Semiconductor manufacturing process equipment with static electricity removal device

Abstract

The present invention discloses a semiconductor manufacturing process equipment with an electrostatic removal device, wherein the semiconductor manufacturing process equipment includes a liquid processing manufacturing process unit and an air flow system. The liquid processing manufacturing process unit includes a carrier for holding a wafer, a rotating mechanism connected to the carrier, and a liquid distributor for distributing a liquid to the surface of the wafer disposed on the carrier. The air flow system is used to generate an air flow in the liquid processing manufacturing process unit to directly blow the surface of the wafer disposed on the carrier. An ion generator is integrated in the air flow system to provide ions to the air flow.

Description

Semiconductor manufacturing process equipment with static electricity removal device Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a semiconductor manufacturing process equipment, in particular to a semiconductor manufacturing process equipment with a static electricity removal device. Background Art

[0002] In the semiconductor manufacturing process, it is inevitable that static charges will be accumulated on the substrate (such as a wafer) or the manufacturing process equipment. The static charges accumulated on the substrate may be transferred within the substrate to generate current, thereby damaging the semiconductor components manufactured on the substrate and causing a decrease in yield. It may also generate an electric field, thereby adsorbing charged particles or polarized neutral particles to the substrate, causing structural defects. On the other hand, the static charges accumulated on the manufacturing process equipment may not only adsorb charged particles or polarized neutral particles to cause manufacturing process contamination or wafer scratches, but may even generate electrostatic discharge (ESD) to damage the semiconductor components on the substrate. In severe cases, it may cause the manufacturing process equipment to crash (freeze), resulting in scrapping. Summary of the invention

[0003] An object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor manufacturing process equipment with a static electricity removal device, which can effectively reduce the static electricity accumulated on the wafer and / or the wafer transfer arm during the semiconductor manufacturing process.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, an embodiment of the present invention provides a semiconductor manufacturing process equipment, including a liquid treatment manufacturing process unit and an air flow system. The liquid treatment manufacturing process unit includes a carrier, which is arranged at the lower part of the liquid treatment manufacturing process unit, and is used to horizontally support a wafer during a liquid treatment manufacturing process, a rotating mechanism connected to the carrier, which is used to rotate the carrier around a rotation axis, and a liquid dispenser, which is used to distribute a liquid to a surface of the wafer disposed on the carrier. The air flow system is used to generate an air flow in the liquid treatment manufacturing process unit, and the air flow directly blows the surface of the wafer disposed on the carrier. An ion generator is integrated in the air flow system to provide ions to the air flow.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, another embodiment of the present invention provides a semiconductor manufacturing process equipment, including a liquid treatment manufacturing process unit for performing a liquid treatment manufacturing process on a wafer, a temporary storage chamber for storing a cleaning tray, the cleaning tray being used to clean the liquid treatment manufacturing process unit during a cleaning manufacturing process, and a transfer arm for transferring the wafer or the cleaning tray in the semiconductor manufacturing process equipment. The liquid treatment manufacturing process unit includes a carrier, a rotating mechanism connected to the carrier for rotating the carrier around a rotation axis, a manufacturing process liquid dispenser for distributing a manufacturing process liquid to the wafer disposed on the carrier during the liquid treatment manufacturing process, and a cleaning liquid dispenser for distributing a cleaning liquid to the cleaning tray disposed on the carrier during the cleaning manufacturing process. The cleaning tray includes an electrostatic removal material that can remove static charges on the transfer arm when the transfer arm contacts the cleaning tray.

[0006] To achieve the above objective, another embodiment of the present invention provides a cleaning plate for cleaning semiconductor manufacturing process equipment, which includes static removing materials that can remove static charges on a transfer arm of the semiconductor manufacturing process equipment when the transfer arm contacts the cleaning plate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] FIG1 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram showing a schematic plan view of a semiconductor manufacturing process equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0008] FIG2 is a top view schematically showing the general structure of the semiconductor manufacturing process equipment of FIG1 ;

[0009] 3 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the general structure of a liquid processing manufacturing process unit and an air flow system of a semiconductor manufacturing process equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0010] FIG4 is a perspective view showing the general structure of a cleaning plate according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0011] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a cleaning process using the cleaning plate of FIG. 4 .

