SUPERCRITICAL PROCESSING APPARATUS

Abstract

A supercritical processing apparatus includes an upper vessel including a first fluid hole formed in a center thereof, and a lower vessel including a second fluid hole formed in a center thereof. A space is defined between the upper and lower vessels and configured to allow a substrate to be placed therein. The upper vessel further includes a first guide portion provided at a lower portion thereof to be gradually inclined downward toward a periphery thereof from the first fluid hole.

Claims

1. A supercritical processing apparatus, comprising: a vessel comprised of an upper vessel including a first fluid hole formed in a center thereof, and a lower vessel including a second fluid hole formed in a center thereof; and a space defined between the upper and lower vessels and configured to allow a substrate to be placed therein, wherein the upper vessel further includes a first guide portion provided at a lower portion thereof to be gradually inclined downward toward a periphery thereof from the first fluid hole.

2. The supercritical processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein a width between the upper vessel and the substrate gradually decreases from a central region of the substrate toward a peripheral region thereof.

3. The supercritical processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein a fluid flows at the same flow velocity in a center region of the substrate and in a peripheral region thereof.

4. The supercritical processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the upper vessel further includes a first stepped portion provided on a lower surface thereof so as to protrude downward.

5. The supercritical processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first stepped portion is larger in diameter than the substrate.

6. The supercritical processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lower vessel further includes a second guide portion provided at an upper portion thereof to be gradually inclined upward toward a periphery thereof from the second fluid hole.

7. The supercritical processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a sealing member interposed between the upper and lower vessels, and sealing a gap between the upper and lower vessels.

8. The supercritical processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the lower vessel further includes a second stepped portion protruding upward, and the sealing member is provided on the second stepped portion.

9. A supercritical processing apparatus, comprising: a vessel comprised of an upper vessel including a first fluid hole formed in a center thereof, and a lower vessel including a second fluid hole formed in a center thereof; and a space defined between the upper and lower vessels and configured to allow a substrate to be placed therein, wherein the lower vessel further includes a second guide portion provided at an upper portion thereof to be gradually inclined upward toward a periphery thereof from the second fluid hole.

10. The supercritical processing apparatus of claim 9, wherein the upper vessel further includes a first guide portion provided at a lower portion thereof to be gradually inclined downward toward a periphery thereof from the first fluid hole.

11. A supercritical processing apparatus, comprising: a vessel comprised of an upper vessel including a first fluid hole formed in a center thereof, and a lower vessel including a second fluid hole formed in a center thereof; and a space defined between the upper and lower vessels and configured to allow a substrate to be placed therein, wherein the upper vessel further includes a first guide portion provided at a lower portion thereof to be gradually inclined downward toward a periphery thereof from the first fluid hole, and the lower vessel further includes a second guide portion provided at an upper portion thereof to be gradually inclined upward toward a periphery thereof from the second fluid hole.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The above and other objectives, features, and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0030] FIG. 1 is a sectional view schematically showing a supercritical processing apparatus according to the related art;

[0031] FIG. 2 is a sectional view schematically showing a supercritical processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] FIG. 3 is a view showing in detail a flow channel between an upper vessel and a substrate of FIG. 2;

[0033] FIG. 4 is a view showing a comparative example with respect to FIG. 3;

[0034] FIG. 5 is a view showing in detail a stepped portion of the upper vessel of FIG. 2;

[0035] FIG. 6 is a view showing a comparative example with respect to FIG. 5;

[0036] FIG. 7 is a view showing a flow channel when a fluid is introduced into the lower vessel of FIG. 2; and

[0037] FIG. 8 is a view showing a flow channel when the fluid is discharged from the lower vessel of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0038] Hereinbelow, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the embodiments may be changed to a variety of embodiments and the scope and spirit of the invention are not limited to the embodiments described hereinbelow.

[0039] In the following description, it is to be noted that, when the functions of conventional elements and the detailed description of elements related with the present invention may make the gist of the present invention unclear, a detailed description of those elements will be omitted. Wherever possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like elements or parts.

[0040] It will be further understood that the terms comprises, comprising, includes, and/or including, when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. Unless otherwise defined, all terms including technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs.

