Semiconductor processing apparatus and drying device therefor
By employing heating components and circulation parts in the semiconductor cleaning equipment, wafer drying without IPA vapor was achieved, solving the problems of equipment complexity and high cost, and improving drying efficiency and uniformity.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- BEIJING NAURA MICROELECTRONICS EQUIP CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2022-07-26
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-15
AI Technical Summary
In existing semiconductor wet cleaning equipment, wafer drying requires the use of flammable and explosive IPA vapor, which leads to complex equipment design, numerous auxiliary devices, and high costs.
The design employs heating components and circulation components, and achieves wafer drying by circulating dry gas between the circulation channel and the inner tank, thus avoiding the use of IPA vapor generators.
It simplifies the equipment structure, reduces design complexity and maintenance costs, while improving drying efficiency and uniformity.
Smart Images
Figure CN115206846B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor processing technology, and more specifically, to a semiconductor process equipment and its drying apparatus. Background Technology
[0002] Currently, in semiconductor wet cleaning equipment, wafers need to undergo wet cleaning in various process tanks. After cleaning, some moisture remains on the wafers, so they must be dried before proceeding to the next process. Wafer drying is generally achieved using the Marangoni effect. This involves immersing the wafer in water and filling the tank with isopropanol (IPA) vapor using nitrogen gas. The surface tension gradient between the IPA solution and the water on the wafer surface causes the water, with its higher surface tension, to pull the liquid from the wafer surface downwards as the water level slowly decreases, thus achieving the purpose of drying the wafer surface.
[0003] However, existing solutions require an IPA vapor generator, and since IPA is a flammable and explosive substance, an environmental IPA capacity detector and corresponding fire extinguishing equipment are also required. This makes the design of semiconductor cleaning equipment more complex, with more auxiliary devices, and significantly increases application and maintenance costs. Summary of the Invention
[0004] This application addresses the shortcomings of existing methods by proposing a semiconductor process equipment and its drying apparatus to solve the technical problems of complex design, numerous auxiliary devices, and high cost in the prior art.
[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a drying apparatus for semiconductor process equipment, used for drying wafers, comprising: a tank assembly, a heating assembly, and a circulation component; the tank assembly includes an outer tank, an inner tank, and a cover, the inner tank being disposed within the outer tank, and the cover selectively opening or closing the transmission port of the outer tank; when the cover closes the transmission port, a circulation channel is formed between the inner peripheral wall of the outer tank and the outer peripheral wall of the inner tank, and an air inlet is also provided on the outer tank for introducing drying gas into the circulation channel; the heating assembly and the circulation component are both disposed within the circulation channel, the heating assembly for heating the drying gas, and the circulation component for driving the drying gas to circulate between the circulation channel and the inner tank to dry the wafer located in the inner tank.
[0006] In one embodiment of this application, the circulation component is a fan, and the outlet of the circulation component is connected to the bottom wall of the inner tank to introduce the drying gas into the inner tank; the drying device further includes a support component, which is disposed in the inner tank and is used to support and limit the wafer or a wafer cassette, and the drying gas can pass through the support component.
[0007] In one embodiment of this application, the carrier component includes a carrier plate and a limiting block. The carrier plate has a flow equalization hole structure for the drying gas to pass through. The limiting block surrounds at least one limiting region on the carrier plate, and the limiting region is arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the air outlet of the circulation component. The limiting region is used to limit the position of the cassette.
[0008] In one embodiment of this application, the uniform flow hole structure includes a plurality of uniformly spaced through holes, and the distribution of the plurality of through holes avoids the installation position of the limiting block.
[0009] In one embodiment of this application, an installation port is provided on the bottom wall of the inner tank for installing the circulation component, and the top of the side wall of the inner tank is used to install the bearing assembly; the tank assembly further includes a guide plate, two guide plates are respectively located above the two side walls of the inner tank, and the two ends of the guide plate are detachably connected to the two end plates of the outer tank.
[0010] In one embodiment of this application, the guide plate is connected to the end plate of the outer tank via a mounting bracket and fasteners. The mounting bracket is mounted on the end plate via fasteners and connected to the end of the guide plate via the fasteners.
