An apparatus for purging a wafer

Abstract

The utility model discloses a device for carrying out purging to wafer, including the casing, be equipped with purging chamber and gas collecting chamber in the casing, the top of purging chamber is equipped with purging shower nozzle, the bottom of purging chamber is hollowly provided, and the bracket for supporting wafer box is suspendedly arranged at the hollow place, the bracket is configured to make the wafer box of support and purging shower nozzle opposite arrangement, and the hollow place is communicated with gas collecting chamber, and the gas collecting chamber still has the exhaust pipe of intercommunication, the purging device that the application provides can replace artificial purging, and still can effectively improve wafer purging effect, has important technical value to subsequent improvement wafer yield and equipment utilization rate, guarantees personnel safety etc.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and specifically relates to a device for purging wafers. Background Technology

[0002] Semiconductor wafers are the most basic raw material for manufacturing chips. With the rapid development of semiconductor chip technology, chip manufacturers have increasingly higher requirements for wafer quality. The processing and manufacturing of semiconductor wafers can be divided into many steps, including grinding, polishing, cleaning, and etching. Because some processing steps leave residues of slurry, particles, or wax on the wafer surface, or because prolonged storage can cause particles from the environment to adhere to the wafer surface, defects such as excessive particle size, surface scratches, and excessive metal content may occur in subsequent processing steps. Therefore, it is essential to remove impurities from the wafer surface before these processes.

[0003] In the actual wafer processing, when it is necessary to remove impurities from the wafer surface before proceeding to the next process, the general method is for the operator to use a nitrogen gun to blow the wafer. At this time, the operator needs to hold the wafer cassette in one hand and the nitrogen gun in the other to blow the wafers inside the cassette. Since it is done manually by the operator, the uniformity of blowing cannot be guaranteed. Some wafers may be blown but others may not be. In addition, the distance between the nitrogen gun and the wafer cannot be guaranteed to be consistent. All of these factors will affect the blowing results, resulting in some surface impurities not being removed. Furthermore, there may be adverse phenomena such as the nitrogen gun colliding with the wafer or wafer cassette, resulting in wafer scrap. In addition, the blowing process will also produce a harsh noise that will affect the operator's hearing.

[0004] Therefore, this application aims to further improve the process of manually blowing up wafers and provide a device for blowing up wafers. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a device for purging wafers in order to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art.

[0006] The objective of this utility model is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0007] An apparatus for purging wafers, comprising a housing;

[0008] The housing contains a purge chamber and a gas collection chamber;

[0009] The top of the purging chamber is equipped with a purging nozzle;

[0010] The bottom of the purge chamber is hollowed out, and a bracket for supporting the wafer cassette is suspended in the hollowed-out area. The bracket is configured such that the supported wafer cassette is positioned opposite to the purge nozzle; and the hollowed-out area is connected to the gas collection chamber.

[0011] The gas collection chamber is also connected to an exhaust pipe.

[0012] Preferably, the housing is further provided with a sensor for detecting whether the wafer cassette is placed on the support.

[0013] Preferably, the sensor is located on the bracket.

[0014] Preferably, there are four brackets, which are used to support the four corners of the wafer box, and each bracket is provided with a positioning block.

[0015] Preferably, the positioning block positions the wafer cassette by abutting against the wafer cassette with its inner side;

[0016] The inner side of the positioning block is an inclined surface that slopes inward from top to bottom.

[0017] Preferably, the top of the purge chamber is provided with multiple linearly arranged air pipes, and each air pipe is provided with multiple linearly arrayed purge nozzles.

[0018] Preferably, the top of the purging chamber is provided with two support plates arranged opposite each other, and each support plate is provided with multiple through holes, and the air blowing pipe is fixed in the through holes.

[0019] Preferably, the inner diameter of the upper middle part of the gas collecting chamber gradually decreases from top to bottom.

[0020] Preferably, the purging nozzle is equipped with a push-button switch and a foot switch.

[0021] Preferably, the outer side of the housing is provided with an operation panel and indicator lights;

[0022] The indicator light is used to display the working status of the purging nozzle in real time;

[0023] The control panel is used for human-computer interaction.