[0041] FIG. 2 is a sectional view schematically showing a supercritical processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Referring to FIG. 2, a supercritical processing apparatus according to an embodiment includes a vessel 100 accommodating a substrate W therein.

[0043] The vessel 100 includes an upper vessel 110 and a lower vessel 120. A predetermined space S is defined between the upper vessel 110 and the lower vessel 120. The substrate W is placed in the space S between the upper vessel 110 and the lower vessel 120.

[0044] The upper vessel 110 includes a first fluid hole 111 formed in the center thereof in a vertical direction, and a first guide portion 112 provided at a lower portion thereof to guide the flow of a supercritical fluid in a radial direction.

[0045] The first fluid hole 111 may serve as an inlet through which the supercritical fluid is introduced into the vessel 100. The supercritical fluid may be introduced into the vessel 100 through the first fluid hole 111 to be supplied onto an upper surface of the substrate W on which a pattern is formed.

[0046] The upper vessel 110 includes a first stepped portion 113 provided on a lower surface thereof so as to protrude downward. The first stepped portion 113 serves to minimize occurrence of re-attachment of removed particles to the substrate W due to turbulence occurring in a peripheral region of the substrate W.

[0047] The lower vessel 120 includes a second fluid hole 121 formed in the center thereof in a vertical direction, and a second guide portion 122 provided at an upper portion thereof to guide the flow of a supercritical fluid in a radial direction.

[0048] The second fluid hole 121 may serve as an inlet through which the supercritical fluid is introduced into the vessel 100, together with the first fluid hole 111, or may serve as an outlet through which the supercritical fluid is discharged out of the vessel 100. The supercritical fluid may be introduced into the vessel 100 through the second fluid hole 121, move to a peripheral region of a lower surface of the substrate W, and be discharged out of the vessel 100 through the second fluid hole 121.

[0049] On the other hand, although the second fluid hole 121 serves as both an inlet and an outlet in one embodiment, the second fluid hole 121 may serve as only an outlet. Alternatively, an inlet and an outlet may be individually formed in a lower vessel 120 at respective locations.

[0050] A guide member may be disposed in the space S between the upper vessel 110 and the lower vessel 120. The guide member may serve as a supporter for the substrate and reduce the volume of chemical by reducing the volume of the space S.

[0051] The lower vessel 120 includes a second stepped portion 123 provided at a peripheral edge thereof so as to protrude upward. A sealing member 140 is disposed on the second stepped portion 123. The sealing member 140 is interposed between the upper vessel 110 and the lower vessel 120 to seal an interior of the vessel 100 during a process. The sealing member 140 includes a sealing guide 141 such that the sealing member is stably disposed on the second stepped portion 123 of the lower vessel 120 by the sealing guide.

[0052] The supercritical processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail as follows.

[0053] Referring to FIG. 3, in one embodiment, the first guide portion 112 is provided at the lower portion of the upper vessel 110 to guide the flow of the supercritical fluid.

[0054] The first guide portion 112 may be formed to be gradually inclined downward toward the periphery of the lower surface of the upper vessel 110 from the center of the lower surface of the upper vessel 110, for example, from a lower end of the first fluid hole 111. The first guide portion 112 may be provided as a curved surface having a predetermined curvature or as a discontinuous inclined surface.

[0055] This configuration is to provide a flow channel defined in the space S at a location between the substrate W and the lower surface of the upper vessel 110 such that the supercritical fluid introduced from the first fluid hole 111 flows through the flow channel. Herein, the flow channel between the substrate W and the lower surface of the upper vessel 110 is varied in width along the length thereof to provide the substantially same flow velocity of the fluid in a central region of the substrate W and in a peripheral region thereof. In detail, the first guide portion 112 of the upper vessel 110 is formed to be gradually inclined downward such that the width of the flow channel gradually decreases from the central region of the substrate W toward the peripheral region thereof.

[0056] Due to provision of the first guide portion configured as described above, it is ensured that influence of the central region of the substrate W is reduced during a process carried out under conditions where sudden pressure and temperature changes occur. It is further ensured that flow uniformity of the fluid flowing in an upper region of the substrate W is increased, and thus mixing and reaction uniformity of the fluid is also increased.