[0011] In one embodiment of this application, the heating assembly includes a plurality of heaters, all of which extend along the length of the outer tank and are evenly distributed on both sides of the inner tank.
[0012] In one embodiment of this application, the connection end of the heater is located outside the end plate of the outer tank, and the body of the heater is mounted on the side wall of the outer tank by a fixed bracket.
[0013] In one embodiment of this application, the drying device further includes a temperature sensor, one end of which is connected to the end plate of the outer tank and the other end is located between the supporting component and the bottom wall of the inner tank, for real-time monitoring of the temperature data of the drying gas.
[0014] In one embodiment of this application, the drying device further includes a controller, which is electrically connected to the heating component and the temperature sensor, and is used to control the heating power of the heating component based on the temperature data monitored by the temperature sensor.
[0015] In one embodiment of this application, the tank assembly further includes a collection box, which is detachably disposed on the outer side of the bottom wall of the outer tank and communicates with the outer tank for collecting liquid inside the outer tank.
[0016] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a semiconductor process apparatus, including:
[0017] Such as the drying device provided in the first aspect.
[0018] In one embodiment of this application, the semiconductor process equipment is a cleaning machine, and the cleaning machine further includes a process tank for wet cleaning of the wafer.
[0019] The beneficial technical effects of the technical solutions provided in this application are:
[0020] This embodiment heats the drying gas using a heating component and circulates the drying gas between the circulation channel and the inner tank using a circulation component, thereby achieving the purpose of drying the wafer. This design makes the embodiment compact and simple in structure. Furthermore, since an IPA vapor generator is not required, the semiconductor cleaning equipment using this embodiment does not need to be equipped with an IPA composition monitoring device or a fire extinguishing device. This significantly reduces design complexity, space requirements, and application and maintenance costs.
[0021] Additional aspects and advantages of this application will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and will become apparent from the description or may be learned by practice of this application. Attached Figure Description
[0022] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of this application will become apparent and readily understood from the following description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0023] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a drying apparatus provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0024] Figure 2A This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a drying apparatus provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0025] Figure 2B This is a longitudinal cross-sectional schematic diagram of a drying device provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0026] Figure 2C This is a top view schematic diagram of a drying apparatus provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0027] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional cross-sectional schematic diagram of a drying device provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0028] Figure 4 A perspective view of a load-bearing component provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0029] Figure 5 This is a perspective cross-sectional view of another drying apparatus provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0030] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram showing the flow path of the drying gas in a drying apparatus provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation
[0031] This application is described in detail below. Examples of embodiments of this application are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar components or components having the same or similar functions throughout. Furthermore, detailed descriptions of known technologies that are unnecessary for the features of this application are omitted. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this application, and should not be construed as limiting this application.
[0032] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains. It should also be understood that terms such as those defined in general dictionaries should be understood to have the same meaning as in the context of the prior art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless specifically defined as herein.
[0033] The technical solution of this application and how the technical solution of this application solves the above-mentioned technical problems are described in detail below with specific embodiments.
[0034] This application provides a drying apparatus for a semiconductor cleaning device, used for drying wafers. A schematic diagram of the drying apparatus is shown below. Figures 1 to 2BAs shown, the assembly includes: a tank assembly 1, a heating assembly 2, and a circulation component 3. The tank assembly 1 includes an outer tank 11, an inner tank 12, and a cover 13. The inner tank 12 is disposed inside the outer tank 11, and the cover 13 can selectively open or close the transmission port of the outer tank 11. When the cover 13 closes the transmission port, a circulation channel 14 is formed between the inner peripheral wall of the outer tank 11 and the outer peripheral wall of the inner tank 12. An air inlet 111 is also provided on the outer tank 11 for introducing dry gas into the circulation channel 14. The heating assembly 2 and the circulation component 3 are both disposed inside the circulation channel 14. The heating assembly 2 is used to heat the dry gas, and the circulation component 3 is used to drive the dry gas to circulate between the circulation channel 14 and the inner tank 12 to dry the wafer 100 located in the inner tank 12.
