Cleaning device and chemical mechanical polishing device

Abstract

The application provides a cleaning device and a chemical mechanical polishing device. The cleaning device comprises a support structure, a rotating table arranged on the support structure and used for holding a wafer thereon. A cleaning brush assembly is arranged on the support structure and comprises a cleaning brush used for cleaning the surface of the wafer. A particle monitor is arranged on the support structure and used for monitoring the particle distribution on the surface of the wafer. A controller is further included and in communication connection with the particle monitor to receive the particle distribution information of the wafer sent by the particle monitor. The controller is further in communication connection with the cleaning brush assembly to control the cleaning brush assembly to directly clean the particles on the surface of the wafer according to the received particle distribution information of the wafer, so that the cleaning effect is improved and the overall yield is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and in particular to a cleaning apparatus and a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] With the integration and miniaturization of memory devices such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), the density of the internal circuitry is gradually increasing, leading to a reduction in the linewidth of the metal lines forming the circuitry and the spacing between adjacent metal lines. This results in small-sized defects increasingly impacting the yield of the finished memory. In chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) processes, the wafer surface is first chemically and mechanically polished. After CMP, the wafer surface needs to be cleaned to remove contaminants and residual particles. Current technology involves rotating the wafer during cleaning, with the cleaning brush repeatedly moving from the center to the edge. This cleaning method cannot guarantee complete removal of residual particles from the wafer surface, thus affecting the effectiveness of subsequent processing and resulting in a lower overall yield. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention provides a cleaning device and a chemical mechanical polishing device, which allows the cleaning brush assembly to directly clean the particles on the wafer surface based on the monitored particle distribution, thereby improving the cleaning effect and overall yield.

[0004] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a cleaning apparatus, comprising a support structure and a rotary table disposed on the support structure for holding a wafer thereon. A cleaning brush assembly is also disposed on the support structure, the cleaning brush assembly including cleaning brushes for cleaning the wafer surface. A particle monitor is also disposed on the support structure for monitoring the particle distribution on the wafer surface. A controller is also included, which is communicatively connected to the particle monitor to receive wafer particle distribution information sent by the particle monitor. The controller is also communicatively connected to the rotary table and the cleaning brush assembly to control the cleaning brush assembly to directly clean the particles on the wafer surface based on the received wafer particle distribution information.

[0005] In the above-described solution, a particle monitor is installed to monitor the particle distribution information on the wafer surface. This information is then sent to a controller, which, based on the received particle distribution information, controls the cleaning brush assembly to directly clean the particles on the wafer surface. Compared to existing technologies that simply use a cleaning brush to repeatedly move from the wafer center to the edge for cleaning before proceeding to subsequent processes, this solution, after cleaning, uses a particle monitor to detect the particle distribution information on the wafer surface to determine if any particles remain. The controller then uses this monitored particle distribution information to control the cleaning brush assembly to directly clean the particles on the wafer surface, thereby improving the cleaning effect and overall yield.

[0006] In one specific implementation, the particle distribution information includes particle distribution location information, particle size information, and particle distribution density information on the wafer surface.

[0007] In one specific embodiment, the support structure also includes a cleaning chamber, within which the rotary table and cleaning brush assembly are located. The cleaning chamber has an opening through which the wafer is placed or removed. A particle monitor is mounted at the opening to monitor particle distribution information on the wafer surface.

[0008] In one specific embodiment, the cleaning brush assembly further includes a nozzle embedded within the cleaning brush for spraying cleaning agent onto the wafer surface to clean particles that cannot be removed by the cleaning brush alone.

[0009] In one specific embodiment, the cleaning brush is disc-shaped, with a nozzle embedded in the center of the cleaning brush to improve the removal effect of particles on the wafer surface by the cleaning brush and cleaning agent.

[0010] In one specific embodiment, the support structure is also provided with a swing arm mechanism that can swing in a plane parallel to the wafer surface, and the cleaning brush is mounted on the swing arm mechanism.

[0011] In one specific embodiment, the swing arm mechanism includes a hollow swing arm and a first drive unit that drives the swing arm to swing in a plane parallel to the wafer surface. The first drive unit is communicatively connected to a controller. A cleaning brush is mounted at the end of the swing arm, and a supply pipe communicating with a nozzle to supply cleaning agent to the nozzle is inserted within the swing arm. By inserting the supply pipe within the hollow swing arm, the supply pipe is prevented from interfering with the movement of the cleaning brush and the swing arm mechanism.

