Wafer processing method, apparatus, and wafer processing device
By setting cleaning brushes that roll in opposite directions on both sides of the wafer and supporting them with limiting rollers, the problem of uneven cleaning effect in the prior art is solved, and a more efficient wafer cleaning effect and improved yield are achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202210756324.2
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2022-06-30
- Publication Date
- 2026-02-10
- Estimated Expiration
- 2042-06-30
AI Technical Summary
Existing roller brush cleaning methods result in uneven cleaning effects on the wafer surface, leading to dilution of the cleaning solution and residue of contaminants, which affects wafer yield.
Two cleaning brushes roll in opposite directions, and the wafer is supported and driven to rotate by limiting rollers located on both sides of the wafer. This ensures that the cleaning fluid is concentrated in the area with high relative speed, and the friction of the cleaning fluid is used to effectively remove contaminants.
It significantly improved the cleaning effect, increased the cleanliness and yield of wafers, and reduced contaminant residue.
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Figure CN115101448B_ABST
Abstract
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of semiconductor wafer processing, and in particular to a wafer processing method, device and wafer processing equipment. BACKGROUND
[0002] In the semiconductor field, the cleanliness of the wafer surface is one of the important factors affecting the reliability of semiconductor devices. In the wafer process, for example, deposition, plasma etching, photolithography, electroplating, etc., there is a possibility of introducing contamination and / or particles on the wafer surface, resulting in a decrease in the cleanliness of the wafer surface and a low yield of the manufactured semiconductor devices.
[0003] In order to achieve the purpose of no contamination on the wafer surface, it is necessary to remove the contamination on the wafer surface to avoid the re-deposition of the contamination on the wafer surface before the process. Therefore, multiple surface cleaning is required in the wafer manufacturing process to remove the contamination such as metal ions, atoms, organic matter and particles attached to the wafer surface.
[0004] The existing wafer cleaning method using a rolling brush has the following working principle: the wafer is rotated, and deionized water, chemical solution and other cleaning liquids are supplied to the wafer from a supply nozzle, and the rolling brush is in sliding contact with the wafer. The wafer surface is cleaned by the friction between the rolling brush and the wafer in the presence of the cleaning liquid.
[0005] In the rolling brush cleaning technology in which the wafer is in a vertical state, the wafer is rotated by the driving action of the driving wheel, and at the same time, in order to ensure that the wafer is stably placed on the three supporting wheels, the rotating direction of the rolling brush is required, and the rolling brush should have a downward effect on the wafer, otherwise the wafer has the risk of being lifted by the rolling brush, thereby affecting the stability of the wafer cleaning process.
[0006] Further, since the wafer and the rolling brush rotate at the same time, the area on the wafer surface where the brushing effect is best is the first area where the relative speed of the rolling brush and the wafer is high. On the other side of the first area with the wafer center as the boundary, the second area is where the relative speed of the rolling brush and the wafer is low, and the brushing effect is poor. In the cleaning process, the cleaning liquid is supplied to the first area and the second area at the same time, and the newly supplied cleaning liquid in the first area will be mostly transferred to the second area in contact with the rolling brush as the wafer rotates, and the used cleaning liquid containing cleaning debris under the rolling brush will return to the first area again as the wafer rotates, diluting the new cleaning liquid in the first area. In summary, the first area with good brushing effect not only has less new cleaning liquid supplied, but also is diluted by the used cleaning liquid containing cleaning debris, ultimately resulting in a decrease in cleaning effect, contamination remaining on the wafer surface, and a decrease in yield. SUMMARY
[0007] The embodiment of the present application provides a wafer processing method, a wafer processing device and a wafer processing equipment, and aims at at least solving one of the technical problems in the prior art.
[0008] The first aspect of the embodiment of the present application provides a wafer processing method, comprising:
[0009] The two cleaning brushes are used to roll and clean the wafer surface, wherein the two cleaning brushes roll in opposite directions, so that fresh cleaning liquid sprayed on the wafer surface is brought into the first area with a large relative speed between the wafer and the cleaning brush along with the rotation of the wafer, and the pollutants are effectively removed.
[0010] The limiting roller above the wafer is used to constrain the wafer, and the remaining rollers are used to support and drive the wafer to rotate in a vertical plane.
[0011] In one embodiment, the limiting roller is connected with a direct drive motor to be telescopic so as to clamp or avoid the wafer.
