Surface treating apparatus and method using vapor

Claim 2

A surface treatment method of etching or cleaning a wafer, said method comprising the steps of: preparing a liquid mixture of at least two liquids which exhibits an azeotropic phenomenon under predetermined conditions, said liquid mixture being selected from the group consisting of: (a) hydrofluoric acid and water; (b) hydrochloric acid and water; (c) hydrofluoric acid, water, and ethanol; (d) hydrofluoric acid, nitric acid, and water; (e) hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and water; (f) ammonium hydroxide and water; and (g) nitric acid and water; and controlling said liquid mixture to satisfy said predetermined azeotropic conditions, said controlling step including the step of setting the pressure to atmospheric pressure or more; an azeotropic vapor mixture of said liquid mixture being produced under said azeotropic conditions; etching or cleaning the surface of a wafer to be treated by using said azeotropic vapor mixture.

Claim 3

A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said liquid mixtures includes hydrofluoric acid and water.

Claim 4

A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said liquid mixture includes hydrochloric acid and water.

Claim 5

A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said etching or cleaning step includes the step of conveying said azeotropic vapor mixture to a wafer holding chamber for performing etching or cleaning of said wafer.

Claim 6

A method as set forth in claim 4, wherein: said etching or cleaning step includes the step of keeping said wafer holding chamber at a predetermined temperature which prevents said azeotropic vapor mixture from dewing and supplying said azeotropic vapor mixture to said wafer holding chamber.

Claim 7

A method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising: the step of feeding a diluting gas for decreasing the concentration of said vapor mixture in said wafer holding chamber.

Claim 8

A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said step of preparing a liquid mixture of at least two liquids includes the step of separately feeding tow liquids to a liquid holding means.

Claim 9

A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said step of preparing a liquid mixture includes the step of preparing holding means for holding said liquid mixture, and the step of feeding said liquid mixture to said holding means, whereby a space is defined in the region of said holding means where said liquid mixture is not held, said azeotropic vapor mixture is produced in said space, said step of controlling said liquid mixture to satisfy said predetermined azeotropic conditions includes the step of setting said holding means at a predetermined temperature, said etching or cleaning further includes the step of generating a quasi-azeotropic vapor mixture by feeding a diluting gas to said space so that the pressure in said space is equal to or greater than atmospheric pressure.

Claim 10

A method as set forth in claim 8, wherein: said step of feeding a diluting gas includes the step of feeding said diluting gas in accordance with the pressure of said azeotropic vapor mixture in said holding means.

Claim 11

A method as set forth in claim 8, further comprising the step of supplying said quasi-azeotropic vapor mixture from said space to said wafer holding chamber for performing surface treatment of said wafer, the temperature of said quasi-azeotropic vapor mixture from generation thereof to treatment of said wafer through supplying of said vapor mixture to said wafer holding chamber.

Claim 12

A method as set forth in claim 8, further comprising the step of keeping said dilution gas at a predetermined temperature.

Claim 13

A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said liquid mixture includes nitric acid and water.

Claim 14

A surface treating method of etching or cleaning a wafer, said method comprising: preparing a liquid mixture of at least two liquids which exhibits an azeotropic phenomenon under predetermined conditions, said preparing step including preparing holding means for holding said liquid mixture and feeding said liquid mixture to said holding means, whereby a space is defined in the region of said holding means where said liquid mixture is not held; controlling said liquid mixture to satisfy said predetermined azeotropic conditions; an azeotropic vapor mixture of said liquid mixture of said at least two liquids being produced in said space under said azeotropic conditions; generating a quasi-azeotropic vapor mixture by feeding a diluting gas to said space so that the pressure in said space is equal to or greater than atmospheric pressure; and etching or cleaning the surface of a wafer to be treated by using said quasi-azeotropic vapor mixture.

Claim 15

A surface treating method of etching or cleaning a wafer, said method comprising: preparing a liquid mixture of at least two liquids which exhibits an azeotropic phenomenon under predetermined conditions, said preparing step including preparing holding means for holding said liquid mixture and feeding said liquid mixture to said holding means, whereby a space is defined in the region of said holding means where said liquid mixture is not held; controlling said liquid mixture to satisfy said predetermined azeotropic conditions; an azeotropic vapor mixture of said liquid mixture of said at least two liquids being produced in said space under said azeotropic conditions; generating a quasi-azeotropic vapor mixture by feeding a diluting gas to said space so that the pressure in said space is equal to or greater than atmospheric pressure; and etching or cleaning the surface of a wafer to be treated by using said quasi-azeotropic vapor mixture.

