Wafer cleaning apparatus and method

Abstract

The application provides a wafer cleaning device, which comprises a rotating arm, a base arranged on the rotating arm, and a spraying mechanism. The base is internally provided with at least two lifting mechanisms and a wafer chuck supported by the lifting mechanisms. The wafer chuck comprises a bearing part and a clamping part. The clamping part is arranged on the bearing part and extends out of the base. The clamping part is used for clamping a wafer to be cleaned. The wafer chuck moves up and down synchronously with the lifting of the lifting mechanisms, so that the clamping part uses different clamping positions for different wafers cleaned in front and back. The spraying mechanism is used for spraying cleaning agent to the wafers cleaned in sequence. When the wafer cleaned in back is cleaned, the position of the clamping part clamping the wafer cleaned in front is cleaned together. The application can avoid the pollution of the clamping part by the wafer.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of semiconductor processing cleaning, in particular to a wafer cleaning device and method. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the semiconductor manufacturing process, it is usually necessary to clean the surface of the wafer to remove impurities on the surface of the wafer, such as some chemical particulate matter.

[0003] The existing method for cleaning the wafer generally includes: providing a wafer chuck including a clamping component and a bearing component, clamping the wafer to be cleaned by the clamping component, then rotating the wafer chuck, and spraying cleaning agent to the wafer through a nozzle to clean the surface of the wafer.

[0004] However, in the related art, the position of the clamping component clamping the wafer is fixed, and if a certain wafer is contaminated, the clamping component will be contaminated, thereby causing the subsequent clamped wafers to be contaminated, which will affect the product yield of the wafer. SUMMARY

[0005] To solve the above problems, the present application provides a wafer cleaning device and method, which can clean the wafer clamping component well and avoid contamination of the clamping component by the wafer.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides a wafer cleaning device, comprising:

[0007] a rotating arm;

[0008] a base provided on the rotating arm, the base being internally provided with at least two lifting mechanisms and a wafer chuck supported by the lifting mechanisms, the wafer chuck including a bearing component and a clamping component, the clamping component being provided on the bearing component and extending out of the base, the clamping component being used to clamp a wafer to be cleaned, the wafer chuck moving up and down synchronously with the lifting of the lifting mechanisms, so that the clamping component uses different clamping positions for different wafers cleaned in front and back; and

[0009] a spraying mechanism for spraying cleaning agent to the wafers cleaned in sequence, the clamping component clamping the position of the wafer cleaned in front when cleaning the wafer cleaned in back being cleaned together.

[0010] Optionally, when the lifting mechanism is lowered to a low point position, the clamping component uses a first clamping position to clamp the wafer to be cleaned;

[0011] When the lifting mechanism is raised to a high point position, the clamping component uses a second clamping position to clamp the wafer to be cleaned.

[0012] Optionally, the spraying mechanism comprises:

[0013] a first nozzle for spraying a first cleaning agent to the front surface of the wafer so as to clean the front surface of the wafer and the first clamping position of the clamping member;

[0014] a second nozzle for spraying a second cleaning agent to the back surface of the wafer so as to clean the back surface of the wafer and the second clamping position of the clamping member.

[0015] Optionally, the first cleaning agent is a chemical solution.

[0016] Optionally, the second cleaning agent is deionized water (DIW).

[0017] Optionally, the clamping member is located at the edge of the bearing member.

[0018] Optionally, the part of the bearing member facing the wafer is a flat surface.

[0019] Optionally, there is a gap between the clamped wafer and the part of the bearing member facing the wafer.

[0020] Optionally, the wafer cleaning device further comprises:

[0021] a driving mechanism connected to the lifting mechanism for driving the lifting mechanism to move up and down.

[0022] In a second aspect, the present application provides a method for cleaning a wafer using the wafer cleaning device as described above, comprising:

[0023] rotating the rotating arm;

[0024] moving the lifting mechanism up and down so that the clamping member uses different clamping positions for different wafers cleaned in sequence;

[0025] spraying cleaning agents to the wafers cleaned in sequence by the spraying mechanism, so as to clean the positions on the clamping member clamping the wafers cleaned in sequence when cleaning the wafers cleaned later.

[0026] The wafer cleaning device and method provided by the present application can change the position of the clamping member clamping the wafer, clean the position on the clamping member clamping the wafer at the same time of cleaning the wafer, avoid the pollution of the clamping member causing the poor quality of the wafer, and improve the product yield of the wafer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the wafer cleaning device provided by an embodiment of the present application when the lifting mechanism is at the low point;

[0028] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the wafer cleaning device provided by an embodiment of the present application at the high point of the lifting mechanism;

[0029] Figure 3 For the corresponding Figure 1 A magnified view of the position where the clamping component holds the wafer;

[0030] Figure 4 For the corresponding Figure 2 A magnified view of the position where the clamping component holds the wafer. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that these descriptions are merely exemplary and not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention. Furthermore, in the following description, descriptions of well-known structures and technologies are omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the concepts of this disclosure.

