A semiconductor wafer inspection device, method and wafer cleaning system

Abstract

The application discloses a semiconductor wafer detection device and method and a wafer cleaning system, and relates to the technical field of semiconductor equipment, to solve the problem that the wafer is broken and not detected in time in the wafer cleaning process, resulting in wafer pollution and equipment downtime. The semiconductor wafer detection device comprises an automatic clamping mechanism, an image sensor arranged on the automatic clamping mechanism, and a controller in communication with the image sensor. The semiconductor wafer detection method comprises receiving a wafer image transmitted by the image sensor, and controlling the wafer cleaning equipment to stop working according to the wafer image and a wafer initial image to determine whether the wafer is broken. The semiconductor wafer detection device provided by the application is used for detecting the wafer breakage state in the semiconductor cleaning process, and prevents the influence of wafer breakage on production capacity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor equipment technology, and in particular to a semiconductor wafer inspection device, method, and wafer cleaning system. Background Technology

[0002] Because contaminants on the wafer surface can affect device performance, wafers need to be cleaned during semiconductor manufacturing processes. Wafer cleaning requires removing contaminants without damaging the wafer, necessitating the use of wafer cleaning equipment.

[0003] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer cleaning device in the prior art. (Example:) Figure 1 As shown, existing wafer cleaning equipment includes several process tanks. During the cleaning process, a wafer handling robot picks up wafers and places them into the process tanks for cleaning. If wafer damage is not detected in time during the cleaning process, wafer debris will remain in the cleaning tank, affecting the next batch of wafers entering the chemical tank and causing wafer contamination and equipment downtime, severely delaying production capacity. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a semiconductor wafer inspection device, method, and wafer cleaning system for real-time detection of damaged wafers during the wafer cleaning process, thereby preventing batch contamination of wafers and downtime of wafer cleaning equipment due to wafer damage.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a semiconductor wafer inspection device applied to a wafer cleaning equipment. The wafer cleaning equipment includes multiple process tanks. The semiconductor wafer inspection device includes: an automatic clamping mechanism for performing wafer pick-and-place operations on the process tanks; an image sensor mounted on the automatic clamping mechanism for acquiring wafer images; and a controller communicating with the image sensor for controlling the wafer cleaning equipment to stop when it is determined, based on the wafer images and an initial wafer image, that the wafer is damaged.

[0006] Compared to existing technologies, the semiconductor wafer inspection device provided by this invention features an image sensor mounted on an automatic clamping mechanism. The controller communicates with the image sensor, allowing it to capture an image of the wafer as soon as the automatic clamping mechanism picks it up and send it to the controller. Therefore, during wafer cleaning, when the automatic clamping mechanism removes the wafer from the process tank, the image sensor can immediately capture an image of the removed wafer and send it to the controller. The controller can then quickly determine whether the wafer is damaged based on the wafer image information and the initial wafer image. If a wafer is found to be damaged, it indicates the presence of a damaged wafer in the current process tank. The controller can then directly stop the wafer cleaning equipment, preventing contamination from subsequent wafers entering the same process tank.

[0007] Furthermore, if wafer damage is discovered after the wafer cleaning equipment has finished its work, all wafers produced in the entire process will be scrapped and unusable. This also necessitates cleaning all process tanks in the wafer cleaning equipment to remove wafer fragments and replace the cleaning solution, leading to prolonged equipment downtime. The semiconductor wafer inspection device of this invention can promptly detect wafer damage and immediately stop the wafer cleaning equipment upon detection, allowing for cleaning of only the corresponding process tank. This saves cleaning time, improves work efficiency, and avoids resource waste.

[0008] This invention also provides a semiconductor wafer inspection method using a semiconductor wafer inspection device having an automatic clamping mechanism, an image sensor, and a controller, wherein the image sensor is mounted on the automatic clamping mechanism; the semiconductor wafer inspection device is applied to a wafer cleaning equipment, the wafer cleaning equipment including multiple process tanks, and the semiconductor wafer inspection method includes:

[0009] Receive the wafer image transmitted by the image sensor;

[0010] If the wafer is determined to be damaged based on the wafer image and the initial wafer image, the wafer cleaning equipment is controlled to stop.

[0011] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the semiconductor wafer inspection method provided by the present invention are the same as those of the semiconductor wafer inspection device described in the above technical solutions, and will not be repeated here.

[0012] The present invention also provides a wafer cleaning system, wherein the semiconductor wafer inspection system includes the above-mentioned semiconductor wafer inspection device.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the wafer cleaning system provided by the present invention are the same as those of the semiconductor wafer inspection device described in the above technical solution, and will not be repeated here.

