JP4914415B2 - Surface treatment equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus for treating a surface of a workpiece by bringing the treatment gas into contact with the surface of the workpiece, and more particularly to a surface treatment apparatus suitable for treatment using a toxic or corrosive treatment gas.

  An apparatus for spraying a processing gas onto an object to be processed such as a glass substrate or a semiconductor wafer and performing a surface treatment such as etching, cleaning, surface modification, and film formation is known. The processing gas used for this type of surface treatment often contains components that are unsafe or environmentally undesirable when leaked to the outside. Therefore, generally, the processing space is surrounded by a processing tank (chamber) to prevent the processing gas from leaking to the outside.

The surface treatment apparatuses of Patent Documents 1 and 2 are provided with an inlet for introducing a workpiece into a treatment tank (chamber) and an outlet for leading the workpiece. The inlet and outlet are slit-shaped. Relaxation chambers are provided at both ends of the treatment tank to alleviate the outflow of plasma generation gas and the inflow of outside air into the treatment tank. The gas inside the treatment tank is discharged from the exhaust port.
The surface treatment apparatus of Patent Document 3 includes an inner tank that surrounds the discharge plasma generation unit and an outer tank that surrounds the inner tank. The internal pressure of the space between the outer tub and the inner tub is lower than the inner pressure of the inner tub and lower than the external pressure. As a result, the processing gas flows out from the inner tank to the space between the outer tank and the inner tank, and the outside air flows into the outer tank.
Japanese Patent No. 4058857 (FIG. 9) Japanese Patent No. 3994596 (FIG. 7) JP 2003-142298 A

  It is conceivable that the gas discharged from the treatment tank contains a reaction component that has not contributed to the surface treatment reaction in the treatment gas and a raw material component that can be a reaction component. If such effective process gas components are collected and reused, the total amount of process gas used can be reduced, and the running cost can be reduced. Moreover, even if the processing gas component has environmental load, toxicity, or corrosiveness, the processing gas component can be prevented or suppressed from being released out of the system. On the other hand, if the exhaust gas flow rate from the treatment tank is too large, the load for recovering the treatment gas component from the exhaust gas becomes excessive. Therefore, it is preferable that the exhaust gas flow rate from the processing tank at the normal time is set to an appropriate size so as not to be a burden for the recovery operation. However, it is also assumed that gas leaks from the processing tank due to some trouble.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention is directed to an apparatus for treating the surface by bringing a treatment gas containing a fluorine-containing compound into contact with the surface of an object to be treated.
A treatment tank having an opening for carrying in or carrying out an object to be processed and provided with a treatment space for performing the surface treatment inside;
A supply system for supplying a processing gas to the processing space;
A first exhaust system for discharging gas from the inside of the processing tank at a flow rate larger than the supply flow rate of the processing gas ;
A recycling unit that recovers the fluorine-containing compound from the exhaust gas from the first exhaust system and sends it to the supply system;
A detection unit for detecting the fluorine-containing compound outside the treatment tank;
A second exhaust system that exhausts gas from the inside of the processing tank at a larger flow rate than the first exhaust system in an abnormal state;
The abnormal time is when the detected concentration of the fluorine-containing compound by the detection unit is equal to or higher than a threshold value .
According to this characteristic configuration, during normal operation, the gas flow rate discharged from the processing tank by the first exhaust system is suppressed to a level that prevents the gas from leaking from the opening. The load of recovering the fluorine-containing compound can be reduced. Further, by reusing the collected processing gas components, the total amount of processing gas used can be reduced, and the running cost can be reduced. Furthermore, since the processing gas component can be circulated and prevented from being released outside the system, even if the processing gas component is environmentally toxic, toxic, or corrosive, it is safe for normal use. Performance can be ensured, environmental load can be reduced, and corrosion of peripheral equipment can be prevented. On the other hand, when some abnormality such as leakage of processing gas from the processing tank occurs, the gas in the processing tank can be rapidly exhausted at a large flow rate by the second exhaust system. Thereby, sufficient safety can be ensured even in the event of an abnormality.

It is preferable that the second exhaust system is not connected to the reuse unit.
As a result, it is possible to prevent a large amount of exhaust gas from the second exhaust system from being introduced into the reuse unit when an abnormality occurs, avoiding the reuse unit from exceeding its capacity, and preventing damage to the reuse unit. it can.

It is preferable to further include a flow control means for blocking communication between the treatment tank and the second exhaust system during normal operation and communicating between the treatment tank and the second exhaust system when abnormal.
Thereby, it can prevent that the gas in a processing tank is discharged | emitted by the 2nd exhaust system at the time of normal operation. In the event of an abnormality, the gas in the processing tank can be discharged quickly and reliably at a large flow rate by the second exhaust system, and safety can be reliably ensured.

