JPH0358417A - Wafer washing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to conduct clean washing and drying operation in short time by a method wherein a wafer conveyer, with which a wafer washed through a water-jet washing machine is conveyed automatically, is provided for a vacuum drying machine. CONSTITUTION:The title wafer washing device is equipped with a water-jet washing machine 9, with which the surface of a wafer is washed by a jet stream J, and a vacuum drying machine 10, containing a supporting stand having one side movable vertically and a cover 11 where a vacuum chamber is defined in either of them. A wafer conveying machine 17, with which a wafer D2 washed through a water jet washing machine 9 is conveyed automatically, is provided for the abovementioned vacuum drying machine 10. As a result, cleaning fluid is evaporated quickly in clean environment without being dispersed, the vapor is discharged forcibly, and the wafer surface can be washed and dried up cleanly in short time.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field 1] The present invention relates to a cleaning apparatus for a disk-shaped wafer that serves as a substrate for an IC or a transistor. Here, the wafer is formed by thinly slicing a cylindrical single crystal body of silicon or the like called an ingot.

[Prior Art] Such a conventional cleaning device was composed of a combination of a water jet washer and a dryer. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the wafer D processed by the brush and rinse mechanism 34 in the pre-processing facility 32 is cleaned by water jet cleaners 38, 38 in the cleaning device 36, and then washed by the reference numeral 40 by a dryer (not shown). Spin dried as shown.

Here, as a dryer, there are known a centrifugal dryer, which uses centrifugal force to shake off the cleaning liquid, as shown in FIG. 2, and a vacuum dryer, which uses vacuum to evaporate and remove the cleaning liquid.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] The above-mentioned centrifugal dryer has the disadvantage that the shaken-off cleaning liquid dries and adheres to the wafer again, bringing in contamination from the surrounding environment.

On the other hand, a vacuum dryer has the double effect of evaporating the cleaning liquid and forcing steam out, so theoretically,
The problems with the above-mentioned centrifugal dryers can be eliminated. For this reason, vacuum dryers are partially used for cleaning circuit parts and the like.

However, since conventional vacuum dryers do not have special innovations in the vacuum mechanism, it is necessary to adopt a load lock mechanism, etc., resulting in a large-scale equipment. I couldn't do it.

Further, even if a load lock mechanism is adopted, it still takes time to vacuum, which causes problems in productivity.

The present invention was proposed in view of the problems of the prior art described above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a wafer cleaning apparatus that performs clean cleaning and drying in a short time.

[Means for Solving the Problems] A wafer cleaning apparatus of the present invention includes a water jet cleaning machine that cleans the surface of a rewafer with a jet stream, a wafer support stand and a cover, one of which moves up and down, and one of which moves up and down. The vacuum dryer has a vacuum chamber defined therein, and a wafer transfer machine that automatically transfers the wafer cleaned by the water jet cleaning machine to the vacuum dryer.

The above-mentioned water jet cleaning machine, wafer support stand for cleaning, and vacuum dryer are configured in a clean room, and are respectively installed in a cleaning room and a drying room that are separated by a partition wall that can be opened and closed, and are adjacent to the cleaning room. 1. A preparation room similar to the cleaning room is provided, and a wafer cassette that is moved up and down by a lift is installed in each of the preparation room and the drying room. A first wafer transport machine that automatically reciprocates and a second wafer transport machine that automatically reciprocates between a wafer support for cleaning and a wafer cassette in a vacuum dryer and a drying chamber are provided. is preferred.

Preferably, the vacuum dryer is configured such that a vacuum chamber defined in either the wafer support stand or the cover is selectively connected to a vacuum source or the atmosphere.

[Operation] According to the wafer cleaning apparatus of the present invention configured as described above, first, a wafer is taken out from a wafer cassette in the preparation room by the first wafer transfer machine and automatically set on a wafer support for cleaning. Next, the wafer surface is cleaned with a jet stream of pure water or the like from a water jet cleaning machine. Then, the cleaned wafer is taken out from the wafer support by the second wafer transfer machine and automatically set on the wafer support of the vacuum dryer. Next, a vertically movable wafer support table, for example, is raised and brought into close contact with the cover, and the switching valve is connected to an operating vacuum pump to rapidly evacuate the vacuum chamber and quickly remove the cleaning liquid adhering to the wafer. The wafer surface is dried in a short time by evaporating and forcibly evacuating the above.