[0035] like Figures 1 to 2B As shown, semiconductor cleaning equipment, for example, uses a wet cleaning process to clean wafers, and a drying device can be used to dry the cleaned wafers. However, this application embodiment does not limit the specific type of semiconductor cleaning equipment, and those skilled in the art can adjust the settings according to actual conditions. Both the outer tank 11 and the inner tank 12 have a cuboid-like structure. The top of the outer tank 11 has a transfer port for transferring wafers 100 or wafer cassettes containing wafers 100. The cover 13 can selectively open or close the transfer port. The inner tank 12 is nested inside the outer tank 11, and the opening of the inner tank 12 is located inside the outer tank 11. When the cover 13 closes the transfer port, a circulation channel 14 can be formed between the inner peripheral wall of the outer tank 11 and the outer peripheral wall of the inner tank 12. An air inlet 111 is provided on the upper part of the outer tank 11 for connecting to a gas source to introduce drying gas into the circulation channel 14. The drying gas can be high-purity nitrogen or other inert gases, and this application embodiment does not limit this. Heating component 2 is disposed within circulation channel 14 to heat the drying gas flowing through circulation channel 14, thereby enabling the drying gas to dry wafer 100. Circulation component 3 is disposed within circulation channel 14 to guide the heated drying gas from circulation channel 14 into inner tank 12, and to allow the drying gas to circulate between inner tank 12 and circulation channel 14, thereby improving drying efficiency.
[0036] This embodiment heats the drying gas using a heating component and circulates the drying gas between the circulation channel and the inner tank using a circulation component, thereby achieving the purpose of drying the wafer. This design makes the embodiment compact and simple in structure. Furthermore, since an IPA vapor generator is not required, the semiconductor cleaning equipment using this embodiment does not need to be equipped with an IPA composition monitoring device or a fire extinguishing device. This significantly reduces design complexity, space requirements, and application and maintenance costs.
[0037] In one embodiment of this application, as Figures 1 to 2B As shown, the circulation component 3 is a fan, and the air outlet of the circulation component 3 is connected to the bottom wall of the inner tank 12 to introduce the drying gas into the inner tank 12; the drying device also includes a support component 4, which is disposed in the inner tank 12 and is used to support and limit the wafer 100 or a wafer cassette containing the wafer 100, and the drying gas can pass through the support component 4.
[0038] like Figures 1 to 2B As shown, the circulation component 3 is located at the bottom of the inner tank 12 and between the bottom walls of the inner tank 12 and the outer tank 11. The air outlet at the top of the circulation component 3 is connected to the bottom wall of the inner tank 12, and the bottom of the circulation component 3 is located within the circulation channel 14 to guide the dry gas in the circulation channel 14 into the inner tank 12. After passing through the wafer 100, the dry gas is discharged from the opening of the inner tank 12 and re-enters the circulation channel 14 for heating under the obstruction of the cover 13. This design simplifies the structure of the embodiment, thereby significantly reducing application and maintenance costs. The support component 4 can be a plate-like structure, disposed within the inner tank 12, and has a certain distance between it and the bottom wall of the inner tank 12. The support component 4 is used to support the wafer 100 or a wafer cassette containing the wafer 100. The dry gas passes through the support component 4 to dry the wafer 100. The above design not only simplifies the structure of the embodiments of this application, but also improves the drying uniformity of multiple wafers, thereby increasing work efficiency.
[0039] In one embodiment of this application, as Figures 1 to 2B , Figure 4 As shown, the carrier component 4 includes a carrier plate 41 and a limiting block 42. The carrier plate 41 has a uniform flow hole structure 43 for the drying gas to pass through. The limiting block 42 surrounds at least one limiting area on the carrier plate 41, and the limiting area is set one-to-one with the air outlet of the circulation component 3. The limiting area is used to limit the tablet box.