It is preferable that the flow control means selects any one of the first and second exhaust systems and communicates with the processing tank.
During normal operation, the flow control means selects the first exhaust system, thereby shutting off the second exhaust system from the processing tank, and communicating the first exhaust system with the processing tank so that the gas in the processing tank is the first. It can be discharged in the exhaust system. When an abnormality occurs, the flow control means selects the second exhaust system, thereby shutting off the first exhaust system from the processing tank and connecting the second exhaust system to the processing tank to exhaust the gas in the processing tank to the second exhaust. The system can quickly discharge at a large flow rate.

A second tank different from the processing tank is further provided, and the second tank is disposed away from the processing tank on the downstream side in the direction in which the workpiece is conveyed, or the processing tank It is preferable that an exhaust path extends from the second tank, and the exhaust path joins the second exhaust system.
Thereby, the gas in the second tank can be discharged by the second exhaust system. The 2nd tank arrange | positioned away from the processing tank to the downstream of the conveyance direction can be used as a waiting tank before introducing into a post-processing process after the surface treatment in a processing tank. When volatile gas is generated from the surface of the workpiece after the surface treatment in the treatment tank, the volatile gas can be confined in the standby tank and further discharged by the second exhaust system. Therefore, the volatile gas can be prevented from leaking outside. If the second tank surrounds the treatment tank, in the unlikely event that the treatment gas or treated component leaks from the treatment tank, this leaked gas can be confined in the space between the second tank and the treatment tank. Further, it can be discharged by the second exhaust system.

  The second exhaust system may be operated not only during an abnormality but also during normal operation. In particular, when the gas inside the second tank is discharged by the second exhaust system, it is preferable that the second exhaust system is operating not only during an abnormality but also during normal operation. In this case, the discharge flow rate by the second exhaust system is preferably relatively small during normal operation and relatively large during an abnormality. While the second exhaust system is continuously operated, when an abnormality occurs, the second exhaust system and the inside of the treatment tank may be operated to communicate with each other immediately, and the response can be improved.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the load for recovering the processing gas component from the exhaust gas during normal operation, and to ensure safety by rapidly exhausting the gas in the processing tank when an abnormality occurs.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.
FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention. Although the to-be-processed object 9 of this embodiment is comprised with the glass substrate for flat panel displays, this invention is not limited to this, For example, various things, such as a semiconductor wafer and a continuous sheet-like resin film, etc. It can be applied to the object to be processed. The surface treatment content of this embodiment is etching of silicon (not shown) coated on the surface of the glass substrate 9, but the present invention is not limited to this, and etching of silicon oxide or silicon nitride is not limited thereto. It is also applicable to various surface treatments such as film formation, cleaning, water repellency, and hydrophilicity.

  In addition, the length (dimension in the left-right direction in FIG. 1) of the workpiece 9 made of the glass substrate for flat panel display is, for example, 1500 mm, and the width (dimension in the direction orthogonal to the paper surface in FIG. 1) is, for example, 1100 mm. For example, the thickness is about 0.7 mm.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the surface treatment apparatus 1 includes a treatment tank 10, a transport unit 20, a supply system 30, and a first exhaust system 40.

  The processing tank 10 has a container shape with a size that allows the workpiece 9 to be disposed therein. A processing space 19 is formed at a substantially central portion inside the processing tank 10. In other words, the processing tank 10 surrounds the processing space 19. The processing space 19 is defined between a supply nozzle 33 which will be described later and a workpiece 9 to be disposed below the supply nozzle 33. In the drawing, the thickness (vertical dimension) of the processing space 19 is exaggerated. The actual thickness of the processing space 19 is about 0.5 to 5 mm.

  A carry-in opening 13 is formed in the wall on one end side (right side in FIG. 1) of the processing tank 10. A carry-out opening 14 is formed in the wall on the other end side (left side in FIG. 1) of the processing tank 10. The carry-in / out openings 13 and 14 are defined by a pair of rectifying plates 15 and 15, respectively. A pair of rectifying plates 15, 15 are provided on the left and right walls of the processing tank 10 so as to face each other. Each rectifying plate 15 has a thin plate shape extending in a direction orthogonal to the paper surface of FIG. A slit-like gap extending in the direction orthogonal to the paper surface of FIG. 1 is formed between the upper and lower flow regulating plates 15 and 15. These slit-shaped gaps are carry-in / out openings 13 and 14. The workpiece 9 can enter and exit the processing tank 10 through the loading / unloading openings 13 and 14. The carry-in / out openings 13 and 14 are always open. The processing tank 10 is not provided with a door for opening and closing the loading / unloading openings 13 and 14. The thickness (vertical dimension) of the carry-in / out openings 13 and 14 is, for example, about 5 mm.

The conveying means 20 is constituted by a roller conveyor. A large number of rollers 21 of the roller conveyor are arranged at intervals on the left and right with the axis line oriented in a direction orthogonal to the paper surface of FIG. A part of the roller conveyor 20 is disposed inside the processing tank 10. The workpiece 9 is placed on the roller 21 and is conveyed from right to left (conveying direction) in the drawing, is carried into the treatment tank 10 through the carry-in opening 13 and is placed in the treatment space 19, and then is carried out. It is carried out of the processing tank 10 through the opening 14.
The conveying means 20 is not limited to a roller conveyor, and may be constituted by a movable stage, a floating stage, a robot arm, or the like.