[0012] In one embodiment, the wafer rotates upward as viewed from the liquid inlet end of the cleaning brush.
[0013] In one embodiment, the cleaning brush on the left side of the wafer rotates counterclockwise, and the cleaning brush on the right side of the wafer rotates clockwise as viewed from the liquid inlet end of the cleaning brush.
[0014] In one embodiment, the cleaning liquid is supplied to the upper area of the wafer surface above the cleaning brush, and the supply angle of the cleaning liquid relative to the wafer surface is 5-30 degrees.
[0015] In one embodiment, the rotation speed of the wafer is 20-200 rpm.
[0016] In one embodiment, the wafer processing method further comprises: after the wafer is placed on the supporting roller below, the limiting roller at the top is controlled to be telescopic to fix the wafer.
[0017] The wafer is rotated, and the two cleaning brushes are controlled to switch between the first relative direction and the second relative direction.
[0018] In one embodiment, the wafer processing method further comprises: detecting the pollution degree of the cleaning brush, and cleaning the cleaning brush when the pollution degree of the cleaning brush reaches a certain degree.
[0019] The second aspect of the embodiment of the present application provides a wafer cleaning device, comprising:
[0020] The liquid supply assembly is used to supply the cleaning liquid to the upper area of the wafer surface.
[0021] Two cleaning brushes are arranged on both sides of the wafer and roll to clean the surface of the wafer, wherein the two cleaning brushes roll in opposite directions, so that fresh cleaning liquid sprayed on the surface of the wafer is brought into a first area with a large relative speed between the wafer and the cleaning brush as the wafer rotates, thereby achieving effective removal of contaminants.
[0022] A cleaning brush driving mechanism is arranged to support the cleaning brush and drive the cleaning brush to move and rotate;
[0023] A wafer rotating assembly is arranged to support the wafer and drive the wafer to rotate in a vertical plane, and the wafer rotating assembly comprises a limiting roller arranged above the wafer to constrain the wafer;
[0024] A connecting arm is arranged to drive the limiting roller to reciprocate along a specific track.
[0025] In one embodiment, the limiting roller is connected to a direct drive motor to extend and retract so as to clamp or avoid the wafer.
[0026] In one embodiment, as viewed from the liquid inlet end of the cleaning brush, the wafer rotates upward, the cleaning brush on the left side of the wafer rotates counterclockwise, and the cleaning brush on the right side of the wafer rotates clockwise.
[0027] In one embodiment, the liquid supply assembly supplies cleaning liquid to an upper area of the wafer surface above the cleaning brush, and the supply angle of the cleaning liquid relative to the wafer surface is 5°-30°.
[0028] In one embodiment, the rotation speed of the wafer is 20-200 rpm.
[0029] In one embodiment, the wafer rotating assembly further comprises a driving roller and a driven roller, and the driving roller and the driven roller are arranged below the wafer.
[0030] In one embodiment, the driving roller and the driven roller are provided with a clamping groove arranged along the outer periphery of the roller body.
[0031] In one embodiment, the driven roller is provided with a rotation speed sensor for detecting the rotation speed of the wafer.
[0032] In one embodiment, the cleaning brush driving mechanism comprises:
[0033] A cleaning brush supporting assembly is arranged to support the two cleaning brushes on both sides of the wafer to be cleaned.
[0034] A cleaning brush moving assembly is connected to the cleaning brush supporting assembly to drive the cleaning brush supporting assembly and the cleaning brush thereon to move as a whole.
[0035] In one embodiment, the wafer cleaning device further comprises a displacement sensor for measuring the distance between the cleaning brushes.
[0036] A third aspect of the present invention provides a wafer processing apparatus, comprising: a cache module, a transmission module, and a processing module, wherein the processing module includes a chemical mechanical polishing unit and a wafer cleaning device as described above.