[0014] The present invention also provides a computer storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause the above-described semiconductor wafer inspection method to be performed.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the computer storage medium provided by the present invention are the same as those of the semiconductor wafer inspection device described in the above technical solution, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and form part of this invention, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and are used to explain the invention, but do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings:

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer cleaning device in the prior art;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an automatic clamping mechanism in the prior art;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a process tank in the prior art;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the automatic bearing mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the wafer fixing groove in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer chuck in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0023] To make the technical problems to be solved, the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0024] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on or indirectly on that other component. When a component is referred to as being "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to or indirectly connected to that other component.

[0025] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified. "Several" means one or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0026] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0027] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0028] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a wafer cleaning device in the related technology is shown. For example... Figure 1 As shown, existing wafer cleaning equipment includes several process tanks 1. An automatic holding mechanism 3 transports wafers 2 through different process tanks 1 to achieve the purpose of cleaning the wafers 2. However, during the cleaning process of wafers 2, wafers may break due to equipment malfunctions or other reasons. The broken wafers 2 leave wafer fragments and particulate matter in the process tanks 1, contaminating the corresponding process tanks 1. When the next batch of wafers 2 is placed in the same process tank 1 for cleaning, the broken fragments will cause scratches and breakage to the wafers in the process tank 1, and the particulate matter will contaminate the wafers 2, leading to the scrapping of the entire batch of wafers 2. If broken wafers 2 are found after the wafer cleaning equipment has finished working, the wafer cleaning equipment needs to be shut down for a long time to clean, remove impurities from the process tanks 1, and replace the cleaning solution, resulting in a waste of resources and a significant impact on production capacity.

[0029] To overcome the above problems, embodiments of the present invention provide a semiconductor wafer inspection device, applied to a wafer cleaning equipment, the wafer cleaning equipment including multiple process tanks 1. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the semiconductor wafer inspection device provided in this embodiment of the invention includes: an automatic clamping mechanism 3, an image sensor 4, and a controller.

[0030] like Figure 4As shown, the aforementioned automatic clamping mechanism is mainly used for picking up and placing wafers 2 in the process tank 1. Of course, the automatic clamping mechanism 3 can handle one or more wafers 2. In batch wafer processing, to save time and improve work efficiency, the automatic clamping mechanism 3 can handle multiple wafers 2. Furthermore, the automatic clamping mechanism 3 can be of various types; it can be an existing wafer handling robot or a self-designed mechanism with wafer clamping function.

[0031] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, when the automatic clamping mechanism 3 is a wafer handling robot, the extended end of the robot's gripper 5 has a wafer fixing groove 6, which fixes the wafer 2. The grippers 5, fixed to both ends of the wafer handling robot's fixing beam 7, can clamp 50 wafers 2 at a time and transport them in different process tanks 1 to complete the cleaning process of the wafer 2.

[0032] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, when the automatic clamping mechanism 3 is a self-designed mechanism with wafer clamping function, the automatic clamping mechanism 3 includes a fixed beam 7 and two grippers 5 hinged to the fixed beam. Each gripper 5 has at least one wafer holding groove 6 formed at the end away from the fixed beam 7.

[0033] like Figures 4-6 As shown, in practical applications, such as Figure 3 As shown, the aforementioned grippers 5 can be hinged to both ends of the fixed beam 7, and flexibly perform gripping actions on the wafer 2 under the control of the controller. By gripping the wafer 2 with the two grippers 5 on the fixed beam 7, multiple wafers 2 are respectively secured in the wafer fixing slots 6 on the protruding ends of the grippers 5, thus realizing the transport of the wafers 2. Specifically, as... Figure 6 As shown, the wafer fixing groove 6 at the protruding end of the gripper engages with the wafer chuck 8 in the process tank. Accordingly, the gripper 5 picks up the wafer 2 from the wafer chuck 8 in the process tank 1 to ensure that there is a certain distance between adjacent wafers 2, so as to prevent the wafers from sticking together due to the surface tension of water, resulting in incomplete cleaning, contamination of other wafers 2, and affecting the use of wafers 2.

[0034] like Figure 3 As shown, the image sensor 4 is mounted on the automatic clamping mechanism 3. For example, the image sensor 4 can be mounted on the fixed beam 7 of the automatic clamping mechanism 3.

[0035] The controller communicates with the image sensor 4. The controller and the image sensor 4 can communicate using, but are not limited to, I2C bus, PCI bus, etc. Of course, they can also communicate using power line carrier.

