Semiconductor manufacturing system, vacuum chuck and method for handling semiconductor substrate

Abstract

A vacuum chuck and a method for stabilizing a warped semiconductor substrate during a semiconductor manufacturing process to improve the flatness of the warped semiconductor substrate during the semiconductor manufacturing process are disclosed. For example, a semiconductor manufacturing system includes a vacuum chuck configured to hold a substrate, wherein the vacuum chuck includes: a plurality of vacuum grooves and a plurality of flexible sealing rings, wherein the plurality of vacuum grooves are located on a top surface of the vacuum chuck, wherein the top surface is configured to face the substrate; the plurality of flexible sealing rings are disposed on the vacuum chuck and extend outward from the top surface, wherein the plurality of flexible sealing rings are configured to directly contact a bottom surface of the substrate and are adjacent to the plurality of vacuum grooves to form a vacuum seal between the substrate and the vacuum chuck, and wherein each of the plurality of flexible sealing rings has a sawtooth-shaped cross section.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a semiconductor manufacturing system, a vacuum chuck for handling a warped substrate, and a method for handling a semiconductor substrate. Background Art

[0002] In the semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) industry, there is a constant demand for smaller device sizes and higher circuit packing density. This demand has driven the semiconductor industry to develop new materials and complex processes. For example, when features are to be formed on a wafer (e.g., gate / drain / source features of a transistor, horizontal interconnects, or vertical vias, etc.), the wafer typically passes through a production line that includes multiple processing stations that typically use different process tools to perform various operations such as, for example, cleaning, photolithography, dielectric deposition, dry / wet etching, and metal deposition.

[0003] Maintaining the flatness of semiconductor wafers throughout various process steps prevents defects and improves manufacturing yield. High non-flatness (i.e., warping or warpage) of semiconductor wafers can cause non-uniform features along the surface of the semiconductor wafer during the semiconductor manufacturing process. For example, warping of a semiconductor wafer during exposure can cause exposure non-uniformity due to differences in surface position relative to the focal plane of the exposure system. As another example, warping of a semiconductor wafer during etching can cause etching non-uniformity. Therefore, it is desirable to develop a method to improve the flatness of semiconductor wafers for quality control purposes, thereby correcting semiconductor warping and improving manufacturing yield. Summary of the invention

[0004] A semiconductor manufacturing system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a processing station configured to perform an integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing process on a substrate contained in a chamber of the processing station; and a vacuum chuck contained in the chamber and configured to hold the substrate. The vacuum chuck includes a plurality of vacuum grooves and a plurality of flexible sealing rings. The plurality of vacuum grooves are located on a top surface of the vacuum chuck, wherein the top surface is configured to face the substrate. A plurality of flexible sealing rings are disposed on the vacuum chuck and extend outward from the top surface, wherein the plurality of flexible sealing rings are configured to directly contact the bottom surface of the substrate and are adjacent to the plurality of vacuum grooves to form a vacuum seal between the substrate and the vacuum chuck, and wherein each of the plurality of flexible sealing rings has a sawtooth-shaped cross-section.

[0005] A vacuum suction cup for handling a warped substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: at least one vacuum groove located on the top surface of the vacuum suction cup, wherein the top surface is configured to face the warped substrate; and at least one flexible sealing ring disposed on the vacuum suction cup and extending outward from the top surface, wherein the at least one flexible sealing ring is configured to directly contact the bottom surface of the warped substrate and be adjacent to the at least one vacuum groove to form a vacuum seal between the warped substrate and the vacuum suction cup.

[0006] A method for handling a semiconductor substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: placing the semiconductor substrate on a top surface of a vacuum chuck, wherein a plurality of vacuum grooves are formed in the vacuum chuck, and a plurality of flexible sealing rings are positioned adjacent to corresponding vacuum grooves of the plurality of vacuum grooves and extend upward from the top surface; applying vacuum suction to the vacuum chuck via the plurality of vacuum grooves to form a vacuum seal between the semiconductor substrate and the vacuum chuck; performing a semiconductor manufacturing process on the semiconductor substrate; and releasing the vacuum suction on the vacuum chuck. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The various aspects of the present disclosure can be best understood by reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the various features are not necessarily drawn to scale. In fact, the size and geometry of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or decreased for clarity of description.

[0008] Figure 1A An exemplary block diagram illustrating a semiconductor processing system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0009] Figure 1B An exemplary block diagram illustrates a local computer that may be used to implement the methods described herein according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0010] Figure 2A to Figure 2C Exemplary top and side views of a vacuum chuck for holding a semiconductor substrate during a semiconductor manufacturing process according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated.

[0011] FIG. 3A to FIG. 3B An exemplary diagram illustrating a convexly deformed warped substrate placed on a vacuum chuck according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIG. 4A to FIG. 4B An exemplary diagram illustrating a warped substrate with a concave deformation applied to a vacuum chuck according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 5A to FIG. 5BCross-sectional views illustrating a flexible sealing ring on a vacuum cup before and after vacuum suction is applied according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 6 A flow chart illustrating a method of holding a lifted substrate on a vacuum chuck for semiconductor processing according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0015] [Explanation of Symbols]

[0016] 100: Semiconductor processing systems / systems

[0017] 102: Processing Station

[0018] 102-1: First processing station / processing station

[0019] 102-2: Second processing station / processing station

[0020] 102-3: Third processing station / processing station

[0021] 108: Connect

[0022] 110: Remote computer resources

[0023] 112, 112-1, 112-2, 112-3: Local computers

[0024] 122: Processor

[0025] 124: Memory

[0026] 126: Input / output interface

[0027] 128: Communication interface

[0028] 130: System bus

[0029] 200, 400: Vacuum suction cup

[0030] 202, 202-1, 202-2, 202-3: Vacuum groove

[0031] 204: Central axis

[0032] 206: Vacuum source

[0033] 210: Top surface / first surface

[0034] 212: Bottom surface

[0035] 214: Vacuum channel passage

[0036] 216: Vacuum hole

[0037] 220, 220A, 220B: Flexible sealing ring

[0038] 222: Sealing ring groove

[0039] 224: Pin hole

[0040] 226: Cutting area

[0041] 230: catheter or tube

[0042] 300, 320: Exemplary diagrams

[0043] 302, 322: Warping substrate

[0044] 304, 324: Space

[0045] 306, 326: Top surface

[0046] 310: Warping

[0047] 402: First height

[0048] 404: First Width

[0049] 406: Second Height

[0050] 408: Second Width

[0051] 410: Depth

[0052] 412: Line segment

[0053] 414: Variable Angle

[0054] 416: Length

[0055] 418: Thickness

[0056] 420: External Force

[0057] 500: Methods

[0058] 502, 504, 506, 508: Operation

[0059] x, y, z: direction DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] The following disclosure sets forth various exemplary embodiments for implementing the different features of the subject matter. Specific examples of components and arrangements are set forth below to simplify the present disclosure. Of course, these are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. For example, it should be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected to" or "coupled to" another element, the element may be directly connected to or coupled to the other element, or one or more intermediary elements may be present.

[0061] The present disclosure provides various embodiments of methods and systems for improving the flatness of semiconductor substrates during semiconductor manufacturing processes. Conventionally, a vacuum chuck made of metal and having a vacuum groove on one surface is used to hold a semiconductor substrate. Such a vacuum chuck usually holds a portion of the semiconductor substrate and the semiconductor substrate maintains its warped shape on the vacuum chuck. The high unevenness of the semiconductor substrate may cause non-uniform features to appear along the surface of the semiconductor wafer during the semiconductor manufacturing process. Compared with conventional vacuum chucks, the IC industry expects a system and method that automatically improves the flatness to correct the warpage of the semiconductor substrate. Therefore, it can be helpful to avoid the above-mentioned problems.

