Wafer cleaning apparatus based on optical radiation and wafer cleaning system comprising the same

Abstract

Provided are a wafer cleaning apparatus based on light radiation capable of effectively cleaning residues on a wafer without damaging the wafer and a wafer cleaning system including the same. The wafer cleaning apparatus is configured to clean residues on a wafer by light radiation, and includes a light radiation unit configured to radiate light onto the wafer during the light radiation, a wafer processing unit configured to accommodate the wafer and control a position of the wafer so that the light is radiated onto the wafer during the light radiation, and a cooling unit configured to cool the wafer after the light radiation has been completed. The light radiation unit, the wafer processing unit, and the cooling unit are sequentially arranged in a vertical structure, the light radiation unit is located above the wafer processing unit, and the wafer processing unit is located above the cooling unit.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0068277 filed on June 10, 2019, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present inventive concept relates to a wafer cleaning apparatus, and more particularly, to a wafer cleaning apparatus using light radiation and a wafer cleaning system including the wafer cleaning apparatus. Background Art

[0004] In the various etching processes (e.g., ion implantation process, photolithography, etc.) included in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, residues including, for example, organic substances are generated. Therefore, it may be necessary to perform a cleaning process to remove the residues between the intermediate processes in the manufacturing process of the semiconductor device. In the cleaning process, cleaning process conditions for improving the cleaning efficiency while preventing damage to components such as semiconductor substrates, gate structures, and insulating structures are being studied. Recently, there has been a problem of pattern tilt in the cleaning process caused by, for example, a reduction in design rules due to an increase in the degree of integration of semiconductor devices, and therefore, research is being conducted to solve the pattern tilt problem. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present inventive concept provides a wafer cleaning apparatus based on light radiation and a wafer cleaning system including the same, which can effectively clean residues on a wafer without damaging the wafer.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wafer cleaning device configured to clean residues on a wafer by light irradiation, the wafer cleaning device comprising: a light irradiation unit configured to irradiate light onto the wafer during light irradiation; a wafer processing unit configured to accommodate the wafer and control the position of the wafer so that light having energy set for the wafer is irradiated onto the wafer during light irradiation; and a cooling unit configured to cool the wafer after the light irradiation has been completed, wherein the light irradiation unit, the wafer processing unit and the cooling unit are sequentially arranged in a vertical structure, the light irradiation unit is located above the wafer processing unit, and the wafer processing unit is located above the cooling unit.

[0007] According to another aspect of the present inventive concept, a wafer cleaning device based on light radiation is provided, the wafer cleaning device comprising: a light radiation unit or system comprising at least one lamp configured to generate light and a diffusion lens configured to uniformly diffuse the light from the at least one lamp, the light radiation unit being configured to radiate light onto a wafer; a wafer processing unit or system configured to accommodate the wafer and control the position of the wafer so that light having energy set for the wafer is radiated onto the wafer for a period of time; and a cooling unit or system comprising a heat exchanger, the cooling unit being configured to cool the wafer after the light has been radiated onto the wafer for the period of time, wherein IPA residue remaining after performing a replacement process of isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and CO2 supercritical fluid is removed by radiating light onto the wafer for the period of time.

[0008] According to another aspect of the present inventive concept, there is provided a wafer cleaning system, the wafer cleaning system comprising: a first cleaning device configured to clean a wafer and dry the wafer using a supercritical fluid; and a second cleaning device configured to clean residue on the wafer by light irradiation after the wafer has been cleaned in the first cleaning device, wherein the second cleaning device comprises: a light irradiation unit configured to irradiate light onto the wafer during the light irradiation;

[0009] A wafer processing unit configured to accommodate a wafer and control a position of the wafer so that light of energy set for the wafer is radiated onto the wafer during light irradiation; and a cooling unit configured to cool the wafer after the light irradiation has been completed, wherein the light irradiation unit, the wafer processing unit, and the cooling unit are sequentially arranged in a vertical structure, the light irradiation unit is located above the wafer processing unit, and the wafer processing unit is located above the cooling unit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The embodiments of the present invention will be more clearly understood through the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0011] FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are a block diagram and a schematic structural diagram of a wafer cleaning device based on light radiation according to an embodiment of the inventive concept, respectively;

[0012] FIG. 2A to FIG. 2E The wafer is transferred to FIG. 1A A conceptual diagram of a process of transferring a wafer into or from a cooling unit in a light radiation-based wafer cleaning apparatus;

[0013] FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B are a block diagram and a schematic structural diagram of a wafer cleaning device based on light radiation according to an embodiment of the inventive concept, respectively;

[0014] FIG. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a wafer cleaning device based on light radiation according to an embodiment of the inventive concept;

[0015] FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a wafer cleaning system according to an embodiment of the present inventive concept;

[0016] FIG. 6 yes FIG. 5 A conceptual diagram of a wafer cleaning process and a wafer drying process in a wafer cleaning system; and

[0017] FIG. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a wafer cleaning system according to an embodiment of the inventive concept. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present inventive concept will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals are used for the same constituent elements in the drawings, and repeated descriptions thereof may be omitted for the sake of brevity.

[0019] FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B 1 and 2 are a block diagram and a schematic structural diagram, respectively, of a wafer cleaning apparatus 100 based on light radiation according to an embodiment of the inventive concept.

[0020] Reference FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B According to the present embodiment, the light radiation-based wafer cleaning apparatus 100 (hereinafter referred to as “wafer cleaning apparatus”) may include a light radiation unit or system 110 , a wafer processing unit or system 130 , a cooling unit or system 150 , and a controller 170 .

[0021] The light irradiation unit 110 may generate light and irradiate the light onto the wafer 2000 in the wafer processing unit 130. The light irradiation unit 110 may include a lamp 114 for generating and outputting light, a diffusion lens 116 for uniformly diffusing the light from the lamp 114, and a first body 112 for accommodating the lamp 114 and the diffusion lens 116. For reference, in FIG. 1A In the block diagram, the first body 112 is omitted. FIG. 1A The second body 132 and the third body 152 as well as the first groove 134 and the second groove 154 described below are also omitted in the block diagram.