[0037] The beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present invention include: by limiting the rolling direction of the cleaning brush and setting a limiting roller, more cleaning fluid is provided in the area with the greatest relative speed between the cleaning brush and the wafer, thereby significantly improving the cleaning effect under the dual effects of large fluid supply and significant brushing effect. Attached Figure Description
[0038] The advantages of the present invention will become clearer and easier to understand through the detailed description taken in conjunction with the following accompanying drawings, but these drawings are merely illustrative and do not limit the scope of protection of the present invention, wherein:
[0039] Figure 1 This invention illustrates a wafer processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0040] Figure 2 A perspective view of a wafer cleaning apparatus provided in an embodiment of the present invention is shown;
[0041] Figure 3 A side sectional view of a wafer cleaning apparatus provided in an embodiment of the present invention is shown;
[0042] Figure 4 It shows Figure 2 The state in which the middle limit roller clamps the wafer;
[0043] Figure 5 It shows Figure 2 The middle limiting roller avoids the state of the wafer;
[0044] Figure 6 It shows Figure 2 Working principle of the wafer cleaning device;
[0045] Figure 7 It shows Figure 6 The working principle of the cleaning brush;
[0046] Figure 8 The flowchart of a wafer fabrication method provided by an embodiment of the present invention is shown;
[0047] Figure 9 The flowchart steps of a wafer fabrication method provided in another embodiment of the present invention are shown. Detailed Implementation
[0048] The technical solutions of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described herein are specific embodiments of the present application, which are used to illustrate the concept of the present application; these descriptions are all explanatory and exemplary, and should not be understood as limiting the embodiments of the present application and the protection scope of the present application. It should be noted that the embodiments in the present application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict. In addition to the embodiments described herein, those skilled in the art can also employ other technical solutions that are obvious based on the content disclosed in the claims and the description of the present application, which include technical solutions that make any obvious substitutions and modifications to the embodiments described herein. It should be understood that, in order to facilitate understanding, the following description of the specific embodiments of the present application is based on the natural state of the related equipment, devices, components, etc. in the original static state without external control signals and driving forces.
[0049] In addition, it should also be noted that the terms indicating the orientation used in the present application, such as front, back, up, down, left, right, top, bottom, front, back, horizontal, vertical, etc. are only for the convenience of description, to help understand the relative position or direction, and are not intended to limit the orientation of any device or structure.
[0050] In order to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, the following will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with the embodiments.
[0051] In the present application, chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is also referred to as chemical mechanical planarization (CMP), and wafer is also referred to as wafer, silicon wafer, substrate or substrate, which has the same meaning and actual function.
[0052] As shown in Figure 1 An embodiment of the wafer processing equipment 100 provided by the present application includes a cache module 110, two processing modules 120 and a front-end module 150.
[0053] The cache module 110 can be provided with multiple layers, and the multiple-layer cache module 110 can simultaneously cache multiple wafers.
[0054] The processing module 120 is used for polishing wafers, and the two processing modules 120 can work independently. Each processing module 120 can include a polishing unit 121, a first robot 122, a transmission unit 123, a second robot 124 and multiple cleaning units 125.
[0055] As shown in Figure 1As shown, the wafer processing equipment 100 includes four polishing units 121, which can be chemical mechanical polishing units. When the wafer processing equipment 100 is in operation, a wafer can enter any one or more of the four polishing units 121 for polishing, and after one or more polishing steps are completed, the wafer is sent back to the transport unit 123. As shown, Figure 1 As shown, each polishing unit 121 can include a polishing disc 211, a polishing head 212, and a loading and unloading platform 213, and the loading and unloading platforms 213 of two polishing units 121 are arranged adjacent to the second robot 124.
[0056] As shown, Figure 1 As shown, the polishing units 121 of the two processing modules 120 can form a transmission module 130 therebetween, and the transport units 123 can be arranged in the transmission module 130. The transport units 123 can transport wafers between the first robot 122 and the second robot 124. The first robot 122 moves between the buffer module 110 and the transport unit 123 and between the transport unit 123 and the cleaning unit 125. The second robot 124 is used to transport wafers for the polishing units 121.
[0057] As shown, Figure 1 As shown, each cleaning unit 125 can include a plurality of cleaning modules 251, a drying module 252, a vertical buffer module 253, and a flipping module 254, which are arranged side by side. At least one of the plurality of cleaning modules 251 can be implemented by a wafer cleaning device, and can implement wafer cleaning in multiple ways such as immersion, rotation, megasonic, and / or spraying. The drying module 252 can implement wafer drying in multiple ways such as rotation and / or lifting. It can be understood that the number of cleaning modules 251 can also be other numbers, and is not limited to Figure 1 As shown.
[0058] As shown, Figure 1 As shown, each cleaning unit 125 can further include a third robot 255 and a fourth robot 256, the third robot 255 moves above the cleaning modules 251 and the vertical buffer module 253, and the fourth robot 256 moves above the cleaning modules 251, the drying module 252, and the flipping module 254.