[0062] The description of the exemplary embodiments should be understood in conjunction with the figures of the accompanying drawings, which are considered a part of the entire written description. In the description, relative terms such as "lower", "upper", "horizontal", "vertical", "above", "below", "up", "lower", "top", and "bottom" and their derivatives (e.g., "horizontally", "downwardly", "upwardly", etc.) should be interpreted in the discussion as referring to the orientation currently described or shown in the drawings. These relative terms are for convenience of description and do not require that the device be constructed or operated in a specific orientation.

[0063] Figure 1A An exemplary block diagram illustrating a semiconductor processing system 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be noted that the semiconductor processing system (hereinafter referred to as the "system") 100 is merely an example and is not intended to limit the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be understood that additional functional blocks may be provided in Figure 1A The semiconductor processing system 100 is coupled to Figure 1A The semiconductor processing system 100 is shown in FIG. 1 , and some other functional blocks may only be briefly described herein.

[0064] In the illustrated embodiment, the system 100 includes a plurality of processing stations 102 for an integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing process, such as a first processing station (also referred to as a processing station) 102-1, a second processing station (also referred to as a processing station) 102-2, and a third processing station (also referred to as a processing station) 102-3. Examples of IC manufacturing processes performed in the processing stations 102-1, 102-2, and 102-3 include cleaning, photolithography, wet etching, dry etching, dielectric deposition, metal deposition, and may include any other semiconductor processes known in the art. In some embodiments, the first processing station 102-1 is a photolithography station, the second processing station 102-2 is a plasma processing station; and the third processing station 102-3 is a deposition station. At least one feature may be formed in each processing station 102-1 / 102-2 / 102-3, including a photoresist pattern, a metal contact, an etched trench, an isolation member, a through-hole structure / via, an interconnect, etc.

[0065] Each of the processing stations 102-1, 102-2, 102-3 includes a vacuum chuck (not shown) for holding a substrate in the corresponding processing station during the IC manufacturing process. As discussed in further detail below, in some embodiments, the vacuum chuck is designed to improve the flatness of the substrate during the IC manufacturing process so that uniformity of the IC manufacturing process on the substrate can be achieved. In some embodiments, the substrate can be a warped semiconductor wafer, a metal foil, a warped insulating semiconductor wafer, and a curved film. In some embodiments, after applying vacuum to the vacuum chuck, the flatness of the substrate can be improved. In some embodiments, the warped substrate contains at least one of the following: a concave deformation and a convex deformation.

[0066] In some embodiments, the vacuum chuck in each of the processing stations 102-1, 102-2, 102-3 is a vacuum stage holder. In some embodiments, the vacuum chuck in each of the processing stations 102-1 / 102-2 / 102-3 contains at least one flexible sealing ring, which is configured in at least one corresponding pre-formed sealing ring groove. As discussed in further detail below, the at least one flexible sealing ring on the vacuum chuck can be in direct contact with at least a portion of the warped substrate. When a vacuum is caused to occur through the vacuum groove on the vacuum chuck, the at least one flexible sealing ring can be further compressed, and the vacuum contact area between the vacuum chuck and the bottom surface of the substrate gradually increases to flatten the warped substrate.

[0067] Different types of flexible sealing rings may be used on the vacuum chuck depending on the pressure range, operating temperature, and other processing conditions. In some embodiments, the flexible sealing ring may be made of various elastomers with different hardnesses. In some embodiments, the hardness of the flexible sealing ring is selected so that the flexible sealing ring can adapt to the unevenness of the rear surface of the warped substrate. The surface of the flexible sealing ring is free of releasing grease, is smooth, and is crack / scratch free. In some embodiments, the flexible sealing ring is coated with a thin film of low vapor pressure grease (e.g., silicone grease, mineral oil-based grease, or perfluoropolyether-based grease) that smoothes small irregularities on the surface of the flexible sealing ring and the surface of the warped substrate.

[0068] In some embodiments, each of the at least one flexible sealing ring on the vacuum chuck comprises silicone with a Teflon coating. In some embodiments, the cross-section of the flexible sealing ring has a sawtooth shape, such as in FIG. 5A to FIG. 5BIn some embodiments, the at least one flexible sealing ring has a first height in the range of 5 mm to 15 mm and a first width in the range of 3 mm to 7 mm in its resting position. In some embodiments, the sealing ring groove has a depth in the range of 4 mm to 7 mm. In some other embodiments, the first height of the at least one flexible sealing ring is at least 2 mm greater than the depth of the sealing ring groove.

[0069] Local computers 112-1, 112-2, and 112-3 are each coupled to a remote computer resource 110 via a connection 108. In some embodiments, connection 108 may include an Ethernet cable, an optical fiber, a wireless communication medium, and / or other networks known in the art. In some embodiments, remote computer resource 110 includes a computer network, one or more servers, applications, and / or data centers, which is generally referred to as a "cloud" or cloud computing. It should be understood that other connections and intermediate circuits may be deployed between local computers 112-1, 112-2, and 112-3 associated with processing stations 102-1, 102-2, and 102-3 and remote computer resource 110 to facilitate interconnection. In some embodiments, local computer 116 configures processing conditions and provides control signals to corresponding processing stations 102.

[0070] although Figure 1A The system 100 in the illustrated embodiment includes only three processing stations 102-1 / 102-2 / 102-3, three local computers 112-1 / 112-2 / 112-3, and one remote computer resource 110, but it should be understood that Figure 1A The embodiments are provided for illustration purposes only. System 100 may include any desired number of processing stations and still be within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0071] Figure 1B 1 is an exemplary block diagram illustrating a local computer 112 that may be used to implement the methods described herein according to some embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that the local computer 112 is merely an example and is not intended to limit the present invention. Therefore, it should be understood that additional functional blocks may be provided in the local computer 112. Figure 1B in a computer device or coupled to Figure 1B The computer device of the local computer 112 may be a computer device, and some other functional blocks may be omitted or only briefly described herein. It should also be noted that the functions provided in each of the components and modules of the local computer 112 may be combined or separated into one or more modules.

[0072] According to some embodiments, in the illustrated embodiment, the local computer 112 includes a processor 122, a memory 124, an input / output interface 126, a communication interface 128, and a system bus 130. The processor 122 may include any processing circuitry operable to control the operation of the processing station 102. In various aspects, the processor 122 may be implemented as a general purpose processor, a chip multiprocessor (CMP), a special purpose processor, an embedded processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a network processor, an input / output (I / O) processor, a media access control (MAC) processor, a radio baseband processor, a co-processor, a microprocessor (e.g., a complex instruction set computer (CISC) microprocessor, a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) microprocessor, and / or a very long instruction word (VLIW) microprocessor), or other processing device. The processor 122 may also be implemented by a controller, a microcontroller, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic device (PLD), etc.

[0073] In various aspects, the processor 122 may be arranged to run an operating system (OS) and various applications. Examples of operating systems include, for example, operating systems commonly known by the trade names Apple OS, Microsoft Window OS, Android OS, and any other proprietary or open source operating system. Examples of applications include, for example, phone applications, camera (e.g., digital camera, video camera) applications, browser applications, multimedia player applications, game applications, messaging applications (e.g., email, short message, multimedia), viewer applications, etc.

