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KR-102961699-B1 - Device and method for cleaning a pot-shaped hollow body, particularly a transport container for a semiconductor wafer or lithography mask

KR102961699B1KR 102961699 B1KR102961699 B1KR 102961699B1KR-102961699-B1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device (92) for cleaning a pot-shaped hollow body (94), wherein the device (92) comprises: a support wall (20) on which the hollow body (94) can be placed; at least one passage opening (24) formed by the support wall (20); and a cleaning device (40) on which a cleaning fluid can be sprayed to clean a cover support surface (96) when the hollow body (94) is placed on the support wall (20); wherein the cleaning device (40) comprises a cleaning head (98), wherein the cleaning head (98) protrudes over the passage opening (24) when the hollow body (94) is placed on the support wall (20); and comprises a plurality of cleaning nozzles (100) on which the cleaning fluid can be applied to the cover support surface (96). The present invention also relates to a method for cleaning a pot-shaped hollow body (94) using the device (92).

Inventors

  • 레브스톡, 루츠

Assignees

  • 지에스이씨 저먼 세미컨덕터 이큅먼트 컴퍼니 게엠베하

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20230815
Priority Date
20220922

Claims (14)

  1. In an apparatus (92) for cleaning a pot-shaped hollow body (94) including a transport container (30) for a semiconductor wafer or an EUV lithography mask, The above hollow body (94) is, A bottom wall (32) and one or more side walls (34) forming an internal hollow body surface (33); An opening (36) positioned opposite the bottom wall (32) and surrounded by the side wall (34); and It includes a cover support surface (96) formed by the above side wall (34) and capable of placing a cover (52) on top of it to close the hollow body (94). The above device (92) is, A support wall (20) on which the above hollow body (94) can be placed; At least one passage opening (24) formed by the support wall (20); A cleaning device (40) capable of spraying a cleaning fluid to clean the cover support surface (96) when the above hollow body (94) is placed on the support wall (20); The above washing device (40) includes a washing head (98), and the washing head (98) is, When the above hollow body (94) is placed on the support wall (20), it may protrude over the passage opening (24) and/or be introduced into the above hollow body (94); and It includes a plurality of cleaning nozzles (100) through which the cleaning fluid can be applied to the cover support surface (96), and The above cleaning head (98) includes a plurality of additional cleaning nozzles (108) for cleaning the surface (33) of the internal hollow body, and the cleaning nozzle (100) and the additional cleaning nozzles (108) are characterized by being able to open and close independently of each other. Device (92).
  2. In paragraph 1, The washing head (98) is characterized by including a plurality of drying nozzles (102) through which drying gas can be applied to the cover support surface (96). Device (92).
  3. In paragraph 1 or 2, The above washing head (98) is characterized by being capable of rotation and/or translational movement. Device (92).
  4. In paragraph 2, The above washing fluid and/or the drying gas are sprayed at a spray angle (α), and the washing head (98) includes a setting device (104) that cooperates with the washing nozzle (100) and/or the drying nozzle (102), wherein the spray angle (α) is set by the setting device (104). Device (92).
  5. In paragraph 1, The above cleaning head (98) is characterized by including a plurality of infrared diodes (112) capable of heating the cover support surface (96). Device (92).
  6. In paragraph 1, The washing head (98) is characterized by having an external shape that follows the path of the inner hollow body surface (33), so that the distance between the inner hollow body surface (33) and the washing head (98) is constant. Device (92).
  7. In paragraph 1, The above device (92) is characterized by including at least one interlocking unit (106) for interlocking sound waves into the cleaning fluid. Device (92).
  8. In paragraph 1, The above device (92) comprises a first drain channel (70) having a first end (72), wherein the first end (72) of the first drain channel (70) is fluidly connected only with the passage opening (24), and the cleaning fluid sprayed by the cleaning device (40) can be drained through the drain channel (70), and wherein a particle measuring device (114) for measuring particles contained in the cleaning fluid is disposed in the drain channel (70). Device (92).
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  10. In paragraph 2, The above washing head (98) is characterized by including a flexible outer shell (116) that can be changed from a contracted state to an expanded state and then back from the expanded state to the contracted state by the washing fluid and/or the drying gas. Device (92).
  11. A method for cleaning a pot-shaped hollow body (94) including a transport container for a semiconductor wafer or an EUV lithography mask using a device (92) according to claim 1, The above method is, A step of placing the above hollow body (94) on the above support wall (20); A step of cleaning the cover support surface (96) by spraying the cleaning fluid through the plurality of cleaning nozzles (100) arranged in the cleaning head (98) of the cleaning device (40) so that the cleaning fluid is applied to the cover support surface (96); A step of draining the cleaning fluid through the first drain channel (70); A step of cleaning the cover support surface (96) using the cleaning nozzle (100); and The method comprises the step of cleaning the inner hollow body surface (33) using the additional cleaning nozzle (108) with a time offset. method.
  12. In Paragraph 11, The above method is, A step of measuring particles contained in the washing fluid through a particle measuring device (114) placed in the drainage channel (70); and A step of terminating the spraying of the cleaning fluid when the number of the measured particles falls below or exceeds a specific threshold related to the particles; method.
  13. In Article 11 or Article 12, The above method is, A step of completely immersing the space surrounded by the internal hollow body surface (33) with a first cleaning fluid; and The step of interlocking sound waves into the first cleaning fluid through the interlocking unit (106); method.
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Description