[0057] Referring to FIG. 4, in a comparative example, a first fluid hole 11 is vertically formed with a constant diameter, and a flow channel defined between the lower surface of an upper vessel 10 and a substrate W is constant in width. In this case, a relatively narrow inlet is formed compared to the substrate size, which may cause a sudden change in pressure and temperature to occur in the central region of the substrate W. This may result in damage such as leaning occurring in a pattern formed in the central region of the substrate W.

[0058] In addition, since the width of the flow channel between the lower surface of the upper vessel 10 and the substrate W is constant, the flow velocity of the fluid flowing in the central region of the substrate W corresponding to the location of the first fluid hole 11 is faster than the flow velocity of the fluid flowing in the peripheral region of the substrate W. That is, the constant width of the flow channel may cause a large difference in the flow velocity between the central region of the substrate W and the peripheral region thereof, leading to a large temperature deviation between the central region of the substrate and the peripheral region thereof. This may result in the reaction uniformity of the fluid being relatively lowered.

[0059] Referring to FIG. 5, in one embodiment, the first stepped portion 113 is provided on the lower surface of the upper vessel 110 so as to protrude in a downward direction, that is, in a direction toward the substrate W.

[0060] When the first stepped portion 113 is not provided on the lower surface of the upper vessel 110, turbulence T may be generated around the substrate W, and removed particles may be re-attached to the substrate W due to the turbulence.

[0061] Therefore, due to the provision of the first stepped portion 113 formed on the lower surface of the upper vessel 110, it is ensured that even when the turbulence T is generated around the substrate W, occurrence of re-attachment of removed particles to the substrate W is minimized.

[0062] Herein, it is preferable that the first stepped portion 113 is larger in radius (or diameter) than the substrate W by a predetermined length d1, such that the first stepped portion is located outside the substrate.

[0063] Referring to a comparative example shown in FIG. 6, this is because when a first stepped portion 12 is provided on a lower surface of an upper vessel 10 and the first stepped portion 12 is smaller in radius than a substrate W by a predetermined length d2, turbulence T generated around the substrate W may not interfere with the first stepped portion 12 and thus removed particles may be re-attached to a peripheral region of the substrate W.

[0064] Therefore, due to the configuration of the first stepped portion 113 formed to be larger in the radius than the substrate W as in one embodiment, it is ensured that even when the turbulence T is generated around the substrate W, the turbulence T desirably interferes with the first stepped portion 113 located outside the substrate W and thus has less influence on the substrate W. This therefore provides an effect of minimizing occurrence of re-attachment of removed particles around the substrate W to the substrate W due to the turbulence.

[0065] Referring to FIG. 7, in one embodiment, a space S is defined between an upper vessel 110 and a lower vessel 120 and is configured to allow a substrate W to be placed therein.

[0066] The lower vessel 120 includes a second guide portion 122 to guide the flow of a supercritical fluid. The second guide portion 122 may be formed to be gradually inclined upward from a lower end of a second fluid hole 121 to a predetermined point located on an upper surface of the lower vessel 120.

[0067] This configuration allows the supercritical fluid introduced from the second fluid hole 121 to be guided to move toward the peripheral portion of the substrate W through a flow channel defined between the second guide portion 122 of the lower vessel 120 and the substrate W.

[0068] Therefore, there is provided an effect that an efficient flow of the fluid is promoted to thereby prevent a sudden temperature change of the substrate W during a process, and that a temperature deviation between a central region of the substrate W and a peripheral region thereof is minimized.

[0069] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8, when the second fluid hole 121 of the lower vessel 120 serves as an outlet, fluid and contaminants present inside the vessels are guided by a flow channel defined between the second guide portion 122 of the lower vessel 120 and the substrate W, which maintain a predetermined gap at a predetermined angle, such that fluid and contaminants are stably discharged through the second fluid hole 121.

[0070] Those who are ordinarily skilled in the art will appreciate that various alternatives, modifications, and equivalents are possible, without changing the spirit or essential features of the present invention. Therefore, exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described for illustrative purposes, and should not be construed as being restrictive.

[0071] The scope of the present invention is defined by the accompanying claims rather than the description which is presented above. Moreover, the present invention is intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalents and other embodiments that may be included within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.