[0074] In some embodiments, at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon is provided, wherein when the at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is executed by at least one processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the at least one processor to perform embodiments of the methods described herein. This computer-readable storage medium may be embodied as memory 124.

[0075] In some embodiments, the memory 124 may include any machine-readable medium or computer-readable medium capable of storing data, including volatile / non-volatile memory and removable / non-removable memory. The memory 124 may include at least one non-volatile storage unit. The non-volatile storage unit is capable of storing one or more software programs. The software program may contain, for example, applications, user data, device data, and / or configuration data, or a combination thereof, to name a few examples. The software program may contain instructions that can be executed by various components of the robot controller of the tray-handling system 704.

[0076] For example, the memory 124 may include a read-only memory (ROM), a random-access memory (RAM), a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a double-data-rate dynamic random access memory (DDR-RAM), a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a flash memory (e.g., a NOR flash memory or a NAND flash memory), a content addressable memory (CAM), a polymer memory (e.g., a ferroelectric polymer memory), a phase change memory (e.g., an ovonic memory), a ferroelectric memory (e.g., an RF memory), a ferroelectric memory), silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS) memory, disk memory (e.g., floppy disk, hard drive, optical disk, magnetic disk) or card (e.g., magnetic card, optical card), or any other type of medium suitable for storing information.

[0077] In one embodiment, the memory 124 may contain an instruction set in the form of a file for executing the method of generating one or more timing libraries described herein. The instruction set may be stored in any acceptable machine-readable instruction form, including source code or various suitable programming languages. Some examples of programming languages ​​that can be used to store the instruction set include, but are not limited to, Java, C, C++, C#, Python, Objective-C, Visual Basic, or .NET programming. In some embodiments, a compiler or interpreter is included to convert the instruction set into machine executable code executed by the processor.

[0078] In some embodiments, the I / O interface 126 may include any suitable mechanism or component to enable a user to provide input to the processing station 102 or to provide output to the user. For example, the I / O interface 126 may include any suitable input mechanism, including but not limited to buttons, keypads, keyboards, click wheels, touch screens, or motion sensors. In some embodiments, the I / O interface 126 may include a capacitive sensing mechanism or a multi-touch capacitive sensing mechanism (e.g., a touch screen).

[0079] In some embodiments, the I / O interface 126 may include a visual peripheral output device for providing a display visible to a user. For example, the visual peripheral output device may include a screen incorporated into the local computer 112, such as, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen. As another example, the visual peripheral output device may include a removable display or projection system for providing a display of content on a surface away from the local computer 112. In some embodiments, the visual peripheral output device may include an encoder / decoder (also referred to as a codec) for converting digital media data into an analog signal. For example, the visual peripheral output device may include a video codec, an audio codec, or any other suitable type of codec.

[0080] The visual peripheral output device may also include a display driver, circuitry for driving the display driver, or both. The visual peripheral output device may be operable to display content under the direction of the processor. For example, the visual peripheral output device may be capable of playing media playback information, application screens of applications implemented on the computer device, information about ongoing communication operations, information about incoming communication requests, or device operation screens (to name a few examples).

[0081] In some embodiments, the communication interface 128 may include any suitable hardware, software, or combination of hardware and software capable of coupling the local computer 112 to one or more networks and / or additional devices. The communication interface 128 may be arranged to operate with any suitable technology to control information signals using a desired set of communication protocols, services, or operating procedures. The communication interface 128 may include appropriate physical connections to connect to corresponding wired communication media or wireless communication media.

[0082] According to some embodiments, the communication system and the communication method include a network. In various aspects, the network may include: a local area network (LAN) and a wide area network (WAN), including but not limited to the Internet, a wired channel, a wireless channel, a communication device including a telephone, a computer, wiring, radio, an optical or other electromagnetic channel, and a combination thereof, which includes other devices and / or components capable of conveying data / associated with conveying data. For example, the communication environment includes in-body communication, various devices and various communication modes, such as wireless communication, wired communication and a combination thereof.

[0083] Wireless communication modes include any communication mode that utilizes, at least in part, wireless technology (including various protocols and combinations of multiple protocols associated with wireless transmission, data, and devices) between multiple points (e.g., multiple nodes), including, for example, wireless devices (e.g., wireless headsets), audio and multimedia devices and equipment (e.g., audio players and multimedia players), telephones (including mobile telephones and cordless telephones), and computers and computer-related devices and components (e.g., printers), network connection machinery (e.g., circuit production systems), and / or any other suitable devices or third-party devices.

[0084] Wired communication modes include any communication mode between multiple points using wired technology (including various protocols and combinations of multiple protocols associated with wired transmission, data, and devices). The multiple points include, for example, the following devices: such as audio and multimedia devices and equipment (e.g., audio players and multimedia players), phones (including mobile phones and cordless phones), and computers and computer-related devices and components (e.g., printers), network connection machinery, and / or any other suitable devices or third-party devices. In various embodiments, the wired communication module can communicate according to several wired protocols. Examples of wired protocols may include Universal Serial Bus (USB) communications, RS-232, RS-422, RS-423, RS-485 serial protocols, FireWire, Ethernet, Fibre Channel, musical instrument digital interface (MIDI), advanced technology attachment (ATA), Serial ATA, Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCI Express), T-1 (and variants), Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) parallel communications, small Computer system Interface (SCSI) communications, or Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) communications (to name a few).

[0085] Thus, in various aspects, the communication interface 128 may include one or more interfaces such as, for example, a wireless communication interface, a wired communication interface, a network interface, a transmission interface, a reception interface, a media interface, a system interface, a component interface, a switch interface, a chip interface, a controller, etc. For example, when implemented by a wireless device or implemented within a wireless system, the communication interface may include a wireless interface including one or more antennas, transmitters, receivers, transceivers, amplifiers, filters, control logic, etc.

[0086] In various embodiments, the communication interface 128 may provide voice and / or data communication functionality according to a number of wireless protocols. Examples of wireless protocols may include various wireless local area network (WLAN) protocols, including the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.xx series of protocols, such as IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n, IEEE 802.16, IEEE 802.20, etc. Other examples of wireless protocols may include various wireless wide area network (WWAN) protocols, such as the Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) cellular radiotelephone system protocol with General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), the Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) cellular radiotelephone communication system with 1xRTT, the Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE) system, the Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) system, the Evolution-Data Voice (EV-DV) system, the high speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) system, etc. Other examples of wireless protocols may include wireless personal area network (PAN) protocols, such as infrared protocols; protocols from the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) family of protocols, including Bluetooth specification versions v1.0, v1.1, v1.2, v2.0, v2.0 [Deleted] with Enhanced Data Rate (EDR); and one or more Bluetooth profiles, etc. Still another example of a wireless protocol may include near-field communication technology and protocols, such as electromagnetic induction (EMI) technology.Examples of EMI technology may include passive or active radio-frequency identification (RFID) protocols and devices. Other suitable protocols may include Ultra Wide Band (UWB), Digital Office (DO), Digital Home, Trusted Platform Module (TPM), ZigBee, etc.

[0087] When necessary, the system bus 130 couples the processor 122, the memory 124, the I / O interface 126, and the communication interface 128 to each other. The system bus 130 can be any of several types of bus structures, including a memory bus or memory controller; a peripheral bus or external bus; and / or a local bus using any type of available bus architecture, including but not limited to a 9-bit bus, Industry Standard Architecture (ISA), Micro-channel Architecture (MCA), extended ISA (EISA), Intelligent Drive Electronics (IDE), Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus (VESA Local Bus, VLB), Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) bus, Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) or other proprietary bus, or any custom bus suitable for computing device applications.

