US2023343613A1PendingUtilityA1

Multi-chamber apparatus

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Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTDPriority: Apr 26, 2019Filed: Jun 26, 2023Published: Oct 26, 2023
Est. expiryApr 26, 2039(~12.8 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Yong-Jun ChoiSeok Hoon KimYoung-Hoo KimIn-Gi KimSung Hyun ParkSeung Min ShinKun-Tack LeeJinwoo LeeHun Jae JangJi-Hoon Cha
H10P 72/7602H10P 72/0418H10P 72/0414H10P 72/0408H10P 72/0454H10P 72/7626H10P 72/3402H10P 72/3302H10P 72/0452H10P 72/0424H10P 72/0406H10P 72/3406H10P 72/0462H01L 21/67167H01L 21/67063H01L 21/67051B08B 3/08H01L 21/67034H01L 21/68707
70
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Claims

Abstract

A multi-chamber apparatus for processing a wafer, the apparatus including a high etch rate chamber to receive the wafer and to etch silicon nitride with a phosphoric acid solution; a rinse chamber to receive the wafer and to clean the wafer with an ammonia mixed solution; and a supercritical drying chamber to dry the wafer with a supercritical fluid.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A multi-chamber apparatus for processing a wafer, the apparatus comprising:
 a high etch rate chamber configured to receive the wafer and to etch silicon nitride with a phosphoric acid solution;   a rinse chamber configured to receive the wafer and to clean the wafer with an ammonia mixed solution; and   a supercritical drying chamber configured to dry the wafer with a supercritical fluid,   wherein:   a process time of the high etch rate chamber is a first time,   a process time of the rinse chamber is a second time,   a process time of the supercritical drying chamber is a third time, and   a ratio of the first time, the second time, and the third time is 5:1:3.   
     
     
         2 . The multi-chamber apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a first robot arm configured to sequentially move the wafer to the high etch rate chamber, the rinse chamber, and the supercritical drying chamber. 
     
     
         3 . The multi-chamber apparatus as claimed in  claim 2 , further comprising a transfer zone connected to an entrance of each of the high etch rate chamber, the rinse chamber, and the supercritical drying chamber, wherein the first robot arm is located in the transfer zone. 
     
     
         4 . The multi-chamber apparatus as claimed in  claim 3 , further comprising a buffer zone connected to the transfer zone and in which the wafer is accommodatable for a predetermined time period before being moved to the high etch rate chamber, the rinse chamber, or the supercritical drying chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The multi-chamber apparatus as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein:
 the first robot arm includes a first holder and a second holder,   the first holder is to perform a dry transfer, and   the second holder is to perform a wet transfer.   
     
     
         6 . The multi-chamber apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a housing that contains the high etch rate chamber, the rinse chamber, and the supercritical drying chamber;   an opening and closing portion in the housing and through which the wafer is passable; and   a load port outside the housing and in which the wafer is placeable.   
     
     
         7 . The multi-chamber apparatus as claimed in  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a first robot arm configured to move the wafer from the load port into the housing; and   a second robot arm configured to receive the wafer from the first robot arm and to sequentially move the wafer to the high etch rate chamber, the rinse chamber, and the supercritical drying chamber.   
     
     
         8 . The multi-chamber apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the high etch rate chamber is configured to clean the wafer with deionized water after the wafer is etched with the phosphoric acid solution. 
     
     
         9 . The multi-chamber apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the rinse chamber is configured to clean the wafer with isopropyl alcohol after the wafer is cleaned with the ammonia mixed solution. 
     
     
         10 . The multi-chamber apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the ammonia mixed solution contains NH 4 OH, H 2 O 2 , and H 2 O. 
     
     
         11 . A multi-chamber apparatus for processing a wafer, the apparatus comprising:
 at least one high etch rate chamber configured to receive the wafer and to etch silicon nitride with a chemical at a first temperature;   at least one rinse chamber configured to receive the wafer and to clean the wafer with a chemical at a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature;   at least one supercritical drying chamber configured to dry the wafer with a supercritical fluid;   a housing in which the at least one high etch rate chamber, the at least one rinse chamber, and the at least one supercritical drying chamber are located; and   a robot arm in the housing and configured to move the wafer to the at least one high etch rate chamber, the at least one rinse chamber, and the at least one supercritical drying chamber,   wherein:   a process time of the high etch rate chamber is a first time,   a process time of the rinse chamber is a second time,   a process time of the supercritical drying chamber is a third time, and   a ratio of the first time, the second time, and the third time is 5:1:3.   
     
     
         12 . The multi-chamber apparatus as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the first temperature is 150° C. to 300° C. 
     
     
         13 . The multi-chamber apparatus as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the second temperature is 20° C. to 150° C. 
     
     
         14 . The multi-chamber apparatus as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein
 a number of the at least one high etch rate chamber included in the multi-chamber apparatus is n,   a number of the at least one rinse chambers included in the multi-chamber apparatus is m,   a number of the at least one supercritical drying chamber included in the multi-chamber apparatus is i,   n, m, and i are natural numbers,   n is greater than i, and   i is greater than m.   
     
     
         15 . The multi-chamber apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein:
 n is 3, m is 1, and i is 2, or   n is 9, m is 3, and i is 4.   
     