[0059] As shown, Figure 1 As shown, the cleaning units 125 of the two processing modules 120 leave an arrangement space 140 therebetween, and the two first robots 122 and the buffer module 110 are arranged in the arrangement space 140.
[0060] Figures 2 to 5Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a wafer cleaning device 1 according to an embodiment of the present application. The wafer cleaning device 1 comprises a housing 10, a wafer rotating assembly 20, two cleaning brushes 40, a cleaning brush driving mechanism 30 and a liquid supply assembly 70.
[0061] As shown in Fig. 1, the wafer rotating assembly 20 is arranged on the upper portion of the base 10 and is configured to support and rotate the wafer w in a vertical plane. The wafer w is rotated at a speed of 20-200 rpm, preferably 20-50 rpm. Figure 2 Figure 3 As shown in Fig. 2, the wafer rotating assembly 20 comprises a fixed seat, a limiting roller 21 arranged above the wafer w and configured to constrain the wafer w, and a pair of driving rollers 23 and driven rollers 24 arranged below the wafer w and configured to support the wafer w.
[0062] As shown in Fig. 2, the limiting roller 21 is in sliding contact with the wafer w and can rotate with the wafer w.
[0063] In the embodiment, the two driving rollers 23 are configured to drive the wafer w. The two driving rollers 23 are arranged at an angle less than 180° with respect to the center of the wafer w. If only two driving rollers are used, the wafer w can be easily rotated unstably and the edge of the wafer w can be damaged. Therefore, the driven rollers 24 and the limiting roller 21 are arranged in the embodiment to support the wafer w and avoid the wafer w from being lifted by the rotating cleaning brushes.
[0064] As shown in Fig. 3, the limiting roller 21 is connected to a direct drive motor 22 and is configured to be extended and retracted. Figures 2 to 5 As shown in Fig. 4, the direct drive motor 22 drives the limiting roller 21 to extend and the limiting roller 21 is arranged above the wafer w to clamp the wafer w. Figures 2 to 4 As shown in Fig. 5, the direct drive motor 22 drives the limiting roller 21 to retract and the limiting roller 21 leaves a space above the wafer w to allow the wafer w to be picked up or placed. Figure 5 It should be understood that the retraction of the limiting roller 21 by the direct drive motor 22 is a general concept and the retraction can be achieved by any movement of the limiting roller 21, such as swinging, horizontal movement, vertical movement, etc.
[0065]
[0066] In one embodiment, the limiting roller 21, the driving roller 23 and the driven roller 24 are configured with clamping slots for supporting the wafer w, and the clamping slots are arranged around the outer circumferential side of the rollers. The driving roller 23 and the driven roller 24 are arranged on the fixed seat. The driven roller 24 is arranged at the middle of the fixed seat, and the driving roller 23 is symmetrically arranged on both sides of the driven roller 24. The limiting roller 21, the driving roller 23 and the driven roller 24 are arranged along the outer edge contour of the wafer w, and the wafer w placed on the wafer rotating assembly 20 is limited by the clamping slots, and the outer edge of the wafer w is tangentially arranged with the bottom surface of the clamping slots. The driving roller 23 is configured with a driving motor, and the driving motor drives the driving roller 23 to rotate. The friction between the outer edge of the wafer w and the roller drives the wafer w to rotate around its axis.
[0067] In one embodiment, the driven roller 24 is provided with a rotating speed sensor for detecting the rotating speed of the wafer w, and the rotating speed sensor can be realized by a Hall sensor or a photoelectric switch sensor.
[0068] As shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3 , in one embodiment of the present application, two cleaning brushes are arranged on the front and rear sides of the wafer w respectively and roll to clean the surface of the wafer w. The two cleaning brushes 40 roll in opposite directions, and the contact position between the two cleaning brushes 40 and the wafer w applies an upward friction force to the wafer w, so as to maximize the relative speed between the cleaning brush and the wafer in the area where the cleaning liquid falls, thereby improving the cleaning effect.
[0069] The two cleaning brushes 40 are respectively a first cleaning brush 41 and a second cleaning brush 42, which are arranged on the front and rear sides of the wafer w to be cleaned respectively, and can roll around the axis thereof to contact the surface of the wafer w to be cleaned for cleaning. The cleaning brush 40 is a cylindrical structure, which is made of a material with good water absorption, such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The liquid inlet mechanism 50 is connected to the liquid inlet end of the cleaning brush 40 to fill the cleaning brush 40 with liquid. The cleaning brush 40 becomes soft after being filled with liquid, and can clean the wafer w, so it is necessary to keep the cleaning brush 40 in a state of being filled with liquid at all times during the cleaning process.