[0032] The accompanying drawings illustrate various structural schematics according to embodiments of the present disclosure. These drawings are not to scale, and some details have been enlarged for clarity, and some details may have been omitted. The shapes of the various regions and layers shown in the drawings, as well as their relative sizes and positional relationships, are merely exemplary and may deviate from reality due to manufacturing tolerances or technical limitations. Furthermore, those skilled in the art can design regions / layers with different shapes, sizes, and relative positions as needed.

[0033] In the context of this disclosure, when a layer / element is referred to as being "above" another layer / element, the layer / element may be directly above the other layer / element, or there may be an intermediate layer / element between them. Additionally, if a layer / element is "above" another layer / element in one orientation, then when the orientation is reversed, the layer / element may be "below" the other layer / element.

[0034] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 This embodiment provides a wafer cleaning apparatus, including: a rotating arm 10, and a base 11 disposed on the rotating arm 10. The base 11 can rotate under the drive of the rotating arm 10. The base 11 has an internal space, and at least two lifting mechanisms 12 are disposed inside the base 11. The lifting mechanisms 12 can be connected to a drive mechanism (not shown). Under the action of the drive mechanism, the lifting mechanisms 12 can achieve lifting and lowering. Figure 1 The image shows the state of the lifting mechanism 12 when it is lowered to its lowest point. Figure 2The image shows the state of the lifting mechanism 12 when it is raised to its highest point. A wafer chuck 13 is provided on the lifting mechanism 12, wherein the wafer chuck 13 includes a supporting component 131 and a clamping component 132. The clamping component 132 is disposed on the supporting component 131 and extends beyond the upper surface of the base 11. The clamping component 132 is used to clamp the wafer 20 to be cleaned. Generally, the clamping component 132 is located at the edge of the supporting component 131. The portion of the supporting component 131 facing the wafer is a flat surface. After the clamping component clamps the wafer, there is a gap between the wafer and the portion of the supporting component 131 facing the wafer. Additionally, the supporting component 131 can be provided with necessary gas or liquid conduits.

[0035] The wafer chuck 13 is supported by the lifting mechanism 12 and can move up and down synchronously with the lifting mechanism 12. Since the placement height of the wafer is constant, the clamping component 132 uses different clamping positions for different wafers before and after cleaning. Figure 3 This is a magnified view of the position where the clamping component holds the wafer when the lifting mechanism 12 is at its lowest point, denoted as point A, the first clamping position. Figure 4 This is a magnified view of the position where the clamping component holds the wafer when the lifting mechanism 12 is at its highest point, denoted as point B, the second clamping position. Clearly, point A is higher than point B.

[0036] In addition, the wafer cleaning apparatus also includes a spraying mechanism for spraying cleaning agent onto the wafers to be cleaned in sequence, and cleaning the positions on the clamping components that held the wafers to be cleaned in the previous cleaning when cleaning the wafers to be cleaned later.

[0037] As one implementation method, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the spraying mechanism may include a first nozzle 14 and a second nozzle 15. The first nozzle 14 is disposed above the wafer and is used to spray a first cleaning agent onto the front side (i.e., the upper surface) of the wafer to clean the front side of the wafer. At the same time, when the lifting mechanism is in the high position, the clamping component clamps the wafer at the low position (i.e., the second clamping position B). At this time, the first clamping position A is exposed, and the cleaning agent sprayed by the first nozzle 14 can clean the first clamping position A simultaneously.

[0038] The second nozzle 15 is positioned below the wafer, for example, on the upper surface of the substrate 11, directly facing the bottom of the wafer. The second nozzle 15 is used to spray a second cleaning agent onto the back side (i.e., the lower surface) of the wafer to clean the back side of the wafer. Simultaneously, when the lifting mechanism is in the low position, the clamping component holds the wafer at a high position (i.e., the first clamping position A). At this time, the second clamping position B is exposed, and the cleaning agent sprayed by the second nozzle 15 can simultaneously clean the second clamping position B.

[0039] The cleaning agents sprayed by the first nozzle 14 and the second nozzle 15 can be adjusted as needed. For example, the first cleaning agent sprayed by the first nozzle 14 is a chemical solution, such as phosphoric acid, and the second cleaning agent sprayed by the second nozzle 15 is pure water (DIW).