[0024] The purging device provided in this application can replace manual purging and can also effectively improve the purging effect of wafers. It has important technical value for improving wafer yield and equipment uptime, and ensuring personnel safety. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall purging device;

[0026] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the front side of the purging device (door omitted);

[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the purging device (doors omitted);

[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the upper part of the purging device (door omitted);

[0029] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the lower part of the purging device (door omitted);

[0030] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the support frame and sensors of the purging device;

[0031] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the state of the wafer cassette supported by the purge device bracket;

[0032] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the purging nozzle of the purging device;

[0033] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0034] 1-Housing; 2-Upper door; 3-Lower door; 4-Foot switch; 5-Indicator light; 6-Operating panel; 7-Handle; 8-Foot base; 9-Chip box; 10-Exhaust pipe; 11-Valve; 12-Purge nozzle; 13-Gas collection chamber; 14-Button switch; 15-Chip; 16-Outer bracket; 17-Inner bracket; 18-Positioning block; 19-Sensor; 20-Blow pipe; 21-Support plate. Detailed Implementation

[0035] This application provides an apparatus for purging wafers, such as... Figures 1 to 8 As shown, it includes a housing 1; the housing is provided with a purge chamber and a gas collection chamber.

[0036] The purging chamber is the place where the wafer is purged. It is equipped with a purging nozzle 12 on the top to spray out purging gas, such as nitrogen.

[0037] The bottom of the purging chamber is hollowed out, with a support bracket suspended in the hollowed-out area to support the wafer cassette. The bracket is configured so that the supported wafer cassette is positioned opposite the purging nozzle, meaning that after the wafer cassette is placed on the bracket, the purging nozzle 12 can directly purify the wafer cassette 9 and the wafers 15 inside. The hollowed-out area is connected to the gas collection chamber 13, which is also connected to the exhaust pipe 10. By creating the hollowed-out structure, the wafer cassette is exposed except for the part in contact with the support bracket, and the wafers inside the wafer cassette are also exposed top to bottom. Therefore, it can be ensured that the gas sprayed from the purging nozzle is evenly distributed to every wafer 15 in the wafer cassette 9, ensuring effective purging. Simultaneously, the purging exhaust gas and impurities are collected by the gas collection chamber 13 and then discharged through the exhaust pipe 10, preventing the exhaust gas and impurities from remaining and re-contaminating the wafers.

[0038] Therefore, the purging device provided in this application only requires placing the wafer cassette 9 on the bracket inside the housing 1, connecting the exhaust pipe 10 to the air extraction device, and then opening the purging nozzle 12. The device will automatically and evenly purge the wafer. After the purging time is reached, the wafer cassette can be removed. There is no need for the operator to hold a nitrogen gun to purge the wafer cassette.

[0039] In summary, the purging device provided in this application can replace manual purging and effectively improve the purging effect of wafers. It has important technical value for improving wafer yield and equipment uptime, and ensuring personnel safety.

[0040] Preferably, the purging device is in the shape of a cuboid.

[0041] Since some noise is generated during purging, it is preferable that the housing 1 is provided with a door that can be opened and closed. Closing the door during purging can effectively isolate the noise generated during the purging process. Furthermore, an upper door 2 and a lower door 3 are respectively provided on the outer side of the purging chamber and the air collection chamber. Each door includes two leaves, left and right, and each leaf is provided with a handle 7.

[0042] Preferably, the housing 1 is further provided with a sensor 19 for detecting whether the wafer cassette is placed on the support. The sensor 19 can be an infrared sensor or the like. The sensor 19 is used to detect whether the wafer cassette 9 is placed on the support, which facilitates the subsequent initiation of the purging action.

[0043] Preferably, sensor 19 is located on the support, specifically, on the outside of the wafer cassette. To ensure detection results, multiple sensors may be used.

[0044] Preferably, there are four supports, including two outer supports 16 and two inner supports 17. The four supports are used to support the four corners of the wafer cassette, and each support is provided with a positioning block 18. Specifically, the positioning block 18 positions the wafer cassette by abutting against its inner side. Therefore, the positioning block 18 is preferably located at the foot of the wafer cassette 9. To reduce external interference, the sensor 19 is preferably located on the inner support 17. Therefore, to facilitate the installation of the sensor 19, the inner support 17 is wider than the outer supports 16.

[0045] Preferably, each positioning block 18 has two elongated holes, which allows for easy adjustment of the position of the positioning block 18 on the bracket.

[0046] More preferably, to ensure that the wafer cassette is smoothly placed in the four positioning blocks, the inner side of the positioning blocks is an inwardly inclined surface from top to bottom. With this setting, the upper space inside the four positioning blocks is larger, which makes it easier to put the wafer cassette in. Then, guided by the inclined surface, it automatically slides down to the support and is positioned by the positioning blocks.