[0012] In one specific embodiment, the cleaning brush is slidably mounted on a swing arm, and the sliding direction of the cleaning brush relative to the wafer surface is perpendicular to the wafer surface. A second drive unit is also provided on the swing arm to drive the cleaning brush to slide on the swing arm, and the second drive unit is communicatively connected to the controller.

[0013] Secondly, the present invention also provides a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus, which includes any of the cleaning devices described above.

[0014] In the above-described solution, a particle monitor is installed to monitor the particle distribution information on the wafer surface. This information is then sent to a controller, which, based on the received particle distribution information, controls the cleaning brush assembly to directly clean the particles on the wafer surface. Compared to existing technologies that simply use a cleaning brush to repeatedly move from the wafer center to the edge for cleaning before proceeding to subsequent processes, this solution, after cleaning, uses a particle monitor to detect the particle distribution information on the wafer surface to determine if any particles remain. The controller then uses this monitored particle distribution information to control the cleaning brush assembly to directly clean the particles on the wafer surface, thereby improving the cleaning effect and overall yield.

[0015] In one specific embodiment, the support structure is further provided with a loading section, and a particle monitor is mounted at the loading section. This allows the particle monitor to monitor the particle distribution on the wafer surface. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a cleaning device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the cleaning brush and the wafer in a certain state according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the cleaning brush and nozzle provided in an embodiment of the present invention cleaning the wafer surface;

[0019] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating the operation of the cleaning device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure label:

[0021] 10-Wafer 11-Rotating stage 12-Clamping structure

[0022] 20-Cleaning brush 21-Nozzle 22-Supply pipe

[0023] 30-Particle Monitor 40-Controller

[0024] 50-Swing arm 51-First drive unit 60-Particle Detailed Implementation

[0025] 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. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] To facilitate understanding of the cleaning apparatus provided in the embodiments of the present invention, the application scenario of the cleaning apparatus provided in the embodiments of the present invention will be described first. This cleaning apparatus is used to clean wafers that have just undergone chemical mechanical polishing. The cleaning apparatus will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] refer to Figure 1 The cleaning apparatus provided in this embodiment of the invention includes a support structure (not shown in the figure) and a rotating stage 11 disposed on the support structure for holding the wafer 10 thereon. When the support structure is provided, it is specifically a frame structure, a support structure, or other structure with a supporting function. The rotating stage 11 is disposed on the support structure and can rotate relative to the support structure to drive the wafer 10 to rotate. (Reference) Figure 1 The rotary table 11 may include a disk-shaped support platform and a drive motor that drives the support platform to rotate at a fixed point along its axis. The drive motor rotates the support platform, thereby rotating the wafer 10. (Continue to the previous section) Figure 1 A clamping structure 12 for holding the wafer 10 can be provided on the rotary table 11 to keep the wafer 10 on the rotary table 11 and prevent the wafer 10 from being thrown out when the rotary table 11 rotates. When providing the clamping structure 12, clamping claws can be used as the clamping structure 12.

[0028] refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 The support structure also includes a cleaning brush assembly, which comprises a cleaning brush 20 for cleaning the surface of wafer 10. When configuring the cleaning brush 20, refer to... Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 The cleaning brush 20 can be disc-shaped. (See reference below.) Figure 1A particle monitor 30 is also provided on the support structure to monitor the particle distribution on the surface of wafer 10. A controller 40 is also provided, which is communicatively connected to the rotary table 11 and the particle monitor 30 to receive particle distribution information of wafer 10 sent by the particle monitor 30. The controller 40 is also communicatively connected to a cleaning brush assembly to control the cleaning brush assembly to directly clean the particles on the surface of wafer 10 based on the received particle distribution information. By setting up the particle monitor 30, which monitors the particle distribution information on the surface of wafer 10 and then sends it to the controller 40, the controller 40 controls the cleaning brush assembly to directly clean the particles on the surface of wafer 10 based on the received particle distribution information.

[0029] Compared with the existing technology, which simply uses a cleaning brush to repeatedly move from the center to the edge of the wafer for cleaning and then proceeds directly to the next process, the solution of this application monitors the particle distribution information on the surface of the wafer 10 after cleaning by a particle monitor 30 to detect whether there are still particles on the surface of the wafer 10. The controller 40 controls the cleaning brush assembly to directly clean the particles on the surface of the wafer 10 based on the monitored particle distribution information, thereby improving the cleaning effect and improving the overall yield.

