Wafer coating equipment and coating methods

Abstract

This invention provides a wafer coating apparatus and method. The wafer coating apparatus includes a housing, a shielding component, a waste removal component, and an exhaust component. A support platform is rotatably disposed within the housing for placing the wafer, and an opening is provided at the top of the housing corresponding to the support platform. The shielding component has a shielding portion that is adapted to the opening and is connected to the opening to seal the top of the housing. The exhaust component is located at the bottom of the housing and communicates with the housing. The exhaust component includes a sealing gasket for opening or closing the exhaust component. The waste removal component is located at the bottom of the housing and communicates with the housing. The waste removal component includes a partition for opening or closing the waste removal component. This invention avoids the influence of airflow on the film surface during wafer coating, preventing poor roll coating after coating, exposure, and development, thereby improving the yield of wafer and silicon wafer bonding.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of integrated circuit technology, and more particularly to a wafer coating apparatus and coating method. Background Technology

[0002] In existing through-silicon via (TSV) fabrication processes, during the cavity wall (CV) process, due to the cost and inherent properties of the photoresist, the only way to ensure a relatively smooth film surface is to avoid airflow during the coating process. Throughout the coating process, the airflow during spin coating causes extremely fine unevenness on the photoresist surface. Therefore, a cover plate needs to be installed above the process cup and an auto-damper needs to be installed in the exhaust duct to avoid airflow and ensure film surface smoothness.

[0003] However, based on the actual process on site, even with the addition of Cover and AutoDamper, poor roll coating still occurs during the roll coating process after coating, exposure, and development. This ultimately leads to failure in wafer and silicon wafer bonding, preventing the formation of a sealed chamber and reducing the yield of wafer and silicon wafer bonding. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a wafer coating equipment and method that avoids the influence of airflow on the film surface during the coating process, and avoids poor roll coating after coating, exposure and development, thereby improving the yield of wafer and silicon wafer bonding.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a wafer coating apparatus, comprising a housing, a shielding component, a waste removal assembly, and an exhaust assembly;

[0006] The housing is rotatably provided with a support platform for placing wafers, and the top of the housing has an opening corresponding to the support platform;

[0007] The shielding member has a shielding part that is adapted to the opening, and the shielding part and the opening are connected to seal the top of the housing;

[0008] The exhaust assembly is located at the bottom of the housing and communicates with the housing. The exhaust assembly includes a sealing gasket, which is used to open or close the exhaust assembly.

[0009] The waste discharge assembly is located at the bottom of the housing and communicates with the housing. The waste discharge assembly includes a baffle, which is used to open or close the waste discharge assembly.

[0010] In some embodiments, the housing is further provided with a flow guide, one end of which is close to the support platform, and the sidewall of the flow guide forms a flow channel close to the inner sidewall of the housing;

[0011] The waste discharge component includes a waste discharge pipe, which is connected to the flow channel.

[0012] In some embodiments, the waste discharge assembly further includes a seal and a first power mechanism;

[0013] A baffle groove is provided on one side wall of the waste discharge pipe, and the baffle groove extends from one side wall of the waste discharge pipe to the other side wall of the waste discharge pipe;

[0014] The sealing element is provided on one side wall of the waste discharge pipe and covers the opening of the partition groove;

[0015] The partition is movably disposed in the partition groove, and one end of the partition passes through the seal and is connected to the first power mechanism;

[0016] The first power mechanism moves the partition to open or close the waste discharge pipe.

[0017] In some embodiments, the waste discharge assembly further includes a liquid guiding shell, the liquid guiding shell having a connecting portion, the connecting portion connecting the sealing element to the waste discharge pipe, and the connecting portion having a liquid guiding port corresponding to the partition groove;

[0018] The waste discharge pipe is provided with a return hole, which is close to the partition groove and is connected to the liquid guide port.

[0019] In some embodiments, the liquid guiding shell is further provided with a cleaning hole, which is provided corresponding to the partition. The cleaning hole is connected to a cleaning device for cleaning the inside of the liquid guiding shell.