[0040] like Figures 1 to 2B , Figure 4As shown, the support plate 41 can be a rectangular plate structure. The support plate 41 can be made of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) sheet to improve its corrosion resistance. However, this embodiment does not limit the specific material of the support plate 41. A uniform flow hole structure 43 is provided on the support plate 41 to uniformly flow the drying gas, ensuring that the drying gas flows evenly through the wafer 100, thereby further improving drying uniformity and work efficiency. Multiple limiting blocks 42 are disposed on the support plate 41. For example, three limiting blocks 42 form two square limiting areas on the support plate 41 to respectively support and limit the wafer cassette. However, this embodiment does not limit the number of limiting blocks 42 and limiting areas; those skilled in the art can adjust the settings according to actual conditions. With the above design, the limiting blocks 42 improve the convenience of transferring the wafer cassette, thereby improving work efficiency and transmission stability. Furthermore, the two circulation components 3 are arranged side by side along the length of the support plate 41, so that each limiting area corresponds to an air outlet. This improves both the drying efficiency and the drying uniformity among the wafers 100. It should be noted that the embodiments of this application do not limit the number of circulation components 3, as long as the number of air outlets corresponds to the number of limiting areas. Therefore, the embodiments of this application are not limited thereto, and those skilled in the art can adjust the settings according to actual conditions.
[0041] In one embodiment of this application, as Figure 4 As shown, the uniform flow hole structure 43 includes multiple uniformly and spaced through holes, and the distribution of these through holes avoids the mounting position of the limiting block 42. Specifically, the uniform flow hole structure 43 includes multiple circular through holes arranged in a matrix on the support plate 41. The diameter of the through holes can be set to 25 mm, and the center distance between any two through holes can be set to 35 mm. That is, the multiple through holes are uniformly and spaced on the support plate 41. However, this embodiment does not limit the specific shape and size of the through holes, and those skilled in the art can adjust the settings according to actual conditions. To facilitate the installation of the limiting block 42, the multiple through holes can avoid the mounting area of the limiting block 42, thus making the design of this embodiment more reasonable. With the above design, the drying gas can be more uniformly flowed, thereby improving the heating uniformity of the wafer.
[0042] In one embodiment of this application, as Figures 1 to 4 As shown, an installation port is provided on the bottom wall of the inner tank 12 for installing the circulation component 3, and the top of the side wall of the inner tank 12 is used to install the bearing component 4; the tank component 1 also includes a guide plate, two guide plates 16 are respectively located above the two side walls of the inner tank 12, and the two ends of the guide plate 16 are detachably connected to the two end plates of the outer tank 11.
[0043] like Figures 1 to 4As shown, the inner tank 12 can be formed by bending a metal plate, and the cross-sectional shape of the inner tank 12 can be similar to a "U" structure. The bottom wall of the inner tank 12 can be installed on the bottom wall of the outer tank 11 through multiple support columns 123, so that there is a certain distance between the inner tank 12 and the outer tank 11, and the two ends of the inner tank 12 can abut against the inner side of the end plates 112 of the outer tank 11. The plates at both ends of the outer tank 11 in the length direction are end plates 112. The inner tank 12 and the outer tank 11 share the same end plates 112, which not only reduces the application cost, but also facilitates disassembly and maintenance, thereby greatly improving the disassembly and maintenance efficiency of the embodiments of this application. An installation opening (not shown in the figure) can be opened on the bottom wall of the inner tank 12. The body of the circulation component 3 passes through the installation opening and is located between the bottom walls of the inner tank 12 and the outer tank 11. The top boss 31 of the circulation component 3 is supported on the bottom wall of the inner tank 12 to facilitate the disassembly and maintenance of the circulation component 3. However, the embodiments of this application do not limit the connection method between the circulation component 3 and the inner tank 12. The top of the two side walls of the inner tank 12 are provided with mounting plates 44. The cross-section of the mounting plates 44 is L-shaped. The two mounting plates 44 are arranged opposite to each other. The bottom of the two relatively long side edges of the bearing plate 41 are supported on the mounting plates 44 by pads 45 and are fixedly connected to the mounting plates 44 by connectors. That is, the top of the side walls of the inner tank 12 is used to install the bearing component 4. This design makes the disassembly and maintenance of the bearing component 4 more convenient, thereby greatly improving maintenance efficiency. However, the embodiments of this application are not limited to this. The guide vanes 16 are, for example, rectangular plate structures made of stainless steel. Two guide vanes 16 are located above the two side walls of the inner tank 12, with the bottom edge of the guide vanes 16 positioned above the mounting plate 44. The two ends of the guide vanes 16 are detachably connected to the two end plates 112 of the outer tank 11. This design allows the guide vanes 16, the supporting assembly 4, and the circulation component 3 to be removed sequentially and installed in reverse order, thereby further improving disassembly and maintenance efficiency.