  The supply system 30 includes a source gas supply unit 31 and a supply nozzle 33. A supply path 32 extends from the source gas supply unit 31. A supply path 32 is connected to the supply nozzle 33. The supply nozzle 33 is disposed on the ceiling of the processing tank 10. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the supply nozzle 33 extends in a direction orthogonal to the paper surface of FIG.

The supply system 30 supplies the processing space 19 with a processing gas including a reaction component corresponding to the processing content, a raw material component of the reaction component, and the like. Process gas components (such as the above reaction components and raw material components) often have environmental impact, toxicity, and corrosivity. In the present embodiment relating to silicon etching, a fluorine-based reaction component and an oxidizing reaction component are used as reaction components. Examples of the fluorine-based reaction component include HF, COF ₂ and fluorine radicals. The fluorine-based reaction component can be generated, for example, by humidifying a fluorine-based raw material with water (H ₂ O) and then plasmatizing (including decomposition, excitation, activation, ionization, etc.). In this embodiment, CF ₄ is used as the fluorine-based material. Instead of CF ₄ as the fluorine-based raw material, other PFC (perfluorocarbon) such as C ₂ F ₆ and C ₃ F ₈ may be used, and HFC (hydrocarbon) such as CHF ₃ , CH ₂ F ₂ , and CH ₃ F may be used. Fluorocarbon) may be used , and fluorine-containing compounds other than PFC and HFC such as SF ₆ , NF ₃ , and XeF ₂ may be used.

The fluorine-based raw material may be diluted with a diluent gas. As the dilution gas, for example, a rare gas such as Ar or He or N ₂ is used. Instead of water (H ₂ O), an OH group-containing compound such as alcohol may be used as an additive to the fluorine-based raw material.

Examples of the oxidizing reaction component include O ₃ and O radicals. In this embodiment, O ₃ is used as the oxidizing reaction component. O ₃ can be generated by an ozonizer using oxygen (O ₂ ) as a raw material. The oxidizing reaction component may be generated by converting oxygen-based raw material such as O ₂ into plasma.

Plasma conversion of the fluorine-based material or oxygen-based material can be performed by introducing a gas containing the material into a plasma space between a pair of electrodes of a plasma generation apparatus. The plasmification is preferably performed near atmospheric pressure. Here, the vicinity of the atmospheric pressure refers to a range of 1.013 × 10 ^{4 to} 50.663 × 10 ⁴ Pa, and considering the ease of pressure adjustment and the simplification of the apparatus configuration, 1.333 × 10 ⁴ to 10.664 × 10 ⁴ Pa is preferable, and 9.331 × 10 ^{4 to} 10.9797 × 10 ⁴ Pa is more preferable.

In this embodiment according to the etching of the silicon, the raw material gas supply unit _31, CF ₄ fluorine raw material is diluted with Ar, and the addition of _{H 2} O, to obtain a fluorine-based material gas _{(CF 4 + Ar + H 2} O). This fluorine-based source gas is guided to the supply nozzle 33 through the supply path 32. The supply nozzle 33 is provided with a pair of electrodes. The fluorine-based source gas is turned into plasma between the electrodes. The supply nozzle 33 also serves as a plasma generation device. Thereby, fluorine-type reaction components, such as HF, are generated. Although not shown, O ₃ is separately generated as an oxidizing reaction component by an ozonizer, introduced into the supply nozzle 33, and mixed with the plasmaized gas. Thereby, the process gas containing a fluorine-based reactive components (HF, etc.) with an oxidizing reactant (O ₃ or the like) is generated. Of course, the processing gas also includes source gas components (CF ₄ , H ₂ O, Ar, O _2, etc.). This processing gas is blown into the processing space 19 from the outlet of the bottom surface (tip surface) of the supply nozzle 33. The supply flow rate of the processing gas is, for example, about 32 slm.

  Alternatively, a processing gas containing a fluorine-based reaction component and an oxidizing reaction component may be generated in the gas supply unit 31, and this processing gas may be sent to the supply nozzle 33 through the supply path 32 and blown out.

The processing gas blown from the supply nozzle 33 is blown to the object 9 to be processed in the processing space 19, and the object 9 is surface-treated. In the etching of silicon, silicon is oxidized by an oxidizing component (such as O ₃ ) in the processing gas, the silicon oxide reacts with a fluorine-based reaction component (such as HF) in the processing gas, and the volatile component SiF ₄ is changed. Generated. Thereby, the silicon layer on the surface of the workpiece 9 can be removed.