[0020] In some embodiments, the exhaust assembly further includes an exhaust duct, the sealing gasket being adapted to the inner diameter of the exhaust duct, and the sealing gasket being used to close or open the exhaust duct.

[0021] In some embodiments, the exhaust assembly further includes a second power mechanism, a connecting rod, a first baffle, and a second baffle;

[0022] The first baffle and the second baffle are disposed inside the exhaust pipe, and the sealing gasket is provided between the first baffle and the second baffle;

[0023] The second power mechanism is located on the outer wall of the exhaust pipe. The second power mechanism is connected to the first baffle through the connecting rod. The second power mechanism can drive the sealing gasket to swing, so as to close or open the exhaust pipe.

[0024] In some embodiments, the shielding member has a protruding structure in the direction toward the support platform.

[0025] The advantages of the wafer coating equipment provided by the present invention are as follows: by closing the waste discharge component and the exhaust component during coating, and by blocking the opening with the shielding component, the housing can provide a relatively sealed environment, avoiding the influence of airflow on the photoresist surface during the coating process, and avoiding the phenomenon of poor roll coating after coating, exposure and development, thereby improving the yield of wafer and silicon wafer bonding.

[0026] In a second aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a method for coating a wafer with adhesive, applicable to the wafer coating equipment, the method comprising:

[0027] Turn off the waste discharge assembly and the ventilation assembly;

[0028] Place the wafer on the support platform;

[0029] Glue is applied to the wafer; wherein the support stage moves at a speed of 50-100 r / min to drive the wafer to rotate;

[0030] Reduce the rotational speed of the support platform and seal the opening with the shielding member.

[0031] In some embodiments, reducing the rotational speed of the support platform and sealing the opening with the shielding member includes:

[0032] Reduce the rotational speed of the support platform until it stops rotating.

[0033] The beneficial effects of the wafer coating method provided by the present invention are as follows: by closing the waste discharge component and the exhaust component during coating, and by blocking the opening with a shielding component, the housing can provide a relatively sealed environment, avoiding the influence of airflow on the photoresist surface during the coating process, and avoiding the phenomenon of poor roll coating after coating, exposure and development, thereby improving the yield of wafer and silicon wafer bonding. Attached Figure Description

[0034] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer coating device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the waste discharge component provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 3 A perspective view of the waste discharge component provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 4A perspective view of the exhaust assembly provided in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Sectional view at point AA;

[0039] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of a wafer coating method provided by the present invention.

[0040] Figure label:

[0041] 1. Housing, 11. Support platform, 12. Flow guide, 13. Flow guide channel, 2. Shielding component, 21. Waste discharge assembly, 3. Partition, 31. Waste discharge pipe, 32. Return hole, 321. Seal, 33. First power mechanism, 34. Liquid guide shell, 35. Connecting part, 351. Liquid guide port, 352. Cleaning hole, 353. Exhaust assembly, 4. Sealing gasket, 41. Exhaust pipe, 42. Second power mechanism, 43. Connecting rod, 44. First baffle, 45. Second baffle, 46. Wafer, 5. Base, 6. Micro connector, 7. Detailed Implementation

[0042] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention. Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used herein should have the ordinary meaning understood by those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains. The terms "comprising" and similar expressions used herein mean that the element or object preceding the word covers the element or object listed after the word and its equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Unless otherwise specified, the term "connection" as used herein can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection, i.e., a connection through an intermediate object.

[0043] To address the problems existing in the prior art, embodiments of the present invention provide a wafer coating apparatus, with reference to... Figure 1As shown, the wafer coating equipment includes a housing 1, a shielding component 2, a waste removal assembly 3, and an exhaust assembly 4. A support platform 11 is rotatably mounted inside the housing 1. The support platform 11 is connected to a motor (not shown in the figure), which controls the rotation of the support platform 11. The support platform 11 is used to place the wafer 5 and can drive the wafer 5 to rotate. An opening (not shown in the figure) is provided at the top of the housing 1 corresponding to the support platform 11. A glue gun (shown in the figure) can enter the housing 1 through the opening to apply glue to the wafer 5. The shielding component 2 has a shielding part 21 that is adapted to the opening. When glue application is required, the shielding component 2 is separated from the housing 1. When sealing the housing 1 is required, the shielding part 21 is connected to the opening to seal the top of the housing 1. The exhaust assembly 4 is located at the bottom of the housing 1 and communicates with the housing 1. The exhaust assembly 4 includes a sealing gasket 41, which is used to open or close the exhaust assembly 4. The waste discharge component 3 is located at the bottom of the housing 1 and communicates with the housing 1. The waste discharge component 3 includes a baffle 31, which is used to open or close the waste discharge component 3.

