Semiconductor cleaning apparatus and control method thereof

Abstract

This application discloses a semiconductor cleaning equipment and its control method. The semiconductor cleaning equipment includes a liquid delivery pipeline, an air delivery pipeline, a nozzle, and a liquid detection sensor. The liquid delivery pipeline has a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, and the air delivery pipeline has an air inlet and an air outlet. The nozzle has a liquid inlet, an air inlet, and a spray nozzle. The liquid inlet and the air inlet are both connected to the spray nozzle. The liquid outlet is connected to the liquid inlet, and the air outlet is connected to the air inlet. The spray nozzle is used to spray a gas-liquid mixture. The liquid detection sensor is installed in the air delivery pipeline to detect whether liquid is present in the air delivery pipeline during the wafer cleaning process, preventing the problem of liquid stagnating in the air delivery pipeline for a long time and easily corroding the air delivery pipeline.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of semiconductor processing technology, specifically relating to a semiconductor cleaning device and its control method. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor processing, cleaning is a crucial step to ensure a high degree of surface cleanliness. Currently, two-phase jet cleaning devices are commonly used. Both the liquid delivery line for the cleaning liquid (e.g., ultrapure water) and the gas delivery line for the cleaning gas (e.g., nitrogen) are connected to a two-phase nozzle to form a two-phase jet. However, during gas-liquid mixing, if the liquid pressure exceeds the gas pressure, the cleaning liquid can flow into the gas delivery line, causing corrosion and damage. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application discloses a semiconductor cleaning device and its control method, which can detect whether liquid is mixed into the gas supply line during the wafer cleaning process, and prevent the problem that liquid will easily corrode the gas supply line if it stays in the gas supply line for a long time.

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a semiconductor cleaning apparatus, which includes a liquid delivery pipeline, an air delivery pipeline, a nozzle, and a liquid detection sensor.

[0005] The liquid delivery pipeline has a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, the air delivery pipeline has an air inlet and an air outlet, the nozzle has a liquid inlet, an air inlet and a spray nozzle, the liquid inlet and the air inlet are both connected to the spray nozzle, the liquid outlet is connected to the liquid inlet, the air outlet is connected to the air inlet, the spray nozzle is used to spray the gas-liquid mixture, and the liquid detection sensor is installed in the air delivery pipeline to detect whether there is liquid in the air delivery pipeline.

[0006] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a control method applied to the aforementioned semiconductor cleaning equipment, the control method comprising:

[0007] During the wafer cleaning process, the presence of liquid in the air supply line is monitored in real time.

[0008] If liquid is detected in the gas supply line, the liquid supply line and the gas supply line shall be shut off.

[0009] This application discloses a semiconductor cleaning device, which includes a liquid delivery pipeline, an air delivery pipeline, a nozzle, and a liquid detection sensor. Both the liquid delivery pipeline and the air delivery pipeline are connected to the nozzle, allowing the liquid and gas to mix at the nozzle. The gas-liquid mixture is then sprayed out from the nozzle's spray port to clean the wafer. Simultaneously, the liquid detection sensor is located on the air delivery pipeline. This sensor detects the presence of liquid in the air delivery pipeline and triggers an alarm if liquid is found within it, indicating the need for cleaning. This prevents prolonged liquid retention in the air delivery pipeline, which could lead to corrosion and damage, thus ensuring a longer service life for the wafer cleaning equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0010] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0011] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the semiconductor cleaning equipment disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0012] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of the control method for the semiconductor cleaning equipment disclosed in the embodiments of this application.