[0044] In one embodiment of this application, as Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the guide plate 16 is connected to the end plate 112 of the outer tank 11 via a mounting bracket 161 and fasteners 162. The mounting bracket 161 is mounted on the end plate 112 via fasteners 162 and is also connected to the end of the guide plate 16 via fasteners 162. Specifically, the mounting bracket 161 has an L-shaped cross-section. One side plate of the mounting bracket 161 is connected to the end plate 112 of the outer tank 11 via fasteners 162, and the other side plate of the mounting bracket 161 is connected to the end of the guide plate 16 via fasteners 162. In other words, both ends of each guide plate 16 are connected to the end plate 112 of the outer tank 11 via the mounting bracket 161 and are fixed by fasteners 162. This design further improves the efficiency of disassembly and maintenance, thereby further improving work efficiency.
[0045] In one embodiment of this application, as Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the heating assembly 2 includes multiple heaters 21, all extending along the length of the outer tank 11 and evenly distributed on both sides of the inner tank 12. Specifically, the heaters 21 are cylindrical, with their axial direction parallel to the length of the outer tank 11, meaning that multiple heaters 21 extend along the length of the outer tank 11. The heating assembly 2 may include four heaters 21, with two heaters on each side of the inner tank 12, meaning that multiple heaters 21 are evenly distributed on both sides of the inner tank 12. With this arrangement, since the circulation channel 14 is mainly formed on both sides of the inner tank 12, and the multiple heaters 21 are evenly distributed on both sides of the inner tank 12, the temperature of the drying gas becomes more uniform, thereby further improving the uniformity of wafer heating and further improving the wafer drying efficiency. However, this embodiment does not limit the shape and number of heaters 21, as long as the number of heaters 21 is even and they are located on both sides of the length of the inner tank 12. Therefore, this embodiment is not limited thereto, and those skilled in the art can adjust the arrangement according to actual conditions.
[0046] In one embodiment of this application, as Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the connection end of heater 21 is located outside the end plate 112 of the outer tank 11, and the body of heater 21 is mounted on the side wall of the outer tank 11 via a fixing bracket 22. Specifically, the connection ends of multiple heaters 21 are all located outside the same end plate 112 of the outer tank 11 to facilitate connection to a power source via wires. The body of heater 21 is located within the circulation channel 14 and extends along the length of the outer tank 11. Two heaters 21 are arranged side by side along the height of the outer tank 11 and mounted on the side wall of the outer tank 11 via two fixing brackets 22, which are respectively located near the two ends of the heater 21 body. The fixing bracket 22 is a rod-shaped structure, with one side fitting against the side wall of the outer tank 11 and two arc-shaped grooves on the other side for accommodating and fixing the two heaters 21. The fixing bracket 22 can be mounted on the side wall of the outer tank 11 via connectors. This design simplifies the layout of this application, reduces space occupation, and further improves the uniformity of the drying gas and heating efficiency. However, the embodiments of this application do not limit the specific structure of the fixed bracket 22, as long as the fixed bracket 22 corresponds to the specific shape of the heater 21.
[0047] In one embodiment of this application, as Figures 1 to 4As shown, the drying device also includes a temperature sensor 5. One end of the temperature sensor 5 is connected to the end plate of the outer tank 11, and the other end is located between the support component 4 and the bottom wall of the inner tank 12, for real-time monitoring of the temperature data of the drying gas. Specifically, the temperature sensor 5 is, for example, a thermocouple. One end of the temperature sensor 5 is connected to the end plate 112 of the outer tank 11, for example, the connection ends of multiple heaters 21 are located on the same end plate 112, so as to facilitate the connection of the temperature sensor 5 with the controller and to facilitate the cable layout. The other end of the temperature sensor 5 extends into the inner tank 12 and is located between the bottom wall of the inner tank 12 and the support component 4, for real-time monitoring of the temperature data of the drying gas. With the above design, since the temperature sensor 5 is located at the outlet of the circulation component 3, the accuracy of temperature monitoring is improved. However, the embodiments of this application do not limit the specific type of temperature sensor 5, and those skilled in the art can adjust the settings according to the actual situation.