[0030] refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 The cleaning brush assembly may further include a nozzle 21 embedded within the cleaning brush 20 for spraying cleaning agent onto the surface of the wafer 10, thereby improving the cleaning effect and efficiency by cleaning particles that cannot be removed by the cleaning brush 20 alone. The cleaning agent can be a cleaning liquid or a cleaning gas. The cleaning liquid can be a chemical cleaning liquid. When the cleaning brush 20 is disc-shaped, the nozzle 21 can be embedded at the center of the cleaning brush 20 to improve the removal effect of particles from the surface of the wafer 10 by the cleaning brush 20 and the cleaning agent. When cleaning particles based on the particle distribution location information monitored by the particle monitor 30, such as... Figure 3 As shown, cleaning agent is first sprayed onto particles 60 through nozzle 21, and then particles 60 are cleaned by cleaning brush 20 to remove particles 60 and improve cleaning effect and quality.

[0031] refer to Figure 1The support structure can also be equipped with a swing arm mechanism that can swing in a plane parallel to the surface of wafer 10. The cleaning brush 20 is mounted on the swing arm mechanism, and the swing arm mechanism drives the cleaning brush 20 to move, thereby cleaning different positions on the surface of wafer 10. Specifically, the swing arm mechanism can include a hollow swing arm 50 and a first drive unit 51 that drives the swing arm 50 to swing in a plane parallel to the surface of wafer 10. The cleaning brush 20 is mounted at the end of the swing arm 50, and a supply pipe 22 communicating with a nozzle 21 to supply cleaning agent to the nozzle 21 is inserted inside the swing arm 50. By inserting the supply pipe 22 inside the hollow swing arm 50, the supply pipe 22 is prevented from affecting the movement of the cleaning brush 20 and the swing arm mechanism. The first drive unit 51 can be a drive motor. The first drive unit 51 is communicatively connected to the controller 40, so that the controller 40 can control the swing arm mechanism to drive the cleaning brush 20 for fine-tuning by sending control signals to the first drive unit 51. It should be understood that the mechanism for moving the cleaning brush 20 is not limited to the swing arm mechanism shown above. In addition, other motion mechanisms that can move the cleaning brush 20 to clean different positions on the surface of the wafer 10 can also be used.

[0032] The cleaning brush 20 can also be slidably mounted on the swing arm 50, with the sliding direction of the cleaning brush 20 relative to the surface of the wafer 10 perpendicular to it. A second drive unit is also provided on the swing arm 50 to drive the cleaning brush 20 to slide on it. This second drive unit can be a drive motor to drive the cleaning brush 20 to slide vertically relative to the swing arm 50. The second drive unit is communicatively connected to the controller 40, allowing the controller 40 to send control signals to the second drive unit to control the vertical movement of the cleaning brush 20.

[0033] When setting up controller 40, devices with control functions such as industrial control computers and mobile terminals can be used as controller 40.

[0034] Alternatively, a cleaning chamber can be provided on the support structure, with the rotary table 11 and cleaning brush assembly located inside the cleaning chamber. The cleaning chamber may also have an opening through which the wafer 10 is placed into or removed from the cleaning chamber.

[0035] When the particle monitor 30 specifically monitors the particle distribution on the surface of wafer 10, the particle distribution information includes the particle distribution location, particle size, and particle distribution density on the surface of wafer 10. That is, by monitoring the particle distribution location, particle size, and particle distribution density on the surface of wafer 10 by the particle monitor 30, during rework cleaning, the cleaning brush 20 can directly clean the particles at that location, thus eliminating the need to clean the entire surface of wafer 10, improving cleaning efficiency and quality. Furthermore, different cleaning methods can be selected based on the particle size and particle distribution density to remove particles from the surface of wafer 10. The particle monitor 30 can specifically consist of a camera device with recognition capabilities. Additionally, the particle monitor 30 can be mounted at an opening to facilitate monitoring the particle distribution information on the surface of wafer 10. It should be understood that the placement of the particle monitor 30 is not limited to the methods shown above; it can also be placed in other locations. For example, the particle monitor 30 can also be placed inside the cleaning chamber.

[0036] In implementing the communication connection between the rotary table 11, the first drive unit 51, the second drive unit, and the controller 40, a wired connection can be used to connect the controller 40 to the rotary table 11, the first drive unit 51, and the second drive unit to improve the stability of the transmitted control signals. Alternatively, a wireless connection, such as a Bluetooth connection, can also be used.

[0037] During work, its workflow is as follows: Figure 4 As shown, the surface of wafer 10 is first subjected to a chemical mechanical polishing process, and then the cleaning device in this embodiment is used to clean the surface of wafer 10. Specifically, the entire surface of wafer 10 is first cleaned, i.e., the cleaning brush 20 cleans the entire surface of wafer 10. Then, the particle monitor 30 monitors the surface of wafer 10 to detect whether particles still exist on the surface, and obtains information on the location, size, and density of the particles. Afterwards, wafer 10 is placed on a rotating stage 11, and the cleaning brush 20 directly cleans the particles at the locations identified by the particle monitor 30, thereby improving cleaning efficiency and effectiveness.