[0036] The image sensor 4 described above is used to acquire wafer images. The image sensor 4 can be a CMOS image sensor, a photosensitive array, or a charge-coupled device with a color filter array, but is not limited to these.

[0037] If the controller determines that wafer 2 is damaged based on the wafer image sent by image sensor 4 and the initial wafer image, it will control the wafer cleaning equipment to stop.

[0038] In practical applications, the image sensor 4 is mounted on the fixed beam 7 of the automatic clamping mechanism 3. During the cleaning process of wafer 2, when the automatic clamping mechanism 3 removes wafer 2 from the wafer chuck 8 of the process tank 1, the image sensor 4 can immediately capture the image of the removed wafer and send it to the controller. The controller can quickly determine whether wafer 2 is damaged based on the wafer image information and the initial wafer image. If wafer 2 is damaged, the controller directly controls the wafer cleaning equipment to stop, thus preventing wafer damage and contamination caused by subsequent wafers 2 entering the process tank 1. Furthermore, due to the timely shutdown of the wafer cleaning equipment, only the corresponding process tank 1 needs to be cleaned, greatly saving downtime of the wafer cleaning equipment and avoiding waste of resources.

[0039] In one alternative embodiment, the controller includes a processor and a memory that communicates with the processor and the image sensor 4. The processor communicates with the wafer cleaning equipment. The memory is used to store initial images of the wafer transmitted by the processor.

[0040] For example, such as Figure 3 As shown, the controller is also used to determine if the wafer 2 is damaged if the wafer image acquired by the image sensor 4 differs from the initial wafer image before the wafer cleaning equipment is shut down. Specifically, before the cleaning process begins, the automatic clamping mechanism 3 clamps the wafer 2, the image sensor 4 acquires the initial wafer image, and sends the acquired initial wafer image to the memory for storage. During the wafer cleaning process, the automatic clamping mechanism 3 clamps the wafer 2 out of each process tank 1, the image sensor 4 acquires the wafer image, and sends it to the processor. The processor retrieves the initial wafer image from the memory and compares it with the original wafer image. If the original wafer image differs from the initial wafer image, the processor determines that the wafer 2 is damaged. The processor then controls the wafer cleaning equipment to shut down, cleans, removes impurities from the corresponding process tank 1, replaces the cleaning solution, and then restarts the equipment.

[0041] like Figure 3As shown, in another example, the controller is also used to determine the actual number of wafers 2 based on the wafer image before controlling the wafer cleaning equipment to stop. If the actual number of wafers 2 differs from the initial number of wafers 2, it is determined that wafers 2 are damaged. Specifically, unlike the example above, after the image sensor 4 acquires the wafer image and sends it to the processor, the processor determines the actual number of wafers based on the wafer image. The processor retrieves the initial wafer image from the memory to determine the initial number of wafers. The processor compares the actual number of wafers with the initial number of wafers. If the actual number of wafers differs from the initial number of wafers, the processor determines that wafers 2 are damaged. The processor then controls the wafer cleaning equipment to stop. The corresponding process tank 1 is then processed to ensure that the next batch of wafers 2 will not be scratched, broken, or contaminated by damaged wafer fragments, thus avoiding resource waste.

[0042] This invention also provides a semiconductor wafer inspection method, which is applied to a semiconductor wafer inspection device having an automatic clamping mechanism 3, an image sensor 4, and a controller. The image sensor 4 is mounted on the automatic clamping mechanism 3. The semiconductor wafer inspection device is applied to a wafer cleaning equipment, which includes multiple process tanks 1.

[0043] The semiconductor wafer inspection method provided in this embodiment of the invention can be executed by a controller or a chip applied to the controller. The semiconductor wafer inspection method includes:

[0044] Before wafer 2 is placed in process tank 1 to begin cleaning, the controller receives the initial image of the wafer transmitted by image sensor 4.

[0045] In practical applications, the image sensor 4 on the fixed beam 7 of the automatic clamping mechanism 3 acquires images of the wafer 2 gripped by the wafer handling robot, obtaining an initial image of the wafer. The image sensor transmits the initial wafer image to the controller. The controller can store the initial wafer image in its memory via a bus.

[0046] After the cleaning process begins, when the wafer handling robot removes wafer 2 from each process tank 1, the controller receives wafer images transmitted by the image sensor.

[0047] In practical applications, when the wafer handling robot takes the wafer 2 out of each process tank 1, the image sensor 4 acquires an image of the current wafer 2, obtains a wafer image, and sends it to the controller. The controller receives the wafer image transmitted by the image sensor 4.