[0070] As shown in Figure 6 , the two cleaning brushes roll in opposite directions, so that the fresh cleaning liquid sprayed on the surface of the wafer w is brought into the first area R1 with a larger relative speed between the wafer w and the cleaning brush as the wafer w rotates, thereby achieving effective removal of contaminants. The embodiment of the present application realizes the cooperation of the cleaning brush and the rotating direction of the wafer, and can form a more effective cleaning effect on the cleaning side.
[0071] Viewing from the liquid inlet end of the cleaning brush, that is, viewing from the liquid inlet end connected by the liquid inlet mechanism 50 in Figure 6 , that is, viewing in the direction indicated by the dashed box arrow marked as 50 in Figure 6 , as shown in Figure 7As shown, the left side of the wafer is the front w1, and the front w1 is the device surface; the right side of the wafer is the back w2, and the wafer w side end surface is upwardly rotated; the first cleaning brush 41 located on the left side of the wafer w rotates counterclockwise, and the second cleaning brush 42 located on the right side of the wafer w rotates clockwise.
[0072] It should be understood that the above-mentioned figure only illustrates a moving mode of the limiting roller 21 by stretching and retracting, so as to realize moving away of the limiting roller 21 for the purpose of wafer picking and placing by the mechanical hand, but the reciprocating motion of the limiting roller 21 can also be realized by other modes to realize wafer picking and placing, and further to minimize the possibility of interference between the limiting roller 21 and the wafer picking and placing mechanical hand. For example, the direct drive motor 22 can be replaced by a horizontal moving module (not shown) and / or a moving module moving along a certain specific track under the driving of the connecting member, so as to realize positioning and moving away of the limiting roller 21.
[0073] In particular, a swing arm (not shown) is preferably arranged to drive the limiting roller 21 to be positioned or moved away, so as to avoid damage to the direct drive motor caused by water mist or other gas-liquid mixtures.
[0074] Preferably, the actuating device for driving the swing arm is arranged outside the box body 10; or the actuating device for driving the swing arm is provided with a pollution prevention member for preventing gas / liquid pollution.
[0075] In order to improve the cleaning effect, two cleaning brushes are arranged according to Figure 6 and Figure 7 The rotating directions of the two cleaning brushes are arranged as shown, so that due to the upward force F1 generated by the cleaning brush on the wafer w, there is a possibility that the wafer w is lifted up, and therefore a limiting roller 21 needs to be additionally arranged on the top of the wafer w.
[0076] The cleaning brushes 40 located on both sides of the wafer w can move in the horizontal direction to move away from or approach the wafer w. When the cleaning brushes 40 move away from the wafer w, the cleaning brushes 40 leave a certain gap with the wafer w, and the wafer carrying mechanical hand can clamp the wafer w to take away the cleaned wafer w; when the cleaning brushes 40 move to approach the wafer w, the cleaning brushes 40 abut against the wafer w and clean the surface of the wafer w in a contact mode.
[0077] In the embodiment, due to the rolling direction of the cleaning brush, an upward force is applied to the wafer w, in order to avoid lifting up of the wafer w by the rotating friction force of the cleaning brush, a constraint structure needs to be designed on the top of the wafer w.
[0078] As shown in Figure 2 In one embodiment of the present application, the cleaning brush driving mechanism 30 is used to drive the two cleaning brushes 40 to move towards each other and clamp the wafer w at a certain angle for rolling and brushing. The cleaning brush driving mechanism 30 includes a cleaning brush supporting assembly and a cleaning brush moving assembly.
[0079] The cleaning brush supporting assembly is used to support two cleaning brushes 40 located on both sides of the wafer w to be cleaned.
[0080] The cleaning brush moving assembly is connected with the cleaning brush supporting assembly to drive the cleaning brush supporting assembly and the cleaning brushes 40 thereon to move as a whole. The cleaning brush moving assembly comprises a guide rail, a screw rod and a driving member. The guide rail and the screw rod are connected with the cleaning brush supporting assembly respectively to drive the cleaning brush supporting assembly to move along the guide rail under the driving of the screw rod. The driving member is arranged at the end of the screw rod to drive the screw rod to act, thereby driving the cleaning brush supporting assembly and the cleaning brushes 40 to move as a whole, so that the two ends of the cleaning brushes 40 contact or move away from the wafer w at the same time. Further, the screw rod is arranged at each end of the cleaning brush 40, so that the moving distance of each end of the cleaning brush 40 can be adjusted respectively.