[0022] Lamp 114 can generate and output broadband light. For example, lamp 114 can generate and output broadband light such as ultraviolet (UV) light, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light, infrared (IR) light, etc. For example, lamp 114 can include a flash lamp, which can be called an arc lamp. A flash lamp can emit light of a wide wavelength in a short period of time. Of course, lamp 114 is not limited to a flash lamp.

[0023] One or more lamps 114 may be located in the first body 112. In addition, the lamps 114 may include cooling means for removing heat generated by the light irradiating unit 110 or the lamps 114. For example, the lamps 114 may include a cooling device such as a water-cooling type device using water, an air-cooling type device using air, or a water / air-cooling type device using both a water-cooling type device and an air-cooling type device.

[0024] The diffusion lens 116 can diffuse the light output from the lamp 114 and can uniformly radiate the light onto the top surface of the wafer 2000. The diffusion lens 116 may include, for example, a convex lens (e.g., convex relative to the lamp 114). However, the diffusion lens 116 is not limited to a convex lens. For example, according to embodiments, the diffusion lens 116 may include a concave lens or another optical element with the same function.

[0025] The first body 112 can accommodate the lamp 114 and the diffusion lens 116. The first body 112 can seal the internal space of the light irradiation unit 110 and isolate it from the outside. According to embodiments, the first body 112 can include an open type that is not sealed. For example, when the entire wafer cleaning apparatus 100 including the light irradiation unit 110 has a sealed structure that is isolated from the outside, the first body 112 can have an open structure.

[0026] Since the light diffused from the diffusion lens 116 is radiated onto the wafer 2000 in the wafer processing unit 130, the bottom surface of the first body 112 may include a transparent material such as glass. In addition, the bottom surface of the first body 112 may constitute a portion of the top surface of the second body 132 described below. Depending on the embodiment, the bottom surface of the first body 112 may not exist. In other words, there may be no specific blocking structure between the first body 112 and the second body 132, and the light from the diffusion lens 116 can pass through the space in the wafer processing unit 130 and be radiated directly onto the wafer 2000.

[0027] The wafer processing unit 130 may include a chamber or a room in which the wafer 2000 to be cleaned is arranged and light irradiation is performed on the wafer 2000. The wafer processing unit 130 may include a second body 132 for maintaining a sealed space thereof, a first groove 134 formed in an inner wall of the second body 132, and a sensor or a sensor system 136 for measuring a physical quantity or property in the second body 132.

[0028] The second body 132 can seal the internal space of the wafer processing unit 130 and isolate it from the outside. In addition, the second body 132 may include an insulating material to block heat transfer from the outside. The structure of the second body 132 may generally have a rectangular parallelepiped structure. However, the structure of the second body 132 is not limited to a rectangular parallelepiped structure. A door allowing the wafer 2000 to enter and exit may be arranged on either side of the second body 132. When the door is open, the wafer 2000 can enter and exit the wafer processing unit 130. When the door is closed, the internal space of the wafer processing unit 130 can be isolated from the outside, and a heat treatment process performed on the wafer 2000 by light radiation can be performed.

[0029] The inner space sealed by the second body 132 may include a purge space. For example, the inner space of the second body 132 may include a blast zone to which only N2 / purge dryer air (CDA) is supplied, and other general air does not exist or is not supplied.

[0030] A plurality of first grooves 134 may be formed on the inner wall of the second body 132. Wafer 2000 may be inserted into the first grooves 134. When the plurality of first grooves 134 are formed, a first distance D1 between wafer 2000 and the top surface of second body 132 may be adjusted. In other words, first distance D1 may be adjusted according to the position of the first groove 134 into which wafer 2000 is inserted. Thus, the distance between wafer 2000 and light irradiation unit 110 may be adjusted, and the amount of light radiation or light energy irradiated onto wafer 2000 may be controlled.

[0031] The sensor 136 may be located on the bottom surface of the second body 132. The sensor 136 may measure various physical quantities or properties, such as temperature, energy, and damage of the wafer 2000. The physical quantities measured by the sensor 136 may be used as feedback data by the controller 170. In other words, the controller 170 may control the light generation and light radiation amount of the lamp 114 of the light irradiation unit 110 based on the physical quantities obtained from the sensor 136.

[0032] exist FIG. 1B In the embodiment, the sensor 136 may be arranged on the bottom of the second body 132; however, the position of the sensor 136 is not limited thereto. For example, the sensor 136 may be located at a position in the second body 132 that best measures the physical quantity to be measured. FIG. 1B In the embodiment, only one sensor 136 is arranged, but the number of sensors 136 is not limited to one. For example, depending on the characteristics of the physical quantity or property to be measured, multiple sensors 136 can be arranged inside the second body 132. In addition, all sensors 136 in the multiple sensors 136 can include sensors with the same function, or at least one of them can include a sensor with a different function.

[0033] The wafer cleaning apparatus 100 of the present embodiment may remove defects DF on the top surface of the wafer 2000 in the wafer processing unit 130 caused by evaporation due to light radiation. In this case, the defects DF may include isopropyl alcohol (IPA) residues.

[0034] With regard to removing the defect DF on the wafer 2000, the pattern tilt in which the pattern is skewed may become a serious problem because the design rule is reduced as the integration of semiconductor devices increases. It is generally known that the pattern tilt may be caused by the application of the surface tension of the residual water in the drying process after the wet cleaning process. Therefore, in order to improve the pattern tilt that occurs during the drying process, deionized water (DIW) and a supercritical fluid with low surface tension (such as CO2 supercritical fluid) can be used to perform the drying process with an IPA / CO2 replacement method. By utilizing a drying process using a supercritical fluid, the problem of pattern tilt can be solved to a certain extent. However, in the IPA / CO2 replacement process, IPA residues may be generated due to poor IPA replacement efficiency, and the IPA residues may become the cause of defects reappearing in subsequent processes.

[0035] The wafer cleaning apparatus 100 of this embodiment can effectively remove residues (e.g., IPA residues from the drying process of the IPA / CO2 displacement method) on the wafer 2000 by performing additional cleaning using light radiation after the cleaning and drying processes of the wafer 2000. Therefore, the wafer cleaning apparatus 100 of this embodiment can prevent defects caused by IPA residues in subsequent processes after the cleaning and drying processes.