[0013] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0014] 100-liquid delivery pipe,

[0015] 200-Gas supply line,

[0016] 300-sprayer head

[0017] 400-Liquid Detection Sensor

[0018] 510 - Drainage line, 520 - Control valve, 530 - Siphon valve

[0019] 610 - Gas filter, 620 - Pneumatic valve, 630 - Gas flow meter, 640 - Pressure regulating valve

[0020] 710 - Backflow valve, 720 - Ultrasonic flow meter, 730 - Pneumatic valve, 740 - Manual valve

[0021] 800-Wafer. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the technical solutions of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with specific embodiments and corresponding drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0023] The technical solutions disclosed in the various embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] like Figure 1 As shown in the figure, this application discloses a semiconductor cleaning device, which includes a liquid delivery pipeline 100, an air delivery pipeline 200, a nozzle 300 and a liquid detection sensor 400. The semiconductor cleaning device can be used to clean a wafer 800.

[0025] The liquid delivery line 100 is used to transport cleaning liquid, which may specifically include cleaning solutions and ultrapure water, etc., which are not limited herein. The liquid delivery line 100 has an inlet end and an outlet end. During the assembly process of the semiconductor cleaning equipment, the inlet end of the liquid delivery line 100 can be connected to a container or pipeline containing cleaning liquid, so that the liquid delivery line 100 in the semiconductor cleaning equipment can provide cleaning liquid.

[0026] Accordingly, the gas supply line 200 is used to deliver cleaning gas, which may specifically include inert gases and nitrogen, etc., gases that do not readily react with or contaminate the wafer 800. The gas supply line 200 has an inlet end and an outlet end. During the assembly process of the semiconductor cleaning equipment, the inlet end of the gas supply line 200 can be connected to a container or pipeline containing cleaning gas, thereby enabling the gas supply line 200 in the semiconductor cleaning equipment to provide cleaning gas.

[0027] To mix the cleaning liquid and cleaning gas, both the liquid delivery line 100 and the gas delivery line 200 are connected to the nozzle 300, allowing the cleaning liquid and cleaning gas to mix within the nozzle 300 and be ejected from the nozzle 300 to clean the wafer 800. Specifically, the nozzle 300 is provided with a liquid inlet, a gas inlet, and a spray nozzle. Both the liquid inlet and the gas inlet are connected to the spray nozzle, ensuring that both the liquid entering through the liquid inlet and the gas entering through the gas inlet can be ejected from the spray nozzle.

[0028] During the assembly of the semiconductor cleaning equipment, the liquid outlet of the liquid delivery pipeline 100 is connected to the liquid inlet of the nozzle 300, so that the liquid in the liquid delivery pipeline is delivered to the nozzle 300 through the liquid inlet. Correspondingly, the gas outlet of the gas delivery pipeline 200 is connected to the gas inlet of the nozzle 300, so that the gas in the gas delivery pipeline is delivered to the nozzle 300 through the gas inlet. Under the action of the spray nozzle, the liquid and gas in the nozzle 300 are mixed with each other, and the gas-liquid mixture is sprayed out from the spray nozzle to clean the wafer 800.

[0029] Meanwhile, since the pressure of the liquid in the liquid delivery pipeline 100 is usually greater than the pressure of the gas in the gas delivery pipeline 200, liquid may mix into the gas delivery pipeline 200. Based on this, as described above, the semiconductor cleaning equipment disclosed in this application includes a liquid detection sensor 400, which is installed in the gas delivery pipeline 200. The liquid detection sensor 400 can detect whether there is liquid in the gas delivery pipeline 200. Correspondingly, when the liquid detection sensor 400 detects that there is liquid in the gas delivery pipeline 200, the liquid detection sensor 400 alarms. Then, the alarm information of the liquid detection sensor 400 indicates that liquid has mixed into the gas delivery pipeline 200. In this case, corresponding measures need to be taken to clean the liquid in the gas delivery pipeline 200.