  Next, the first exhaust system 40 will be described. An exhaust port 43 is provided at, for example, a substantially central portion of the bottom of the processing tank 10. An exhaust passage 42 extends from the exhaust port 43. In the exhaust path 42, a filter unit 45 and an exhaust pump 41 are sequentially provided. Although illustration is omitted, a local exhaust port is formed on the bottom surface of the supply nozzle 33 adjacent to the processing gas blowing port. A suction path connected to the local exhaust port is drawn from the upper part of the supply nozzle 33. This suction path joins the exhaust path 42 on the upstream side (exhaust port 43 side) from the filter portion 45. The local exhaust port and the suction path also constitute elements of the first exhaust system 40.

The filter unit 45 removes dust and the like in the exhaust gas, a scrubber that removes HF and the like in the exhaust gas, a mist trap that removes H ₂ O in the exhaust gas, and O ₃ in the exhaust gas. Including ozone killer.

By driving the exhaust pump 41 (first exhaust means), the gas in the processing tank 10 is sucked into the exhaust path 42 from the exhaust port 43. Further, the processing gas (hereinafter referred to as “processed gas”) after being sprayed on the object 9 to be processed in the processing space 19 is mainly sucked into the local exhaust port and passes through the suction path to the exhaust path 42. Join. The treated gas includes components of the processing gas (HF, O ₃ , CF ₄ , H ₂ O, Ar, etc.) and by-products (SiF ₄ etc.) due to the surface treatment reaction. Part of the processed gas may leak from the processing space 19, and such processed gas is sucked from the exhaust port 43.

  The exhaust gas flow rate by the first exhaust system 40 is set to a small amount so that the gas in the processing tank 10 does not leak from the carry-in / out openings 13 and 14. In order to prevent the gas from leaking out from the carry-in / out openings 13 and 14, the exhaust gas flow rate is made larger than the supply flow rate of the processing gas, and the atmospheric gas (air) outside the processing tank 10 passes through the carry-in / out openings 13 and 14. It flows into the inside of the processing tank 10. In the present embodiment, the supply flow rate of the processing gas is about 32 slm as described above, whereas the exhaust gas flow rate of the first exhaust system 40 is, for example, about 200 to 400 slm.

Therefore, most of the exhaust gas from the first exhaust system 40 is air. Nitrogen is the largest component in the exhaust gas. The exhaust gas further contains components of processed gas (HF, O ₃ , CF ₄ , H ₂ O, Ar, SiF _4, etc.).

The surface treatment apparatus 1 further includes a reuse unit 50. The reuse unit 50 collects the processing gas component from the gas exhausted by the first exhaust system 40. Here, CF ₄ which is a raw material component of the fluorine-based reaction component among the processing gas components is recovered. More specifically, the reuse unit 50 includes a separation and recovery device 51. The separation / recovery device 51 is provided with a separation membrane 52. The inside of the separation / recovery device 51 is partitioned into a concentration chamber 53 and a dilution chamber 54 by the separation membrane 52. As the separation membrane 52, for example, a glassy polymer membrane (see Japanese Patent No. 3151151) is used. The speed at which the separation membrane 52 permeates CF ₄ (process gas component) is relatively small, and the speed at which nitrogen (impurities) permeates is relatively high. An exhaust passage 42 downstream from the exhaust pump 41 is connected to the concentration chamber 53. Exhaust gas from the exhaust pump 41 is introduced into the concentrating chamber 53, and is separated by the separation membrane 52 into recovered gas that remains in the concentrating chamber 53 and discharged gas that passes through the separation membrane 52 and enters the dilution chamber 54. The recovered gas has a high CF ₄ concentration (CF ₄ = 90 vol% or more) and a low flow rate. The released gas has a low CF ₄ concentration (CF ₄ = 1 vol% or less) and a high flow rate.

  Although only one separation / recovery device 51 is shown in the figure, the reuse unit 50 may have a plurality of separation / recovery devices 51. The plurality of separation and recovery devices 51 may be connected in series, may be connected in parallel, or may be connected so that the series and the parallel are combined.

  A recovery path 55 extends from the downstream end of the concentration chamber 53. The recovery path 55 is connected to the source gas supply unit 31.

  A discharge path 46 extends from the dilution chamber 54. The discharge path 46 is connected to the abatement equipment 47.

The surface treatment apparatus 1 further includes a second exhaust system 60. The second exhaust system 60 is configured as follows. A discharge port 63 is provided at the bottom of the treatment tank 10. An exhaust path 62 extends from the discharge port 63. In the exhaust path 62, a filter portion 65 and a second exhaust means 61 are sequentially provided from the upstream side (the discharge port 63 side). The filter unit 65 removes dust in the exhaust gas. The second exhaust means 61 is configured by, for example, a blower having a large flow rate output. However, if the output is a large flow rate, the second exhaust unit 61 is not limited to the blower and may be configured by an exhaust pump or the like. The outlet port of the second exhaust means 61 is open to the atmosphere without being connected to the separation / collector 51.
Note that the outlet port of the second exhaust means 61 may be connected to the abatement equipment.

The exhaust flow rate by the second exhaust means 61 is sufficiently larger than the exhaust flow rate by the first exhaust means 41, for example, about 20 m ³ / min. The second exhaust means 61 is stopped during normal operation and is driven when abnormal. The abnormal time is, for example, a case where a processing gas component leaks outside the processing tank 10.