[0036] In addition, in the wafer cleaning apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, by selectively heat-treating the wafer 2000 for a short period of time using light radiation, IPA residue can be effectively removed without damaging the wafer 2000. For example, in the wafer cleaning apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the lamp 114 can be used to perform light radiation on the wafer 2000 in the form of pulses equal to or less than one millisecond (ms) hundreds of times. By heat treatment using light radiation, the temperature of the wafer 2000 can be raised to several hundred degrees Celsius. Generally, since IPA evaporates at about 70°C, it can be seen that IPA residue on the wafer 2000 can be effectively removed by heat treatment using light radiation.

[0037] On the other hand, the application of the wafer cleaning apparatus 100 of this embodiment is not limited to drying processes using the IPA / CO2 displacement method. Furthermore, the defects DF on the wafer 2000 that are removed by the wafer cleaning apparatus 100 of this embodiment are not limited to IPA residues. For example, the wafer cleaning apparatus 100 of this embodiment can be applied to various cleaning and drying processes and can remove residues that may remain on the wafer 2000 during the respective cleaning and drying processes using light radiation.

[0038] The cooling unit 150 may include a chamber or a chamber in which the wafer 2000 cleaned by light irradiation is placed and cooled. The cooling unit 150 may include a third body 152 for maintaining a sealed space thereof, a second groove 154 formed on the inner wall of the third body 152, and a heat exchanger 156 for cooling the wafer 2000.

[0039] The third body 152 can be similar to the second body 132. For example, the third body 152 can seal the interior space of the cooling unit 150 and isolate it from the outside. In addition, it can include a heat-insulating material for blocking or helping to prevent heat from being transferred to and from the outside. The third body 152 can also have a rectangular parallelepiped structure, but the structure of the third body 152 is not limited to a rectangular parallelepiped structure. A door allowing the wafer 2000 to enter and exit can be provided on any side surface of the third body 152. When the door is open, the wafer 2000 can enter and exit the cooling unit 150. When the door is closed, the interior space of the cooling unit 150 can be isolated from the outside.

[0040] The inner space sealed by the third body 152 may also include a purge space. For example, the inner space of the third body 152 may include a blowing area to which N2 / CDA is supplied, and may not include other general air.

[0041] A plurality of second grooves 154 may be formed on the inner wall of the third body 152. Wafers 2000 may be inserted into the second grooves 154. Since a plurality of second grooves 154 may be formed, a plurality of wafers 2000 may be arranged within the third body 152 via the second grooves 154 and cooled together. Therefore, the cooling efficiency of the wafers 2000 in the cooling unit 150 may be improved, and the overall cleaning efficiency of the wafer cleaning apparatus 100 may be improved.

[0042] Heat treatment of the wafer 2000 by light irradiation can be performed for tens of seconds in the wafer processing unit 130, and thus, the wafer 2000 can be heated to, for example, approximately 200° C. to approximately 400° C. On the other hand, in order to perform subsequent processes on the wafer 2000, the wafer 2000 may need to be cooled to an ambient temperature of approximately 25° C. Therefore, the wafer 2000 may be cooled in the cooling unit 150 for several minutes. When the wafers 2000 are cooled one by one in the cooling unit 150, similar to the wafer processing unit 130, the entire cleaning time of the wafer cleaning apparatus 100 may be affected by the cooling time of the cooling unit 150 and may be very long. However, in the wafer cleaning apparatus 100 of this embodiment, cooling can be performed according to the processing speed of the wafer processing unit 130 by cooling multiple wafers 2000 together in the cooling unit 150. As a result, the total cleaning time of the wafer cleaning apparatus 100 can be significantly shortened. Therefore, in the wafer cleaning equipment 100 of this embodiment, the cooling efficiency and cleaning efficiency of the wafer 2000 can be greatly improved.

[0043] Reference FIG. 2A to FIG. 2E A method of simultaneously cleaning a plurality of wafers 2000 in the cooling unit 150 is described in more detail.

[0044] like FIG. 1B As shown, the size of the third body 152 can be substantially the same as the size of the second body 132. However, the size of the third body 152 can be different from the size of the second body 132. In addition, the number of second grooves 154 on the inner wall of the third body 152 can be the same as the number of first grooves 134 on the inner wall of the second body 132. However, the number of second grooves 154 is not limited thereto and can be different from the number of first grooves 134. For example, the number of second grooves 154 can be greater than the number of first grooves 134.

[0045] The heat exchanger 156 may be located in the bottom of the third body 152. The heat exchanger 156 may include, for example, a cooler. The inner space of the third body 152 may be cooled by the heat exchanger 156, and thus, the wafer 2000 arranged in the third body 152 may be cooled. FIG. 1B As shown by a plurality of dotted arrows H1 in FIG. 1 , the heat exchanger 156 may cool the air in the bottom of the third body 152 . In addition, the wafer 2000 disposed in the third body 152 may be cooled by the upward transfer or flow of the cooled air.

[0046] In the wafer cleaning apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the heat exchanger 156 is located on the bottom of the third body 152, but the location of the heat exchanger 156 is not limited thereto. For example, the heat exchanger 156 may be located at a position in the third body 152 where the wafers 2000 are effectively cooled.

[0047] As described above, the controller 170 can control the light generation and light radiation amount of the lamp 114 of the light radiation unit 110 based on the physical quantity obtained from the sensor 136 of the wafer processing unit 130. The controller 170 can be provided as a component of the wafer cleaning apparatus 100 of the present embodiment. However, according to an embodiment, the controller 170 may not be provided as a component of the wafer cleaning apparatus 100, and may be provided by using a wafer cleaning system including the wafer cleaning apparatus 100 (see FIG. 5 ) is used to control the light generation and light radiation amount of the lamp 114 of the light radiation unit 110.

[0048] The wafer cleaning apparatus 100 of the present embodiment can clean the wafer 2000 disposed in or on the wafer processing unit 130 by light irradiation using the lamp 114 of the light irradiation unit 110. In addition, the wafer 2000 heated by light irradiation can be effectively cooled in the cooling unit 150. Therefore, the wafer cleaning apparatus 100 of the present embodiment can prevent defects in subsequent processes by effectively removing residues on the wafer 2000 using light irradiation without damaging the wafer 2000.

