Substrate treatment process and apparatus

• US 6,743,301 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2000
• Issued: 06/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: M.FSI Ltd.
• Original Assignee: MFsi Limited
• Inventors: Iga, Masao, Matsuno, Kousaku
• Primary Examiner(s): KORNAKOV, MIKHAIL
• Application Number:
  US09/742,423
• Publication Number:
  US 20010009155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: 134/1, 134/1.3, 134/2, 134/19, 134/26, 134/30, 134/32, 134/33, 134/902, 134/27, 134/28, 134/29, 438/906
• US Class Current: 134/26
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/12 by sonic or ultrasonic vibrations washing or rinsing machines for crockery or tableware using sonic or ultrasonic waves A47L15/13; of natural teeth, of prostheses using ultrasonic techniques similar to those used for natural teeth A61C17/20; application of ultrasonic vibrations to chemical, physical or physico-chemical processes in general B01J19/10
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/26 Cleaning or polishing of the conductive pattern
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 134/902 Semiconductor wafer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 438/905 Cleaning of reaction chamber

Abstract

A substrate treatment process is disclosed to remove organic matter existing on a substrate such as a wafer, glass substrate or ceramic. The process comprises treating the substrate with ozone water and then with hydrogen water, or treating the substrate with ozone-hydrogen water or treating the substrate with ozone water and hydrogen water at the same time.

Claims

1. A substrate treatment process for removing organic matter existing on a substrate, comprising treating said substrate with ozone water prepared by dissolving an ozone-containing gas in ultrapure water and hydrogen water prepared by dissolving a hydrogen-containing gas in ultrapure water in tandem, wherein said ozone water includes at least one substance added in the amount, sufficient to maintain ozone concentration in said ozone water, wherein the said substance is selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide and ammonium carbonate.

2. A substrate treatment process according to claim 1, wherein said substrate to be treated is one of a glass substrate and a substrate comprising one of silicon crystal and metal compound crystal.

3. A substrate treatment process according to claim 1, wherein said substrate to be treated is a substrate contaminated with organic matter or ion-implanted organic matter.

4. A substrate treatment process according to claim 1, wherein said substrate to be treated is a substrate contaminated with organic matter adhered in a semiconductor element fabrication process.

5. A substrate treatment process according to claim 1, wherein said ozone concentration is not lower than 10 ppm.

6. A substrate treatment process according to claim 1, wherein said hydrogen water has a hydrogen concentration not lower than 0.5 ppm.

7. A substrate treatment process according to claim 1, wherein said ozone water is applied to said substrate under treatment at a rate not lower than 1 mL/min per square centimeter of substrate area.

8. A substrate treatment process according to claim 1, wherein said hydrogen water is applied to said substrate under treatment after activating said hydrogen water by ultrasonic treatment.

9. A substrate treatment process according to claim 1, wherein said substrate is treated under rotation in a horizontal plane.

10. A substrate treatment process according to claim 9, wherein said substrate is rotated at a rotational speed not lower than 500 rpm.

11. A substrate treatment process according to claim 1, wherein said substrate is treated in the same treatment apparatus.

12. A substrate treatment process according to claim 1, wherein said substrate is treated while being heated at a temperature not lower than 30°

C.

13. A substrate treatment process according to claim 12, wherein said heating is performed while introducing heated ultrapure water or heated nitrogen.

14. A substrate treatment process according to claim 1, wherein said organic matter is subjected to ashing with an oxidizing gas before the step in which the substrate is treated with one of said ozone water and said hydrogen water.

15. A substrate treatment process according to claim 14, wherein said oxidizing gas is an ozone-containing gas;

and said substrate is subjected to ashing at least once in a dry atmosphere while being heated at a temperature not lower than room temperature.

16. A substrate treatment process according to claim 15, wherein said substrate under ashing is heated at 300 to 350°

C.

17. A substrate treatment process according to claim 16, wherein said ozone-containing gas has an ozone concentration not lower than 4 vol. %.

18. A substrate treatment process according to claim 1, wherein said substrate is cleaned with an organic solvent before the step in which the substrate is treated with one of said ozone water and said hydrogen water.

19. A substrate treatment process according to claim 1, wherein said substrate is treated with HF-containing water after the step in which the substrate is treated with one of said ozone water and said hydrogen water.