[0030] This application discloses a semiconductor cleaning device, including a liquid delivery pipeline 100, an air delivery pipeline 200, a nozzle 300, and a liquid detection sensor 400. Both the liquid delivery pipeline 100 and the air delivery pipeline 200 are connected to the nozzle 300, allowing liquid and gas to mix at the nozzle 300. The gas-liquid mixture is then sprayed out from the nozzle of the nozzle 300 to clean the wafer 800. Simultaneously, the liquid detection sensor 400 is installed on the air delivery pipeline 200. The sensor detects the presence of liquid in the air delivery pipeline 200 and will trigger an alarm if liquid is present. This indicates the presence of liquid in the air delivery pipeline 200 and necessitates cleaning, preventing prolonged liquid retention and corrosion, thus ensuring a longer service life for the semiconductor cleaning device.

[0031] Furthermore, in the semiconductor cleaning equipment disclosed in this application embodiment, a gas filter 610 can also be provided on the air supply pipeline 200. The gas filter 610 can filter the gas entering through the air supply pipeline 200 to improve the cleanliness of the gas-liquid mixture sprayed from the nozzle 300, so as to prevent the wafer 800 from being not only not cleaned but also further contaminated. Based on this embodiment, optionally, the liquid detection sensor 400 is disposed between the air outlet end of the air supply pipeline 200 and the gas filter 610, and at a preset distance from the gas filter 610. The specific parameters of the preset distance can be determined according to parameters such as the length of the air supply pipeline 200 and the pressure of the liquid supply pipeline 100, and are not limited here.

[0032] By adopting the above technical solution, the liquid detection sensor 400 can be guaranteed to have high detection reliability. Furthermore, since the cleanliness of the gas flowing through the gas filter 610 is relatively high, and the cleanliness of the cleaning liquid transported in the liquid delivery pipeline 100 is also relatively high, even if some liquid from the liquid delivery pipeline 100 mixes into the gas delivery pipeline 200, the relatively high cleanliness of both the liquid and gas will prevent corrosion of the gas delivery pipeline 200 and the gas filter 610 in a short period. This slightly reduces the urgency of cleaning the gas delivery pipeline 200, which can improve production safety to some extent. Of course, to maximize the prevention of damage to the gas delivery pipeline 200 and the devices installed on it, after the liquid detection sensor 400 issues an alarm signal, the gas delivery pipeline 200 can be cleaned as quickly as possible, while ensuring safety.

[0033] Optionally, the distance between the liquid detection sensor 400 and the gas filter 610 can be 80-115 mm, preferably 100 mm. In this case, it can detect whether there is liquid in the gas supply line more sensitively, and can effectively prevent the accumulation of trace amounts of liquid near the nozzle 300, which could cause the liquid detection sensor 400 to be falsely triggered.

[0034] Of course, the semiconductor cleaning equipment may also include other components. Specifically, along the air supply pipeline from the inlet to the outlet, a pressure regulating valve 640, a gas flow controller 630, and a pneumatic valve 620 may be sequentially installed. Specifically, the pneumatic valve 620 is located on the side of the gas filter 610 opposite to the liquid detection sensor 400 to control the opening and closing of the air supply pipeline; the gas flow controller 630 is located on the side of the pneumatic valve 620 opposite to the gas filter 610 to detect and control the gas flow rate; and the pressure regulating valve 640 is located on the side of the gas flow controller 630 opposite to the pneumatic valve 620 to regulate the gas pressure in the air supply pipeline.

[0035] Correspondingly, functional devices can also be installed on the liquid delivery pipeline 100, pointing from the liquid outlet to the liquid inlet. Specifically, these devices may include a back suction valve 710, an ultrasonic flow meter 720, a pneumatic valve 730, and a manual valve 740. The back suction valve 710 is located on the side of the nozzle 300 away from the air delivery pipeline 200 to block the flow of liquid under the action of pressure difference. The ultrasonic flow meter 720 is located on the side of the back suction valve 710 away from the nozzle 300 to measure the liquid flow rate in the liquid delivery pipeline 100. The pneumatic valve 730 and the manual valve 740 are sequentially located on the side of the ultrasonic flow meter 720 away from the back suction valve 710 to control the opening and closing of the liquid delivery pipeline 100.