Device and method for cleaning a pot-shaped hollow body, particularly a transport container for a semiconductor wafer or lithography mask The present invention relates to an apparatus for drying a pot-shaped hollow body, particularly a transport container for a semiconductor wafer or an EUV lithography mask. Today, the manufacturing of highly integrated electronic circuits and other sensitive semiconductor components takes place in factories where so-called semiconductor wafers undergo a large number of processing steps. Most of these processing steps are carried out with great effort in cleanrooms that are free of contaminants, and in particular, particle-free. This complex processing is necessary because particles coming into contact with the semiconductor materials of the wafers can affect the material properties of the wafers, causing the entire production batch to become defective, unusable, and discarded. As the integration density of semiconductor circuits increases and the size of the cleanroom grows, the effort to maintain cleanliness increases exponentially; therefore, because maintaining cleanliness is becoming increasingly critical, semiconductor wafers are not transported from one process station to the next in an “open” state. Instead, special transport containers (so-called Front Opening Unified Pods, FOUPs) are used. These are understood as box-shaped transport containers into which a large number of semiconductor wafers are inserted. The FOUP is typically closed with a removable lid. Without a lid, the FOUP has a basic pot-like shape with a rectangular bottom surface. When the FOUP is closed with its lid, the inserted semiconductor wafers can be transported from one cleanroom to another while protected from the surrounding environment. When the FOUP reaches the process station, the FOUP is opened, the semiconductor wafers are removed, and processed accordingly. After processing, the semiconductor wafers are transported back to the FOUP and then transported to the next process station. Because production downtime due to contamination of the semiconductor wafer is long, it is sometimes necessary to clean the FOUP. The FOUP is particularly contaminated by wear debris from the semiconductor wafer when inserted into or removed from the FOUP. The same applies to the transport container for EUV lithography masks (“Extreme Ultraviolet”). The EUV lithography masks are used to manufacture very small integrated circuits. Like the semiconductors mentioned above, the EUV lithography masks must also be transported, and a similar situation occurs. When FOUPs are mentioned below, the relevant statements apply equally to the transport container for EUV lithography masks. Devices for cleaning a FOUP are known, for example, in WO 2006/136224 A1, WO 2005/001888 A2, and DE 10 2020 129 469 A1. Using such devices, the FOUP can be cleaned on both its inner and outer surfaces. As mentioned, the FOUP is closed with a cover that is removed only when the semiconductor wafer is inserted into or removed from the FOUP. The FOUP is generally contaminated much more severely on the outer surface than on the inner surface. A cover support surface plays a special role here. For example, in the FOUP presented in DE 10 2020 129 469 A1, the cover support surface is located between the inner surface and the outer surface. However, in the case of a more modern FOUP, the cover support surface is formed by a step of the inner surface, so that when the cover is placed on the cover support surface, the position of the cover is determined by the inner surface. Contaminants originating from the cover accumulate on the cover support surface due to contact with the cover. Consequently, the cover support surface becomes more contaminated than the remaining inner surface. However, contaminants arranged on the inner surface can be directly deposited onto the semiconductor wafer and can produce the effects described above. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 illustrates a basic cross-sectional view of a device according to prior art for cleaning a pot-shaped hollow body, particularly a transport container for a semiconductor wafer or an EUV lithography mask. Figure 2 shows an enlarged view that differs from the actual ratio of detail A defined in Figure 1. FIG. 3 illustrates a basic cross-sectional view through an example of a device for cleaning a transport container, particularly a semiconductor wafer or an EUV lithography mask, of a pot-shaped hollow body according to the present invention. FIG. 4a illustrates a basic cross-sectional view in which a flexible cover is in a contracted state through a second embodiment of a device for cleaning a pot-shaped hollow body according to the present invention. FIG. 4b illustrates a basic cross-sectional view in which a flexible cover is in an expanded state through a second embodiment of a device for cl