[0081] In one embodiment, the cleaning brush supporting assembly is provided with a displacement sensor for measuring the distance between the two cleaning brushes.
[0082] As shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3 , in one embodiment of the present application, the wafer cleaning device 1 further comprises a liquid supply assembly 70 for supplying cleaning liquid to the upper region of the wafer w surface located above the cleaning brushes. The supply angle of the cleaning liquid relative to the wafer w surface is 5°-30°.
[0083] As shown in Figure 2 , in one embodiment of the present application, the wafer cleaning device 1 further comprises a liquid inlet mechanism 50 connected to one end of the cleaning brush, as shown by the thick arrow in Figure 6 , the liquid inlet mechanism 50 constantly supplies liquid to the cleaning brush to keep the cleaning brush in a wet state. The cleaning brush is made of porous material and can absorb a large amount of liquid. The liquid can be acidic or alkaline solution or deionized water.
[0084] The following will briefly describe the operation mode of wafer cleaning with reference to Figure 2 and Figure 3 .
[0085] Firstly, the wafer w to be cleaned is placed on the wafer rotating assembly 20 by the robot. At this time, the cleaning brushes 40 are kept a certain distance from the side surface of the wafer w, thereby providing the working space for the robot. Under the action of friction, the wafer rotating assembly 20 drives the wafer w to rotate around its axis.
[0086] Then, the liquid supply assembly 70 sprays cleaning liquid, such as acidic or alkaline cleaning liquid, towards the rotating wafer w.
[0087] Then, the cleaning brush 40 rolls around its axis and moves towards the position of the wafer w, so that the cleaning brush 40 contacts the surface of the wafer w; the cleaning brush 40 rolls to brush the surface of the wafer w, removes the contaminants on the surface of the wafer w, and realizes the surface brushing of the wafer w;
[0088] After the wafer w is brushed, the cleaning brush 40 moves towards the outer side of the wafer w, and the cleaning brush 40 is separated from the surface of the wafer w;
[0089] Then, the liquid supply assembly 70 continues to spray the cleaning liquid towards the rotating wafer w, and after a period of time, the robot transfers the wafer w cleaned to the next process.
[0090] The working principle of the embodiment of the application will be introduced below.
[0091] In the embodiment of the application, as shown in Figure 2 , one end of the cleaning brush is connected to the liquid inlet mechanism 50, and the other end of the cleaning brush is connected to the cleaning brush driving mechanism 30. The end of the cleaning brush connected to the liquid inlet mechanism 50 serves as a liquid inlet end, and the liquid inlet end is located at Figure 6 the right side in the middle.
[0092] As shown in Figure 6 and Figure 7 , from the liquid inlet end of the cleaning brush, the first cleaning brush 41 located at the front side of the wafer w rotates counterclockwise, and the rotation speed of the first cleaning brush 41 is set as V B ; the second cleaning brush 42 located at the back side of the wafer w rotates clockwise, and the rotation speed of the second cleaning brush 42 is set as V B . The two cleaning brushes sandwich the wafer w and exert an upward force on the wafer w, and the wafer w is limited and supported by the limiting roller 21, the driving roller 23 and the driven roller 24.
[0093] As shown in Figure 6 , according to the direction facing the wafer w, the wafer w rotates counterclockwise, and the rotation speed of the wafer w is set as V W . According to the relative rotation direction of the cleaning brush and the wafer w, two regions are formed with the center of the wafer w as the dividing line, as shown in the dashed box in Figure 6 , according to the direction facing the wafer w, the first region R1 located at the left side of the wafer w and the second region R2 located at the right side of the wafer w.
[0094] In the first region R1, the relative speed between the cleaning brush and the wafer w is V R1 = V B + V W , and it can be seen that the relative speed in the first region R1 is large, and the brushing effect is good.
[0095] In the second region R2, the relative speed between the cleaning brush and the wafer w is V R2=V B -V W It can be seen that the relative speed of R2 in the second region is small, resulting in poor scrubbing effect.