[0049] In the wafer cleaning apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the light irradiation unit 110, the wafer processing unit 130, and the cooling unit 150 may be joined or otherwise connected and formed into a vertical structure. For example, the wafer cleaning apparatus 100 of the present embodiment may have a structure in which the light irradiation unit 110, the wafer processing unit 130, and the cooling unit 150 are sequentially arranged from above and joined or otherwise connected to each other. By using a vertical structure, the wafer cleaning apparatus 100 of the present embodiment may be compact and may be easily installed or placed in a wafer cleaning system (see FIG. 5 ) of the wafer cleaning system 1000. In addition, based on the vertical structure of the wafer cleaning equipment 100, the first transfer robot (refer to FIG. 5 300 - 1 ) in the embodiment can more easily transfer the wafer 2000 to the wafer processing unit 130 and transfer the wafer 2000 from the wafer processing unit 130 to the cooling unit 150 .

[0050] FIG. 2A to FIG. 2E The wafer 2000 is moved to FIG. 1A A conceptual diagram of a process of moving in or out of the cooling unit 150 in the wafer cleaning apparatus of FIG. FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B Description given.

[0051] Reference FIG. 2A First, the first wafer 2000-1st can be transferred by a transfer robot (refer to FIG. 5300-1) is stored in the cooling unit 150. The first wafer 2000-1st may include a wafer that has been processed in the wafer processing unit (refer to FIG. 1B 130) by light radiation. In addition, the first wafer 2000-1st may be or include a wafer to which a main cleaning and drying process has been performed before the cleaning process by light radiation. In this case, the main cleaning and drying process may include a wet cleaning process and a drying process using a supercritical fluid. However, the main cleaning and drying process is not limited to a wet cleaning process and a drying process using a supercritical fluid. From the moment the first wafer 2000-1st is stored in the cooling unit 150, the first wafer 2000-1st may be immediately cooled.

[0052] Reference FIG. 2B , the second wafer 2000-2nd may be stored in the cooling unit 150 by the transfer robot. The second wafer 2000-2nd may also be or include a wafer on which the main cleaning and drying processes have been performed, and a cleaning process by light irradiation has been performed in the wafer processing unit 130. From the moment the second wafer 2000-2nd is stored in the cooling unit 150, the second wafer 2000-2nd may be immediately cooled. Simultaneously, the first wafer 2000-1st may continue to be cooled in the cooling unit 150.

[0053] Reference FIG. 2C , the third wafer 2000-3rd can be stored in the cooling unit 150 by the transfer robot. The third wafer 2000-3rd may also be or include a wafer on which the main cleaning and drying processes have been performed, and a cleaning process by light irradiation has been performed in the wafer processing unit 130. From the moment the third wafer 2000-3rd is stored in the cooling unit 150, the third wafer 2000-3rd can be immediately cooled. Simultaneously, the first wafer 2000-1st and the second wafer 2000-2nd can continue to be cooled in the cooling unit 150.

[0054] Reference FIG. 2D , the fourth wafer 2000-4th may be stored in the cooling unit 150 by the transfer robot. The fourth wafer 2000-4th may also include a wafer on which the main cleaning and drying processes have been performed and a cleaning process by light irradiation has been performed in the wafer processing unit 130.

[0055] On the other hand, before or after the fourth wafer 2000-4th is stored in the cooling unit 150, the first wafer 2000-1st may be retrieved from the cooling unit 150 by the transfer robot. The first wafer 2000-1st may be in a state where the first wafer 2000-1st has been cooled to a desired temperature condition. For example, the first wafer 2000-1st may be in a state where the first wafer 2000-1st has been cooled to an ambient temperature level.

[0056] like FIG. 2D As can be seen in FIG. 2 , the fourth wafer 2000-4th may be placed in a second slot 154 at a different position from the second slot 154 in which the first wafer 2000-1st was already placed. However, according to embodiments, the fourth wafer 2000-4th may be placed in the same second slot 154 in which the first wafer 2000-1st was already placed. In other words, after the first wafer 2000-1st is retrieved, the fourth wafer 2000-4th may be placed in the second slot 154 in which the first wafer 2000-1st was already placed. As described above, when wafers are transferred in and out such that a new wafer is placed in the second slot 154 from which the old wafer has been transferred, space utilization of the cooling unit 150 may be improved.

[0057] The fourth wafer 2000 - 4th may be immediately cooled from the moment the fourth wafer 2000 - 4th is stored in the cooling unit 150 . Simultaneously, the second wafer 2000 - 2nd and the third wafer 2000 - 3rd may continue to be cooled in the cooling unit 150 .

[0058] Reference FIG. 2E The fifth wafer 2000-5th may be stored in the cooling unit 150 by the transfer robot. The fifth wafer 2000-5th may also be or include a wafer on which the main cleaning and drying processes have been performed and a cleaning process by light irradiation has been performed in the wafer processing unit 130.

[0059] On the other hand, the second wafer 2000-2nd may be retrieved from the cooling unit 150 by the transfer robot before or after the fifth wafer 2000-5th is stored in the cooling unit 150. The second wafer 2000-2nd may be in a state where the second wafer 2000-2nd has been cooled to a desired temperature condition.

[0060] like FIG. 2EAs can be seen in FIG, the fifth wafer 2000-5th may be placed in the second slot 154 in which the first wafer 2000-1st has already been placed. However, according to an embodiment, the fifth wafer 2000-5th may be placed in the second slot 154 in which the second wafer 2000-2nd has already been placed. In other words, as described above, when wafers are transferred in and out in such a manner that a new wafer is placed in the second slot 154 from which an old wafer has been transferred out, after the second wafer 2000-2nd has been transferred out, the fifth wafer 2000-5th may be placed in the second slot 154 in which the second wafer 2000-2nd has already been placed.

[0061] The fifth wafer 2000 - 5 th may be immediately cooled from the moment the fifth wafer 2000 - 5 th is stored in the cooling unit 150 . Simultaneously, the third wafer 2000 - 3 th and the fourth wafer 2000 - 4 th may continue to be cooled in the cooling unit 150 .

