Wafer accommodating device and wafer etching method

Abstract

This invention discloses a wafer receiving device and a wafer etching method. The wafer receiving device includes a frame, baffles, and multiple clips. The frame has multiple vertical columns, each arranged vertically and spaced circumferentially along the cross-section of the frame. The columns define a receiving cavity for receiving the wafer and an opening for the wafer to enter and exit the receiving cavity. The multiple clips are configured to respectively engage with the multiple columns, and the clips on adjacent columns have the same horizontal height to provide support for the wafer, thereby keeping the wafer in a horizontal position. The baffles are configured to be installed on the frame to partially block the openings, thereby restricting the entry and exit of the wafer. The wafer receiving device of this invention can ensure the etching effect of the wafer, improve the uniformity of etching of a single wafer, and ensure the quality of the finished wafer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of wafer manufacturing technology, and more specifically to a wafer accommodating device and a wafer etching method. Background Technology

[0002] In the wafer manufacturing process, wafers need to undergo etching with a strong alkaline etchant at temperatures exceeding 500°C. During etching, a wafer basket-shaped container is placed inside the etchant, which then enters the container to etch the wafer at high temperatures. The main problem with current containers is that they cannot guarantee the etching effect on the wafers placed inside, resulting in poor uniformity of etching on individual wafers and thus affecting the final wafer quality. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the problems existing in the prior art and provide a wafer accommodating device and a wafer etching method. The wafer accommodating device can ensure the etching effect of the wafer, improve the uniformity of etching of a single wafer, and ensure the quality of the finished wafer.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a wafer receiving device, comprising a frame, a retaining post, and a plurality of latches; the frame has a plurality of posts, each post being arranged vertically, and the plurality of posts being circumferentially spaced along the cross-section of the frame, the plurality of posts defining a receiving cavity for receiving a wafer and an opening for the wafer to enter and exit the receiving cavity; the plurality of latches are configured to be respectively engaged with the plurality of posts, and the latches on adjacent posts have the same horizontal height to provide support for the wafer, thereby keeping the wafer in a horizontal state; the retaining post is configured to be installed on the frame to partially block the opening, thereby restricting the entry and exit of the wafer.

[0005] Optionally, the latch is configured to engage with the stop post to provide support to the wafer, and the latch on the stop post has the same horizontal height as the latch on the adjacent post.

[0006] Optionally, the top of the stop post is provided with a first handle.

[0007] Optionally, the plurality of the buckles can be spaced apart and engaged on the column along the length of the column.

[0008] Optionally, the frame has a cylindrical structure, with a circular base and a circular top beam. The shape of the top beam matches the shape of the base. Multiple columns are spaced apart along the circumference of the base, and both ends of each column are connected to the base and the top beam, respectively.

[0009] Optionally, the top beam has a through hole that matches the wafer so that the wafer can enter and exit the receiving cavity through the through hole.

[0010] Optionally, a second handle is provided on the top beam.

[0011] Optionally, the latch includes a holding portion and a supporting portion, the holding portion being configured to hold the post, and the supporting portion being connected to the holding portion and extending toward the receiving cavity to provide support to the wafer.

[0012] A second aspect of the present invention provides a wafer etching method using the above-described wafer accommodating device, the method comprising the following steps: S1, securing a plurality of clips, the same number as the number of the posts, onto the plurality of posts and maintaining them at the same horizontal height; S2, placing the wafer into the accommodating cavity and keeping the wafer horizontal under the support of the clips; S3, repeating steps S1 and S2 until the accommodating cavity contains a target number of wafers; S4, installing the baffle on the frame to restrict the wafer from being removed from the accommodating cavity; S5, immersing the wafer accommodating device containing the wafers in an etching solution, and removing the wafer accommodating device after etching is complete; S6, removing the baffle and tilting the frame so that the wafer is removed from the accommodating cavity through the opening.

[0013] Optionally, step S2 includes: S2-1, stacking the carbon faces of two wafers together to form a set of wafers; S2-2, placing the set of wafers into the receiving cavity and keeping it horizontal under the support of the latch.