[0047] Preferably, the top of the purge chamber is provided with multiple linearly arranged air pipes 20, and each air pipe 20 is provided with multiple linearly arrayed purge nozzles 12. The air pipes 20 and purge nozzles 12 are preferably evenly distributed. Figure 8 In the embodiment shown, there are a total of 5 air blowing pipes 20, each air blowing pipe 20 is equipped with 5 purge nozzles, and a total of 25 purge nozzles 12 are installed on the 5 air blowing pipes 20 to form a purge matrix. When the purge is started, all the purge nozzles 12 blow nitrogen gas downward together, so it is very easy to blow away the impurities on the wafer 15 and improve the purge effect.

[0048] More preferably, the top of the purging chamber is provided with two support plates 21 arranged opposite each other, and each support plate 21 has multiple through holes, and the air blowing pipe is fixed in the through holes.

[0049] Preferably, the inner diameter of the upper middle part of the gas collection chamber 13 gradually decreases from top to bottom, which facilitates the collection and discharge of the purge gas.

[0050] Preferably, a valve 11 is installed on the exhaust pipe 10 to facilitate the control of the opening and closing of the exhaust pipe. Under normal purging conditions, the valve 11 is in the open state and the exhaust pipe 10 is in the suction state.

[0051] Preferably, the purge nozzle 12 is equipped with a push-button switch 14 and a foot switch 4. The push-button switch 14 is preferably located on the upper outer side of the housing and includes a power switch, a start switch, and a stop switch. Under normal circumstances, the purge operation can be performed by pressing the push-button switch 14. The foot switch 4 is preferably located on the bottom outer side of the housing. The foot switch 4 can be connected to the housing or detached from it. The foot switch 4 can replace the manual start button, allowing users to directly step on the foot switch 4 to start the purge operation, thus simplifying the process.

[0052] Preferably, the outer side of the housing is provided with an operation screen 6 and indicator lights 5; the indicator lights 5 are used to display the real-time working status of the purging nozzle; for example, yellow when in standby, green when purging, and red when there is an abnormality. The operation screen 6 is used for human-machine interaction, such as starting or stopping purging through the operation screen, setting and displaying the operating parameters of the purging device, including purging time, interval time, rest time, etc., and displaying real-time alarm information and alarm records, etc.

[0053] Preferably, a foot seat 8 is installed at each of the four foot positions at the bottom of the housing 1. The foot seat 8 is used to support the entire purging device, and the height of the purging device can be adjusted by adjusting the foot seat 8.

[0054] When using this application, first open the upper door 2 and place the wafer cassette 9 on the support, which is located in the middle of the four positioning blocks 18. Then close the upper door 2 and start the purging process. After the purging time is reached, open the upper door 2 and take out the wafer cassette 9 to complete the wafer purging process and proceed to the next process.

[0055] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments as well as all changes and modifications falling within the scope of the present invention. Clearly, those skilled in the art can make various alterations and modifications to the present invention without departing from its spirit and scope. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present invention fall within the scope of the claims of the present invention and their equivalents, the present invention also intends to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. An apparatus for purging wafers, characterized in that, Includes the casing; The housing contains a purge chamber and a gas collection chamber; The top of the purging chamber is equipped with a purging nozzle; The bottom of the purge chamber is hollowed out, and a bracket for supporting the wafer cassette is suspended in the hollowed-out area. The bracket is configured such that the supported wafer cassette is positioned opposite to the purge nozzle; and the hollowed-out area is connected to the gas collection chamber. The gas collection chamber is also connected to an exhaust pipe.

2. The apparatus for purging a wafer as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The housing also contains a sensor for detecting whether the wafer cassette is placed on the support.

3. The apparatus for purging a wafer as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The sensor is located on the bracket.

4. The apparatus for purging a wafer as described in claim 1, characterized in that, There are four brackets, which are used to support the four corners of the wafer box, and each bracket is equipped with a positioning block.

5. The apparatus for purging a wafer as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The positioning block positions the wafer cassette by abutting against the wafer cassette with its inner side; The inner side of the positioning block is an inclined surface that slopes inward from top to bottom.

6. The apparatus for purging a wafer as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The top of the purge chamber is provided with multiple air pipes arranged in a linear pattern, and each air pipe is provided with multiple purge nozzles arranged in a linear array.

7. The apparatus for purging a wafer as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The top of the purging chamber is provided with two support plates arranged opposite each other. Each support plate has multiple through holes, and the air blowing pipe is fixed in the through holes.

8. The apparatus for purging a wafer as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The inner diameter of the upper middle part of the gas collecting chamber gradually decreases from top to bottom.

9. The apparatus for purging a wafer as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The purging nozzle is equipped with a push-button switch and a foot switch.

10. The apparatus for purging a wafer as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, An operation panel and indicator lights are provided on the outside of the housing; The indicator light is used to display the working status of the purging nozzle in real time; The control panel is used for human-computer interaction.

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