[0088] Figure 2A to Figure 2CExemplary top and side views of a vacuum chuck 200 for holding a semiconductor substrate during a semiconductor manufacturing process according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated. In the illustrated embodiment, the vacuum chuck 200 has a circular shape in the xy plane (i.e., a plane defined by the direction x and the direction y). In some other embodiments, the vacuum chuck 200 can be any shape including square and rectangular, which are within the scope of the present invention. In some embodiments, the vacuum chuck 200 includes a plurality of vacuum recesses 202, such as vacuum recess 202-1, vacuum recess 202-2, and vacuum recess 202-3. The plurality of vacuum recesses 202 are concentric and share a common central axis 204 in the direction z. In some embodiments, the plurality of vacuum recesses 202 are interconnected by a vacuum channel passage 214 and share a common vacuum source 206. In some other embodiments, the plurality of vacuum recesses 202 are physically isolated from each other and each of the plurality of vacuum recesses 202 is coupled to one vacuum source 206. Although only three vacuum grooves 202 are shown, any desired number or configuration of vacuum grooves 202 may be included in the vacuum chuck 200 and still remain within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0089] In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of vacuum grooves 202 are disposed on a top surface (also referred to as a first surface) 210 of the vacuum chuck 200. In some embodiments, the plurality of vacuum grooves 202 are connected by vacuum channel passages 214 ( Figure 2A ) is connected to a plurality of vacuum holes 216, wherein the vacuum holes 216 are configured on the bottom surface 212 of the vacuum chuck 200. In some embodiments, the vacuum holes 216 are further coupled to the vacuum source 206 through a conduit or tube 230. In the illustrated embodiment, this configuration allows vacuum suction to be achieved in the plurality of vacuum grooves 202.

[0090] In the illustrated embodiment, the vacuum chuck 200 further includes a plurality of pin holes 224, wherein each of the plurality of pin holes 224 is a through hole extending from the top surface 210 to the bottom surface 212 of the vacuum chuck 200. In some embodiments, the plurality of pin holes 224 allow a corresponding pin (not shown) to extend upward and retract through each of the plurality of pin holes 224 to respectively raise and lower a lifted substrate on the vacuum chuck 200 when loading and unloading substrates from the vacuum chuck 200. In some embodiments, the pins are automatically raised and lowered through their corresponding pin holes 224 by robotic means. In some embodiments, the vacuum chuck 200 further includes a cut-out area 226 on the top surface 210 for wafer handling and robot arm recessing.

[0091] In some embodiments, the vacuum chuck 200 may further include at least one temperature control / sensing unit. In some embodiments, the temperature control / sensing unit includes at least one heating element, at least one cooling element, and at least one temperature sensing element.

[0092] In some embodiments, the heating element can be a Peltier device and / or a resistive heater, such as a polyimide heater, a silicone rubber heater, a mica heater, a metal heater (e.g., W, Ni / Cr alloy, Mo or Ta), a ceramic heater (e.g., tungsten carbide (WC)), a semiconductor heater, a carbon heater, or any other suitable type of heating element as desired. The heating element can be implemented in various designs or configurations, such as a screen printed heater, a wire wound heater, an etched foil heater, or any other suitable design as desired.

[0093] In some embodiments, a cooling element is configured in the vacuum chuck 200 to control the temperature of the vacuum chuck 200, thereby controlling the temperature of the warped substrate. In some embodiments, an external refrigerator (not shown) can be used to cool the liquid coolant or gas coolant passing through the cooling element to achieve a greater cooling effect, and the liquid coolant or gas coolant can be recirculated to achieve greater efficiency. The external refrigerator that cools and recirculates the coolant fluid can be controlled by a controller. According to some embodiments, if a refrigerator is used to cool the coolant fluid to a temperature below that of the atmosphere, a faster cooling rate can be achieved. In some embodiments, a cooling element may not be necessary. In some embodiments, the cooling element can be cryogenic.

[0094] In some embodiments, a sensing element is configured in the vacuum chuck 200 to detect the local temperature of the vacuum chuck 200 through a temperature sensing circuit. This is particularly useful in regulating the temperature of the substrate within a desired time response. In some embodiments, different types of sensing elements can be implemented according to the desired performance (e.g., detection range, sensitivity, accuracy, reaction time, repeatability, size, power consumption, cost, etc.), including contact temperature sensors and non-contact temperature sensors. In some embodiments, the contact temperature sensor can be: a thermostat, which is composed of two different metals (e.g., nickel, copper, tungsten, aluminum, etc.); a thermistor, which is usually composed of a ceramic material (e.g., oxides of nickel, manganese, cobalt, etc.); a thin film resistive sensor, which is usually composed of a thin high-purity conductive metal (e.g., platinum, copper, nickel, etc.); a thermocouple, which is composed of two different metals (e.g., copper, iron, various metal alloys, etc.) and two junctions; a semiconductor junction sensor; an infrared radiation sensor, etc. In some embodiments, a heating element can also be used as a temperature sensing element.

[0095] In the illustrated embodiment, the vacuum chuck 200 includes five flexible sealing rings 220. Different types of flexible sealing rings 220 may be used on the vacuum chuck 200 depending on the pressure range, operating temperature, and other processing conditions. In the illustrated embodiment, the flexible sealing rings 220 may be made of elastomers with different hardnesses. In some embodiments, the hardness of the flexible sealing rings 220 is selected so that the flexible sealing rings 220 can adapt to the unevenness of the rear surface of the warped substrate. The surface of the flexible sealing rings 220 does not contain release grease, is smooth, and has no cracks / scratch. In some embodiments, the flexible sealing rings 220 are coated with a thin film of low vapor pressure grease (e.g., silicone grease, mineral oil-based grease, or perfluoropolyether-based grease) that is used to smooth small irregularities on the surface of the flexible sealing rings 220 and the surface of the warped substrate. In some embodiments, the at least one flexible sealing ring 220 each comprises silicone with a Teflon coating.

[0096] In some embodiments, the cross-sections of the flexible sealing rings 220A and 220B have the same geometric dimensions. In some embodiments, in the resting position of the flexible sealing rings 220A / 220B, the cross-section of the flexible sealing rings 220A / 220B has a first height in the range of 5 mm to 15 mm and a first width of 3 mm to 7 mm. In some embodiments, the sealing ring groove 222 has a depth in the range of 4 mm to 7 mm. In some other embodiments, the first height of the flexible sealing rings 220A / 220B is at least 2 mm higher than the depth of the sealing ring groove 222. In the illustrated embodiment, the flexible sealing ring 220A has a larger diameter than the flexible sealing ring 220B.

[0097] In some embodiments, the at least one flexible sealing ring 220 is disposed in at least one corresponding sealing ring groove 222. In the illustrated embodiment, the flexible sealing ring 220A in the sealing ring groove 222 is disposed around the edge of the vacuum chuck 200; and each of the four flexible sealing rings 220B is disposed around each of the four pin holes 224. In some other embodiments, the position of the at least one corresponding sealing ring groove 222 on the vacuum chuck 200 is determined by the shape and size of the warped substrate, the position of the pin holes 224, and the shape of the vacuum chuck 200, which is within the scope of the present invention.