[0014] Through the above technical solution, the multiple columns of the frame define a receiving cavity for accommodating the wafer and an opening for the wafer to enter and exit the receiving cavity. Multiple latches can be respectively engaged on multiple columns, and the latches on adjacent columns have the same horizontal height, that is, the latches on adjacent columns are all in the same horizontal plane. The wafer is placed into the receiving cavity through the opening, with the edge of the wafer resting on the latches. At this point, multiple latches simultaneously provide support to the wafer. Since multiple latches are in the same horizontal plane, the wafer can be kept horizontal. Then, the stop post is installed on the frame to prevent the wafer from detaching from the receiving cavity, thus completing the wafer placement process. The wafer receiving device containing the wafer is placed in the etching solution. The etching solution enters the receiving cavity from the gap between the opening and the column to etch the wafer. Since the wafer is always in a horizontal state during the etching process, and the temperature and corrosiveness of the etching solution at the same liquid level are the same, the wafer can be etched uniformly, thereby ensuring its etching effect. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the wafer accommodating device of the present invention, wherein no baffle is installed;

[0016] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the wafer accommodating device after the baffle is installed;

[0017] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the snap fastener of the wafer accommodating device of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 The top view shown shows the clip holding the post in place;

[0019] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the wafer accommodating device of the present invention when a wafer is placed in it;

[0020] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the wafer accommodating device of the present invention when a target number of wafers are placed in it. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0022] like Figures 1 to 6 As shown, the wafer receiving device of the present invention includes a frame 10, a stop post 20, and a plurality of latches 30; the frame 10 has a plurality of posts 11, each post 11 is arranged in a vertical direction, the plurality of posts 11 are circumferentially spaced along the cross-section of the frame 10, the plurality of posts 11 define a receiving cavity for receiving a wafer 40 and an opening for the wafer 40 to enter and exit the receiving cavity; the plurality of latches 30 are configured to be respectively latched on the plurality of posts 11, and the latches 30 on adjacent posts 11 have the same horizontal height to provide support for the wafer 40, thereby keeping the wafer 40 in a horizontal state; the stop post 20 is configured to be installed on the frame 10 to partially block the opening, thereby restricting the entry and exit of the wafer 40.

[0023] In this invention, the multiple columns 11 of the frame 10 define a receiving cavity for accommodating the wafer 40 and an opening for the wafer 40 to enter and exit the receiving cavity. Multiple latches 30 can be respectively latched onto the multiple columns 11. The latches 30 on adjacent columns 11 have the same horizontal height, that is, the latches 30 on adjacent columns 11 are all in the same horizontal plane. The wafer 40 is placed into the receiving cavity through the opening, so that the edge of the wafer 40 is placed on the latches 30. At this point, the multiple latches 30 simultaneously provide support for the wafer 40. Since the multiple latches 30 are all in the same horizontal plane, the wafer 40 can be kept in a horizontal state. Then, a stop post 20 is installed on the frame 10 to prevent the wafer 40 from coming out of the receiving cavity, thus completing the placement of the wafer 40.

[0024] Since the temperature and corrosivity of the etchant are the same at the same liquid level, but differ at different liquid levels, and in existing technologies, wafers are placed vertically in the basket device, this results in uneven corrosion and poor etching performance because different parts of a single wafer are exposed to varying temperatures and corrosivity. However, with the wafer receiving device of this invention, the wafer receiving device containing the wafer 40 is placed in the etchant. The etchant enters the receiving cavity through the gap between the opening and the pillar 11 to etch the wafer 40. Because the wafer 40 remains horizontal throughout the etching process, it receives uniform etching, thus ensuring a good etching effect.

[0025] To ensure the wafer 40 remains stably horizontal, the latch 30 may optionally be configured to engage with the stop post 20 to provide support to the wafer 40. The latch 30 on the stop post 20 and the latch 30 on the adjacent post 11 shall have the same horizontal height. That is, after the stop post 20 is installed on the frame 10, the latch 30 is also engaged with the stop post 20, and the latch 30 engaged with the stop post 20 should be at the same horizontal plane as the latch 30 on the adjacent post 11, thereby providing support to the wafer 40.

[0026] Because the temperature of the etching solution is high, the retainer 20 remains at a high temperature after the wafer assemblies are removed from the etching solution. To facilitate the removal of the retainer 20 from the frame 10, a first handle may be provided at the top of the retainer 20. During removal, use a hook or similar device to grab the first handle and pull upwards to remove the retainer 20 from the frame 10.