[0012] Main component symbols

[0013] X direction 46 ion generator

[0014] Y direction 47 air flow

[0015] Z direction 48 exhaust pipe

[0016] 4 Unloading block 12a bearing seat

[0017] 5. Manufacturing process block 13a: opening and closing part

[0018] 6 Interface block 32a Production process liquid

[0019] 11 Wafer box 34a Cleaning liquid

[0020] 12 Loading section A1 Conveyor arm

[0021] 13 Opening and closing part A3 Conveyor arm

[0022] 13 Conveyor A7 Lifting Arm

[0023] 14 Processing module AX Rotation axis

[0024] 15 Processing module D cleaning tray

[0025] 16 Processing module D1 surface

[0026] 17 Processing module D2 bottom

[0027] 20 Frame D3 Side wall

[0028] 22 Base G Grounding circuit

[0029] 24 Rotating mechanism U1 Liquid handling manufacturing process unit

[0030] 26 Loading platform U10 scaffolding

[0031] 28 Recycling Cup U11 Shed

[0032] 32 Manufacturing process liquid distributor U2 Heat treatment manufacturing process unit

[0033] 34 Cleaning liquid distributor U3 Temporary storage unit

[0034] 40 Air Flow System W Chip

[0035] 42 Intake pipe Wa surface

[0036] 44 Air filtration device DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the following is a detailed description of preferred embodiments in conjunction with the attached drawings. The attached drawings are schematic diagrams and are not drawn to scale, and the same or similar features are usually described with the same figure numbers. The embodiments and drawings described herein are for reference and illustration only and are not intended to limit the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims. Those with equivalent meanings to the claims of the present invention should also fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0038] Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a semiconductor manufacturing process equipment 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a schematic cross-sectional diagram of a plane defined by the X direction and the Z direction, and FIG. 2 is a top view schematic diagram of a semiconductor manufacturing process equipment 10 of FIG. 1, showing a schematic cross-sectional diagram of a plane defined by the X direction and the Y direction. The Z direction is perpendicular to the plane defined by the X direction and the Y direction. The semiconductor manufacturing process equipment 10 is, for example, a coating and developing system for coating a photoresist on a semiconductor substrate (e.g., a wafer) and developing after exposure to form a patterned photoresist layer on the semiconductor substrate, and includes an unloading block 4, a manufacturing process block 5, and an interface block 6.

[0039] The unloading block 4 is used to import and export the wafer W into and out of the semiconductor manufacturing process equipment 10, and may include a loading part 12, a plurality of supporting seats 12a disposed on the loading part 12, a conveying part 13, and an opening and closing part 13a disposed between the loading part 12 and the conveying part 13 and corresponding to each supporting seat 12a. The supporting seat 12a is used to fix the wafer boat box 11 loaded with the wafer W, and then move the wafer boat box 11 to the side of the opening and closing part 13a. After the opening and closing part 13a is opened, the conveying arm A1 of the conveying part 13 takes out the wafer W from the wafer boat box 11 through the opening and closing part 13a and then transfers it to the shelf U10 of the manufacturing process block 5, or receives the wafer W from the shelf U10 of the manufacturing process block 5 and sends it back to the wafer boat box 11 through the opening and closing part 13a.

[0040] The manufacturing process block 5 may include a shelf U10 and a shelf U11 for temporarily storing wafers W and a plurality of processing modules, such as processing module 14, processing module 15, processing module 16 and processing module 17. Processing module 14, processing module 15, processing module 16 and processing module 17 may have different manufacturing process purposes. For example, processing module 14 is used to form a lower film, such as a bottom anti-reflection layer (BARC) on the surface Wa of wafer W; processing module 15 is used to form a photoresist layer on the lower film; processing module 16 is used to form an upper film, such as a top anti-reflection layer (TARC) on the photoresist layer; processing module 17 is used to develop the photoresist layer after exposure. Shelves U10 and shelves U11 may have a multi-layer structure in the vertical direction (Z direction), and a lifting arm A7 disposed near shelf U10 or shelf U11 is used to transfer wafers W between the layers.

[0041] FIG2 takes the processing module 17 as an example, which includes a plurality of liquid treatment process units U1, a plurality of heat treatment process units U2, a transfer arm A3 for transferring wafers W, and a shelf U10 and a shelf U11 for temporarily storing wafers W. The liquid treatment process unit U1 is used to perform a liquid treatment process to provide a process liquid to the surface Wa of the wafer W. The heat treatment process unit U2 is equipped with a heating plate and / or a cooling plate for performing a heating or cooling process to heat or cool the wafer W. The process block 5 also includes at least one temporary storage unit U3 for temporarily storing a wash disc D. The wash disc D can be used to clean an inner wall of the liquid treatment process unit U1 (e.g., the inner wall of the recovery cup 28) when performing a cleaning process.