[0098] In some embodiments, the vacuum chuck 200 includes at least one cut-out area 226 for a mechanism for loading and unloading substrates. Figure 2B As shown in , the flexible sealing ring 220A conforms to the contour of the peripheral edge of the vacuum chuck 200 including the cut-out area 226. In some embodiments, the top surface 210 of the vacuum chuck 200 has a flatness in the range of hundreds of nanometers to tens of microns. In some embodiments, the vacuum chuck 200 comprises one of the following: aluminum, steel, and plastic. In some embodiments, the vacuum chuck 200 is also coated with a protective coating to increase wear resistance and corrosion resistance. In some embodiments, the vacuum chuck 200 includes an anodic coating formed on anodized aluminum in a variety of electrolytes.

[0099] FIG. 3A to FIG. 3BAn exemplary diagram 300 illustrates a convexly deformed warped substrate 302 placed on a vacuum chuck 200 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In the illustrated embodiment, when any line segment connecting any two points on the surface of the warped substrate 302 is higher than the surface in the direction z, then the warped substrate 302 has a convexly deformed top surface 306. When the convexly deformed warped substrate 302 is placed on the vacuum chuck 200 and before vacuum is applied to the vacuum groove 202 through the vacuum hole 216, the flexible sealing ring 220 around the pin hole 224 is partially compressed by the weight of the warped substrate 302. In some embodiments, the warped substrate 302 may have a warp 310 in the range of 1 mm to 5 mm. In this case, the flexible sealing ring 220 disposed around the pin hole 224 is partially compressed up to about 2 mm, while the flexible sealing ring 220 disposed near the edge of the vacuum chuck 200 is not compressed. In the illustrated embodiment, the flexible sealing ring 220 achieves a direct vacuum seal with the lifted substrate 302 .

[0100] When vacuum is applied to the vacuum groove 202 through the vacuum hole 216, a low pressure is achieved and maintained without leakage in the space 304 between the lift substrate 302 and the first surface 210 of the vacuum chuck 200 due to direct contact between the flexible sealing ring 220 and the lift substrate 302. In the illustrated embodiment, the pressure difference between the top surface 306 and the bottom surface of the lift substrate 302 flattens the convexly deformed top surface 306, and the flexible sealing ring 220 is fully compressed into the sealing ring groove 222. In some embodiments, due to the warping of the lift substrate 302, when vacuum is applied, the flexible sealing ring 220 disposed around the pin hole 224 is compressed by about 3 mm, and the flexible sealing ring 220 disposed around the edge of the vacuum chuck 200 is compressed by about 5 mm.

[0101] FIG. 4A to FIG. 4BAn exemplary diagram 320 illustrates a warp substrate 322 having a concave deformation on a top surface 326 applied to a vacuum chuck 200 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In the illustrated embodiment, the warp substrate 322 has a concave deformation when any line segment connecting any two points on the surface of the warp substrate 322 is below the surface in the direction z. When the warp substrate 322 having the concave deformation is placed on the vacuum chuck 200 and before vacuum is applied to the vacuum groove 202 through the vacuum hole 216, the flexible sealing ring 220 disposed around the edge of the vacuum chuck 200 is partially compressed due to the weight of the warp substrate 322. In some embodiments, the warp substrate 322 has a warp 310 of 2 mm. In this case, the flexible sealing ring 220 disposed around the edge of the vacuum chuck 200 is partially compressed by about 2 mm, while the flexible sealing ring 220 disposed around the pin hole 224 is not compressed. In the illustrated embodiment, the flexible sealing ring 220 achieves a direct vacuum seal with the lifted substrate 322 .

[0102] When vacuum is applied to the vacuum groove 202 through the vacuum hole 216, low pressure is achieved and maintained without leakage in the space 324 between the lift substrate 322 and the first surface 210 of the vacuum chuck 200 due to direct contact between the flexible sealing ring 220 located around the edge of the vacuum chuck 200 and the lift substrate 322. In the illustrated embodiment, the pressure difference between the top surface 326 and the bottom surface of the lift substrate 322 flattens the concavely deformed top surface 326, and the flexible sealing ring 220 is completely compressed into the sealing ring groove 222. In some embodiments, due to the warping of the lift substrate 322, when vacuum is applied, the flexible sealing ring 220 disposed around the pin hole 224 is compressed by up to 5 mm, and the flexible sealing ring 220 disposed around the edge of the vacuum chuck 200 is compressed by 3 mm.

[0103] FIG. 5A to FIG. 5BA cross-sectional view illustrating a portion of a vacuum chuck 400 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the vacuum chuck 400 includes at least one flexible sealing ring 220. Different types of flexible sealing rings 220 may be used on the vacuum chuck 400 depending on the pressure range, operating temperature, and other processing conditions. In some embodiments, the flexible sealing ring 220 may be made of an elastomer with different hardnesses. In some embodiments, the hardness of the flexible sealing ring 220 is selected so that the flexible sealing ring 220 can adapt to the unevenness of the rear surface of the warped substrate. The surface of the flexible sealing ring 220 does not contain release grease, is smooth, and is crack / scratch-free. In some embodiments, the flexible sealing ring 220 is coated with a thin film of low vapor pressure grease (e.g., silicone grease, mineral oil-based grease, or perfluoropolyether-based grease) that is used to smooth small irregularities on the surface of the flexible sealing ring 220 and the surface of the warped substrate. In some embodiments, the flexible sealing ring 220 includes silicone with a Teflon coating. In some embodiments, the flexible sealing ring 220 is disposed in a corresponding sealing ring groove 222.

[0104] In the illustrated embodiment, the flexible sealing ring 220 has a sawtooth cross-section, wherein the sawtooth cross-section includes a plurality of line segments 412. In some embodiments, two adjacent line segments 412 are coupled to form a corner having a variable angle 414, wherein the value of the variable angle 414 depends on the degree of compression of the flexible sealing ring 220. In some embodiments, each of the plurality of line segments 412 has the same length 416 and the same thickness 418.

[0105] The external force 420 causes the flexible sealing ring 220 to plastically deform along a direction z perpendicular to the top surface of the vacuum chuck 400. As discussed above, in some embodiments, the external force 420 may be caused by the weight of the tilted substrate before vacuum is applied or by the pressure difference between the two surfaces of the tilted substrate after vacuum is applied. In some embodiments, the flexible sealing ring 220 having a sawtooth cross-section has a first height 402 and a first width 404 before deformation. After full compression, the flexible sealing ring 220 has a second height 406 and a second width 408.

[0106] In some embodiments, the first height 402 is in the range of 5 mm to 15 mm and the first width 404 is in the range of 3 mm to 7 mm. In some embodiments, the sealing ring groove 222 has a depth 410 in the range of 4 mm to 7 mm. In some other embodiments, the first height 402 of the flexible sealing ring 220 is at least 2 mm higher than the depth 410 of the sealing ring groove 222. In some embodiments, the second height 406 is determined according to the external force 420. In some embodiments, the second height 406 is equal to or greater than the depth 410, and the second width 408 is equal to the first width 404, which is limited by the width of the sealing ring groove 222.