  According to the surface treatment apparatus 1 configured as described above, the workpiece 9 is carried into the treatment tank 10 from the carry-in opening 13 by the conveying means 20 and is introduced into the treatment space 19 during normal operation. Further, the processing gas is supplied to the processing space 19 by the supply system 30. This processing gas comes into contact with the workpiece 9 and surface processing such as etching is performed. The processed object 9 after processing passes through the unloading opening 14 and is unloaded from the processing tank 10. A plurality of objects 9 to be processed are arranged in a line on the roller conveyor 20 at intervals, and sequentially carried into the treatment tank 10 and subjected to surface treatment, and then carried out of the treatment tank 10.

In parallel with the supply of the processing gas, the gas in the processing tank 10 (including the processed gas in the processing space 19) is discharged by the first exhaust system 40. The exhaust flow rate of the first exhaust system 40 is so small that the treated gas does not leak from the carry-in / out openings 13 and 14. The exhaust gas is filtered by the filter unit 45, compressed by the exhaust pump 41, and introduced into the separation / collector 51. In the separation and recovery unit 51, the exhaust gas is separated into a high CF ₄ concentration recovery gas and a low CF ₄ concentration discharge gas. The recovered gas is sent to the raw material gas supply unit 31 through the recovery path 55. Thereby, the processing gas component (CF ₄ ) recovered by the separation / recovery device 51 can be returned to the recovery path 55 and reused. Therefore, the total amount of CF ₄ used in the surface treatment apparatus 1 can be reduced, and the running cost can be suppressed.
The emitted gas is sent to the abatement equipment 47 through the discharge path 46 and subjected to the abatement treatment, and then released to the atmosphere.

Further, the supply flow rate of the processing gas from the supply system 30 or the exhaust flow rate from the first exhaust system 40 is observed, and the pressure derived from the separation / recovery device 51 to the recovery path 55 and the pressure derived from the discharge path 46 according to the observation result. Adjust. As a result, the CF ₄ concentration and recovery rate of the recovered gas can be kept within a desired range.

  Since the exhaust flow rate of the first exhaust system 40 is relatively small, the load on the separation and recovery unit 51 can be reduced. In addition, the load on the abatement equipment 47 can be reduced. Thereby, the separation recovery device 51 and the abatement equipment 47 can be reduced in size.

  During the normal operation described above, the second exhaust means 61 is stopped. Therefore, the exhaust from the processing tank 10 is performed only in the first exhaust system 40 and the exhaust by the second exhaust system 60 is not performed.

On the other hand, when some abnormality such as leakage of processing gas from the processing tank 10 occurs, the second exhaust means 61 is operated. Thereby, the gas in the processing tank 10 is sucked into the exhaust path 62 from the discharge port 63, filtered by the filter unit 65, and then discharged from the second exhaust unit 61. The exhaust flow rate of the second exhaust means 61 is sufficiently large. Therefore, the gas in the processing tank 10 can be exhausted rapidly. Thereby, it can prevent that process gas continues leaking around the processing tank 10. FIG. As a result, work safety can be ensured. A large flow rate of exhaust gas from the second exhaust system 60 is released without being sent to the separation / recovery device 51. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the separation / recovery device 51 from exceeding its capacity due to a large amount of exhaust gas, and to prevent the separation / recovery device 51 from being damaged.
The exhaust gas from the second exhaust system 60 may be discharged to the atmosphere after being removed by the removal equipment.

The determination of whether there is an abnormality and the on / off operation of the second exhaust system 60 may be performed manually or automatically. When performing automatically, the detection part which detects abnormality, and the control part which judges whether abnormality is based on the detection result of this detection part, and operates the 2nd exhaust system 60 on / off are provided. The detection unit may be constituted by, for example, a CF ₄ concentration sensor or the like and disposed outside and in the vicinity of the processing tank 10. Thereby, the leakage of the processing gas from the processing tank 10 can be detected. The control unit is configured by a controller, for example, and when the detected concentration of the sensor exceeds a certain threshold value, it is determined as abnormal (occurrence of processing gas leakage) and the second exhaust system 60 is driven. Good.

  When the abnormality occurs, the supply of the processing gas by the supply system 30 may be stopped, the exhaust by the first exhaust system 40 may be stopped, or the transfer of the object 9 by the transfer means 20 may be stopped. . Exhaust by the first exhaust system 40 may be continuously performed even when an abnormality occurs.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following embodiments, the same reference numerals are given to the drawings for the same configurations as those already described, and the description thereof is omitted.
FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, an exhaust port 73 common to the first exhaust system 40 and the second exhaust system 60 is provided at the bottom of the processing tank 10. A flow control means 71 is provided in a common exhaust path 72 extending from the common exhaust port 73. The flow control means 71 is a three-way valve with two positions and three ports. The treatment tank 10 is connected to an inlet port 71a of a flow control means 71 composed of a three-way valve via a common exhaust path 72. An exhaust passage 42 of the first exhaust system 40 extends from one outlet port 71b of the flow control means 71 composed of a three-way valve, and an exhaust passage 62 of the second exhaust system 60 extends from the other outlet port 71c.