[0062] Thereafter, the wafer 2000 that has been cleaned by light irradiation may be cooled by the above-mentioned process. FIG. 2A to FIG. 2E In the embodiment of FIG. 1 , three wafers 2000 are cooled together in the cooling unit 150, but the number of wafers 2000 to be cooled in the cooling unit 150 is not limited to three. For example, two or more wafers 2000 may be cooled together in the cooling unit 150. In addition, as described above, when wafers are transferred in and out in such a manner that a new wafer is placed in the second slot 154 from which an old wafer has been transferred, the same as described in accordance with reference to FIG. FIG. 2A to FIG. 2E Compared to the case where wafers are transferred in and out in the manner described above, one of the wafers 2000 may also be arranged in the cooling unit 150 to be cooled.

[0063] FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B 1 and 2 are block diagrams and schematic structural diagrams of a wafer cleaning apparatus 100a according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A to FIG. 2E Description of the description.

[0064] Reference FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B Regarding the components of the light irradiation unit 110a and the wafer processing unit 130a, the wafer cleaning apparatus 100a of this embodiment is similar to FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B In the wafer cleaning device 100a of this embodiment, the light irradiation unit 110a may include a first body 112, a lamp 114, a diffusion lens 116 and a filter 118. The description of the first body 112, the lamp 114 and the diffusion lens 116 may be the same as that of the reference FIG. 1A and FIG. 1BThe wafer cleaning apparatus 100 is similar to those given above. FIG. 1A The block diagram, in FIG. 3A In the block diagram of FIG, the first body 112, the second body 132, the third body 152, the first groove 134 and the second groove 154 are omitted.

[0065] The filter 118 can pass only light of a desired wavelength band and block light of other wavelength bands. In other words, the filter 118 can transmit only light of a specific wavelength band among the broadband light from the diffusion lens 116, and can radiate the light of the specific wavelength band onto the wafer 2000 in the wafer processing unit 130a. In this way, by radiating only light of a desired or required wavelength band onto the wafer 2000 using the filter 118, damage to the wafer 2000 can be reduced while maintaining a high thermal treatment efficiency for the wafer 2000. When the light from the diffusion lens 116 is broadband light including UV light, EUV light, and IR light, the filter 118 can transmit only one of the UV light, EUV light, and IR light (e.g., IR light), and radiate the IR light onto the wafer 2000.

[0066] The filter 118 may be located on the bottom of the first body 112 and constitute the bottom surface of the first body 112. The filter 118 may be detachably attached or connected to the first body 112. For example, an insertion groove into which the filter 118 is inserted may be formed on a bottom surface portion of the first body 112. The filter 118 may be inserted into the insertion groove and mounted on the first body 112. In the wafer cleaning apparatus 100a of the present embodiment, since the filter 118 is detachably attached to the first body 112, various types of filters 118 may be changed and mounted on the first body 112 according to desired or required light transmission characteristics.

[0067] On the other hand, in the wafer cleaning apparatus 100a of this embodiment, the filter 118 may not be installed on the first body 112. In this case, the light irradiation unit 110 may be connected to the first body 112. FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B The light irradiation unit 110 of the wafer cleaning apparatus 100 plays substantially the same role.

[0068] The wafer processing unit 130a may include a second body 132, a first tank 134, a sensor 136, and a wafer conditioning device 138. The description of the second body 132, the first tank 134, and the sensor 136 may be the same as that of the reference FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B The wafer cleaning apparatus 100 is the same as those given above.

[0069] The wafer adjustment device 138 can adjust the position or orientation of the wafer 2000 within the second body 132. For example, the wafer adjustment device 138 can rotate the wafer 2000 as indicated by the curved arrow R1. By rotating the wafer 2000 using the wafer adjustment device 138, light from the light irradiation unit 110a can be uniformly irradiated onto the wafer 2000. Therefore, residue on the wafer 2000 can be optimally removed. Despite the presence of the diffusion lens 116 of the light irradiation unit 110a, light may be unevenly irradiated onto the wafer 2000 depending on the area of ​​the wafer 2000 due to various reasons. In this case, by rotating the wafer 2000 using the wafer adjustment device 138, the uneven light radiation can be compensated, and the light can be uniformly irradiated onto the wafer 2000.

[0070] On the other hand, the wafer adjustment device 138 can move the wafer 2000 in the vertical direction as indicated by the straight arrow L1. By using the wafer adjustment device 138 to move the wafer 2000 in the vertical direction, the first distance D1 between the wafer 2000 and the top surface of the second body 132 can be adjusted. Therefore, the amount of light radiation or the amount of light energy irradiated onto the wafer 2000 can be adjusted.

[0071] Wafer conditioning device 138 may include, for example, a plate on which wafer 2000 is placed, and support columns that support, rotate, and vertically move the plate. The plate portion of wafer conditioning device 138 may have a circular shape similar to wafer 2000, but is not limited thereto. Furthermore, considering the function of wafer conditioning device 138, the area of ​​the plate portion may be smaller than that of wafer 2000.

[0072] In addition, FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B In the description of the wafer cleaning apparatus 100, it is stated that the first distance D1 can be adjusted according to the position of the wafer 2000 in the first tank 134. When the wafer 2000 is accommodated in the second body 132, the adjustment of the first distance D1 by using the first tank 134 can be performed. After the wafer 2000 has been accommodated in the second body 132, the process of removing the wafer 2000 from the second body 132 and storing the wafer 2000 again in the first tank 134 at another position to adjust the first distance D1 can be cumbersome and result in a loss of time.

[0073] To address this issue, a relatively small number of first slots 134 with relatively wide intervals can be arranged in the second body 132, and the wafer 2000 can be moved vertically by the wafer adjustment device 138 within the range of the intervals between the first slots 134. In other words, when the wafer 2000 is accommodated in the second body 132, the first distance D1 can be adjusted over a wide range by using the first slots 134. After the wafer 2000 is accommodated in the second body 132, the first distance D1 can be adjusted more precisely by using the wafer adjustment device 138 to move the wafer 2000 vertically within the range of the intervals between the first slots 134, without having to retrieve the wafer 2000 from the second body 132. In this way, by adjusting the first distance D1 using the wafer adjustment device 138, the problem of adjusting the first distance D1 only by using the first slots 134 can be resolved. In addition, since the wafer adjustment device 138 adjusts the first distance D1 vertically, according to embodiments, the first slots 134 in the second body 132 can be omitted.