[0048] In one embodiment of this application, as Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the drying device also includes a controller (not shown in the figure). The controller is electrically connected to the heating component 2 and the temperature sensor 5, and is used to control the heating power of the heating component 2 based on the temperature data monitored by the temperature sensor 5. Specifically, the controller can be a lower-level machine of the semiconductor cleaning equipment. The controller is electrically connected to the heating component 2 and the temperature sensor 5, and can control the heating power of the heating component 2 based on the temperature data monitored by the temperature sensor 5, so that the drying gas is always at a constant temperature, thereby improving work efficiency and yield. However, the embodiments of this application do not limit the specific type of controller. For example, the controller can also be a microcontroller or a programmable controller. Therefore, the embodiments of this application are not limited thereto, and those skilled in the art can adjust the settings according to the actual situation.
[0049] In one embodiment of this application, as Figures 1 to 5As shown, the tank assembly 1 also includes a collection box 15, which is detachably disposed on the outer side of the bottom wall of the outer tank 11 and communicates with the outer tank 11 for collecting liquid inside the outer tank 11. Specifically, the collection box 15 can be a cylindrical box, with its top end screwed onto the outer side of the bottom wall of the outer tank 11 and located in the center of the bottom wall of the outer tank 11. The top of the collection box 15 communicates with the outer tank 11, and the bottom end is a closed structure for collecting condensed liquid inside the outer tank 11. However, the embodiments of this application do not limit the shape of the collection box 15 or the connection method with the outer tank 11, and those skilled in the art can adjust the settings according to the actual situation. During the wafer drying process, the drying gas will cause the cleaning liquid on the wafer surface to form hot steam, and the hot steam may produce condensate when it encounters the relatively low temperature of the outer tank 11. Therefore, a collection box 15 is provided at the bottom of the outer tank 11, and the condensate will flow into the collection box 15 along the inner wall of the outer tank 11, thereby further improving the drying efficiency. In addition, the collection box 15 is screwed onto the bottom outer side of the outer tank 11, which also makes it easy to remove and clean the collection box 15 regularly, thereby improving the efficiency of disassembly and maintenance.
[0050] To further illustrate the principles and effects of the embodiments of this application, a specific implementation of this application will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
[0051] like Figures 1 to 6As shown, the drying gas is specifically nitrogen, which is input through inlet 111 and diffused throughout the entire tank assembly 1. The circulation component 3 is the power source, with the airflow speed set at 3500 rpm (this can be adjusted appropriately according to the actual drying conditions, ranging from 2500 rpm to 4000 rpm). The heating component 2 heats the drying gas in the circulation channel 14. Due to the shielding effect of the guide plate 16, the circulation component 3 absorbs the drying gas around the heating component 2 before inputting it into the inner tank 12. Then, after being evenly distributed through the uniform flow hole structure 43 on the bearing component 4, the drying gas is uniformly dispersed onto the wafer 100, preventing uneven airflow from causing uneven drying of the wafer 100. Temperature sensor 5 monitors in real time whether the temperature data in the inner tank 12 reaches the set temperature (the set temperature is usually set to 60℃, but can be adjusted according to process requirements, ranging from 50℃ to 70℃). Once this is achieved, the controller can stop heating component 2, and cover 13 can block the airflow in the outer tank 11 and inner tank 12 to ensure effective temperature and airflow circulation within the tank component 1. If temperature sensor 5 detects that the temperature data in the inner tank 12 drops to the lower limit (the lower limit can be determined based on process requirements), the controller restarts heating component 2 until the temperature in the inner tank 12 reaches the set temperature. The circulation component 3 continues to operate throughout the process until the process ends. Water on the wafer surface continuously evaporates and dries under the continuous action of the circulating drying gas, thus achieving the effect of wafer surface drying.
[0052] Based on the same inventive concept, embodiments of this application provide a semiconductor process apparatus, including: the drying apparatus provided in the above embodiments. Optionally, the semiconductor process apparatus is a cleaning machine, which further includes a process tank for wet cleaning of the wafer.