[0107] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating a method 500 for holding a lifted substrate on a vacuum chuck 200 for semiconductor processing according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the operations of the method 500 are performed by Figure 2A to Figure 2C , FIG. 3A to FIG. 3B , FIG. 4A to FIG. 4B For discussion purposes, the corresponding components described are implemented. Figure 2A to Figure 2C , FIG. 3A to FIG. 3B , FIG. 4A to FIG. 4B The following embodiment of method 500 is described. The illustrated embodiment of method 500 is merely an example for holding a warped substrate on a vacuum chuck during semiconductor processing. Therefore, it should be understood that any of the various operations may be omitted, reordered, and / or added and still be within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0108] The method 500 begins at operation 502, where a lifted substrate is placed in position on a vacuum chuck 200 according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the vacuum chuck 200 is located in a semiconductor processing station for performing IC manufacturing processes. Examples of IC manufacturing processes performed in a processing station include cleaning, photolithography, wet etching, dry etching, dielectric deposition, metal deposition, and any other suitable semiconductor process.

[0109] The method 500 continues to operation 504, where a vacuum is applied to the vacuum chuck 200 according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, when a vacuum is applied to the vacuum groove 202 through the vacuum hole 216, a low pressure is achieved and maintained without leakage in the space 304 between the lift substrate 302 and the first surface 210 of the vacuum chuck 200 due to direct contact between the flexible sealing ring 220 and the lift substrate 302. In the illustrated embodiment, the pressure difference between the top surface 306 and the bottom surface of the lift substrate 302 flattens the convexly deformed top surface 306, and the flexible sealing ring 220 is fully compressed into the sealing ring groove 222. In some embodiments, due to the warping of the lift substrate 302, when a vacuum is applied, the flexible sealing ring 220 disposed around the pin hole 224 is compressed up to 3 mm, and the flexible sealing ring 220 disposed around the edge of the vacuum chuck 200 is compressed up to 5 mm. In some embodiments, the amount of compression of the flexible sealing ring 220 may be different at different locations due to different amounts of warpage at different regions of the substrate resulting in different gap distances between the substrate and the vacuum chuck.

[0110] In some other embodiments, when vacuum is applied to the vacuum groove 202 through the vacuum hole 216, due to direct contact between the flexible sealing ring 220 and the lift substrate 322, a low pressure is achieved and maintained without leakage in the space 324 between the lift substrate 322 and the first surface 210 of the vacuum chuck 200. In the illustrated embodiment, the pressure difference between the top surface 326 and the bottom surface of the lift substrate 322 flattens the concavely deformed top surface 326, and the flexible sealing ring 220 is fully compressed into the sealing ring groove 222. In some embodiments, due to the warping of the lift substrate 322, when vacuum is applied, the flexible sealing ring 220 disposed around the pin hole 224 is compressed by up to 5 mm, and the flexible ring 220 disposed around the edge of the vacuum chuck 200 is compressed by up to 3 mm.

[0111] The method 500 continues to operation 506, in which a semiconductor manufacturing process is performed according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, at least one feature may be formed in a processing station, the at least one feature including a photoresist pattern, a metal contact, an etched trench, an isolation member, a through-hole structure / via, an interconnect, etc. The vacuum chuck 200 with the flexible sealing ring 220 may automatically improve the flatness of the warped substrate to correct the warpage, which improves the uniformity of the substrate in the manufacturing process.

[0112] The method 500 continues to operation 508 where the semiconductor manufacturing process is completed according to some embodiments and the vacuum is released on the vacuum chuck 200. In some embodiments, the vacuum is released on the vacuum chuck 200 to remove the lifted substrate from the vacuum chuck 200.

[0113] In one embodiment, a semiconductor manufacturing system includes a vacuum chuck configured to hold a substrate, wherein the vacuum chuck includes: a plurality of vacuum grooves located on a top surface of the vacuum chuck, wherein the top surface is configured to face the substrate; and a plurality of flexible sealing rings disposed on the vacuum chuck and extending outward from the top surface, wherein the plurality of flexible sealing rings are configured to directly contact a bottom surface of the substrate and be adjacent to the plurality of vacuum grooves to form a vacuum seal between the substrate and the vacuum chuck, and wherein each of the plurality of flexible sealing rings has a sawtooth-shaped cross-section.

[0114] In another embodiment, a vacuum chuck for handling a warped substrate comprises: a plurality of vacuum grooves on a top surface of the vacuum chuck, wherein the top surface is configured to face the warped substrate; and a plurality of flexible sealing rings disposed on the vacuum chuck and extending outward from the top surface, wherein the plurality of flexible sealing rings are configured to directly contact a bottom surface of the warped substrate and be adjacent to the plurality of vacuum grooves to form a vacuum seal between the warped substrate and the vacuum chuck, and wherein each of the plurality of flexible sealing rings has a serrated cross-section.

[0115] Furthermore, in another embodiment, a method for handling a semiconductor substrate comprises: placing the semiconductor substrate on a vacuum chuck; applying vacuum suction to the vacuum chuck; performing a semiconductor manufacturing process on the semiconductor substrate; and releasing the vacuum suction on the vacuum chuck, a plurality of vacuum grooves being located on a top surface of the vacuum chuck, wherein the top surface is configured to face the semiconductor substrate; and a plurality of flexible sealing rings being disposed on the vacuum chuck and extending outward from the top surface, wherein the plurality of flexible sealing rings are configured to directly contact a bottom surface of the semiconductor substrate and be adjacent to the plurality of vacuum grooves to form a vacuum seal between the semiconductor substrate and the vacuum chuck, and wherein each of the plurality of flexible sealing rings has a serrated cross-section.

[0116] In another embodiment, a semiconductor manufacturing system includes: a processing station configured to perform an integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing process on a substrate contained in a chamber of the processing station; and a vacuum chuck contained in the chamber and configured to hold the substrate. The vacuum chuck includes a plurality of vacuum grooves and a plurality of flexible sealing rings. The plurality of vacuum grooves are located on a top surface of the vacuum chuck, wherein the top surface is configured to face the substrate. A plurality of flexible sealing rings are disposed on the vacuum chuck and extend outward from the top surface, wherein the plurality of flexible sealing rings are configured to directly contact a bottom surface of the substrate and be adjacent to the plurality of vacuum grooves to form a vacuum seal between the substrate and the vacuum chuck, and wherein each of the plurality of flexible sealing rings has a sawtooth-shaped cross-section.

[0117] In the semiconductor manufacturing system, the vacuum chuck further comprises: a plurality of sealing ring grooves, wherein the plurality of sealing ring grooves are configured to hold the plurality of flexible sealing rings on the vacuum chuck; at least one vacuum hole, wherein the at least one vacuum hole is coupled to the plurality of vacuum grooves and to at least one vacuum source to provide vacuum suction to the substrate through the plurality of vacuum grooves; and at least one pin hole, wherein the at least one pin hole extends from the top surface of the vacuum chuck to the bottom surface of the vacuum chuck. In the semiconductor manufacturing system, each of the plurality of flexible sealing rings has a first height in a direction perpendicular to the top surface of the vacuum chuck, wherein the first height is in a range of 5 mm to 15 mm, and wherein the plurality of sealing ring grooves have a depth in the direction perpendicular to the top surface of the vacuum chuck, wherein the depth is in a range of 4 mm to 7 mm. In the semiconductor manufacturing system, the first height is at least 2 mm greater than the depth. In the semiconductor manufacturing system, the plurality of vacuum grooves are concentric and interconnected by at least one vacuum channel passage in the vacuum chuck. In the semiconductor manufacturing system, the sawtooth cross section includes a plurality of line segments, wherein two adjacent line segments of the plurality of line segments are coupled together to form a corner having a variable angle. In the semiconductor manufacturing system, a value of the variable angle of at least one of the plurality of flexible sealing rings on the vacuum chuck is determined by at least one of the following: a weight of the substrate and a vacuum suction force applied to the vacuum chuck.