[0074] FIG. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a wafer cleaning apparatus 100b according to an embodiment of the present inventive concept, and may correspond to FIG. 1B For the sake of brevity, references to FIG. 1A to FIG. 3B Description given.

[0075] Reference FIG. 4 Regarding the structure of the cooling unit 150a, the wafer cleaning equipment 100b of this embodiment can be FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B In the wafer cleaning apparatus 100b of this embodiment, the cooling unit 150a may include a third body 152, a second tank 154, and a heat exchanger 156a. The description of the third body 152 and the second tank 154 may be the same as that of the reference FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B The same description is given for the wafer cleaning apparatus 100 .

[0076] The heat exchanger 156a may include a first cooler 156-1 and a second cooler 156-2. The first cooler 156-1 may be located in the bottom of the third body 152, and the second cooler 156-2 may be located in the top of the third body 152. The first cooler 156-1 may perform the same FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B The heat exchanger 156 of the cooling unit 150 in the wafer cleaning apparatus 100 has substantially the same function.

[0077] The second cooler 156-2 can be located in the top of the third body 152, cooling the air in the top of the third body 152 and pushing or moving the air downward as shown by the plurality of arrows H2. By arranging the second cooler 156-2 on the top of the third body 152 in this manner, the cooling efficiency of the cooling unit 150a can be further improved.

[0078] like FIG. 4 As shown in FIG, second cooler 156-2 may be located between second body 132 and third body 152. Therefore, according to this embodiment, second cooler 156-2 can cool the bottom of wafer 2000 in wafer processing unit 130 by cooling the bottom of second body 132, thereby facilitating cooling of wafer 2000 located in cooling unit 150a. Residue to be removed by light irradiation in wafer processing unit 130a may include defects DF on the top surface of wafer 2000. On the other hand, there may be no residue on the bottom surface of wafer 2000, and since there is no need to remove the residue even when it is present, heating of the bottom of wafer 2000 may not be necessary. Therefore, by using second cooler 156-2 to cool the bottom of second body 132 below wafer 2000 to a certain extent, cooling efficiency can be improved when wafer 2000 is subsequently cooled in cooling unit 150a.

[0079] On the other hand, according to an embodiment, when cooling of the bottom inside the second body 132 is not required or prohibited, an insulating material may be disposed between the second body 132 and the third body 152 , and the second cooler 156 - 2 may be located below the insulating material.

[0080] In the wafer cleaning apparatus 100b of the present embodiment, the heat exchanger 156a of the cooling unit 150a may include two coolers (156-1 and 156-2), but the number of coolers in the heat exchanger 156a may not be limited to two. For example, in the wafer cleaning apparatus 100b of the present embodiment, the heat exchanger 156a of the cooling unit 150a may include three or more coolers, and each cooler may be arranged at a position (including a position on the side surface of the third body 152, etc.) where the wafer 2000 can be cooled more effectively.

[0081] FIG. 5 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a wafer cleaning system 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A to FIG. 4 The description given is already described in the description.

[0082] Reference FIG. 5, the wafer cleaning system 1000 may include a wafer cleaning apparatus 100 , a load port unit or system 200 , a wafer transfer robot 300 , a cleaning unit or system 400 , and a drying unit or system 500 .

[0083] The wafer cleaning apparatus 100 may include a light radiation-based wafer cleaning apparatus. For example, the wafer cleaning apparatus 100 may include FIG. 1A Of course, the wafer cleaning device 100 is not limited to FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B For example, the wafer cleaning equipment 100 may include FIG. 3A (and FIG. 3B )or FIG. 4 The wafer cleaning apparatus (100a or 100b) is a wafer cleaning apparatus. The wafer cleaning apparatus 100 may be mounted as a separate apparatus on a side surface of an equipment front end module (EFEM) of the wafer cleaning system 1000. In this case, the EFEM may include a module for transferring wafers into and out of the wafer cleaning system 1000. For example, the EFEM may transfer wafers from the outside into the cleaning unit 400 and transfer wafers from the drying unit 500 to the outside. The EFEM may correspond to, for example, a portion where the load port unit 200 and the first transfer robot 300-1 are arranged.

[0084] The load port unit 200 may include a plurality of load ports (200-1 to 200-4) that wait before loading wafers to be cleaned into the cleaning unit 400. FIG. 5 As shown in FIG, the load port unit 200 may include, for example, four load ports (200-1 to 200-4). However, the number of load ports of the load port unit 200 is not limited to four. Depending on the embodiment, the load port unit 200 may include three or fewer load ports or five or more load ports.

[0085] The wafer transfer robot 300 may include a first transfer robot 300-1 and a second transfer robot 300-2. The first transfer robot 300-1 may transfer wafers in each load port of the load port unit 200 to the cleaning unit 400. FIG. 5 , one first transfer robot 300 - 1 is shown, but the number of the first transfer robots 300 - 1 is not limited to one.

[0086] The second transfer robot 300-2 may transfer wafers from the cleaning unit 400 and the drying unit 500. FIG. 5, one second transfer robot 300 - 2 is shown, but the number of the second transfer robots 300 - 2 is not limited to one. For example, the second transfer robots 300 - 2 may include a robot for transferring wafers within the cleaning unit 400 and a robot for transferring wafers within the drying unit 500 .

[0087] The cleaning unit 400 may include a distribution box 410 and a cleaning chamber 430. Wafers transferred from the load port unit 200 may wait or be stored in the distribution box 410 and then may be transferred to the cleaning chamber 430 by the second transfer robot 300-2. In the cleaning chamber 430, cleaning (e.g., wet cleaning) of the wafers may be performed.