[0096] like Figure 6 As shown, wafer w rotates counterclockwise, and the liquid supply assembly 70 provides new cleaning fluid to the upper region of wafer w. Due to the friction and adhesion between the cleaning fluid and wafer w, a large amount of new cleaning fluid will be transferred to the first region R1 as wafer w rotates. At the same time, in the first region R1, the relative speed between the cleaning brush and wafer w is the greatest, and the brushing effect is the best. Thus, the embodiment of the present invention achieves a significant improvement in cleaning effect and increases wafer yield under the dual effects of large liquid supply and significant brushing effect.
[0097] like Figure 8 As shown, based on the structure of the wafer cleaning apparatus 1 described above, an embodiment of the present invention also provides a wafer processing method, including:
[0098] Step S91: The wafer surface is rolled and brushed using two cleaning brushes located on both sides of the wafer. The two cleaning brushes roll in opposite directions, so that the fresh cleaning solution sprayed on the wafer surface is carried into the first area where the relative speed between the wafer and the cleaning brush is large as the wafer rotates, thereby achieving effective removal of contaminants.
[0099] Step S92: The wafer is supported by a limiting roller located above the wafer for constraining the wafer, along with the other rollers, and the wafer is driven to rotate in the vertical plane.
[0100] The cleaning solution can be water, such as deionized water (DIW), but is not limited to DIW; it can also be any of carbonated water, electrolyzed ionized water, hydrogen-rich water, or ozone water. The cleaning solution can also be a chemical solution, which can be acidic or alkaline.
[0101] See Figure 6 and Figure 7 Looking from the liquid inlet end of the cleaning brush, the wafer w rotates upwards. The first cleaning brush 41, located on the left side of the wafer, rotates counterclockwise, while the second cleaning brush 42, located on the right side of the wafer, rotates clockwise. Due to the specific motion relationship between the wafer and the cleaning brushes, there exists a first region R1 where linear velocities add and a second region R2 where linear velocities subtract. In the first region R1, the relative speed between the wafer and the cleaning brush is high, resulting in high cleaning efficiency. Figure 6 As shown, the two cleaning brushes roll in opposite directions, causing more of the fresh cleaning fluid sprayed on the surface of the wafer w to be carried into the first region R1 where the relative speed between the wafer w and the cleaning brush is high as the wafer w rotates, thereby achieving effective removal of contaminants.
[0102] like Figure 9As shown, in another embodiment, the specific steps of the cleaning method include:
[0103] Step 1, the robot places the wafer on the roller at the bottom of the cleaning chamber.
[0104] Step 2, the limiting roller 21 at the top extends and presses the wafer to fix it.
[0105] Step 3, the active roller 23 drives the wafer to rotate, and the rotation speed of the wafer is increased to 100 rpm-200 rpm.
[0106] Step 4, the two cleaning brushes change the rotation direction, which can be switched between the first relative direction and the second relative direction; the second relative direction can be that the first cleaning brush 41 rotates counterclockwise and the second cleaning brush 42 rotates clockwise as shown in Figure 6 and Figure 7 The first relative direction is opposite to it, which can be that the first cleaning brush 41 rotates clockwise and the second cleaning brush 42 rotates counterclockwise.
[0107] Step 5, repeat step 4 as needed.
[0108] Step 6, the cleaning is completed, and the wafer and the cleaning brush stop rotating.
[0109] Step 7, the limiting roller 21 at the top is withdrawn, and the robot takes the wafer.
[0110] After testing and verification, the embodiment can effectively improve the cleaning effect.
[0111] Further, in one embodiment, the pollution degree of the cleaning brush is detected, and when the pollution degree of the cleaning brush reaches a certain degree, the first spray rod and / or the second spray rod is controlled to rotate a certain angle to flush the cleaning brush. The pollution degree of the cleaning brush can be detected by an image sensor installed in the box 10, for example, the pollution degree can be represented by brightness, brightness, etc.
[0112] In summary, the embodiment of the present application adds a limiting roller at the top, which can effectively improve the running stability of the wafer during brushing, and under the action of the limiting roller, the two cleaning brushes can be reversed in the vertical brushing system, thereby improving the brushing effect under the combined action of the cleaning liquid.
[0113] The drawings of the present specification are schematic drawings that assist in explaining the concept of the present application and schematically represent the shape of each part and the relationship between them. It should be understood that in order to clearly show the structure of each component of the embodiment of the present application, the drawings are not drawn according to the same scale, and the same reference numerals are used to represent the same parts in the drawings.