[0118] In another embodiment, a vacuum chuck for handling a warped substrate comprises: at least one vacuum groove located on a top surface of the vacuum chuck, wherein the top surface is configured to face the warped substrate; and at least one flexible sealing ring disposed on the vacuum chuck and extending outward from the top surface, wherein the at least one flexible sealing ring is configured to directly contact a bottom surface of the warped substrate and be adjacent to the at least one vacuum groove to form a vacuum seal between the warped substrate and the vacuum chuck.

[0119] In the vacuum chuck for handling a warped substrate, the vacuum chuck further comprises: at least one sealing ring groove configured to hold the at least one flexible sealing ring on the vacuum chuck; at least one vacuum hole, wherein the at least one vacuum hole is coupled to the at least one vacuum groove and coupled to at least one vacuum source to provide vacuum suction to the warped substrate through the at least one vacuum groove; and at least one pin hole, wherein the at least one pin hole extends from the top surface of the vacuum chuck to the bottom surface of the vacuum chuck. In the vacuum chuck for handling a warped substrate, the at least one flexible sealing ring has a first height in a direction perpendicular to the top surface of the vacuum chuck, wherein the first height is in a range of 5 mm to 15 mm, and wherein the at least one sealing ring groove has a depth in the direction perpendicular to the top surface of the vacuum chuck, wherein the depth is in a range of 4 mm to 7 mm. In the vacuum chuck for handling a warped substrate, the first height is at least 2 mm greater than the depth. In the vacuum chuck for handling a warped substrate, the at least one vacuum groove includes a plurality of vacuum grooves, the plurality of vacuum grooves are concentric with each other and are interconnected by at least one vacuum channel passage in the vacuum chuck. In the vacuum chuck for handling a warped substrate, the at least one flexible sealing ring has a sawtooth cross-section including a plurality of line segments, wherein two adjacent line segments of the plurality of line segments are coupled together to form a corner with a variable angle. In the vacuum chuck for handling a warped substrate, the value of the variable angle of the at least one flexible sealing ring on the vacuum chuck is determined by at least one of the following: the weight of the warped substrate and the vacuum suction force applied to the vacuum chuck.

[0120] In another embodiment, a method for handling a semiconductor substrate includes: placing the semiconductor substrate on a top surface of a vacuum chuck having a plurality of vacuum grooves formed therein and a plurality of flexible sealing rings positioned adjacent to corresponding ones of the plurality of vacuum grooves and extending upward from the top surface; applying vacuum suction to the vacuum chuck via the plurality of vacuum grooves to form a vacuum seal between the semiconductor substrate and the vacuum chuck; performing a semiconductor manufacturing process on the semiconductor substrate; and releasing the vacuum suction on the vacuum chuck.

[0121] In the method for handling semiconductor substrates, the vacuum chuck further comprises: a plurality of sealing ring grooves, wherein the plurality of sealing ring grooves are configured to hold the plurality of flexible sealing rings on the vacuum chuck; at least one vacuum hole, wherein the at least one vacuum hole is coupled to the plurality of vacuum grooves and to at least one vacuum source to provide vacuum suction to the semiconductor substrate through the plurality of vacuum grooves; and at least one pin hole, wherein the at least one pin hole extends from the top surface of the vacuum chuck to the bottom surface of the vacuum chuck. In the method for handling semiconductor substrates, each of the plurality of flexible sealing rings has a first height in a direction perpendicular to the top surface of the vacuum chuck, wherein the first height is in a range of 5 mm to 15 mm, and wherein the plurality of sealing ring grooves have a depth in the direction perpendicular to the top surface of the vacuum chuck, wherein the depth is in a range of 4 mm to 7 mm. In the method for handling semiconductor substrates, the first height is at least 2 mm greater than the depth. In the method for handling a semiconductor substrate, each of the plurality of flexible sealing rings has a sawtooth cross section including a plurality of line segments, wherein two adjacent line segments of the plurality of line segments are coupled together to form a corner having a variable angle. In the method for handling a semiconductor substrate, a value of the variable angle of at least one of the plurality of flexible sealing rings on the vacuum chuck is determined by at least one of the weight of the semiconductor substrate and the vacuum suction force applied to the vacuum chuck.

[0122] The foregoing summarizes the features of several embodiments so that those skilled in the art may better understand various aspects of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that they may easily use the present disclosure as a basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures to perform the same purposes and / or achieve the same advantages as the embodiments described herein. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that these equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and that various changes, substitutions, and modifications may be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0123] In this document, the term "module" used herein refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of these elements for implementing the associated functions described herein. In addition, for the purpose of discussion, various modules are described as discrete modules; however, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that according to embodiments of the present invention, two or more modules can be combined to form a single module that implements the associated functions.

[0124] It should be further understood by those skilled in the art that any of the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, processors, components, circuits, methods, and functions described in conjunction with the various aspects disclosed herein may be implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., digital implementations, analog implementations, or a combination of the two), firmware, various forms of programs or design code containing instructions (for convenience, may be referred to herein as "software" or "software modules"), or any combination of these technologies. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software, or as a combination of these technologies, depends on the specific application and the design constraints faced by the overall system. Those skilled in the art may implement the described functionality in various ways for each specific application, but such implementation decisions will not result in a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0125] In addition, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, devices, components, and circuits described herein may be implemented within or by an integrated circuit (IC), which may include a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, or any combination thereof. The logic blocks, modules, and circuits may also include antennas and / or transceivers to communicate with various components within a network or within a device. The general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in an alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a combination of multiple microprocessors, a combination of one or more microprocessors in combination with a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration to implement the functions described herein.

[0126] Unless otherwise specifically stated, conditional language such as "may," "might," and the like are understood within the context of common use to convey that certain embodiments include but other embodiments do not include certain features, elements, and / or steps. Thus, such conditional language is generally not intended to imply that one or more embodiments require features, elements, and / or steps in any way, or to imply that one or more embodiments must include logic for deciding, with or without user input or prompting, whether such features, elements, and / or steps are included or will be performed in any particular embodiment.

[0127] In addition, after reading this disclosure, those skilled in the art will be able to configure functional entities to implement the operations described herein. The term "configured to" used herein with respect to a specified operation or function refers to a system, device, component, circuit, structure, machine, etc. being physically or virtually constructed, programmed, and / or arranged to implement the specified operation or function.

[0128] Unless otherwise specifically stated, disjunctive language such as the phrase "at least one of X, Y, or Z" is understood within the context of common usage to present an item, term, etc. that can be X, Y, or Z, or any combination thereof (e.g., X, Y, and / or Z). Thus, such disjunctive language is generally not intended to, and should not, imply that certain embodiments require that at least one of X, at least one of Y, or at least one of Z each be present.