[0036] As described above, if there is liquid mixed in the air supply line 200, the interface between the air supply line 200 and the nozzle 300 can be opened and the air supply line 200 can be controlled to work. The air supply line 200 can be purged by blowing out the liquid mixed in the air supply line 200, so as to ensure that there is no liquid in the air supply line 200.

[0037] In another embodiment of this application, the semiconductor cleaning equipment disclosed in this application may further include a drain pipe 510, one end of which is connected to the portion between the gas filter 610 and the outlet end of the gas supply pipe 200. That is, the drain pipe 510 is connected to the gas supply pipe 200, and the port of the drain pipe 510 is located on the portion between the outlet end and the gas filter 610 in the gas supply pipe 200. Furthermore, the other end of the drain pipe 510 is connected to a negative pressure source, which may specifically be a vacuum device. Simultaneously, a control valve 520 is provided on the drain pipe 510, which can be used to change the on / off state of the drain pipe 510. When the control valve 520 is open, the gas supply line 200 is connected to the negative pressure source through the drain line 510. When the gas supply line 200 is working, the gas in the gas supply line 200 can be blown out to the negative pressure source through the drain line 510. During the flow of gas, the inner cavity of the gas supply line 200 can be purged at the same time. If there is liquid mixed in the gas supply line 200, the liquid in the gas supply line 200 can be purged into the drain line 510 by gas purging and discharged to the negative pressure source through the drain line 510.

[0038] When using the above technical solution, cleaning the air supply line 200 does not require disassembling it. Simply open the control valve 520 on the drain line 510 and control the air supply line 200 to purge. This simplifies the cleaning process and prevents damage to the air supply line 200 caused by frequent disassembly. Specifically, the drain line 510 and the air supply line 200 can be connected via a T-connector. The control valve 520 can be a manual valve or a pneumatic valve.

[0039] To further improve the cleaning effect of the liquid in the air supply pipeline 200, the negative pressure source may further include the main drain pipeline of the semiconductor cleaning equipment provided in this application embodiment and a siphon valve 530 disposed on the main drain pipeline. The siphon valve 530 is provided with a drain port and a siphon channel that are interconnected. The drain port is connected to the other end of the drain pipeline 510, that is, the drain port is connected to the end of the drain pipeline away from the air supply pipeline 200, so that the fluid in the drain pipeline 510 can flow into the siphon valve 530 through the drain port. Furthermore, the liquid in the main drain pipeline flows into the siphon channel of the siphon valve 530. Under the action of the flowing liquid, negative pressure can be applied to the drain pipeline 510 through the siphon channel and the drain port of the siphon valve 530, so as to further promote the flow of the liquid mixed in the air supply pipeline 200 to the drain pipeline 510, and finally discharge it from the siphon valve 530 into the main drain pipeline. Specifically, the main drainage pipeline can be the plant drainage pipeline, thereby providing negative pressure to the siphon valve 530 by utilizing the continuous flow of plant drainage pipeline.

[0040] As described above, the liquid detection sensor 400 can specifically be a laser sensor. In another embodiment of this application, the liquid detection sensor 400 can be a capacitive liquid sensor to improve detection stability and reliability. Furthermore, the capacitive liquid sensor has better response efficiency and relatively higher sensitivity.

[0041] Based on the above embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, this application also provides a control method for controlling the above-mentioned semiconductor cleaning equipment, the control method comprising:

[0042] S1. During the wafer cleaning process, the presence of liquid in the air supply line is detected in real time. Specifically, a liquid detection sensor in the semiconductor cleaning equipment can be used to detect whether there is liquid in the air supply line. Since the specific installation of the liquid detection sensor has been described in detail in the above embodiment, it will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0043] S2. If liquid is detected in the gas supply line, shut off both the liquid supply line and the gas supply line. Specifically, corresponding to the above steps, after detecting the liquid level in the gas supply line using a liquid detection sensor, the sensor may alarm. In this case, it is considered that there is liquid in the gas supply line. At this point, the gas supply line is not ready to continue operating and the liquid needs to be cleaned promptly to prevent prolonged liquid retention and corrosion of the gas supply line. Therefore, when liquid is detected in the gas supply line, both the liquid supply line and the gas supply line are shut off, the wafer cleaning process is stopped, and appropriate methods are used to clean the liquid in the gas supply line.

