Substrate processing device and method of manufacturing semiconductor device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10109508-B2
Application number	US-201715446966-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2017
Priority date	Sep 16, 2016
Publication date	Oct 23, 2018
Grant date	Oct 23, 2018

Abstract

A substrate processing device includes a bath configured to accommodate a plurality of substrates and configured to store a liquid for etching the plurality of substrates, a plurality of bubble generators configured to generate bubbles in the liquid, the bubble generators provided so as to correspond to each of the plurality of substrates, a measurement device configured to measure the generation state of the bubbles of at least one of the plurality of bubble generators, and a control device configured to individually control at least one of the plurality of bubble generators based on the measurement result of the measurement device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate processing device, comprising:
a bath configured to accommodate a plurality of substrates and configured to store a liquid for etching the plurality of substrates;
a plurality of bubble generators configured to generate bubbles in the liquid, the bubble generators provided so as to correspond to each of the plurality of substrates;
a measurement device configured to measure the generation state of the bubbles of at least one of the plurality of bubble generators; and
a control device configured to individually control at least one of the plurality of bubble generators based on the measurement result of the measurement device.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein
each bubble generator corresponds to a respective movement path of bubbles, and the measurement device includes a plurality of light emitting units configured to each emit light towards a respective movement path, and a plurality of light receiving units configured to individually face a respective one of the plurality of light emitting units with a respective movement path interposed therebetween, and
the control device is configured to control the plurality of bubble generators based on the received light intensity of at least one of the light receiving units.

3. The device according to claim 2 , wherein
each bubble generator is provided at a bottom portion of the bath and each bubble generator includes a nozzle configured to discharge the bubbles toward an upper portion of the bath, a pipe in liquid communication with the nozzle, and a flow rate adjustment unit configured to adjust the flow rate of gas flowing in the pipe, and
the control device is configured to control the flow rate adjustment unit based on a measurement result of the measurement device.

4. The device according to claim 2 , wherein
the control device is configured to compare the received light intensity with a preset threshold value and to adjust the generation amount of the bubbles of at least one of the bubble generators based on the comparison result.

5. The device according to claim 4 , wherein
each bubble generator is provided at a bottom portion of the bath and each bubble generator includes a nozzle configured to discharge the bubbles toward an upper portion of the bath, a pipe in liquid communication with the nozzle, and a flow rate adjustment unit configured to adjust the flow rate of gas flowing in the pipe, and
the control device is configured to control the flow rate adjustment unit based on a measurement result of the measurement device.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein
the measurement device includes an image capturing device configured to capture an image of the liquid surface of the liquid, and
the control device is configured to compare the captured image with a reference image and to adjust the generation amount of the bubbles of at least one bubble generator based on the comparison result.

7. The device according to claim 6 , wherein
each bubble generator is provided at a bottom portion of the bath and each bubble generator includes a nozzle configured to discharge the bubbles toward an upper portion of the bath, a pipe in liquid communication with the nozzle, and a flow rate adjustment unit configured to adjust the flow rate of gas flowing in the pipe, and
the control device is configured to control the flow rate adjustment unit based on a measurement result of the measurement device.

8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein
each bubble generator is provided at a bottom portion of the bath and each bubble generator includes a nozzle configured to discharge the bubbles toward an upper portion of the bath, a pipe in liquid communication with the nozzle, and a flow rate adjustment unit configured to adjust the flow rate of gas flowing in the pipe, and
the control device is configured to control the flow rate adjustment unit based on a measurement result of the measurement device.

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid includes phosphoric acid.

10. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:
providing a plurality of substrates, a measurement device, a control device, a plurality of bubble generators, each bubble generator corresponding to one substrate of the plurality of substrates, and a bath in which a liquid is stored;
etching the plurality of substrates;
generating bubbles in the liquid by using the plurality of bubble generators;
measuring the generation state of the bubbles of at least one bubble generator of the plurality of bubble generators using the measurement device; and
controlling, by the control device, at least one bubble generator of the plurality of bubble generators individually based on the measurement result of the bubble generation state.

Assignees

• Toshiba Memory Corp

Inventors

• Ashidate Hiroaki
• Sato Katsuhiro

Classifications

• H10P72/0608

  of substrates stored in a container, a magazine, a carrier, a boat or the like · CPC title

• H10P72/0604

  Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring · CPC title

• H10P72/0426

  with the semiconductor substrates being dipped in baths or vessels · CPC title

• H10P50/283 Primary

  by chemical means · CPC title

• H10P50/73

  using masks for insulating materials · CPC title