[0048] The controller determines that wafer 2 is damaged when the wafer image is different from the initial wafer image.

[0049] In practical applications, the controller can acquire the initial wafer image stored in the memory via the bus. The controller then compares the acquired initial wafer image with the received wafer image. If the wafer image differs from the initial wafer image, the controller determines that wafer 2 is damaged.

[0050] The controller can also determine the actual number of wafers based on the wafer image, determine the initial number of wafers based on the initial wafer image, and determine that wafer 2 is damaged if the actual number of wafers is different from the initial number of wafers.

[0051] In practical applications, after receiving the wafer image transmitted by wafer sensor 4, the controller processes the wafer image and determines the actual number of wafers based on it. Simultaneously, the controller can obtain the initial wafer image stored in memory via the bus and determine the initial number of wafers based on this image. If the actual number of wafers differs from the initial number, the controller determines that wafer 2 is damaged.

[0052] If the controller determines that wafer 2 is damaged based on the wafer image and the initial wafer image, it will control the wafer cleaning equipment to stop.

[0053] In practical applications, when the controller detects damage to wafer 2, it immediately stops the wafer cleaning equipment. The corresponding process tank 1 is then cleaned, impurities are removed, and the cleaning solution is replaced to ensure that the cleaning of the next batch of wafers 2 is not affected.

[0054] Among them, such as Figure 3 As shown, the processor described above can be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), 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 devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. It can implement or execute the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of this invention. The processor can also be a combination that implements computational functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, etc.

[0055] Among them, such as Figure 3As shown, the aforementioned memory can be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and instructions, random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and instructions, or it can be an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital universal optical discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer, but is not limited thereto.

[0056] This invention also provides a wafer cleaning system, which includes the above-mentioned semiconductor wafer inspection device.

[0057] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the wafer cleaning system provided in this embodiment of the invention are the same as those of the semiconductor wafer inspection device described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0058] In the description of the above embodiments, specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0059] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A semiconductor wafer inspection device, characterized in that, Applied to wafer cleaning equipment, the wafer cleaning equipment includes multiple process tanks, and the semiconductor wafer inspection device includes: An automatic clamping mechanism is used to perform wafer pick-and-place operations on the process tank; An image sensor mounted on the automatic clamping mechanism is used to acquire wafer images; And a controller that communicates with the image sensor, used to control the wafer cleaning equipment to stop when it is determined that the wafer is damaged based on the wafer image and the initial wafer image; The automatic clamping mechanism includes a fixed beam and two grippers hinged to the fixed beam. The image sensor is mounted on the fixed beam. Each gripper has at least one wafer holding groove formed at its end away from the fixed beam. The wafer holding groove cooperates with a wafer chuck in the process tank. The controller is also used to determine the actual number of wafers based on the wafer image and the initial number of wafers based on the initial wafer image before controlling the wafer cleaning equipment to stop. If the actual number of wafers is different from the initial number of wafers, it is determined that the wafers are damaged. The initial wafer image is obtained by the image sensor on the fixed beam of the automatic clamping mechanism acquiring images of the clamped wafers. The controller includes: Processor, which communicates with wafer cleaning equipment; And a memory that communicates with the processor and the image sensor, the memory being used to store the initial wafer image transmitted by the processor.

2. A semiconductor wafer inspection method, characterized in that, A semiconductor wafer inspection device is applied, comprising an automatic clamping mechanism, an image sensor, and a controller, wherein the image sensor is mounted on the automatic clamping mechanism; the semiconductor wafer inspection device is applied to a wafer cleaning equipment, the wafer cleaning equipment including multiple process tanks; the semiconductor wafer inspection method includes: Receive the wafer image transmitted by the image sensor; If, based on the wafer image and the initial wafer image, it is determined that the wafer is damaged, the wafer cleaning equipment is stopped. Before receiving the wafer image transmitted by the image sensor, the semiconductor wafer inspection method further includes: receiving the initial wafer image provided by the image sensor; before stopping the wafer cleaning equipment if, based on the wafer image and the initial wafer image, it is determined that the wafer is damaged, the semiconductor wafer inspection method further includes: The actual number of wafers is determined based on the wafer image, and the initial number of wafers is determined based on the initial wafer image. If the actual number of wafers differs from the initial number of wafers, it is determined that the wafers are damaged.

3. A wafer cleaning system, characterized in that, The wafer cleaning system includes the semiconductor wafer inspection device as described in claim 1.

4. A computer storage medium, characterized in that, The computer storage medium stores instructions that, when executed, cause the semiconductor wafer inspection method of claim 2 to be performed.

Images