[0088] The drying unit 500 may include a pneumatic device or system 510, a drying container 530, and a control box or drying controller 550. The pneumatic device 510 may adjust the pneumatic pressure of the drying unit 500. Wafers may be dried in the drying container 530. The wafers dried in the drying unit 500 may include wafers that have been cleaned in the cleaning unit 400 and may be transferred from the cleaning unit 400 to the drying container 530 by the second transfer robot 300-2. The drying container 530 may include a supercritical container using a supercritical fluid. For example, the wafers may be dried by using CO2 supercritical fluid in the drying container 530. Of course, the drying container 530 is not limited to a supercritical container.

[0089] The control box 550 can control the process conditions required in the drying process. For example, the control box 550 can control the amount of electricity, gas input, etc. in the drying process.

[0090] For reference, in FIG. 5 In the figures, the numbers in parentheses associated with the cleaning chamber 430 and the drying container 530 may refer to the numbers of the cleaning chamber 430 and the drying container 530, respectively. In other words, the cleaning unit 400 may include multiple cleaning chambers 430, and the drying unit 500 may include multiple drying containers 530. In the wafer cleaning system 1000 of this embodiment, the time period of the drying process may be longer than the time period of the cleaning process. Therefore, to facilitate the process, the number of drying containers 530 may be greater than the number of cleaning chambers 430. However, depending on the embodiment, the number of drying containers 530 and the number of cleaning chambers 430 may be the same.

[0091] In the wafer cleaning system 1000 of the present embodiment, a main cleaning and drying process of a wafer can be performed by using the load port unit 200, the wafer transfer robot 300, the cleaning unit 400, and the drying unit 500. The wafer cleaning apparatus 100 can perform additional cleaning by using a heat treatment using light irradiation to the wafer that has completed the main cleaning and drying process. FIG. 6 In the description, the entire cleaning and drying process of the wafer in the wafer cleaning system 1000 of this embodiment is described in more detail.

[0092] FIG. 6 yes FIG. 5 A conceptual diagram of the entire cleaning and drying process of a wafer in the wafer cleaning system 1000. FIG. 5 A description is given, and for the sake of brevity, references to FIG. 1A to FIG. 5 Description of the description.

[0093] Reference FIG. 6 First, wafers can be transferred from the first load port 200-1 to the first cleaning chamber 430-1 by the first transfer robot 300-1 / the second transfer robot 300-2. The wafers can be transferred into the first cleaning chamber 430-1 via the distribution box 410. The wafers cleaned in the first cleaning chamber 430-1 can be transferred to the first drying container 530-1 by the second transfer robot 300-2. Thereafter, the wafers dried in the first drying container 530-1 can be transferred to the EFEM by the first transfer robot 300-1 / the second transfer robot 300-2, and then transferred to the wafer cleaning apparatus 100. Wafers that have been further cleaned by light radiation in the wafer cleaning apparatus 100 can be unloaded by the first transfer robot 300-1 to the outside of the wafer cleaning system 1000.

[0094] exist FIG. 6 In the embodiment, the sequence of performing the main cleaning and drying process on the wafers is described by using the first load port 200-1, the first cleaning chamber 430-1, and the first drying container 530-1. However, the main cleaning and drying process on the wafers can also be performed by using other load ports, other cleaning chambers, and other drying containers.

[0095] FIG. 7 FIG is a schematic structural diagram of a wafer cleaning system 1000a according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 Description given.

[0096] Reference FIG. 7 Regarding the location of the wafer cleaning equipment 100, the wafer cleaning system 1000a of this embodiment can beFIG. 5 In the wafer cleaning system 1000a of this embodiment, the wafer cleaning device 100 can be installed in any one of the four loading ports (200-1 to 200-4) in a plug-in type, or installed in any one of the four loading ports (200-1 to 200-4). FIG. 5 The wafer cleaning system 1000a of the embodiment can be installed in any load port position of the load port unit 200, for example, in the fourth load port 200-4. Therefore, in the wafer cleaning system 1000a of the present embodiment, the load port unit 200a can include only three load ports (200-1 to 200-3).

[0097] In this manner, by installing the wafer cleaning apparatus 100 within the load port of the wafer cleaning system 1000a, the wafer cleaning system 1000a may not require an additional space for the wafer cleaning apparatus 100. Therefore, the wafer cleaning system 1000a of the present embodiment may be easily implemented by using an existing wafer cleaning system including a plurality of load ports.

[0098] In the wafer cleaning system 1000a of the present embodiment, in which the wafer cleaning apparatus 100 is arranged in the load port, the entire cleaning and drying process of the wafer can be performed by FIG. 6 For example, the wafers may undergo a main cleaning and drying process via the first load port 200-1, the first cleaning chamber 430-1, and the first drying container 530-1. Afterwards, the wafers may be transferred by the first transfer robot 300-1 and the second transfer robot 300-2 to the wafer cleaning apparatus 100 disposed within the load port. Additional cleaning of the wafers may be performed by light irradiation in the wafer cleaning apparatus 100. Afterwards, the wafers that have completed the additional cleaning by light irradiation may be transferred by the first transfer robot 300-1 to the outside of the wafer cleaning system 1000a.

[0099] While the inventive concept has been particularly shown and described with reference to embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A wafer cleaning device, configured to clean residues on a wafer by light radiation, comprising: a light irradiation unit configured to irradiate light onto the wafer during the light irradiation; a wafer processing unit configured to accommodate the wafer and control a position of the wafer so that the light is irradiated onto the wafer during the light irradiation; as well as a cooling unit configured to cool the wafer after the light irradiation has been completed, wherein the light radiation unit, the wafer processing unit and the cooling unit are sequentially arranged in a vertical structure, the light radiation unit is located above the wafer processing unit, and the wafer processing unit is located above the cooling unit, The wafer processing unit includes a second body defining a space thereof, a plurality of first slots are defined in the second body, and In which, the cooling unit includes a third body, a plurality of second slots are defined in the third body, and is configured to hold the wafer in a plurality of different positions at different horizontal heights in the internal space of the third body, and transfer the wafer that has completed the light irradiation from the second body to the third body.

2. The wafer cleaning equipment according to claim 1, in, After a drying process has been performed on the wafer using a supercritical fluid, the light irradiation is performed to clean residues on the wafer.