[0129] It should be emphasized that many changes and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments, and the elements of these many changes and modifications should be understood as other acceptable examples. All these modifications and changes are intended to be included in the scope of this disclosure and protected by the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. A semiconductor manufacturing system, comprising: a processing station configured to perform an integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing process on a substrate received within a chamber of the processing station; as well as a vacuum chuck received in the chamber and configured to hold the substrate, wherein the vacuum chuck comprises, a plurality of vacuum grooves located on a top surface of the vacuum chuck, wherein the top surface is configured to face the substrate; as well as a plurality of flexible sealing rings disposed on the vacuum chuck and extending outwardly from the top surface, wherein the plurality of flexible sealing rings are configured to directly contact the bottom surface of the substrate and be adjacent to the plurality of vacuum grooves to form a vacuum seal between the substrate and the vacuum chuck, and wherein each of the plurality of flexible sealing rings has a sawtooth-shaped cross-section, wherein at least two of the plurality of flexible sealing rings are disposed around corresponding pin holes formed in the vacuum chuck, wherein each pin hole is configured to allow a corresponding pin to extend upward through the pin hole and retract to raise and lower the substrate on the vacuum chuck, and One of the plurality of flexible sealing rings conforms to a contour of a peripheral edge of the vacuum chuck including a cut-out region.

2. The semiconductor manufacturing system according to claim 1, wherein the vacuum chuck further comprises: a plurality of sealing ring grooves, wherein the plurality of sealing ring grooves are configured to retain the plurality of flexible sealing rings on the vacuum chuck; at least one vacuum hole, wherein the at least one vacuum hole is coupled to the plurality of vacuum grooves and to at least one vacuum source to provide vacuum suction to the substrate through the plurality of vacuum grooves; as well as At least one pin hole, wherein the at least one pin hole extends from the top surface of the vacuum chuck to the bottom surface of the vacuum chuck.

3. The semiconductor manufacturing system of claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of flexible sealing rings has a first height in a direction perpendicular to the top surface of the vacuum chuck, wherein the first height is in a range of 5 mm to 15 mm, and wherein the plurality of sealing ring grooves have a depth in the direction perpendicular to the top surface of the vacuum chuck, wherein the depth is in a range of 4 mm to 7 mm. The semiconductor manufacturing system of claim 3 , wherein the first height is at least 2 mm greater than the depth.

5. The semiconductor manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of vacuum recesses are concentric and interconnected by at least one vacuum channel passage in the vacuum chuck. 6 . The semiconductor manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the sawtooth cross-section comprises a plurality of line segments, wherein two adjacent line segments of the plurality of line segments are coupled together to form a corner having a variable angle.

7. The semiconductor manufacturing system according to claim 6, wherein a value of the variable angle of at least one of the plurality of flexible sealing rings on the vacuum chuck is determined by at least one of: a weight of the substrate and a vacuum suction force applied to the vacuum chuck.

8. A vacuum chuck for handling a warped substrate, comprising: at least one vacuum groove located on a top surface of the vacuum chuck, wherein the top surface is configured to face the warped substrate; as well as at least one flexible sealing ring disposed on the vacuum chuck and extending outwardly from the top surface, wherein the at least one flexible sealing ring is configured to directly contact the bottom surface of the warped substrate and be adjacent to the at least one vacuum groove to form a vacuum seal between the warped substrate and the vacuum chuck, wherein the at least one flexible sealing ring is disposed around a corresponding pin hole formed in the vacuum chuck, and wherein the corresponding pin hole is configured to allow a corresponding pin to extend upward and retract through the corresponding pin hole to raise and lower the warped substrate on the vacuum chuck, and Wherein one of the at least one flexible sealing ring conforms to the contour of a peripheral edge of the vacuum chuck including a cut-out region.

9. The vacuum chuck for handling a warped substrate according to claim 8, further comprising: at least one sealing ring groove configured to retain the at least one flexible sealing ring on the vacuum chuck; at least one vacuum hole, wherein the at least one vacuum hole is coupled to the at least one vacuum groove and to at least one vacuum source to provide vacuum suction to the warped substrate through the at least one vacuum groove; as well as At least one pin hole, wherein the at least one pin hole extends from the top surface of the vacuum chuck to the bottom surface of the vacuum chuck.

10. The vacuum chuck for handling a warped substrate according to claim 9, wherein the at least one flexible sealing ring has a first height in a direction perpendicular to the top surface of the vacuum chuck, wherein the first height is in a range of 5 mm to 15 mm, and wherein the at least one sealing ring groove has a depth in the direction perpendicular to the top surface of the vacuum chuck, wherein the depth is in a range of 4 mm to 7 mm.

11. The vacuum chuck for handling a warped substrate according to claim 10, wherein the first height is at least 2 mm greater than the depth.

12. The vacuum chuck for handling a warped substrate according to claim 8, wherein the at least one vacuum groove comprises a plurality of vacuum grooves, the plurality of vacuum grooves being concentric with each other and interconnected by at least one vacuum channel passage in the vacuum chuck.

13. The vacuum chuck for handling a warped substrate according to claim 8, wherein the at least one flexible sealing ring has a sawtooth-shaped cross-section including a plurality of line segments, wherein two adjacent line segments of the plurality of line segments are coupled together to form a corner having a variable angle.

14. The vacuum chuck for handling a warped substrate according to claim 13, wherein a value of the variable angle of the at least one flexible sealing ring on the vacuum chuck is determined by at least one of: a weight of the warped substrate and a vacuum suction force applied to the vacuum chuck.

15. A method for treating a semiconductor substrate, comprising: placing the semiconductor substrate on a top surface of a vacuum chuck having a plurality of vacuum grooves formed therein, and a plurality of flexible sealing rings positioned adjacent to respective ones of the plurality of vacuum grooves and extending upward from the top surface, wherein at least two of the plurality of flexible sealing rings are disposed around respective pin holes formed in the vacuum chuck, wherein each pin hole is configured to allow a respective pin to extend upward and retract through the pin hole to raise and lower the semiconductor substrate on the vacuum chuck, and wherein one of the plurality of flexible sealing rings conforms to a contour of a peripheral edge of the vacuum chuck including a cut-out region; applying a vacuum suction force to the vacuum chuck via the plurality of vacuum grooves to form a vacuum seal between the semiconductor substrate and the vacuum chuck; performing a semiconductor manufacturing process on the semiconductor substrate; as well as The vacuum suction is released on the vacuum cup.

16. The method for handling a semiconductor substrate according to claim 15, wherein the vacuum chuck further comprises: a plurality of sealing ring grooves, wherein the plurality of sealing ring grooves are configured to retain the plurality of flexible sealing rings on the vacuum chuck; at least one vacuum hole, wherein the at least one vacuum hole is coupled to the plurality of vacuum grooves and to at least one vacuum source to provide vacuum suction to the semiconductor substrate through the plurality of vacuum grooves; as well as At least one pin hole, wherein the at least one pin hole extends from the top surface of the vacuum chuck to the bottom surface of the vacuum chuck.

17. The method for handling a semiconductor substrate according to claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of flexible sealing rings has a first height in a direction perpendicular to the top surface of the vacuum chuck, wherein the first height is in a range of 5 mm to 15 mm, and wherein the plurality of sealing ring grooves have a depth in the direction perpendicular to the top surface of the vacuum chuck, wherein the depth is in a range of 4 mm to 7 mm.

18. The method for handling a semiconductor substrate of claim 17, wherein the first height is at least 2 millimeters greater than the depth.

19. The method for handling a semiconductor substrate according to claim 18, wherein each of the plurality of flexible sealing rings has a sawtooth cross-section, the sawtooth cross-section comprising a plurality of line segments, wherein two adjacent line segments of the plurality of line segments are coupled together to form a corner with a variable angle.

20. The method for handling a semiconductor substrate according to claim 19, wherein a value of the variable angle of at least one of the plurality of flexible sealing rings on the vacuum chuck is determined by at least one of: a weight of the semiconductor substrate and the vacuum suction force applied to the vacuum chuck.

Images