[0053] By applying the embodiments of this application, at least the following beneficial effects can be achieved:
[0054] This embodiment heats the drying gas using a heating component and circulates the drying gas between the circulation channel and the inner tank using a circulation component, thereby achieving the purpose of drying the wafer. This design makes the embodiment compact and simple in structure. Furthermore, since an IPA vapor generator is not required, the semiconductor cleaning equipment using this embodiment does not need to be equipped with an IPA composition monitoring device or a fire extinguishing device. This significantly reduces design complexity, space requirements, and application and maintenance costs.
[0055] It is understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary implementations used to illustrate the principles of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.
[0056] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.
[0057] 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 technical features indicated. 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, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.
[0058] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" 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 direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.
[0059] In the description of this specification, specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.
[0060] The above description is only a partial embodiment of this application. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of this application, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of this application.
Claims
1. A drying apparatus for semiconductor process equipment, used for drying wafers, characterized in that, include: Tank assembly, heating assembly, and circulation components; The tank assembly includes an outer tank, an inner tank, and a cover. The inner tank is disposed inside the outer tank, and the cover can selectively open or close the transmission port of the outer tank. When the cover closes the transmission port, a circulation channel is formed between the inner peripheral wall of the outer tank and the outer peripheral wall of the inner tank. The outer tank is also provided with an air inlet for introducing dry gas into the circulation channel. Both the heating component and the circulation component are disposed within the circulation channel. The heating component is used to heat the drying gas, and the circulation component is used to drive the drying gas to circulate between the circulation channel and the inner tank to dry the wafer located in the inner tank. The air outlet of the circulation component is connected to the bottom wall of the inner tank to allow the dry gas to be introduced into the inner tank. The drying device also includes a support assembly disposed in the inner tank. The support assembly includes a support plate with a uniform flow hole structure for the drying gas to pass through from bottom to top, so that the drying gas can flow evenly over the wafer. The tank assembly further includes a guide plate, with two guide plates located above the two side walls of the inner tank. The guide plate is a plate-shaped structure that serves to shield the flow. The circulation component is configured to absorb the dry gas around the heating component and then input it into the inner tank, where it is then evenly distributed through the flow equalization hole structure on the bearing component.
2. The drying apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The circulation component is a fan; the support assembly is used to support and limit the wafer or the wafer cassette, and the drying gas can pass through the support assembly.
3. The drying apparatus as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The carrier component further includes a limiting block, which surrounds at least one limiting area on the carrier plate, and the limiting area is configured to correspond one-to-one with the air outlet of the circulation component. The limiting area is used to limit the position of the cassette.
4. The drying apparatus as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The uniform flow hole structure includes a plurality of uniformly spaced through holes, and the distribution of the plurality of through holes avoids the installation position of the limiting block.
5. The drying apparatus as described in claim 2, characterized in that, An installation opening is provided on the bottom wall of the inner tank for installing the circulation component, and the top of the side wall of the inner tank is used to install the bearing component; The two ends of the guide plate are detachably connected to the two end plates of the outer tank.
6. The drying apparatus as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The guide plate is connected to the end plate of the outer tank through a mounting bracket and fasteners. The mounting bracket is installed on the end plate through fasteners and is connected to the end of the guide plate through the fasteners.
7. The drying apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The heating assembly includes multiple heaters, which extend along the length of the outer tank and are evenly distributed on both sides of the inner tank.
8. The drying apparatus as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The connection end of the heater is located outside the end plate of the outer tank, and the body of the heater is mounted on the side wall of the outer tank by a fixed bracket.
9. The drying apparatus as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The drying device also includes a temperature sensor, one end of which is connected to the end plate of the outer tank, and the other end is located between the support component and the bottom wall of the inner tank, for real-time monitoring of the temperature data of the drying gas.
10. The drying apparatus as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The drying device also includes a controller, which is electrically connected to the heating component and the temperature sensor, and is used to control the heating power of the heating component based on the temperature data monitored by the temperature sensor.
11. The drying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The tank assembly also includes a collection box, which is detachably disposed on the outer side of the bottom wall of the outer tank and communicates with the outer tank for collecting liquid inside the outer tank.
12. A semiconductor process apparatus, characterized in that, include: The drying apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 11.
13. The semiconductor process equipment as described in claim 12, characterized in that, The semiconductor process equipment is a cleaning machine, which also includes a process tank for wet cleaning of the wafer.