Apparatus for treating thin film and method of treating thin film

• US 20060068121A1
• Filed: 08/24/2005
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation), LG Philips LCD Company Limited (LG Display Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: LG Philips LCD Company Limited (LG Display Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lee, Jong-Chul, Park, Sang-Hyuck, Eom, Soung-Yeoul
• Application Number:
  US11/221,007
• Publication Number:
  US 20060068121A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/532
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45519 Inert gas curtains
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/48 by irradiation, e.g. photolysis, radiolysis, particle radiation

Abstract

An apparatus for treating a thin film on a substrate includes a stage on which the substrate is disposed. A gas shield faces the substrate. An energy source irradiates a part of the substrate with light emitted therefrom through a retention space of the gas shield. A dispense unit includes a pin nozzle that injects a reaction gas towards the part of the substrate.

Claims

1. An apparatus for treating a substrate, comprising:

a stage adapted to receive the substrate;

a gas shield facing the substrate and having a retention space;

an energy source disposed such that light emitted therefrom irradiates a part of the substrate through the retention space; and

a dispense unit including a pin nozzle through which a reaction gas is injected towards the part of the substrate.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pin nozzle is inserted into the gas shield and has a taper shape such that one end of the pin nozzle in the gas shield has a first diameter and the other end of the pin nozzle facing the substrate has a second diameter less than the first diameter.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the ratio of the first diameter to the second diameter is about 10.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first diameter is about 100 μ

m to 500 μ

m, and the second diameter is about 10 μ

m to 50 μ

m.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dispense unit further includes a first reservation tank storing the reaction gas, and a gas supply path in the gas shield and connecting the pin nozzle and the first reservation tank.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the dispense unit further includes a cylinder tank interposed between the first reservation tank and the gas supply path, the cylinder tank having a buffer area to adjust a pressure of the reaction gas.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the dispense unit further includes a piston in the cylinder tank, the piston moving to adjust the pressure of the reaction gas.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the dispense unit further includes a second reservation tank storing an inert gas supplied to the cylinder tank to adjust the pressure of the reaction gas.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gas shield is movable along with the energy source.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the gas shield is rotatable by an angle corresponding to an angle of change of a moving direction of the gas shield.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein an injection direction of the reaction gas is opposite to a moving direction of the gas shield.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein an injection pressure of the reaction gas increases as a moving speed of the gas shield increases, and an injection pressure of the reaction gas decreases as the moving speed of the gas shield decreases.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gas shield further includes a transparent window shielding an upper open portion of the retention space.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gas shield further includes a plurality of exhaust grooves in a surface facing the substrate, and a gas exhaust path in the gas shield connected to the exhaust grooves.

15. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a sealing member at a connection portion between the pin nozzle and the gas supply path.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a monitoring device providing a result of the thin film treatment in real-time.

17. A method of treating a thin film on a substrate, comprising:

placing the substrate on a stage;

irradiating a part of the substrate with light from an energy source; and

injecting a reaction gas through a pin nozzle to the irradiated part of the substrate such that the reaction gas is activated by the light to treat the thin film.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the light irradiates the part of the substrate through a retention space of a gas shield.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the gas shield is movable along with the light source.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising rotating a moving direction of the gas shield to the substrate by a change angle and rotating the gas shield by an angle corresponding to the change angle.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein an injection direction of the reaction gas is opposite to a moving direction of the gas shield.

22. The method according to claim 19, further comprising increasing an injection pressure of the reaction gas as a moving speed of the gas shield increases, and decreasing an injection pressure of the reaction gas as the moving speed of the gas shield decreases.

23. The method according to claim 17, further comprising adjusting an injection pressure of the reaction gas in a buffer area.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the injection pressure of the reaction gas is adjusted by moving a piston to vary a volume of the buffer area.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein the injection pressure of the reaction gas is adjusted by supplying an inert gas to the buffer area.

26. The method according to claim 17, further comprising exhausting the residual reaction gas.

27. The method according to claim 17, further comprising providing a result of the thin film treatment in real-time.

28. An apparatus for treating a substrate, comprising:

a stage adapted to receive the substrate;

a gas shield facing the stage and having a retention space;

an energy source disposed such that light emitted therefrom radiates towards a part of the stage through the retention space; and

a dispense unit adapted to inject a reaction gas toward the part of the stage, the dispense unit containing a gas supply path and an injection port, the injection port extending from the gas shield towards the stage and having an end with a cross-sectional area substantially smaller than that of the gas supply path.

29. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the injection port extends from the gas shield towards the stage at an oblique angle relative to the stage.

30. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the dispense unit further includes a first reservation tank storing the reaction gas, the gas supply path connecting the injection port and the first reservation tank.

31. The apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the dispense unit further includes a cylinder tank interposed between the first reservation tank and the gas supply path, the cylinder tank having a buffer area to adjust a pressure of the reaction gas.

32. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the dispense unit further includes a piston in the cylinder tank, the piston moving to adjust the pressure of the reaction gas.

33. The apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the dispense unit further includes a second reservation tank storing an inert gas supplied to the cylinder tank to adjust the pressure of the reaction gas.

34. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the gas shield is movable along with the energy source.

35. The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the gas shield is rotatable by an angle corresponding to an angle of change of a moving direction of the gas shield.

36. The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein an injection direction of the reaction gas is opposite to a moving direction of the gas shield.

37. The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein an injection pressure of the reaction gas increases as a moving speed of the gas shield increases, and an injection pressure of the reaction gas decreases as the moving speed of the gas shield decreases.

38. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the gas shield further includes a transparent window shielding an upper open portion of the retention space.

39. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the gas shield further includes a plurality of exhaust grooves in a surface facing the stage, and a gas exhaust path in the gas shield connected to the exhaust grooves.

40. The apparatus according to claim 28, further comprising a sealing member at a connection portion between the injection port and the gas supply path.

41. The apparatus according to claim 28, further comprising a monitoring device disposed under the stage.

42. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the end of the injection port is more proximate to the stage than the gas shield.

43. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the end of the injection port is disposed substantially in a center of the retention space.