초록 ▼

Surface cleaning, chemical treatment and drying of semiconductor substrates is carried out using foam as a medium instead of a condensed phase liquid medium. In cleaning and chemical treatment, by introducing a foam into an overflow vessel the foam is caused to pass over the substrate in moving cont

Surface cleaning, chemical treatment and drying of semiconductor substrates is carried out using foam as a medium instead of a condensed phase liquid medium. In cleaning and chemical treatment, by introducing a foam into an overflow vessel the foam is caused to pass over the substrate in moving contact therewith. Drying of the substrate is carried out, using a water solution of carbon dioxide in a pressurizable vessel. By releasing the pressure in the vessel, a layer of foam is established on the surface of the solution. The solution is discharged from the vessel, causing the foam layer to pass over the substrate in moving contact therewith. The carbon dioxide reduces the surface tension of the water, thereby enabling the foam layer to be produced and also assisting in the elimination of water from the surface of the substrate. In both cases, the use of foam reduces materials requirements and also reduces the quantity of particles deposited onto the substrate in the treatment process.

대표청구항 ▼

1. The process of drying a wet semiconductor substrate comprising the steps of:supporting the wet substrate within an enclosure;exposing the wet substrate within said enclosure to an atmosphere of carbon dioxide and water vapor at an elevated pressure above atmospheric pressure; andwhile gradually v

1. The process of drying a wet semiconductor substrate comprising the steps of:supporting the wet substrate within an enclosure;exposing the wet substrate within said enclosure to an atmosphere of carbon dioxide and water vapor at an elevated pressure above atmospheric pressure; andwhile gradually venting the enclosure and decreasing the pressure within the enclosure to atmospheric pressure, removing water from said substrate by exposure of the water on the substrate to the carbon dioxide in said atmosphere of carbon dioxide and water vapor. 2. The process of drying according to claim 1, in which the elevated pressure is approximately 300 psig. 3. The process for treating a semiconductor substrate comprising the steps of:submerging the substrate in a solution of a gas in a liquid solvent while the solution is under a superatmospheric pressure;gradually decreasing the pressure on the solution, thereby causing gas to come out of solution and form a foam layer on a surface of the solution; andwhile decreasing the pressure on the solution, causing relative movement of the substrate and the surface of the solution whereby the substrate passes through the foam layer into an atmosphere of gas above the foam layer. 4. The process of drying according to claim 1, in which the step of exposing the substrate within said enclosure to an atmosphere of carbon dioxide and water vapor includes the step of replacing with carbon dioxide substantially all of another gaseous atmosphere different from carbon dioxide within said enclosure. 5. The process of drying according to claim 1, in which the step of exposing the substrate within said enclosure to an atmosphere of carbon dioxide and water vapor is carried out by causing the substrate to emerge, within said enclosure, from a quantity of deionized water into said atmosphere. 6. The process of drying according to claim 1, in which the step of exposing the substrate within said enclosure to an atmosphere of carbon dioxide and water vapor is carried out by causing the substrate to emerge, within said enclosure, from a quantity of deionized water containing dissolved carbon dioxide into said atmosphere.