Substrate Cleaning Method and Computer Readable Storage Medium

• US 20080041420A1
• Filed: 06/01/2005
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Sekiguchi, Kenji, Ohno, Hiroki
• Granted Patent: US 8,147,617 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/18
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 2203/0288 Ultra or megasonic jets
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/02 Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02052 Wet cleaning only H01L21/02085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67051 using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 134/902 Semiconductor wafer

Abstract

A wafer W is processed by supplying a two-fluid, high pressure jet water, or mega-sonic water onto the wafer W, while rotating the wafer W in an essentially horizontal state. After supply of the cleaning fluid is stopped, the wafer W is dried by rotating the wafer W at a higher speed than that used in supplying the cleaning fluid. No rinsing process using purified water is performed in a period after stopping supply of the cleaning fluid and before rotating the substrate at the higher speed.

Claims

1. A substrate cleaning method comprising:

supplying a two-fluid cleaning liquid onto a substrate, while rotating the substrate in an essentially horizontal state, thereby processing the substrate; and

then rotating the substrate at a higher speed than that used in supplying the two-fluid cleaning liquid, thereby drying the substrate, after stopping supply of the two-fluid cleaning liquid, wherein the method comprises no rinsing process using purified water in a period after stopping supply of the two-fluid cleaning liquid and before rotating the substrate at the higher speed.

2. The substrate cleaning method according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises rotating the substrate at a rotation number of 1,000 rpm or less, and causing a supply point of the two-fluid cleaning liquid onto the substrate to travel at a speed of 15 to 30 mm/sec in a radial direction of the substrate, while supplying the two-fluid cleaning liquid.

3. The substrate cleaning method according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises leaving a liquid film of the cleaning liquid when stopping supply of the two-fluid cleaning liquid, and then rotating the substrate at a higher speed than that used in supplying the two-fluid cleaning liquid, thereby drying the substrate.

4. The substrate cleaning method according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises applying a spray of nitrogen gas to the substrate while causing the spray to travel from a center of the substrate to a peripheral edge thereof, in drying the substrate.

5. A substrate cleaning method comprising:

processing a substrate by use of a predetermined chemical liquid;

supplying purified water onto the substrate, while rotating the substrate in an essentially horizontal state, thereby performing a rinsing process; and

rotating the substrate at a higher speed than that used in supplying the rinsing process, thereby drying the substrate,

wherein the method comprises causing a supply point of the purified water onto the substrate to travel at a speed set to be higher at a central portion of the substrate than at a peripheral portion thereof in performing the rinsing process, so as to equalize a processing time per unit area over the substrate.

6. A substrate cleaning method comprising:

processing a substrate by use of a predetermined chemical liquid;

supplying purified water onto the substrate, while rotating the substrate in an essentially horizontal state, thereby performing a rinsing process; and

rotating the substrate at a higher speed than that used in supplying the rinsing process, thereby drying the substrate,

wherein the method comprises causing a supply point of the purified water onto the substrate to travel in a radial direction of the substrate, and setting a rotation number of the substrate to be higher for the supply point of the purified water being present at a central portion of the substrate than at a peripheral portion thereof, in performing the rinsing process, so as to equalize a processing time per unit area over the substrate.

7. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

10. A computer readable storage medium that stores a software for a computer to execute a control program, wherein the control program, when executed, controls a cleaning apparatus to perform a substrate cleaning method comprising:

supplying a two-fluid cleaning liquid onto a substrate, while rotating the substrate in an essentially horizontal state, thereby processing the substrate; and

then rotating the substrate at a higher speed than that used in supplying the two-fluid cleaning liquid, thereby drying the substrate, after stopping supply of the two-fluid cleaning liquid, wherein the method comprises no rinsing process using purified water in a period after stopping supply of the two-fluid cleaning liquid and before rotating the substrate at the higher speed.

13. The storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the substrate cleaning method comprises rotating the substrate at a rotation number of 1,000 rpm or less, and causing a supply point of the two-fluid cleaning liquid onto the substrate to travel at a speed of 15 to 30 mm/sec in a radial direction of the substrate, while supplying the two-fluid cleaning liquid.

14. The storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the substrate cleaning method comprises leaving a liquid film of the cleaning liquid when stopping supply of the two-fluid cleaning liquid, and then rotating the substrate at a higher speed than that used in supplying the two-fluid cleaning liquid, thereby drying the substrate.

15. The storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the substrate cleaning method comprises applying a spray of nitrogen gas to the substrate while causing the spray to travel from a center of the substrate to a peripheral edge thereof, in drying the substrate.

11. A computer readable storage medium that stores a software for a computer to execute a control program, wherein the control program, when executed, controls a cleaning apparatus to perform a substrate cleaning method comprising:

processing a substrate by use of a predetermined chemical liquid;

supplying purified water onto the substrate, while rotating the substrate in an essentially horizontal state, thereby performing a rinsing process; and

rotating the substrate at a higher speed than that used in supplying the rinsing process, thereby drying the substrate, wherein the method comprises causing a supply point of the purified water onto the substrate to travel at a speed set to be higher at a central portion of the substrate than at a peripheral portion thereof in performing the rinsing process, so as to equalize a processing time per unit area over the substrate.

12. A computer readable storage medium that stores a software for a computer to execute a control program, wherein the control program, when executed, controls a cleaning apparatus to perform a substrate cleaning method comprising:

processing a substrate by use of a predetermined chemical liquid;

supplying purified water onto the substrate, while rotating the substrate in an essentially horizontal state, thereby performing a rinsing process; and

rotating the substrate at a higher speed than that used in supplying the rinsing process, thereby drying the substrate, wherein the method comprises causing a supply point of the purified water onto the substrate to travel in a radial direction of the substrate, and setting a rotation number of the substrate to be higher for the supply point of the purified water being present at a central portion of the substrate than at a peripheral portion thereof, in performing the rinsing process, so as to equalize a processing time per unit area over the substrate.