[0040] Preferably, the first nozzle 14 and the second nozzle 15 can move in the horizontal direction to better spray the cleaning agent.

[0041] When using the wafer cleaning apparatus provided in this embodiment to clean different wafers before and after cleaning, the lifting mechanism can be adjusted so that the wafer chuck moves up and down synchronously with the lifting mechanism. This changes the position of the clamping component holding the wafer to be cleaned, allowing the spraying mechanism to clean the positions on the clamping component that held the wafer before it when cleaning the wafer to be cleaned later. The wafer cleaning apparatus of this invention can effectively clean the clamping device and prevent wafer contamination on the clamping component.

[0042] Using the wafer cleaning apparatus described above, another embodiment of the present invention provides a wafer cleaning method, comprising the following steps:

[0043] The rotating arm rotates;

[0044] The lifting mechanism moves up and down to allow the clamping components to use different clamping positions for different wafers before and after cleaning.

[0045] The spraying mechanism sprays cleaning agent onto the wafers being cleaned sequentially. When cleaning the wafers to be cleaned later, the positions on the clamping components that held the wafers to be cleaned earlier are also cleaned.

[0046] The specific cleaning process can be as follows:

[0047] The lifting mechanism is at the lowest point, and the clamping component uses the first clamping position to clamp the first batch of wafers to be cleaned. The spraying mechanism cleans the first batch of wafers to be cleaned.

[0048] The lifting mechanism is raised to the highest point, and the clamping component uses the second clamping position to clamp the second batch of wafers to be cleaned. The spraying mechanism cleans the second batch of wafers to be cleaned, and at the same time cleans the first clamping position on the clamping component that has clamped the first batch of wafers.

[0049] The lifting mechanism is lowered to the lowest point, and the clamping component uses the first clamping position to clamp the third batch of wafers to be cleaned. The spraying mechanism cleans the third batch of wafers to be cleaned, and at the same time cleans the second clamping position on the clamping component that has clamped the second batch of wafers.

[0050] Similarly, the lifting mechanism can be controlled according to the batch of wafers, and the clamping components can be cleaned simultaneously during wafer cleaning to ensure that the clamping components are not contaminated by the wafers.

[0051] 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 wafer cleaning apparatus, characterized in that, include: Rotating arm; A base platform is mounted on the rotating arm. The base platform contains at least two lifting mechanisms and a wafer chuck supported by the lifting mechanisms. The wafer chuck includes a supporting component and a clamping component. The clamping component is mounted on the supporting component and extends out of the base platform. The clamping component is used to clamp the wafer to be cleaned. The wafer chuck moves up and down synchronously with the lifting mechanisms, allowing the clamping component to use different clamping positions for different wafers being cleaned. When the lifting mechanism is at its lowest position, the clamping component clamps the wafer at a first clamping position; when the lifting mechanism is at its highest position, the clamping component clamps the wafer at a second clamping position. The spraying mechanism is used to spray cleaning agent onto the wafers being cleaned sequentially. When cleaning the wafers being cleaned later, the first or second clamping position on the clamping component that has clamped the wafers being cleaned earlier is also cleaned together. The spraying mechanism includes: A first nozzle is disposed above the wafer and is used to spray a first cleaning agent onto the front side of the wafer in order to clean the front side of the wafer and the first clamping position of the clamping component. The second nozzle, located below the wafer, is used to spray a second cleaning agent onto the back side of the wafer to clean the back side of the wafer and the second clamping position of the clamping component.

2. The wafer cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first cleaning agent is a chemical solution.

3. The wafer cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second cleaning agent is pure water (DIW).

4. The wafer cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping component is located at the edge of the bearing component.

5. The wafer cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The portion of the support component facing the wafer is a flat surface.

6. The wafer cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, There is a gap between the wafer held by the clamping component and the portion of the carrier component facing the wafer.

7. The wafer cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A drive mechanism, connected to the lifting mechanism, is used to drive the lifting mechanism to move up and down.

8. A method for cleaning a wafer using the wafer cleaning apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The method includes: The rotating arm rotates; The lifting mechanism moves up and down so that the clamping component uses different clamping positions for different wafers before and after cleaning. When the lifting mechanism is at a low position, the clamping component clamps the wafer at the first clamping position. When the lifting mechanism is at a high position, the clamping component clamps the wafer at the second clamping position. The first nozzle and the second nozzle spray cleaning agent onto the wafers being cleaned sequentially. When cleaning the wafers being cleaned later, the first clamping position or the second clamping position on the clamping component that held the wafers being cleaned earlier is also cleaned together.

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