[0027] To improve the etching efficiency of the wafer 40, optionally, multiple clips 30 can be spaced apart on the column 11 along its length. In other words, multiple clips 30 are spaced apart on each column 11, thus forming multiple support layers. Each support layer consists of the same number of clips 30 as the columns 11. The multiple support layers are parallel to each other and are all horizontal, so that each wafer 40 can be placed in one support layer. The wafer accommodating device of the present invention can accommodate multiple wafers 40 in the vertical direction, and each wafer 40 remains horizontal. Under the premise of ensuring that the individual wafers 40 are etched uniformly, multiple wafers 40 are etched at the same time, thereby improving the etching efficiency.

[0028] It should be understood that the frame 10 can be designed in various forms. In one embodiment of the present invention, optionally, the frame 10 has a cylindrical structure, with a circular base 12 and a circular top beam 13. The shape of the top beam 13 matches the shape of the base 12. A plurality of columns 11 are spaced apart along the circumference of the base 12, and both ends of each column 11 are connected to the base 12 and the top beam 13, respectively. In this embodiment, the opening of the receiving cavity formed by the plurality of columns 11 has a width at least the same as the diameter of the wafer 40, and of course, it can also have a wider width, thereby ensuring that the wafer 40 can be placed into the receiving cavity from the opening. However, if the opening is too wide, it means the columns 11 are too concentrated, and the latches 30 on the columns 11 can only support a small portion of the wafer 40, thus failing to guarantee the stability of the wafer 40. Therefore, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the frame 10 uses three columns 11, all of which are located at the edge of the base 12. The distance between the two columns 11 closest to the opening is equal to the diameter of the base 12, and the distance from the column 11 furthest from the opening to the other two columns 11 is the same. Thus, the projections of the three columns 11 onto the base 12 form the three vertices of an isosceles triangle. The diameter of the base 12 is slightly larger than that of the wafer 40, so the wafer 40 can enter and exit the receiving cavity through the opening between two columns 11.

[0029] In the above embodiment, since the wafer 40 enters and exits the receiving cavity through the opening, multiple clips 30 can be held on the column 11 to form a multi-layer support layer before the wafer 40 is placed into the receiving cavity. The advantage of this embodiment is high efficiency in insertion and removal. However, since the widest width of the opening is the diameter of the base 12, the clips 30 on the column 11 can only provide support for half or less of the wafer 40. Support for the other half of the wafer 40 can only be provided by the clips 30 on the stop column 20 that seals the opening. Therefore, the present invention provides another embodiment: optionally, the top beam 13 has a through hole that matches the wafer 40 so that the wafer 40 can enter and exit the receiving cavity through the through hole. In this embodiment, since the wafer 40 can be inserted into the receiving cavity through the through-hole of the top beam 13 without having to enter through the opening, multiple rods can be pre-installed at the opening, each rod capable of holding a latch 30. That is, before the wafer 40 is placed into the receiving cavity, multiple pillars 11 and rods are already installed along the circumference of the base 12, and these pillars 11 and rods together define the receiving cavity. When placing the wafer 40, several latches 30 are first secured to the lower part of the pillars 11 and rods, and then the wafer 40 is inserted downwards into the receiving cavity through the through-hole of the top beam. After the wafer 40 is positioned on the latches 30, several more latches 30 are secured above the wafer 40, and the second wafer 40 is placed in the same way, and so on, until the target number of wafers 40 are placed.

[0030] It should be understood that the buckle 30 can be designed in various forms. In one embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, optionally, the latch 30 includes a holding part 31 and a supporting part 32. The holding part 31 is configured to be held in place by the post 11, and the supporting part 32 is connected to the holding part 31 and extends toward the receiving cavity to provide support to the wafer 40.

[0031] Because the etching solution is at a high temperature, a second handle may be provided on the top beam 13 to facilitate the removal of the wafer emulator from the etching solution. When removing the wafer emulator from the etching solution, a hook or similar device can be used to hook the second handle and pull upwards to remove the wafer emulator from the etching solution.

[0032] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the present invention also provides a wafer etching method using the above-described wafer accommodating device, the method comprising the following steps:

[0033] S1. Secure multiple buckles 30, the same number as the column 11, onto the multiple columns 11 and maintain them at the same horizontal height.

[0034] S2. Place the wafer 40 into the receiving cavity and keep the wafer 40 horizontal under the support of the latch 30.

[0035] S3. Repeat steps S1 and S2 until the cavity contains the target number of wafers 40.