  The flow control means 71 selects one of the first and second exhaust systems 40 and 60 according to whether the operation is normal or abnormal, and causes the selected exhaust system to communicate with the processing tank 10. Specifically, during normal operation, the distribution control means 71 causes the inlet port 71a and the outlet port 71b to communicate with each other and closes the outlet port 71c. As a result, the first exhaust system 40 communicates with the processing tank 10 via the common exhaust path 72, and the communication between the processing tank 10 and the second exhaust system 60 is blocked. The gas in the processing tank 10 is taken into the common exhaust port 73 and is sent from the flow control means 71 to the exhaust passage 42 via the common exhaust passage 72.

  At the time of abnormality such as leakage of the processing gas from the processing tank 10, the flow control means 71 causes the inlet port 71a and the outlet port 71c to communicate with each other and closes the outlet port 71b. As a result, the second exhaust system 60 communicates with the processing tank 10 via the common exhaust path 72, and the communication between the processing tank 10 and the first exhaust system 40 is blocked. Further, the second exhaust means 61 is driven. As a result, the gas in the processing tank 10 is sent from the flow control means 71 to the exhaust passage 62 via the common exhaust passage 72 and is rapidly exhausted. The discharge operation by the first exhaust system 40 is stopped when the flow control means 71 is shut off.

  The operation of the distribution control means 71 may be performed manually or automatically by the control unit.

  FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, two (plural) partition walls 16 are provided in the processing tank 10. The partition wall 16 is provided with a communication opening 17 through which the workpiece 9 is passed. By the partition wall 16, the inside of the processing tank 10 is partitioned into three (a plurality of) chambers 10 b, 10 a, and 10 b on the left and right (the conveyance direction of the workpiece 9). A processing space 19 is provided in the central first chamber 10a (a chamber other than the chambers at both ends). A supply system 30 and exhaust systems 40 and 60 are connected to the first chamber 10a. That is, the supply nozzle 33 is provided in the upper part of the first chamber 10a. A common exhaust port 73 is provided at the bottom of the first chamber 10a as in the second embodiment (FIG. 2), and a common exhaust path 72 extending from the common exhaust port 73 is connected to the first exhaust port 73 via the flow control means 71. A first exhaust path 42 and a second exhaust path 62 are connected.

  The surface treatment apparatus 1 according to the third embodiment further includes a post-processing standby tank 80, an outer tank 90, and a cleaning apparatus 3. The post-processing standby tank 80 is arranged away from the processing tank 10 on the downstream side (left side in FIG. 3) in the transport direction. A gap 1 e is formed between the processing tank 10 and the post-processing standby tank 80. The roller conveyor 20 is also extended to the inside of the post-processing standby tank 80. In the walls on both sides of the post-processing standby tank 80 in the transport direction (left and right direction in FIG. 3), carry-in / out openings 83 and 84 through which the workpiece 9 is passed are formed. A separation distance D between the carry-out opening 14 of the processing tank 10 and the carry-in opening 83 of the standby tank 80 is set in a range of D = 20 to 300 mm.

  A cleaning device 3 is provided as a post-processing section downstream of the post-processing standby tank 80 in the transport direction (left side in FIG. 3). A carry-out opening 84 of the post-processing standby tank 80 communicates with the cleaning device 3. The cleaning device 3 wet-cleans the object 9 after the surface treatment in the processing space 19 with water. The post-processing content of the post-processing unit 3 is not limited to wet cleaning, and may be dry cleaning using atmospheric pressure plasma, for example.

The processing tank 10 and the post-processing standby tank 80 are surrounded by an outer tank 90. A carry-in opening 91 is provided on the upstream wall (right side in FIG. 3) of the outer tub 90 in the transport direction.
The post-processing standby tank 80 and the outer tank 90 constitute a “second tank different from the processing tank 10” in the claims.

  A discharge port 63 </ b> A is provided at the bottom of the post-processing standby tank 80. An exhaust path 62A extends from the discharge port 63A. In addition, a plurality of (two in the figure) discharge ports 63B are provided at the bottom of the outer tub 90. The two discharge ports 63B are disposed apart from one end and the other end of the outer tub 90. An exhaust passage 62B extends from each discharge port 63B. The exhaust paths 62 </ b> A and 62 </ b> B merge with the exhaust path 62 of the second exhaust system 60. The number of the exhaust passages 62A may be plural. The number of exhaust passages 62B may be one.

  The second exhaust system 60 of the third embodiment can greatly increase or decrease the exhaust flow rate. The exhaust flow rate of the second exhaust system 60 may be increased or decreased by adjusting the output of the exhaust means 61. Alternatively, a flow rate control valve is provided in a portion of the exhaust passage 62 downstream of the junction with the passages 62A and 62B, and the exhaust flow rate of the second exhaust system 60 is adjusted by adjusting the opening of the flow rate control valve. It may be increased or decreased. The exhaust flow rate of the second exhaust system 60 may be increased or decreased by adjusting both the output of the exhaust means 61 and the opening degree of the flow control valve.