[0042] The interface block 6 can be connected to an exposure device (not shown) to transfer the wafer W between the shelf U11 of the process block 5 and the exposure device via a transfer arm A1 disposed in the interface block 6 .

[0043] Please refer to FIG3, which is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a liquid treatment process unit U1 and an air flow system 40 of a semiconductor process equipment 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The liquid treatment process unit U1 includes a frame 20, in which a base 22 is disposed, a carrier 26 for horizontally holding and fixing a wafer W, a rotating mechanism 24 connected to the carrier 26, for rotating the carrier 26 around a rotation axis AX to generate centrifugal force on a process liquid 32a provided to the wafer W (or a cleaning liquid 34a provided to a cleaning disk D), a recovery cup 28 disposed on the base 22 and surrounding the carrier 26, a process liquid dispenser 32 for distributing the process liquid 32a to a surface Wa of the wafer W disposed on the carrier 26 during a liquid treatment process, and a cleaning liquid dispenser 34 for distributing the cleaning liquid 34a to a cleaning disk D disposed on the carrier 26 during a cleaning process (see FIG5). The air flow system 40 includes an air inlet pipeline 42 disposed at the upper part of the liquid treatment process unit U1, an exhaust pipeline 48 disposed at the lower part of the liquid treatment process unit, and an air filter device 44 disposed at the upper part of the liquid treatment process unit U1 and connected to the air inlet pipeline 42. The air inlet pipeline 42 is used to provide an air flow 47 to the liquid treatment process unit U1 to provide an air flow 47 from top to bottom to directly blow the surface Wa of the wafer W disposed on the carrier 26. The exhaust pipeline 48 is used to discharge the air flow 47 from the liquid treatment process unit U1. The air filter device 44 is used to filter the air flow 47, and is integrated with an ion generator 46 to add ions to the air flow 47, so that the static charge accumulated on the wafer W can be neutralized when the air flow 47 directly blows the wafer W. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the ion generator 46 can provide positive ions or negative ions, or alternately provide positive ions and negative ions to the air flow 47 to obtain a better static neutralization effect. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the air flow 47 includes nitrogen and / or oxygen, and the ion generator 46 can generate nitrogen ions and / or oxygen ions.

[0044] Please refer to Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 is a schematic three-dimensional diagram of the general structure of a cleaning disk D1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of placing the cleaning disk D on the carrier 26 in the liquid treatment process unit U1 to perform a cleaning process. The cleaning disk D can be a disc-shaped disk, having a surface D1, a bottom surface D2 and a side wall D3, and its diameter can be approximately equal to the diameter of the wafer W, such as 200 millimeters (mm) or 300 millimeters, or can be designed to be slightly larger or slightly smaller than the diameter of the wafer W depending on the cleaning effect requirements. In some embodiments, the surface D1 of the cleaning disk D can have a design pattern (not shown) to achieve a better splash cleaning effect during the cleaning process. In some embodiments, there can be a cavity between the surface D1 and the bottom surface D2 of the cleaning disk D. When the cleaning liquid enters the cavity, it is splashed out through the opening (not shown) of the side wall D3 of the cleaning disk D due to the centrifugal force, and a better splash cleaning effect can be obtained.

[0045] The cleaning tray D includes a static electricity removal material, such as metal or organic conductive material, so that the cleaning tray D can be used to clean the liquid treatment process unit U1 when performing the cleaning process, and can also guide the static electricity accumulated on the conveying arm A3 when the conveying arm A3 conveys the cleaning tray D and contacts the cleaning tray D. In this way, the situation where pollutants or particles are adsorbed on the conveying arm A3 due to static electricity can be reduced. A grounding circuit G can be set in the temporary storage unit U3. When the cleaning tray D is sent back to the temporary storage unit U3 by the conveying arm A3, the grounding circuit G can further remove the static electricity on the cleaning tray D.