[0044] Of course, corresponding to step S2 above, the liquid detection sensor may also fail to issue an alarm during the wafer cleaning process. In this case, it is assumed that no liquid has been mixed into the air supply line, and the wafer cleaning process can continue.

[0045] Furthermore, as described above, the semiconductor cleaning equipment may further include a drain pipe, one end of which is connected between the air inlet of the air supply pipe and the nozzle; that is, the drain pipe is connected to the air supply pipe, and the port of the drain pipe is located on the portion between the air outlet and the gas filter in the air supply pipe. The other end is connected to a negative pressure source. Based on the above semiconductor cleaning equipment, the control method provided in this application embodiment, after shutting off the liquid supply pipe and the air supply pipe in the above steps, may further include:

[0046] S3. Open the control valve on the drain line connected to the gas supply line to drain the liquid from the gas supply line. In other words, if a liquid detection sensor detects liquid in the gas supply line, the drain line can be used to assist in draining the liquid. Specifically, by opening the control valve on the drain line, the gas supply line and the drain line are connected. Gas in the gas supply line can be blown into the drain line. During the gas flow, the gas supply line is purged, which in turn drives the liquid in the gas supply line to the drain line, and finally discharges it from the drain line to the negative pressure source. This method of cleaning the gas supply line is relatively simple and can prevent damage to the gas supply line caused by frequent disassembly. In particular, depending on the liquid drainage situation, the gas supply line can be reopened to increase the gas volume and flow rate.

[0047] As described above, by connecting the air supply line to the drain line, the air supply line can be purged with gas, effectively removing the liquid from the air supply line. However, other unforeseen circumstances exist, such as liquid remaining in the air supply line after purging. Therefore, optionally, the control method disclosed in this application further includes:

[0048] S4. Before performing the wafer cleaning process, check for liquid in the gas supply line. Specifically, in step S4, the method and device for liquid detection can be the same as in step S1. However, in step S4, the timing of detecting whether there is liquid in the gas supply line is before the wafer cleaning process begins. That is, before starting the wafer cleaning process, the gas supply line is checked for liquid to prevent liquid residue from remaining in the gas supply line before the cleaning process begins, thereby further improving the effectiveness of the wafer cleaning process.

[0049] Based on step S4 above, the control method further includes:

[0050] S5. If liquid is detected in the gas supply line, keep the liquid supply line closed, open the gas supply line to purge it, and open the control valve on the drain line. Specifically, before the wafer cleaning process, the gas supply line is checked. If liquid is detected in the gas supply line, it can be drained using the drain line. The specific control method is to keep the liquid supply line closed to prevent further liquid inflow, and open the control valves on both the gas supply line and the drain line to purge the gas supply line with gas, removing any liquid residue from the gas supply line via the drain line, ensuring that no liquid remains in the gas supply line.

[0051] Furthermore, in the above control method, after keeping the liquid delivery line closed, opening the gas delivery line, purging the gas delivery line, and opening the control valve on the drain line in step S5, the method may further include:

[0052] S6. After a preset time (e.g., 10 seconds), shut off the air supply line and close the control valve, then check again for liquid in the air supply line. Specifically, in the above steps, if liquid is detected in the air supply line, the air supply line and drain line are operated for a preset time to purge the liquid from the air supply line. Correspondingly, after the preset time of operation of the air supply line and drain line, the liquid in the air supply line can usually be purged clean. To confirm that no liquid remains in the air supply line, after purging for the preset time, the air supply line can be shut off and the control valve closed. Then, the presence of liquid in the air supply line can be checked again, using a process and devices similar to those in the above steps.