In the third embodiment, the second exhaust means 61 of the second exhaust system 60 is driven even during normal operation. As a result, the gas in the post-processing standby tank 80 can be taken into the discharge port 63A and discharged by the second exhaust system 60 via the exhaust passage 62A. Further, the gas in the space 90a between the outer tank 90 and the inner tanks 10 and 80 can be taken into the discharge port 63B and discharged by the second exhaust system 60 via the exhaust path 62B. By the exhaust from the inter-tank space 90a by the second exhaust system 60, the inter-tank space 90a can be slightly lower than the atmospheric pressure. Specifically, it is preferable that the internal pressure of the inter-tank space 90a is about 10 Pa lower than the atmospheric pressure. The exhaust flow rate by the second exhaust system 60 during normal operation is, for example, about 1 m ³ / min.
The flow control means 71 during normal operation communicates the common exhaust path 72 and the exhaust path 42 and blocks the common exhaust path 72 and the exhaust path 62 as in the second embodiment.

The workpiece 9 is sequentially passed through the loading openings 91 and 13 by the conveying means 20 and enters the right chamber 10b in FIG. Subsequently, the workpiece 9 is carried into the first chamber 10a through the right communication opening 17 and subjected to surface treatment. After the surface treatment, the workpiece 9 is unloaded from the processing tank 10 through the left communication opening 17, the left chamber 10 b, and the unloading opening 14.
Since the partition wall 16 is provided between the first chamber 10a and the loading / unloading openings 13 and 14, it is possible to more reliably prevent the treated gas in the first chamber 10a from leaking outside the processing tank 10.

  The workpiece 9 unloaded from the unloading opening 14 passes through the gap 1e. Here, the processing gas component may adhere or adsorb to the workpiece 9 after the surface treatment. On the other hand, since the distance D between the processing tank 10 and the post-processing standby tank 80 is set to a size that is not too wide (D ≦ 300 mm), the adherent or adsorbed component volatilizes while the workpiece 9 passes through the gap 1e. The amount to be done can be made sufficiently small.

  In addition, since the distance D between the processing tank 10 and the post-processing standby tank 80 is set to a size (D ≧ 20 mm) that is not too narrow, the gap 1e can be set to the same pressure environment (atmospheric pressure) as the outside. It is possible to prevent the pressure in the processing tank 10 and the pressure in the post-processing standby tank 80 from affecting each other. Thereby, for example, even if the inside of the post-processing standby tank 80 is depressurized by the second exhaust system 60, it is possible to prevent the gas in the processing tank 10 from leaking from the carry-out opening 14 and being sucked into the post-processing standby tank 80. Further, the exhaust flow rates from the two tanks 10 and 80 can be easily adjusted.

The workpiece 9 that has passed through the gap 1e passes through the carry-in opening 83 and is loaded into the post-processing standby tank 80 and enters a post-processing standby state. In addition, the to-be-processed object 9 is continuously moving toward the washing | cleaning apparatus 3 by the conveyance means 20 also in post-processing standby. When the adhering or adsorbing component volatilizes from the workpiece 9 during standby, the volatile gas can be confined in the post-processing standby tank 80 and prevented from leaking outside. Further, the volatile gas can be discharged from the second exhaust system 60 through the exhaust passage 62A. As a result, work safety can be further secured, the environmental load can be sufficiently reduced, and corrosion of peripheral equipment can be reliably prevented.
Thereafter, the workpiece 9 passes through the carry-out opening 84 and is guided to the cleaning device 3 to be cleaned.

  Even if the processed gas leaks from the processing tank 10, the volatile gas is generated when the workpiece 9 passes through the gap 1e, or the volatile gas leaks from the post-processing standby tank 80, these processed gases And volatile gas can be confined in the inter-tank space 90a. Thereby, it can prevent more reliably that processed gas and volatile gas leak in an external atmosphere. Moreover, since the inter-tank space 90a is slightly lower than the atmospheric pressure, the gas in the inter-tank space 90a can be more reliably prevented from leaking out of the outer tank 90. Thereby, the safety of work can be further ensured. Furthermore, the environmental load can be reliably reduced, and corrosion of peripheral equipment can be reliably prevented. The treated gas and volatile gas leaking into the inter-tank space 90a can be discharged by the second exhaust system 60 via the exhaust path 62B.

