wafer 2 is carried into the chamber 11 and the direction in which it is carried out can be made different. For example, if both directions are the same and one transport robot carries in and out, the wafer cannot be carried in immediately after being carried out, resulting in a long takt time. Further, for example, when the wafer loading direction and the wafer unloading direction are the same, and a transport robot is provided to transport the wafer before processing and a transport robot to transport the wafer after processing (for example, in the above-mentioned patent (Refer to Document 1) has the disadvantage that loading and unloading of wafers cannot be carried out only by operating both robots, it takes time to transfer wafers, and the installation area of the apparatus becomes large. On the other hand, as in the wafer processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, by making the loading direction and the unloading direction of the wafer 2 different, the loading and unloading of the wafer 2 can be performed separately without increasing the installation area. This can be done by a transfer robot. As a result, by loading another wafer 2 immediately after unloading the wafer 2, the takt time can be shortened, and efficient processing can be realized.

Further, since the transport robot that transports the wafer 2 before processing in the chamber 11 and the transport robot that transports the wafer 2 after processing in the chamber 11 can be different, for example, the transport robot that transports the wafer 2 after processing in the chamber 11 can be It is possible to prevent IPA and the like adhering to the wafer 4 from adhering to the wafer 2 after processing. In addition, it is possible to separate the area where the wafer 2 before processing is handled and the area where the wafer 2 after processing is handled, and prevent IPA etc. from scattering and adhering to the wafer 2 after processing from the wafer 2 before processing. This can also be prevented.

Furthermore, in order to make the loading direction and the unloading direction of the wafer 2 different, it is also possible to rotate the upper unit 21 itself. However, since the upper unit 21 is quite heavy, it is easier to rotate the upper heater 24 with respect to the upper unit 2 as in this embodiment than to rotate the upper unit 21. The advantage is that you can.

In this embodiment, a case has been described in which the upper heater 24 is rotated so that the direction in which the wafer 2 is carried into the chamber 11 is different from the direction in which the wafer 2 is carried out. The upper heater 24 may also be rotated to facilitate this. In that case, the rotating means 30 may rotate the upper heater 24 during at least a part of the period during which the wafer 2 housed in the chamber 11 is being subjected to a predetermined process using a supercritical fluid. . The rotation in this case may be, for example, rotation in one direction, or may be a repetition of rotation in one direction and rotation in the opposite direction. In the latter case, for example, rocking may be performed. Moreover, when rotation in one direction is performed, it is suitable that the rotation means 30 is rotation drive means, such as a motor. When the rotation means 30 is a rotation drive means, power may be supplied to the upper heater 24 using, for example, a slip ring or the like. In this way, by rotating the upper heater 24 even when a predetermined process is being performed on the wafer 2, the fluid in the accommodation space 22c can be stirred, for example, and the process can be accelerated. can. Note that even if the upper heater 24 is rotated while a predetermined process is being performed, the upper heater 24 will be at a predetermined angle as described above when loading and unloading the wafer 2. It is preferable that Therefore, when the rotation means 30 is a rotation drive means such as a motor, a rotation drive means such as a stepping motor that can realize accurate positioning control may be used, and the rotation of the upper heater 24 obtained by an encoder or the like may be used. The angle may be used to control the angle of the upper heater 24 rotated by the rotational drive means.

Further, in this embodiment, the case has been mainly described in which the wafer 2 is supported in the accommodation space 22c by the support means 21a provided on the lower surface side of the upper heater 24, but this may not be the case. For example, another support means (hereinafter referred to as "lower support means") is provided on the lower surface of the accommodation space 22c (that is, the upper surface of the lower unit 22), and when the chamber 11 is closed, the wafer 2 may no longer be supported by the support means 21a and may be supported by the lower support means. The lower support means may be arranged, for example, at the periphery of the accommodation space 22c, which is circular in plan view. Furthermore, when the chamber 11 is closed, the surface on which the wafer 2 is placed on the lower support means may be located above the surface on which the wafer 2 is placed on the support means 21a.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, a case has been described in which the wafer processing apparatus 1 includes the lower heater 25, but this may not be the case. The wafer processing apparatus 1 may not include the lower heater 25.

Furthermore, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and that various modifications can be made, and these are also included within the scope of the present invention.

As described above, according to the wafer processing apparatus according to the present invention, the direction in which the wafer is carried into the chamber and the direction in which the wafer is carried out can be set in different directions, and the wafer processing apparatus can process the wafer in a shorter takt time. Useful.

1 Wafer processing apparatus 2 Wafer 11 Chamber 12 Opening/closing means 21 Upper unit 21a Supporting means 22 Lower unit 24 Upper heater 30 Rotating means

Claims (2)

a chamber for performing a predetermined process on the wafer using a supercritical fluid, the chamber having an upper unit and a lower unit opposing the upper unit and forming a housing space for accommodating a wafer;
an upper heater provided on the upper unit so as to be rotatable around a vertical axis, and having support means provided on the lower surface side for supporting wafers carried in in a horizontal direction;
opening/closing means for opening and closing the chamber by moving at least one of the upper and lower units in the vertical direction;
a rotation means for rotating the upper heater around a vertical axis;
The rotating means rotates the upper heater so that a direction in which the wafer is carried into the upper heater and a direction in which the wafer is carried out from the upper heater are at a predetermined angle. 2. The wafer processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotating means rotates the upper heater even when the predetermined process is being performed on a wafer housed in the chamber.

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