Semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method of semiconductor device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11676828-B2
Application number	US-202017119431-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2020
Priority date	Mar 17, 2020
Publication date	Jun 13, 2023
Grant date	Jun 13, 2023

Abstract

A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a tank, a heater, a bubble supplier, a sensor and a controller. The tank stores a chemical solution for processing a substrate. The heater heats the chemical solution. The bubble supplier supplies bubbles to the chemical solution in the tank. The sensor detects at least one of a concentration of the chemical solution, a water concentration of the chemical solution, specific gravity of the chemical solution and a vapor concentration of a gas discharged from the tank. The controller controls the supply of bubbles by the bubble supplier based on a detection result of the sensor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising:
a tank configured to store a chemical solution for processing a substrate;
a heater configured to heat the chemical solution;
a bubble supplier configured to supply bubbles to the chemical solution in the tank, the chemical solution to which bubbles are supplied being heated by the heater;
a sensor configured to detect at least one of a concentration of the chemical solution, a water concentration of the chemical solution, specific gravity of the chemical solution and a vapor concentration of a gas discharged from the tank; and
a controller configured to control the supply of bubbles by the bubble supplier based on a detection result of the sensor, wherein
the bubble supplier comprises:
an intake path through which a gas outside the chemical solution passes; and
a flow path through which the chemical solution passes, the flow path being configured to mix the chemical solution with the gas passing through the intake path,

the flow path comprises a connection which is connected to one end of the intake path,
a flow path diameter of the flow path decreases from an upstream side of the connection to the connection and increases from the connection to a downstream side of the connection,
the intake path draws a gas into the connection, and
the other end of the intake path is provided above a water surface of the chemical solution.

2. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a circulation path configured to circulate the chemical solution in the tank, wherein
the heater heats the chemical solution to be circulated, and
the bubble supplier mixes the chemical solution to be circulated with a gas and supplies the chemical solution into the tank to thereby supply bubbles to the chemical solution in the tank.

3. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the tank comprises a first tank configured to store the chemical solution and a second tank configured to receive the chemical solution overflowing from the first tank,
the circulation path circulates the chemical solution between the first tank and the second tank, and
the bubble supplier mixes the chemical solution to be circulated with the gas and supplies the chemical solution into the first tank.

4. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the bubble supplier further comprises an adjuster provided in a path of the intake path and configured to adjust passage of the gas, and
the controller controls the adjuster to thereby control the supply of bubbles by the bubble supplier.

5. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an exhauster configured to exhaust an inside of the tank, wherein
the exhauster comprises a gas-liquid separator which cools the gas exhausted from the tank to thereby turn vapor contained in the gas exhausted from the tank into condensed water.

6. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
the bubble supplier further comprises an adjuster provided in a path of the intake path and configured to adjust passage of the gas, and
the controller controls the adjuster to thereby control the supply of bubbles by the bubble supplier.

7. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a water supplier configured to supply water to the chemical solution in the tank to lower the concentration of the chemical solution, wherein
the controller controls the supply of bubbles by the bubble supplier and the supply of water by the water supplier so that a detection result of the sensor becomes a predetermined value,
the controller controls the bubble supplier to increase an amount of bubbles supplied when the concentration of the chemical solution corresponding to the detection result of the sensor is lower than a reference concentration, and
the controller controls the water supplier to increase an amount of water supplied when the concentration of the chemical solution corresponding to the detection result of the sensor is higher than the reference concentration.

8. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the bubble supplier further comprises an adjuster provided in a path of the intake path and configured to adjust passage of the gas, and
the controller controls the adjuster to thereby control the supply of bubbles by the bubble supplier.

9. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the bubble supplier is provided in a lower part of the tank.

10. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein
the bubble supplier further comprises an adjuster provided in a path of the intake path and configured to adjust passage of the gas, and
the controller controls the adjuster to thereby control the supply of bubbles by the bubble supplier.

11. A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device comprising:
heating a chemical solution for processing a substrate using a heater, the chemical solution being stored in a tank;
detecting at least one of a concentration of the chemical solution, a water concentration of the chemical solution, specific gravity of the chemical solution and a vapor concentration of a gas discharged from the tank, using a sensor;
controlling the supply of bubbles by a bubble supplier configured to supply bubbles to the chemical solution in the tank, by a controller based on a detection result of the sensor, the chemical solution to which bubbles are supplied being heated by the heater;
processing the substrate with the chemical solution in the tank;
controlling the supply of bubbles by the bubble supplier and the supply of water by a water supplier configured to supply water to the chemical solution in the tank to lower the concentration of the chemical solution, by the controller so that a detection result of the sensor becomes a predetermined value before processing the substrate;
increasing an amount of bubbles supplied, by the controller when the concentration of the chemical solution corresponding to the detection result of the sensor is lower than a reference concentration; and
decreasing an amount of water supplied, by the controller when the concentration of the chemical solution corresponding to the detection result of the sensor is higher than the reference concentration.

Assignees

• Kioxia Corp

Inventors

• Muraki Shinsuke
• Nakaoka Satoshi

Classifications

• H10P74/23

  characterised by multiple measurements, corrections, marking or sorting processes · CPC title

• H10P72/0604 Primary

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

• H10P50/283

  by chemical means · CPC title

• H10P72/0426 Primary

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

• H10P72/0402

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