At the time of abnormality, the distribution control means 71 is switched so that the inlet port 71a and the outlet port 71c communicate. Further, the exhaust flow rate of the second exhaust means 61 is increased. The exhaust flow rate by the second exhaust system 60 at the time of abnormality is sufficiently larger than that during normal operation (about 1 m ³ / min), for example, about 20 m ³ / min. Thereby, the gas in the processing tank 10 is rapidly exhausted through the exhaust path 62. Since the second exhaust means 61 is continuously operated from the normal operation time, the responsiveness to the occurrence of abnormality can be improved.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, the carry-in opening 13 and the carry-out opening 14 may be configured by one common opening. The conveyance means 20 carries the workpiece 9 into the treatment tank 10 from the common opening and arranges it in the treatment space 19, and after the surface treatment, carries the workpiece 9 out of the common opening to the outside. It may be. The worker 9 may carry the workpiece 9 into and out of the processing tank 10 in addition to using the conveying means 20.
In the first embodiment (FIG. 1), an open / close valve (flow control means) may be provided in the exhaust passage 62, the exhaust passage 62 may be closed during normal operation, and the exhaust passage 62 may be opened during an abnormality. In this case, the second exhaust means 61 may be operated during normal operation. By simply opening and closing the on-off valve, it is possible to respond to an abnormality and improve responsiveness. The on-off valve may be operated manually or automatically.
In the second embodiment (FIG. 2), the second exhaust means 61 may be operated even during normal operation. In that case, it is possible to deal with the occurrence of an abnormality simply by switching the distribution control means 71, and the responsiveness is improved.
In the first and second embodiments, when the second exhaust unit 61 is operated even during normal operation, the discharge flow rate of the second exhaust unit 61 is preferably relatively small during normal operation and relatively large during abnormal operation. . The second exhaust means 61 during normal operation may suck gas other than the inside of the processing tank 10.
In the third embodiment (FIG. 3), the post-processing standby tank 80 may be omitted, and the outer tank 90 may be omitted.

A plurality of embodiments may be combined with each other. For example, you may provide the partition wall 16 in the processing tank 10 of 1st, 2nd embodiment (FIG. 1, FIG. 2) similarly to 3rd Embodiment (FIG. 3).
Similarly to the first embodiment (FIG. 1), the exhaust passage 62 of the third embodiment (FIG. 3) may be directly connected to the treatment tank 10 without using the common exhaust passage 72. In that case, an open / close valve may be provided in the exhaust passage 62 upstream from the junction with the exhaust passages 62A and 62B, the open / close valve is closed during normal operation, and the open / close valve is opened during an abnormality.
Numerical values such as dimensions and flow rates shown in the above embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to the above numerical values.

  The present invention is applicable, for example, to the manufacture of flat panel displays (FPD) and semiconductor wafers.

It is explanatory drawing which shows schematic structure of 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows schematic structure of 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows schematic structure of 3rd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Surface treatment equipment 3 Cleaning equipment (post-treatment equipment)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 9 To-be-processed object 10 Processing tank 13 Carry-in opening 14 Carry-out opening 19 Processing space 20 Transfer means 30 Supply system 33 Supply nozzle 40 First exhaust system 41 Exhaust pump (1st exhaust means)
47 Detoxification equipment 50 Reuse system 51 Separation and recovery unit 55 Recovery path 60 Second exhaust system 61 Blower (second exhaust means)
62 exhaust path 62A exhaust path 62B exhaust path 72 common exhaust path 73 common exhaust port 71 three-way valve (flow control means)
80 Post-processing standby tank (second tank)
90 Outer tank (second tank)
90a Space between tanks

Claims (6)

In the apparatus for treating the surface by bringing a treatment gas containing a fluorine-containing compound into contact with the surface of the object to be treated,
A treatment tank having an opening for carrying in or carrying out an object to be processed and provided with a treatment space for performing the surface treatment inside;
A supply system for supplying a processing gas to the processing space;
A first exhaust system for discharging gas from the inside of the processing tank at a flow rate larger than the supply flow rate of the processing gas ;
A recycling unit that recovers the fluorine-containing compound from the exhaust gas from the first exhaust system and sends it to the supply system;
A detection unit for detecting the fluorine-containing compound outside the treatment tank;
A second exhaust system that exhausts gas from the inside of the processing tank at a larger flow rate than the first exhaust system in an abnormal state;
The surface treatment apparatus is characterized in that the abnormal time is when the detected concentration of the fluorine-containing compound by the detection unit is equal to or higher than a threshold value .   The surface treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second exhaust system is not connected to the reuse unit.   2. A flow control means for shutting off the communication between the treatment tank and the second exhaust system during normal operation and communicating the treatment tank and the second exhaust system when abnormal. Or the surface treatment apparatus of 2.   The surface treatment apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the flow control unit selects any one of the first and second exhaust systems and communicates with the treatment tank. The second exhaust system operates not only during an abnormality but also during a normal operation, and an exhaust flow rate by the second exhaust system is relatively small during a normal operation and relatively large during an abnormality. The surface treatment apparatus according to 1 or 2 . A second tank different from the processing tank is further provided, and the second tank is disposed away from the processing tank on the downstream side in the direction in which the workpiece is conveyed, or the processing tank The surface treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an exhaust path extends from the second tank, and the exhaust path joins the second exhaust system. .

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