Processing liquid generation method, processing liquid generation mechanism, semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and semiconductor manufacturing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11395993-B2
Application number	US-202016886299-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2020
Priority date	Sep 20, 2019
Publication date	Jul 26, 2022
Grant date	Jul 26, 2022

Abstract

A droplet dispersion mechanism performs a first droplet generation process of supplying gas to a chemical liquid, and dispersing the chemical liquid into droplets to acquire chemical liquid droplets. A droplet dispersion mechanism performs a second droplet generation process of supplying gas to a chemical liquid, and dispersing the chemical liquid into droplets to acquire chemical liquid droplets. A droplet mixing mechanism performs a droplet mixing process of mixing the chemical liquid droplets and the chemical liquid droplets to acquire a processing liquid in a form of droplets. A discharge nozzle performs a discharge process of externally discharging the processing liquid received from the droplet mixing mechanism.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A processing liquid generation method comprising:
a first droplet generation process of generating droplets of a first chemical liquid to acquire first chemical liquid droplets;
a second droplet generation process of generating droplets of a second chemical liquid to acquire second chemical liquid droplets; and
a droplet mixing process of mixing at least the first chemical liquid droplets and the second chemical liquid droplets to acquire a processing liquid in a form of droplets.

2. The processing liquid generation method according to claim 1 , further comprising
a third droplet generation process of generating droplets of a third chemical liquid to acquire third chemical liquid droplets, wherein
the droplet mixing process includes a process of mixing at least the first chemical liquid droplets, the second chemical liquid droplets, and the third chemical liquid droplets to acquire the processing liquid in the form of droplets.

3. The processing liquid generation method according to claim 1 , wherein
the first droplet generation process is performed by supplying first gas to the first chemical liquid,
the second droplet generation process is performed by supplying second gas to the second chemical liquid, and
at least one of Condition 1 “TC 1 <TG 1 ” and Condition 2 “TC 2 <TG 2 ” is met where TC 1 is temperature of the first chemical liquid and TG 1 is temperature of the first gas during performance of the first droplet generation process, TC 2 is temperature of the second chemical liquid and TG 2 is temperature of the second gas during performance of the second droplet generation process.

4. A processing liquid generation mechanism comprising:
a first droplet dispersion mechanism to perform a first droplet generation process of supplying first gas to a first chemical liquid, and dispersing the first chemical liquid into droplets to acquire first chemical liquid droplets;
a second droplet dispersion mechanism to perform a second droplet generation process of supplying second gas to a second chemical liquid, and dispersing the second chemical liquid into droplets to acquire second chemical liquid droplets;
a droplet mixing mechanism to perform a droplet mixing process of mixing at least the first chemical liquid droplets and the second chemical liquid droplets to acquire a processing liquid in a form of droplets; and
a discharge nozzle to perform a discharge process of externally discharging the processing liquid received from the droplet mixing mechanism.

5. The processing liquid generation mechanism according to claim 4 , wherein
at least the first droplet dispersion mechanism, the second droplet dispersion mechanism, the droplet mixing mechanism, and the discharge nozzle are integrated with one another.

6. The processing liquid generation mechanism according to claim 4 , further comprising
a third droplet dispersion mechanism to perform a third droplet generation process of supplying third gas to a third chemical liquid, and dispersing the third chemical liquid into droplets to acquire third chemical liquid droplets, wherein
the droplet mixing mechanism performs the droplet mixing process of mixing at least the first chemical liquid droplets, the second chemical liquid droplets, and the third chemical liquid droplets to acquire the processing liquid in the form of droplets.

7. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising
a processing mechanism including a processing liquid generation mechanism,
the processing liquid generation mechanism including:
a first droplet dispersion mechanism to perform a first droplet generation process of supplying first gas to a first chemical liquid, and dispersing the first chemical liquid into droplets to acquire first chemical liquid droplets;
a second droplet dispersion mechanism to perform a second droplet generation process of supplying second gas to a second chemical liquid and dispersing the second chemical liquid into droplets to acquire second chemical liquid droplets;
a droplet mixing mechanism to perform a droplet mixing process of mixing at least the first chemical liquid droplets and the second chemical liquid droplets to acquire a processing liquid in a form of droplets; and
a discharge nozzle to perform a discharge process of externally discharging the processing liquid received from the droplet mixing mechanism;
the processing mechanism to discharge the processing liquid generated using the processing liquid generation mechanism onto an upper surface of a semiconductor wafer.

8. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the processing liquid generation mechanism included in the processing mechanism further includes at least one temperature regulator located before at least one of the first droplet dispersion mechanism and the second droplet dispersion mechanism to perform a temperature regulation process of heating at least one of the first gas and the second gas so that a gas temperature regulation condition is met, and
in the at least one of the first droplet dispersion mechanism and the second droplet dispersion mechanism before which the at least one temperature regulator is located, the gas temperature regulation condition is “TC<TG” where TC is temperature of at least one of the first chemical liquid and the second chemical liquid to be processed by the at least one of the first droplet dispersion mechanism and the second droplet dispersion mechanism, TG is temperature of the at least one of the first gas and the second gas.

9. A semiconductor manufacturing method performed using the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7 , the semiconductor manufacturing method comprising the operations of:
mounting the semiconductor wafer on a stage;
supplying the first gas to the first droplet dispersion mechanism, and supplying the second gas to the second droplet dispersion mechanism;
locating the discharge nozzle at a level taught from the upper surface of the semiconductor wafer;
rotating the stage on which the semiconductor wafer is held at a set speed;
supplying the first chemical liquid to the first droplet dispersion mechanism, and supplying the second chemical liquid to the second droplet dispersion mechanism;
discharging the processing liquid acquired by the droplet mixing mechanism performing the droplet mixing process onto the upper surface of the semiconductor wafer through the discharge nozzle;
stopping supply of the first chemical liquid and the second chemical liquid after an elapse of a set time period;
locating the discharge nozzle at a standby position;
stopping supply of the first gas and the second gas; and
removing the semiconductor wafer from the stage.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Tanaka Hiroshi

Classifications

• H10P72/0604

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

• H10P72/0448

  Apparatus for applying a liquid, a resin, an ink or the like · CPC title

• H10P72/0424 Primary

  using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles · CPC title

• H10P72/0402

  Apparatus for fluid treatment (H10P72/0441, H10P72/0448 take precedence) · CPC title

• H10P72/0414

  using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles · CPC title