[0053] Based on step S6 above, the control method disclosed in this application further includes:

[0054] S7. An alarm is triggered if liquid is detected again in the air supply line. Specifically, after purging the air supply line for a preset time, the control valve is closed to disconnect the air supply line from the drain line, and the air supply line is stopped from continuing to supply air. In this situation, the air supply line can be re-detected using a liquid detection sensor. If liquid is still detected in the air supply line, it indicates that purging alone may not be sufficient to remove the liquid. Based on this, the liquid detection sensor can be activated to trigger an alarm, informing staff of the situation and prompting them to clean the liquid from the air supply line to prevent corrosion caused by prolonged liquid retention.

[0055] The above embodiments of this application focus on describing the differences between the various embodiments. As long as the different optimization features between the various embodiments are not contradictory, they can be combined to form a better embodiment. For the sake of brevity, they will not be described in detail here.

[0056] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A semiconductor cleaning apparatus characterized by comprising: This includes liquid delivery lines, gas delivery lines, nozzles, liquid detection sensors, drain lines, and gas filters. The liquid delivery pipeline has a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, the gas delivery pipeline has a gas inlet and a gas outlet, the nozzle has a liquid inlet, a gas inlet and a spray nozzle, the liquid inlet and the gas inlet are both connected to the spray nozzle, the liquid outlet is connected to the liquid inlet, the gas outlet is connected to the gas inlet, the spray nozzle is used to spray the gas-liquid mixture, the gas filter and the liquid detection sensor are both installed in the gas delivery pipeline, the liquid detection sensor is located between the gas filter and the gas outlet, and the liquid detection sensor is used to detect whether there is liquid in the gas delivery pipeline; One end of the drain pipe is connected to the portion between the gas filter and the outlet end in the gas supply pipe, and the other end of the drain pipe is connected to a negative pressure source. A control valve is provided on the drain pipe. When the control valve is open, the gas supply pipe is connected to the negative pressure source through the drain pipe. When the gas supply pipe is working, the gas in the gas supply pipe is blown out to the negative pressure source through the drain pipe.

2. The semiconductor cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein A pressure regulating valve, a gas flow controller, and a pneumatic valve are sequentially installed along the gas supply pipeline from the gas inlet to the gas outlet, at a predetermined distance from the gas filter.

3. The semiconductor cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein The preset distance is 80~115mm.

4. The semiconductor cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The negative pressure source includes the main drain pipe of the semiconductor cleaning equipment and a siphon valve installed on the main drain pipe. The siphon valve has a drain port and a siphon channel that are interconnected. The drain port is connected to the other end of the drain pipe, and the liquid in the main drain pipe flows through the siphon channel.

5. The semiconductor cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by The liquid detection sensor is a capacitive liquid sensor.

6. A control method for the semiconductor cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by, The control method includes: During the wafer cleaning process, the presence of liquid in the air supply line is monitored in real time. If liquid is detected in the air supply line, the liquid supply line and the air supply line are shut off, and the control valve on the drain line connected to the air supply line is opened to drain the liquid from the air supply line.

7. The control method according to claim 6, characterized by Also includes: Before performing the wafer cleaning process, check whether there is liquid in the gas supply line; If liquid is detected in the gas supply line, keep the liquid supply line closed, open the gas supply line, purge the gas supply line, and open the control valve on the drain line.

8. The control method according to claim 7, characterized by, After keeping the liquid delivery line closed, opening the gas delivery line, purging the gas delivery line, and opening the control valve on the drain line, the method further includes: After a preset time, the gas supply line is shut off and the control valve is closed. Then, the gas supply line is checked again to see if there is any liquid. An alarm is triggered if liquid is detected again in the gas supply line.

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