Substrate treating apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12334330-B2
Application number	US-202117370475-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 8, 2021
Priority date	Jul 15, 2020
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

An apparatus for treating a substrate using a treating fluid in a supercritical state is provided. In a pressure increasing step of increasing a pressure in the treating space from a pressure lower than a critical pressure of the treating fluid to a treating pressure higher than the critical pressure, the apparatus controls a supply amount of the treating fluid supplied from a first supply port to control flow of the treating fluid supplied from the first supply port and then exhausted through an exhaust port.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for treating a substrate using a treating fluid in a supercritical state, the apparatus comprising:
a chamber configured to provide a treating space for treating the substrate;
a substrate support within the chamber and configured to support the substrate when the substrate is loaded into the chamber;
a first supply port in a lower wall of the chamber, wherein the first supply port is connected to a first supply line that is configured to supply the treating fluid to a portion of the treating space located below the substrate;
an exhaust port in the lower wall of the chamber and spaced apart from the first supply port by a first spacing, wherein the exhaust port is connected to an exhaust line that is configured to exhaust the treating fluid from the chamber;
a branch line branching from the exhaust line and at a position of the exhaust line upstream of an exhaust valve installed at the exhaust line, such that the branch line is a bypass line that bypasses the exhaust valve, wherein the branch line has an orifice, such that the branch line is always open, wherein both ends of the branch line are connected to the exhaust line; and
a controller configured to control supply and exhaust of the treating fluid,
wherein in a pressure increasing step of increasing a pressure in the treating space from a pressure lower than a critical pressure of the treating fluid to a treating pressure higher than the critical pressure, the controller is configured to control a supply amount of the treating fluid supplied from the first supply port so as to control flow of the treating fluid supplied from the first supply port and then exhausted through the exhaust port,
wherein the branch line has no valve.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the orifice is smaller than a diameter of the exhaust line.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bypass line is installed in parallel to the exhaust valve.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the supply amount of the treating fluid so as to maintain the pressure in the treating space for a portion of an entire period of the pressure increasing step.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
control a supply flow rate of the treating fluid to a first flow rate for a first portion of a period before the pressure in the treating space reaches the critical pressure of the treating fluid in the pressure increasing step, thereby controlling the flow of the treating fluid in the treating space; and
control the supply flow rate of the treating fluid to a second flow rate greater than the first flow rate to increase the pressure in the treating space to the treating pressure.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second supply port connected to a second supply line, the second supply line configured to supply the treating fluid to a portion of the treating space located above the substrate,
wherein the controller is configured to:
supply the treating fluid from the first supply port for a period before the pressure in the treating space reaches the critical pressure of the treating fluid in the pressure increasing step;
supply the treating fluid in the supercritical state from the second supply port for a period after the pressure in the treating space has reached the critical pressure of the treating fluid; and
after the treating of the substrate using the treating fluid in the supercritical state has been completed, open the exhaust valve to exhaust the treating fluid inside the treating space.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a blocking plate between the first supply port and the substrate support, the blocking plate configured to prevent the treating fluid from the first supply port from being sprayed directly onto the substrate,
wherein a top face of the blocking plate is positioned adjacent to a bottom face of the substrate.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control a supply flow rate of the treating fluid for a first period of the pressure increasing step and a supply flow rate of the treating fluid for a second period of the pressure increasing step subsequent to the first period to be different from each other.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to:
control the supply flow rate of the treating fluid for the first period to a first flow rate; and
control the supply flow rate of the treating fluid for the second period to a second flow rate greater than the first flow rate.

10. An apparatus for treating a substrate using a treating fluid in a supercritical state, the apparatus comprising:
a chamber configured to provide a treating space for treating the substrate;
a substrate support within the chamber and configured to support the substrate when the substrate is loaded into the chamber;
a first supply port in a lower wall of the chamber, wherein the first supply port is connected to a first supply line that is configured to supply treating fluid to a portion of the treating space located below the substrate;
a first exhaust port in the lower wall of the chamber and spaced apart from the first supply port by a first spacing, wherein the first exhaust port is connected to a first exhaust line, such that the first exhaust line is directly connected to the lower wall of the chamber through the first exhaust port, the first exhaust line having an exhaust valve and being configured to exhaust the treating fluid from the chamber;
a second exhaust port in the lower wall of the chamber and spaced apart from the first supply port and the first exhaust port, the second exhaust port connected to a second exhaust line such that the second exhaust line is directly connected to the lower wall of the chamber through the second exhaust port, the second exhaust line being configured to bypass the first exhaust line and exhaust the treating fluid from the chamber, wherein the second exhaust port has an orifice, such that the second exhaust port is always open; and
a controller configured to control supply and exhaust of the treating fluid,
wherein in a pressure increasing step of increasing a pressure in the treating space from a pressure lower than a critical pressure of the treating fluid to a treating pressure higher than the critical pressure, the controller is configured to control a supply amount of the treating fluid supplied from the first supply port so as to control flow of the treating fluid supplied from the first supply port and then exhausted through the second exhaust port.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein a diameter of the orifice is smaller than a diameter of the first exhaust line.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to control the supply amount of the treating fluid so as to maintain the pressure in the treating space for a portion of an entire period of the pressure increasing step.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to:
control a supply flow rate of the treating fluid to a first flow rate for a first portion of a period before the pressure in the treating space reaches the critical pressure of the treating fluid in the pressure increasing step, thereby controlling the flow of the treating fluid in the treating space; and
control the supply flow rate of the treating fluid to a second flow rate greater than the first flow rate to increase the pressure in the treating space to the treating pressure.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:
a second supply port connected to a second sup

Assignees

• Semes Co Ltd

Inventors

• PARK Miso
• Lee Yong Hee
• Lim Eui Sang
• Jung Jinwoo

Classifications

• H10P72/0408 Primary

  for drying · CPC title

• H10P72/0406

  for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like · CPC title

• H10P70/80 Primary

  Cleaning only by supercritical fluids · CPC title

• H10P72/0462

  characterised by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers · CPC title

• H10P72/0432

  mainly by conduction · CPC title