Rotary silicon wafer cleaning apparatus

• US 20050126030A1
• Filed: 09/11/2003
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujikin Incorporated, Pre-Tech Co. Ltd. (Obara Group, Inc.), Tadahiro Ohmi
• Original Assignee: Fujikin Incorporated, Pre-Tech Co. Ltd. (Obara Group, Inc.), Tadahiro Ohmi
• Inventors: Fujita, Takumi, Ohmi, Tadahiro, Morimoto, Akihiro, Ikeda, Nobukazu, Shirai, Yasuyuki, Minami, Yukio, Kawada, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 7,103,990 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 34/58
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02052 Wet cleaning only H01L21/02085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67034 for drying

Abstract

It is an object of the present invention to provide a rotation type silicon wafer cleaning device to further raise the stability of a silicon wafer by providing a better hydrogen termination on the silicon wafer after completion of chemical and pure water cleaning treatments. According to the present invention, a rotation type silicon wafer cleaning device has a silicon wafer support/rotation driving mechanism inside the case body for cleaning the silicon wafer at the post chemical cleaning with pure water, drying and hydrogen termination treatments on the outer surface of a silicon wafer is performed by means of installing a silicon wafer drying device comprising a gas supply panel attached to a case body to supply a mixed gas of the hydrogen gas and inactive gas containing a hydrogen gas of more than 0.05%, a mixed gas supply pipe coupled to a gas mixer of the afore-mentioned gas supply panel at one end, a mixed gas heating device to heat the mixed gas in the afore-mentioned gas supply pipe, and a hydrogen radical formation apparatus equipped with a platinum coating film to form hydrogen radical at the gas contacting part where to a high temperature gas heated with the afore-mentioned mixed gas heating device touches, thus to gush out the mixed gas containing hydrogen radical formed with the afore-mentioned radical formation apparatus onto the rotating silicon wafer after cleaning is completed.

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. A rotation silicon wafer cleaning device for performing drying and hydrogen termination treatment on an outer surface of a silicon wafer, comprising:

(a) a case body;

(b) a silicon wafer support and rotation driving mechanism disposed inside the case body; and

(c) a silicon wafer drying device including

(i) a gas supply panel having a gas mixer, the supply panel being disposed to supply a mix of hydrogen gas and inert gas, the mix comprising greater than 0.05% by volume of hydrogen;

(ii) a mixed gas supply pipe coupled to the gas mixer;

(iii) a mixed gas heating device disposed to heat the mixed gas in the mixed gas supply pipe; and

(iv) a hydrogen radical formation and dispersion apparatus disposed to receive the heated mixed gas from the mixed gas supply pipe, having a platinum film disposed to form hydrogen radicals in the heated mixed gas, the hydrogen radical formation and dispersion apparatus disposed to direct the mixed gas containing hydrogen radicals onto a rotating silicon wafer.

22. A method in accordance with claim 11, where said mixed gas is heated to a temperature of 150°

C.-300°

C.

23. A method in accordance with claim 11, wherein said mix of gas comprises hydrogen in a range of 0.05%-5.0% by volume.

21. A method for performing drying and hydrogen termination treatment on the outer surface of a silicon wafer, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a mix of hydrogen and inert gas,

(b) heating the mixed gas to a temperature of greater than 150°

C.,

(c) passing the heated mixed gas through a platinum catalyst to generate hydrogen radicals to form a heated gas comprising hydrogen radicals, and

(d) exposing a silicon wafer to the heated gas comprising hydrogen radicals.

24. A method for performing drying and hydrogen termination treatment on the outer surface of a silicon wafer, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a rotation silicon wafer cleaning device, comprising;

(i) a case body;

(ii) a silicon wafer support and rotation driving mechanism disposed inside the case body; and

(iii) a silicon wafer drying device including

(1) a gas supply panel having a gas mixer, the supply panel being disposed to supply a mix of hydrogen gas and inactive gas, the mix comprising greater than 0.05% by volume of hydrogen;

(2) a mixed gas supply pipe coupled to the gas mixer;

(3) a mixed gas heating device disposed to heat the mixed gas in the mixed gas supply pipe; and

(4) a hydrogen radical formation and dispersion apparatus disposed to receive the heated mixed gas from the mixed gas supply pipe, having a platinum film disposed to form hydrogen radicals in the heated mixed gas, the hydrogen radical formation and dispersion apparatus disposed to direct the mixed gas containing hydrogen radicals onto a rotating silicon wafer.

(b) providing a mix of hydrogen and inert gas through said gas supply panel;

(c) heating said mix of gas with said mixed gas heating device;

(d) passing said heated mixed gas through said hydrogen radical formation and dispersion apparatus to form a heated gas comprising hydrogen radicals; and

(e) exposing said silicon wafer to the heated gas comprising hydrogen radicals.