Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12465956-B2
Application number	US-202318516821-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2023
Priority date	Nov 30, 2022
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

Disclosed are a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method that allow a chemical liquid to penetrate deeply into a gap between patterns of a substrate. The substrate processing apparatus includes a chamber having a processing space defined therein in which a substrate is processed; a chuck installed in the processing space and configured to support the substrate thereon; a chemical liquid supply formed on top of the chuck and configured to supply a chemical liquid droplet toward an upper surface of the substrate supported on the chuck; and a pressurizer formed on top of the chuck and configured to pressurize the chemical liquid droplet supplied on the upper surface of the substrate so that the pressed chemical liquid droplet fills a gap between patterns formed on the substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a chamber having a processing space defined therein in which a substrate is processed; a chuck installed in the processing space and configured to support the substrate thereon; a chemical liquid supply formed on top of the chuck and configured to supply a chemical liquid droplet toward an upper surface of the substrate supported on the chuck; and a pressurizer formed on top of the chuck and configured to pressurize the chemical liquid droplet supplied on the upper surface of the substrate so that the pressed chemical liquid droplet fills a gap between patterns formed on the substrate, wherein the pressurizer includes a pressing plate which is a non-perforated plate and a pressing head configured to press the pressing plate.

2 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pressurizer further includes:
a pressure applying unit configured to control a signal to pressurize the pressing plate introduced into the chamber.

3 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2 ,
wherein a lower surface of the pressing plate includes a superhydrophobic material.

4 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the pressing head is configured to press an entirety of the upper surface of the substrate.

5 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 4 , wherein a lower surface of the pressing head includes a superhydrophobic material.

6 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the chuck includes a built-in heater therein configured to heat the substrate.

7 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
a sprayer disposed in a lower portion of the processing space of the chamber and configured to spray a cleaning substance toward a lower surface of the pressing head or a lower surface of the pressing plate.

8 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 7 ,
wherein the cleaning substance includes one of gas, a cleaning liquid, and an ultrasonic-wave applied medium to which ultrasonic energy has been applied.

9 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 8 ,
wherein the ultrasonic-wave applied medium include deionized water (DIW).

10 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
a controller electrically connected to the chemical liquid supply and the pressurizer, wherein the controller is configured to: receive chemical liquid droplet supply timing information from the chemical liquid supply; and apply a control signal to the pressurizer based on the chemical liquid droplet supply timing information such that the pressurizer applies a pressure on the substrate at the same timing as the chemical liquid droplet supply timing information.

11 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 10 ,
wherein after receiving the chemical liquid droplet supply timing information, the controller is further configured to apply the control signal to a pressing plate supply unit based on the chemical liquid droplet supply timing information so that the pressing plate supply unit introduces the pressing plate into the processing space of the chamber.

12 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 11 ,
wherein after the pressing plate has been introduced into the chamber, the controller is further configured to apply a pressing plate alignment control signal so that the pressing plate is aligned with the substrate.

13 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 12 ,
wherein after the alignment of the pressing plate with the substrate has been completed, the controller is further configured to apply the control signal to the pressure applying unit to press the pressing plate onto the chemical liquid droplet.

14 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a chamber having a processing space defined therein in which a substrate is processed; a chuck installed in the processing space and configured to support the substrate thereon, wherein the chuck includes a built-in heater therein configured to heat the substrate; a chemical liquid supply formed on top of the chuck and configured to supply a chemical liquid droplet toward an upper surface of the substrate supported on the chuck; a pressurizer formed on top of the chuck and configured to pressurize the chemical liquid droplet supplied on the upper surface of the substrate so that the pressed chemical liquid droplet fills a gap between patterns formed on the substrate, wherein the pressurizer includes: a pressure applying unit configured to control a signal to pressurize a pressing plate introduced into the chamber; and a pressing head configured to press the pressing plate; a sprayer disposed on top of the chuck and configured to spray a cleaning substance toward a lower surface of the pressing head or a lower surface of the pressing plate, wherein the cleaning substance includes one of gas, a cleaning liquid, and an ultrasonic-wave applied medium to which ultrasonic energy has been applied; and a controller electrically connected to the chemical liquid supply and the pressurizer, wherein the controller is configured to: receive chemical liquid droplet supply timing information from the chemical liquid supply; and apply a control signal to the pressurizer based on the chemical liquid droplet supply timing information such that the pressurizer applies a pressure on the substrate at the same timing as the chemical liquid droplet supply timing information, wherein after receiving the chemical liquid droplet supply timing information, the controller is further configured to apply the control signal to a pressing plate supply unit of the pressurizer based on the chemical liquid droplet supply timing information so that the pressing plate supply unit introduces the pressing plate into the processing space of the chamber, wherein after the pressing plate has been introduced into the chamber, the controller is further configured to apply a pressing plate alignment control signal so that the pressing plate is aligned with the substrate, wherein after the alignment of the pressing plate with the substrate has been completed, the controller is further configured to apply a control signal to the pressure applying unit to press the pressing plate onto the chemical liquid droplet, and wherein the lower surface of the pressing plate includes a superhydrophobic material.

Assignees

• Semes Co Ltd

Inventors

• Choi Junhee
• Kim Tae-Keun
• Kim Kang Sul
• Lee Kyeong Min
• Kim Yong Jun

Classifications

• H10P72/0414 Primary

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

• H10P70/20

  Cleaning during device manufacture · CPC title

• H10P72/0604

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

• B08B3/02

  Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays · CPC title

• B08B13/00

  Accessories or details of general applicability for machines or apparatus for cleaning · CPC title