     
         16 . A multi-chamber apparatus for processing a wafer, the apparatus comprising:
 at least one first chamber;   at least one second chamber;   at least one third chamber;   a transfer zone outside the at least one first chamber, the at least one second chamber, and the at least one third chamber;   a buffer zone outside the at least one first chamber, the at least one second chamber, and the at least one third chamber and connected to the transfer zone; and   a driver configured to move the wafer,   wherein:   the driver is configured to:
 move the wafer from the buffer zone to the at least one first chamber, 
 move the wafer to the at least one second chamber via the transfer zone after an etching process is performed on the wafer using a phosphoric acid solution in the at least one first chamber, 
 move the wafer to the at least one third chamber via the transfer zone after a cleaning process is performed on the wafer using an ammonia mixed solution in the at least one second chamber, and 
 move the wafer to the buffer zone after a supercritical drying process is performed on the wafer in the at least one third chamber, 
   a process time of the first chamber is a first time,   a process time of the second chamber is a second time,   a process time of the third chamber is a third time, and   a ratio of the first time, the second time, and the third time is 5:1:3.   
     
     
         17 . The multi-chamber apparatus as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein:
 each of the at least one first chamber, the at least one second chamber, and the at least one third chamber are provided in plural numbers, and   the driver is configured to move the wafer to empty the plurality of first chambers, the plurality of second chambers, and the plurality of third chambers.   
     
     
         18 . The multi-chamber apparatus as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the driver includes:
 a first holder configured to move the wafer from the at least one first chamber to the at least one second chamber and to move the wafer from the at least one second chamber to the at least one third chamber;   a second holder configured to move the wafer from the buffer zone to the at least one first chamber; and   a third holder configured to move the wafer from the at least one third chamber to the buffer zone.   
     
     
         19 . The multi-chamber apparatus as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein:
 the first holder is configured to move the wafer in a wet state, and   the second holder and the third holder are configured to move the wafer in a dry state.   
     
     
         20 . A multi-chamber apparatus for processing a wafer, the apparatus comprising:
 at least one high etch rate chamber configured to receive the wafer and to etch silicon nitride with a chemical at a first temperature;   at least one rinse chamber configured to receive the wafer and to clean the wafer with a chemical at a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature;   at least one supercritical drying chamber configured to dry the wafer with a supercritical fluid;   a housing in which the at least one high etch rate chamber, the at least one rinse chamber, and the at least one supercritical drying chamber are located; and   a robot arm in the housing and configured to move the wafer to the at least one high etch rate chamber, the at least one rinse chamber, and the at least one supercritical drying chamber,   wherein:   a process time of the at least one high etch rate chamber is a first time,   a process time of the at least one rinse chamber is a second time,   a process time of the at least one supercritical drying chamber is a third time, and   a ratio of the first time, the second time, and the third time is 5:1:3.   
     
     
         21 . The multi-chamber apparatus as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the first temperature is 150° C. to 300° C. 
     
     
         22 . The multi-chamber apparatus as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the second temperature is 20° C. to 150° C. 
     
     
         23 . The multi-chamber apparatus as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein
 a number of the at least one high etch rate chamber included in the multi-chamber apparatus is n,   a number of the at least one rinse chambers included in the multi-chamber apparatus is m,   a number of the at least one supercritical drying chamber included in the multi-chamber apparatus is i,   n, m, and i are natural numbers,   n is greater than i, and   i is greater than m.   
     
     
         24 . The multi-chamber apparatus as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein n is 3, m is 1, and i is 2. 
     
     
         25 . The multi-chamber apparatus as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein n is 9, m is 3, and i is 4. 
     
     
         26 . A multi-chamber apparatus for processing a wafer, the apparatus comprising:
 at least one first chamber;   at least one second chamber;   at least one third chamber;   a transfer zone outside the at least one first chamber, the at least one second chamber, and the at least one third chamber;   a buffer zone outside the at least one first chamber, the at least one second chamber, and the at least one third chamber and connected to the transfer zone; and   a driver configured to move the wafer,   wherein the driver is configured to:   move the wafer from the buffer zone to the at least one first chamber,   move the wafer to the at least one second chamber via the transfer zone after an etching process is performed on the wafer using a phosphoric acid solution in the at least one first chamber during a first time,   move the wafer to the at least one third chamber via the transfer zone after a cleaning process is performed on the wafer using an ammonia mixed solution in the at least one second chamber during a second time, and   move the wafer to the buffer zone after a supercritical drying process is performed on the wafer in the at least one third chamber during a third time, wherein a ratio of the first time, the second time, and the third time is 5:1:3.   
     
     
         27 . The multi-chamber apparatus as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein
 a number of the at least one first chamber included in the multi-chamber apparatus is n,   a number of the at least one second chambers included in the multi-chamber apparatus is m,   a number of the at least one third chamber included in the multi-chamber apparatus is i,   n, m, and i are natural numbers,   n is greater than i, and   i is greater than m.   
     
     
         28 . The multi-chamber apparatus as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein n is 3, m is 1, and i is 2. 
     
     
         29 . The multi-chamber apparatus as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein n is 9, m is 3, and i is 4. 
     
     
         30 . The multi-chamber apparatus as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein:
 each of the at least one first chamber, the at least one second chamber, and the at least one third chamber are provided in plural numbers, and   the driver is configured to move the wafer to empty the plurality of first chambers, the plurality of second chambers, and the plurality of third chambers.   
     
     
         31 . The multi-chamber apparatus as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein the driver includes:
 a first holder configured to move the wafer from the at least one first chamber to the at least one second chamber and to move the wafer from the at least one second chamber to the at least one third chamber;   a second holder configured to move the wafer from the buffer zone to the at least one first chamber; and   a third holder configured to move the wafer from the at least one third chamber to the buffer zone.   
     
     
         32 . The multi-chamber apparatus as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein:
 the first holder is configured to move the wafer in a wet state, and   the second holder and the third holder are configured to move the wafer in a dry state.

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