Thereafter, the switching valve is switched to the atmospheric side of the drying chamber, the support base is lowered, the wafer is taken out by the second conveyor, and the wafer is automatically conveyed and stored in a wafer cassette in the drying chamber.

[Example] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, the wafer cleaning apparatus, which is designated as a whole by reference numeral 1, includes a preparation room A, a cleaning room B, and a drying room C, which are configured as clean rooms according to known technology, and are defined by partition walls 2 and 3. The openings 2a and 3a are shaped like
It is opened and closed by partition walls 4 and 5 that can be raised and lowered.

On one wall of the preparation chamber A1 and the drying chamber C, there are provided wafer cassettes 6 and 7, each housing a wafer D that is moved up and down by a lift (not shown).

A cleaning wafer support 8 is provided in the center of the cleaning chamber B, and an existing water jet cleaning machine 9 is installed on one wall.
is provided.

A vacuum dryer 1 is installed on the wall opposite to the partition wall 5 of the drying chamber C.
0 is set. The dryer 10 includes a wafer support stand (not shown) that can be raised and lowered, and a cover 11 facing the support stand. The vacuum chamber 12 is selectively connected to a vacuum pump 15 or to the indoor atmosphere via an exhaust pipe 13 and a switching valve 14.

A first wafer transfer device 16 is provided between the wafer cassette 6 and the wafer support 8, and the first wafer transfer device 16 reciprocates between the wafer cassette 6 and the wafer support 8 as shown by a chain line E. 10 and the wafer cassette 7, there are two
, 0, and 7, as shown by a chain line F, is provided with a second wafer/\\conveying machine 17 that automatically reciprocates in a circular motion between 0 and 7.

When cleaning, hit the fixed position in the preparation room A with Riff 1.
・The first transfer machine 16 automatically takes out the }Shefer 1) from the processed wafer cassette 6, opens the partition wall 4, and transports it to the τ cleaning chamber) 1 (..., the rework I\) Nohe grass holding stand 8
Upper first set 16 (r′7.HaD 1 ), then
1) Activate the jet cleaning machine 9 and wash the surface of 1) with a jet of water such as pure water. , then the partition wall 5 is passed one river, and the second conveyance is carried out. Kamiriu 1 on machine 17
Automatically take out the wafer D1 (transport it to the drying chamber C (wafer I) and transfer it to the vacuum dryer 1,00 car and the support stand {second, then set the wafer 1) (wafer I) 2) . Next, the support base is brought into close contact with the cover 11- by the upper uiuL, the switching valve 13 is operated, and the vacuum bomb 14 is connected to the vacuum bomb 14. 1) Rapidly evaporate the cleaning liquid L=-(attached to the wafer D2, forcefully exhaust the vapor, and dry the wafer D2 in a short time.

Next, the switching valve 14 is switched to the indoor atmosphere side, the wafer support is lowered, and the second wafer transfer device 17 dynamically takes out the wafer D2 and transfers it to the wafer cassette 7. - Store in wafer 7 (wafer D3). Thereafter, the same procedure is repeated and wafers D (Di, D2, D3
) are cleaned and dried, and the wafer cassette 6 becomes empty.
C, r Hakase... When Noto 7 is full, operate the lift and replace them. Therefore, B′+. 、．
- Extremely clean gas air can also be used during the break.

In the illustrated embodiment, the wafer support is configured to be movable up and down, but the cover may be configured to be movable up and down.

[Effects of the Invention] Since the present invention is configured as described above, the cleaning liquid can be rapidly evaporated in a clean environment without scattering, and the steam can be forcibly exhausted to clean the surface of the wafer. It can be washed and dried in a short time.

Furthermore, the cleaning device does not need to be large-scale, and can meet the demands for smaller size and lighter weight.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a conventional cleaning device. A...Preparation room B...Cleaning room C...Drying room 1), D1, D2, D3...Wafer]...φ1 Jet 9◆Water jet cleaning machine]
0...Vacuum dryer 11...Cover 12...
・Vacuum chamber 14...Switching valve 15...Vacuum bomb 16...1th wafer carrier 17...2nd wafer carrier 32 Fig. 2 36

Claims (1)

[Claims] A water jet cleaning machine that cleans the surface of a wafer with a jet stream, a vacuum dryer that includes a wafer support stand and a cover, one of which moves up and down, and a vacuum chamber defined on either side, and the vacuum dryer. 1. A wafer cleaning apparatus comprising: a wafer conveying machine that automatically conveys a wafer cleaned by the water jet cleaning machine;