[0038] By setting up a particle monitor 30, the particle distribution information on the surface of wafer 10 is monitored. The particle monitor 30 then sends the information to the controller 40. The controller 40, based on the received particle distribution information, controls the cleaning brush assembly to directly clean the particles on the surface of wafer 10. Compared to the prior art, which simply uses a cleaning brush to repeatedly move from the center to the edge of the wafer for cleaning before proceeding to subsequent processes, the solution in this application, after cleaning, uses the particle monitor 30 to monitor the particle distribution information on the surface of wafer 10 to detect whether particles still exist on the surface. The controller 40 then controls the cleaning brush assembly to directly clean the particles on the surface of wafer 10 based on the monitored particle distribution information, thereby improving the cleaning effect.

[0039] In addition, this invention also provides a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) apparatus, which includes any of the cleaning devices described above. By setting a particle monitor 30, the particle monitor 30 monitors the particle distribution information on the surface of wafer 10, and then sends the information to a controller 40. The controller 40, based on the received particle distribution information of wafer 10, controls the cleaning brush assembly to directly clean the particles on the surface of wafer 10. Compared with the prior art, which simply uses a cleaning brush to repeatedly move from the center to the edge of the wafer for cleaning before proceeding to subsequent processes, the solution of this application, after cleaning, uses the particle monitor 30 to monitor the particle distribution information on the surface of wafer 10 to detect whether particles still exist on the surface of wafer 10. The controller 40, based on the monitored particle distribution information, controls the cleaning brush assembly to directly clean the particles on the surface of wafer 10, thereby improving the cleaning effect and increasing the overall yield.

[0040] A loading section can also be provided on the support structure, and the particle monitor 30 is mounted at the loading section to facilitate the particle monitor 30 in monitoring the particle distribution on the surface of the wafer 10. Specifically, the loading section can be located at the opening of the cleaning chamber to facilitate the particle monitor 30 in monitoring the particle distribution on the surface of the wafer 10.

[0041] 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 cleaning device, characterized in that, include: Support structure; A rotary table is mounted on the support structure and used to hold the wafer thereon; A cleaning brush assembly is disposed on the support structure. The cleaning brush assembly includes a cleaning brush for cleaning the wafer surface. The cleaning brush assembly also includes a nozzle embedded in the cleaning brush for spraying cleaning agent onto the wafer surface. The cleaning brush is disc-shaped, and the nozzle is embedded at the center of the cleaning brush. A particle monitor is installed on the support structure and used to monitor particle distribution information on the wafer surface; the particle distribution information includes particle distribution location information, particle size information, and particle distribution density information on the wafer surface. The controller is communicatively connected to the particle monitor to receive particle distribution information of the wafer sent by the particle monitor; and the controller is also communicatively connected to the rotary table and cleaning brush assembly to control the cleaning brush assembly to directly clean the particles on the wafer surface according to the received particle distribution information of the wafer, which includes: first spraying the cleaning agent onto the particles through the nozzle, and then cleaning the particles with the cleaning brush to remove the particles.

2. The cleaning device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The support structure is also provided with a cleaning chamber, and the rotating table and cleaning brush assembly are both located in the cleaning chamber. The cleaning chamber has an opening through which the wafer is placed or removed; the particle monitor is mounted at the opening.

3. The cleaning device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The support structure is also provided with a swing arm mechanism that can swing in a plane parallel to the wafer surface, and the cleaning brush is mounted on the swing arm mechanism.

4. The cleaning device as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The swing arm mechanism includes: Hollow swing arm; A first drive unit drives the swing arm to swing in a plane parallel to the wafer surface, and the first drive unit is communicatively connected to the controller; The cleaning brush is mounted at the end of the swing arm; and a supply pipe communicating with the nozzle to supply cleaning agent to the nozzle is inserted inside the swing arm.

5. The cleaning apparatus as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The cleaning brush is slidably mounted on the swing arm, and the sliding direction of the cleaning brush relative to the swing arm is perpendicular to the wafer surface. The swing arm is also provided with a second drive unit that drives the cleaning brush to slide on the swing arm, and the second drive unit is communicatively connected to the controller.

6. A chemical mechanical grinding apparatus, characterized in that, Includes the cleaning apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The chemical mechanical grinding apparatus as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The support structure is also provided with a loading part, and the particle monitor is mounted on the loading part.

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