3. The wafer cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, in, The supercritical fluid comprises CO2 supercritical fluid, and The light irradiation is performed to remove isopropyl alcohol residue remaining on the wafer after performing a replacement process of isopropyl alcohol and CO 2 supercritical fluid.

4. The wafer cleaning equipment according to claim 1, in, The light radiating unit includes at least one lamp configured to generate the light and a diffusion lens configured to uniformly diffuse the light from the at least one lamp.

5. The wafer cleaning equipment according to claim 4, in, The light irradiating unit includes a filter configured to transmit light corresponding to a specific wavelength region.

6. The wafer cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, in, The light radiating unit includes a lamp configured to generate the light, and The wafer processing unit is configured to control the rotation of the wafer and the distance between the wafer and the lamp.

7. The wafer cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, in, The wafer processing unit further includes at least one sensor in the interior space of the second body, and The wafer cleaning apparatus further includes a controller configured to control an amount of radiated light based on at least one physical property measured by the at least one sensor.

8. The wafer cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, in, The cooling unit further comprises at least one heat exchanger in the third body, and The at least one heat exchanger includes a first heat exchanger located at the bottom of the third body, or the at least one heat exchanger includes the first heat exchanger located at the bottom of the third body and a second heat exchanger located at the top of the third body.

9. The wafer cleaning equipment according to claim 1, in, supplying a gas for maintaining a cleaning atmosphere to the inner space of the second body and the inner space of the third body, The plurality of first slots are configured to hold the wafer in a plurality of different positions at different levels in the interior space of the second body.

10. The wafer cleaning apparatus according to claim 9, in, The wafer processing unit is configured to accommodate one wafer, while the cooling unit is configured to accommodate a plurality of wafers, and Each of the plurality of wafers is accommodated in the cooling unit for a predetermined period of time, and the plurality of wafers are sequentially transferred into and out of the cooling unit.

11. The wafer cleaning equipment according to claim 1, in, The wafer cleaning apparatus is configured to be mounted on a side surface of cleaning equipment using a supercritical fluid, or the wafer cleaning apparatus is configured to be mounted in a load port of the cleaning equipment where wafers are stored.

12. A wafer cleaning device based on light radiation, comprising: a light irradiation system comprising at least one lamp configured to generate light and a diffusion lens configured to uniformly diffuse the light from the at least one lamp, the light irradiation system being configured to irradiate the light onto a wafer; a wafer processing system configured to accommodate the wafer and control a position of the wafer so that light having energy set for the wafer is irradiated onto the wafer for a period of time; as well as a cooling system including a heat exchanger, the cooling system being configured to cool the wafer after the light has been radiated onto the wafer for the period of time, wherein isopropyl alcohol residue remaining after performing the replacement process of isopropyl alcohol and CO2 supercritical fluid is removed by irradiating light onto the wafer for the period of time, The wafer processing system includes a second body defining a space thereof, a plurality of first slots are defined in the second body, and In which, the cooling system includes a third body, a plurality of second slots are defined in the third body, and is configured to hold the wafer in a plurality of different positions at different horizontal heights in the internal space of the third body, and the wafer that has completed the light irradiation is transferred from the second body to the third body.

13. The wafer cleaning equipment according to claim 12, in, The at least one lamp includes at least one of a water-cooled device and an air-cooled device, and, The wafer handling system is configured to control the rotation of the wafer and the distance between the wafer and the at least one lamp.

14. The wafer cleaning apparatus according to claim 12, in, The heat exchanger includes a first heat exchanger located at the bottom of the cooling system and a second heat exchanger located between the wafer processing system and the cooling system.

15. The wafer cleaning apparatus according to claim 12, in, The wafer processing system includes at least one sensor, and The wafer cleaning apparatus further includes a controller configured to control an amount of radiated light based on at least one physical property measured using the at least one sensor.

16. A wafer cleaning system comprising: a first cleaning apparatus configured to clean a wafer and dry the wafer using a supercritical fluid; as well as a second cleaning device configured to clean residues on the wafer by light irradiation after the wafer has been cleaned in the first cleaning device, Wherein, the second cleaning equipment includes: a light irradiation unit configured to irradiate light onto the wafer during the light irradiation; a wafer processing unit configured to accommodate the wafer and control a position of the wafer so that light having energy set for the wafer is irradiated onto the wafer during the light irradiation; and a cooling unit configured to cool the wafer after the light irradiation has been completed, wherein the light radiation unit, the wafer processing unit and the cooling unit are sequentially arranged in a vertical structure, the light radiation unit is located above the wafer processing unit, and the wafer processing unit is located above the cooling unit, The wafer processing unit includes a second body defining a space thereof, a plurality of first slots are defined in the second body, and In which, the cooling unit includes a third body, a plurality of second slots are defined in the third body, and is configured to hold the wafer in a plurality of different positions at different horizontal heights in the internal space of the third body, and transfer the wafer that has completed the light irradiation from the second body to the third body.

17. The wafer cleaning system according to claim 16, in, The supercritical fluid comprises CO2 supercritical fluid, and The light irradiation is performed to remove isopropyl alcohol residue remaining on the wafer after performing a replacement process of isopropyl alcohol and CO 2 supercritical fluid.

18. The wafer cleaning system according to claim 16, in, The light radiating unit includes at least one lamp configured to generate the light and a diffusion lens configured to uniformly diffuse the light from the at least one lamp, The wafer processing unit includes at least one sensor, The wafer processing unit is configured to control the rotation of the wafer and the distance between the wafer and the at least one lamp, and A first heat exchanger is located at the bottom of the cooling unit, and a second heat exchanger is located between the wafer processing unit and the cooling unit.

19. The wafer cleaning system according to claim 16, further comprising a controller configured to control an amount of light radiation from the light radiation unit. in, The controller is configured to control the light radiation amount based on at least one physical quantity obtained using a sensor in the wafer processing unit.

20. The wafer cleaning system according to claim 16, in, The first cleaning device comprises: at least two load ports for holding the wafer; at least one cleaning chamber configured to wet clean the wafer; and at least one drying container configured to dry the wafers wet cleaned in the at least one cleaning chamber using the supercritical fluid, Wherein, the second cleaning device is separately installed on a side surface of the first cleaning device, or is installed in any one of the at least two loading ports.

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