[0114] In the description of the specification, reference to "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "an exemplary embodiment", "an example", "a specific example", or "some examples" means that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic being described is included in at least one embodiment or example of the application. The appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment", "in some embodiments", "in an exemplary embodiment", "an example", "a specific example", or "some examples" in various places in the specification are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.
[0115] Although embodiments of the application have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and alterations can be made hereto without departing from the principles and the scope of the application, which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.
Claims
1. A wafer fabrication method, characterized in that, include: Two cleaning brushes located on both sides of the wafer are used to roll and scrub the wafer surface. When viewed from the liquid inlet end of the cleaning brush, the wafer rotates upwards. The cleaning brush on the left side of the wafer rotates counterclockwise, and the cleaning brush on the right side of the wafer rotates clockwise. This allows more of the fresh cleaning solution sprayed on the wafer surface to be carried into the first area where the relative speed between the wafer and the cleaning brush is high as the wafer rotates, thus achieving effective removal of contaminants. The wafer is supported by a limiting roller located above it, which, together with the other rollers, supports the wafer and drives it to rotate in a vertical plane.
2. The wafer fabrication method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The limiting roller is connected to a direct drive motor to extend and retract, thereby clamping or avoiding the wafer.
3. The wafer fabrication method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The cleaning fluid is supplied to the upper region of the wafer surface above the cleaning brush, and the supply angle of the cleaning fluid relative to the wafer surface is 5° to 30°.
4. The wafer fabrication method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The wafer rotates at a speed of 20-200 rpm.
5. The wafer fabrication method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: After the wafer is placed on the support roller located below it, the top limiting roller is extended to fix the wafer. The wafer is rotated, and the two cleaning brushes are controlled to switch between a first relative direction and a second relative direction.
6. The wafer fabrication method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The degree of contamination of the cleaning brush is detected, and the cleaning brush is cleaned when the degree of contamination reaches a certain level.
7. A wafer cleaning apparatus, characterized in that, include: Box; Liquid supply assembly, used to supply cleaning fluid to the upper region of the wafer surface; Two cleaning brushes are respectively set on both sides of the wafer and roll to clean the wafer surface. When viewed from the liquid inlet end of the cleaning brush, the wafer rotates upward. The cleaning brush on the left side of the wafer rotates counterclockwise, and the cleaning brush on the right side of the wafer rotates clockwise. This allows more of the fresh cleaning solution sprayed on the wafer surface to be carried into the first area where the relative speed between the wafer and the cleaning brush is high as the wafer rotates, thus achieving effective removal of contaminants. A cleaning brush drive mechanism is used to support the cleaning brush and drive it to move and rotate. A wafer rotation assembly for supporting and driving a wafer to rotate in a vertical plane includes a limiting roller located above the wafer for constraining the wafer. The connecting arm that drives the limiting roller to reciprocate along a specific trajectory, and the actuation device for driving the connecting arm is located outside the housing.
8. The wafer cleaning apparatus as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The limiting roller is connected to a direct drive motor to extend and retract, thereby clamping or avoiding the wafer.
9. The wafer cleaning apparatus as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The liquid supply assembly supplies cleaning fluid to the upper region of the wafer surface located above the cleaning brush, with the supply angle of the cleaning fluid relative to the wafer surface being 5° to 30°.
10. The wafer cleaning apparatus as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The wafer rotates at a speed of 20-200 rpm.
11. The wafer cleaning apparatus as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The wafer rotation assembly also includes an active roller and a passive roller, which are positioned below the wafer.
12. The wafer cleaning apparatus as described in claim 11, characterized in that, The driving roller and the driven roller are provided with grooves along the outer periphery of the roller body.
13. The wafer cleaning apparatus as described in claim 11, characterized in that, The driven roller is equipped with a speed sensor for detecting the wafer rotation speed.
14. The wafer cleaning apparatus as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The cleaning brush drive mechanism includes: A cleaning brush support assembly is used to support two cleaning brushes located on both sides of the wafer to be cleaned. A cleaning brush moving assembly is connected to a cleaning brush support assembly to drive the cleaning brush support assembly and the cleaning brush thereon to move as a whole.
15. The wafer cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 14, characterized in that, It also includes a displacement sensor for measuring the distance between the cleaning brushes.
16. A wafer processing equipment, characterized in that, include: The device includes a cache module, a transmission module, and a processing module, wherein the processing module includes a chemical mechanical polishing unit and a wafer cleaning apparatus as described in any one of claims 7 to 15.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Wafer cleaning device and wafer processing equipment
CN217521959U