[0036] S4. Install the baffle 20 on the frame 10 to prevent the wafer 40 from coming out of the receiving cavity;

[0037] S5. Place the wafer accommodating device containing wafer 40 into the etching solution, and remove the wafer accommodating device after etching is complete.

[0038] S6. Remove the retaining post 20 and tilt the frame 10 so that the wafer 40 can be removed from the receiving cavity through the opening.

[0039] The wafer etching method of the present invention, by utilizing the aforementioned wafer accommodating device, can ensure the etching effect of the wafer and improve the uniformity of etching on a single wafer.

[0040] To further improve the finished product quality of wafer 40, step S2 may optionally include:

[0041] S2-1. Stack the carbon faces of two wafers 40 together to form a set of wafers 40;

[0042] S2-2, Place the wafer 40 into the receiving cavity and keep it horizontal under the support of the latch 30.

[0043] The two wafers 40 are stacked together with their carbon faces facing each other without the need for any adhesive. This simple operation does not damage the carbon faces, and the silicon faces facing the carbon faces are always in a non-contact state, thereby effectively improving the quality of the silicon faces and thus improving the quality of the finished wafer 40.

[0044] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings; however, the present invention is not limited thereto. Within the scope of the inventive concept, various simple modifications can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention. To avoid unnecessary repetition, the present invention will not describe the various possible combinations separately. However, these simple modifications and combinations should also be considered as the content disclosed in the present invention and are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wafer accommodating device, characterized in that, The wafer housing includes a frame (10), a stop post (20), and multiple clips (30); The frame (10) has multiple columns (11), each column (11) is arranged in a vertical direction, the multiple columns (11) are arranged circumferentially along the cross section of the frame (10), and the multiple columns (11) define a receiving cavity for accommodating a wafer (40) and an opening for the wafer (40) to enter and exit the receiving cavity; The multiple latches (30) are configured to be respectively latched onto the multiple posts (11), and the latches (30) on adjacent posts (11) have the same horizontal height to provide support to the wafer (40), thereby keeping the wafer (40) in a horizontal state; The baffle (20) is configured to be mounted on the frame (10) to partially block the opening, thereby restricting the entry and exit of the wafer (40); The latch (30) is configured to engage with the stop post (20) to provide support to the wafer (40), and the latch (30) on the stop post (20) has the same horizontal height as the latch (30) on the adjacent post (11); The frame (10) has a cylindrical structure. The frame (10) has a circular base (12) and a circular top beam (13). The shape of the top beam (13) matches the shape of the base (12). A plurality of columns (11) are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the base (12). Both ends of each column (11) are connected to the base (12) and the top beam (13) respectively. The top beam (13) has a through hole, which matches the wafer (40) so that the wafer (40) can enter and exit the receiving cavity through the through hole.

2. The wafer accommodating device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top of the stop post (20) is provided with a first handle.

3. The wafer accommodating device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plurality of the buckles (30) can be held at intervals on the column (11) along the length direction of the column (11).

4. The wafer accommodating device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top beam (13) is provided with a second handle.

5. The wafer accommodating device according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The latch (30) includes a holding part (31) and a supporting part (32). The holding part (31) is configured to hold the post (11). The supporting part (32) is connected to the holding part (31) and extends toward the receiving cavity to provide support to the wafer (40).

6. A wafer etching method using the wafer accommodating device according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The method includes the following steps: S1. The same number of the buckles (30) as the number of the columns (11) are respectively fastened to the columns (11) and kept at the same horizontal height; S2. Place the wafer (40) into the receiving cavity and keep the wafer (40) horizontal under the support of the latch (30); S3. Repeat steps S1 and S2 until the cavity contains the target number of wafers (40). S4. The baffle (20) is mounted on the frame (10) to prevent the wafer (40) from being ejected from the receiving cavity; S5. Place the wafer receiving device containing the wafer (40) into the etching solution, and remove the wafer receiving device after etching is completed. S6. Remove the stop post (20) and tilt the frame (10) so that the wafer (40) is removed from the receiving cavity through the opening.

7. The wafer etching method according to claim 6, characterized in that, Step S2 includes: S2-1. The carbon faces of two wafers (40) are stacked together to form a set of wafers (40). S2-2, Place the wafer (40) into the receiving cavity and keep it horizontal under the support of the latch (30).

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