Claim 16

A wafer surface treating apparatus for etching or cleaning a wafer comprising: liquid holding means for holding a mixture of at least two liquids which exhibit azeotropy under predetermined conditions, said liquid holding means having space for generating vapor mixture of azeotropy in the upper portion thereof; azeotropic condition setting means for conditioning said liquid holding means to establish said predetermined azeotropic conditions, said azeotropic condition setting means setting temperature and pressure to the predetermined azeotropic conditions; diluting gas feeding means for feeding a diluting gas to said space thereby to generate a quasi-azeotropic vapor mixture; and surface treating means for etching or cleaning the surface of a wafer to be treated by using said vapor mixture of quasi-azeotropy, said surface treating means including a wafer holding chamber for effecting surface treatment of etching or cleaning of said wafer, and quasi-azeotropic vapor mixture supplying means for supplying said quasi-azeotropic vapor mixture to said wafer holding chamber.

Claim 17

A wafer surface treating apparatus for etching or cleaning a wafer comprising: liquid holding means for holding a mixture of at least two liquids which exhibit azeotropy under predetermined conditions, said liquid holding means having space for generating vapor mixture of azeotropy in the upper portion thereof; azeotropic condition setting means for conditioning said liquid holding means to establish said predetermined azeotropic conditions, said azeotropic condition setting means setting temperature and pressure to the predetermined azeotropic conditions; diluting gas feeding means for feeding a diluting gas to said space thereby to generate a quasi-azeotropic vapor mixture; and surface treating means for etching or cleaning the surface of a wafer to be treated by using said vapor mixture of quasi-azeotropy, said surface treating means including a wafer holding chamber for effecting surface treatment of etching or cleaning of said wafer, and quasi-azeotropic vapor mixture supplying means for supplying said quasi-azeotropic vapor mixture to said wafer holding chamber.

Claim 18

A wafer surface treating apparatus as set forth in claim 14, also comprising a mixture of at least two liquids disposed within said liquid holding means; said mixture of at least two liquids including hydrogen fluoride and water.

Claim 19

A wafer surface treating apparatus as set forth in claim 14, also comprising a mixture of at least two liquids disposed within said liquid holding means; said mixture of at least two liquids include hydrochloric acid and water.

Claim 20

A wafer surface treating apparatus as set forth in claim 14, also comprising a mixture of at least two liquids disposed within said liquid holding means; said mixture of at least two liquids including nitric acid and water.

Claim 21

A wafer surface treating apparatus as set forth in claim 14, wherein: said wafer surface treating apparatus includes temperature controlling means for keeping said space, said wafer holding chamber and said quasi-azeotropic vapor mixture supplying means at a predetermined temperature.

Claim 22

A surface treating apparatus as set forth in claim 14, wherein: said predetermined conditions include a temperature above the dew point of said quasi-azeotropic vapor mixture.

Claim 23

A wafer surface treating apparatus as set forth in claim 14, further comprising liquid feeding means for feeding said liquid mixture of said at least two liquids to said liquid holding means.

Claim 24

A surface treating apparatus as set forth in claim 20, wherein: said liquid holding means includes detecting means for detecting the held amount of said liquid mixture of said at least two liquids, and said liquid feeding means operates in response to a detection signal from said detecting means.

Claim 25

A wafer surface treating apparatus as set forth in claim 20, wherein: said liquid holding means includes stirring means for stirring said liquid mixture.

Claim 26

A surface treating apparatus as set forth in claim 18, wherein: said predetermined conditions include a temperature above the dew point of said quasi-azeotropic vapor mixture.

Claim 27

A surface treating apparatus as set forth in claim 14, wherein: said diluting gas includes an inert gas.

Claim 28

A surface treating apparatus as set forth in claim 14, wherein: said inert gas includes nitrogen gas.

Claim 29

A surface treating apparatus as set forth in claim 14, further comprising control means for controlling said diluting gas feeding means to feed said diluting gas in accordance with the pressure of said quasi-azeotropic vapor mixture in said space of said liquid holding means.

Claim 30

An apparatus as set forth in claim 14, further comprising temperature controlling means for keeping said diluting means at a predetermined temperature.