[0046] In summary, the semiconductor manufacturing process equipment provided by the present invention has an air flow system integrated with an ion generator, which can provide an air flow including ions to directly blow the surface of the wafer during the semiconductor manufacturing process to achieve the effect of neutralizing the static charge accumulated on the wafer. In addition, a cleaning tray composed of static removal material can be provided in the semiconductor manufacturing process equipment, and the static charge accumulated on the transfer arm can be easily guided out by executing a cleaning procedure when the transfer arm grabs the cleaning tray. Therefore, the semiconductor manufacturing process equipment provided by the present invention can effectively reduce the problem of yield loss or wafer scrapping caused by static charge accumulation. The air flow system integrated with an ion generator provided by the present invention is not limited to application in the coating and developing system in the embodiment, and can also be applied to other semiconductor manufacturing process equipment, such as etching equipment. In addition, the cleaning tray composed of static removal material can also be replaced with a control sheet composed of static removal material and applied in other semiconductor manufacturing process equipment, and the static charge accumulated on the transfer arm can be guided out by transferring the control sheet so that the transfer arm directly contacts the control sheet.

[0047] The above descriptions are only preferred embodiments of the present invention. All equivalent changes and modifications made according to the claims of the present invention should fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A semiconductor manufacturing process equipment, characterized in that: The invention comprises: a liquid treatment process unit, comprising: a base; a support platform, which is arranged at the lower part of the liquid treatment process unit and is located on the base, and is used to support the wafer horizontally during the liquid treatment process, and is used to support the cleaning plate during the cleaning process, wherein the cleaning plate comprises metal or organic conductive material, and can remove the static charge on the transfer arm of the semiconductor manufacturing process equipment when the transfer arm contacts the cleaning plate; A rotating mechanism, located between the base and the carrying platform, connected to the carrying platform, and used to rotate the carrying platform around a rotating axis; and A liquid distributor is used to distribute liquid onto the surface of the chip arranged on the carrier; an air flow system is used to generate an air flow in the liquid processing manufacturing process unit, and the air flow directly blows the surface of the chip arranged on the carrier; and an ion generator is integrated in the air flow system to provide ions into the air flow.

2. The semiconductor manufacturing process equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ion generator alternately provides positive ions and negative ions to the air flow.

3. The semiconductor manufacturing process equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air stream comprises nitrogen.

4. The semiconductor manufacturing process equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air flow system comprises: an air inlet pipeline, arranged at the upper part of the liquid treatment manufacturing process unit, for providing the air flow to the liquid treatment manufacturing process unit; An air filter device, disposed on the upper part of the liquid processing manufacturing process unit and connected to the air inlet pipeline, for filtering the air flow; and an exhaust pipeline, which is arranged at the lower part of the liquid processing manufacturing process unit and is used for exhausting the air flow from the liquid processing manufacturing process unit.

5. The semiconductor manufacturing process equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that: The ion generator is integrated in the air filtering device.

6. A semiconductor manufacturing process equipment, characterized in that: The invention comprises: a liquid treatment manufacturing process unit, comprising: a base; a carrying platform, located in the liquid treatment manufacturing process unit and arranged on the base; a rotating mechanism, located between the base and the carrying platform, connected to the carrying platform, and used to rotate the carrying platform around a rotating axis; a process liquid dispenser for dispensing process liquid onto a wafer disposed on the carrier during a liquid treatment process; and a cleaning liquid distributor for distributing the cleaning liquid to a cleaning plate disposed on the carrier during a cleaning manufacturing process; A temporary storage room, used for storing the cleaning tray during non-cleaning production process; And a transfer arm is used to transfer the wafer or the cleaning plate in the semiconductor manufacturing process equipment, wherein the cleaning plate includes metal or organic conductive material, and the static charge on the transfer arm can be removed when the transfer arm contacts the cleaning plate.

7. The semiconductor manufacturing process equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that: The temporary storage chamber includes a grounding circuit for removing static charge from the cleaning plate.

8. A cleaning tray for cleaning the semiconductor manufacturing process equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cleaning plate comprises metal or organic conductive material, and can remove static charge on the transfer arm of the semiconductor manufacturing process equipment when the transfer arm contacts the cleaning plate.

9. The cleaning tray for cleaning semiconductor manufacturing process equipment according to claim 8, characterized in that: The cleaning disk is placed on a carrier platform of the semiconductor manufacturing process equipment and rotated at high speed, and a cleaning liquid is provided to the cleaning disk so that the cleaning liquid is splashed onto an inner wall of a liquid treatment manufacturing process unit to achieve a cleaning effect.

Images