[0044] In addition, the coating equipment for the wafer 5 also includes a base 6, and the housing 1 is disposed on the base 6. The housing 1 is a hollow annular housing 1. The waste discharge component 3 and the ventilation component 4 are located inside the base 6 and connected to the bottom of the housing 1. The ventilation component 4 is arranged corresponding to the central axis of the housing 1, and the waste discharge component 3 is arranged close to the inner sidewall of the housing 1.

[0045] Through process verification and flow field simulation during cavity operation, it was found that airflow is the decisive factor causing abnormal photoresist rolling. Therefore, in this embodiment, by closing the waste discharge component 3 and the exhaust component 4 during photoresist coating, and by blocking the opening with the shielding component 2, the housing 1 can provide a sealed processing environment, avoiding the influence of airflow on the photoresist surface during the coating process of the wafer 5, and avoiding the phenomenon of poor photoresist rolling after coating, exposure, and development, thereby improving the yield of wafer 5 and silicon wafer bonding.

[0046] In some embodiments, the shielding member 2 has a protruding structure in the direction of the support platform 11, that is, the shielding part 21 is set as a protruding structure so that when the shielding part 21 is sealed with the opening, the space above the wafer 5 is compressed as much as possible, and the flow field interference during the movement of the wafer 5 is reduced.

[0047] In other embodiments, the housing 1 is further provided with a flow guide 12, which is an annular cavity located inside the housing 1. One end of the flow guide 12 is close to the support platform 11, and the sidewall of the flow guide 12 forms a flow channel 13 near the inner sidewall of the housing 1. The waste discharge assembly 3 includes a waste discharge pipe 32, which is connected to the flow channel 13. The flow guide 12 has a downward slope structure between one end and the sidewall of the flow guide 12. When the wafer 5 rotates, excess photoresist on its surface can flow through the downward slope structure into the flow channel 13 and then be discharged from the waste discharge pipe 32, which can prevent residual photoresist from contaminating the equipment.

[0048] Further reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the waste discharge assembly 3 also includes a sealing element 33 and a first power mechanism 34. A partition groove (not shown) is formed on one side wall of the waste discharge pipe 32, extending from one side wall to the other. The sealing element 33 is disposed on one side wall of the waste discharge pipe 32 and covers the opening of the partition groove, used to seal the opening of the partition groove. The partition element 31 is movably disposed in the partition groove, and one end of the partition element 31 passes through the sealing element 33 and connects to the first power mechanism 34. It can be understood that due to the sealing effect of the sealing element 33, the sealing performance of the waste discharge pipe 32 can be guaranteed when the partition element 31 blocks and closes the waste discharge pipe 32. In this embodiment, the first power mechanism 34 is a telescopic cylinder, used to drive the partition element 31 to move so that the partition element 31 opens or closes the waste discharge pipe 32. By employing the waste discharge component 3, both the airtightness of the housing 1 and the reliable recycling of residual adhesive are ensured.

[0049] Continue to refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in another embodiment of the present invention, the waste discharge assembly 3 further includes a liquid guiding shell 35, which has a connecting portion 351. The connecting portion 351 connects the sealing member 33 to the waste discharge pipe 32, and the connecting portion 351 has a liquid guiding port 352 corresponding to the partition groove. Specifically, the connecting portion 351 is fixed to the waste discharge pipe 32 by fixing screws. Since the sealing member 33 is located between the connecting portion 351 and the waste discharge pipe 32, the sealing member 33 seals the opening of the partition groove. A return hole 321 is provided on the waste discharge pipe 32. The return hole 321 is close to the opening of the partition groove, and the return hole 321 communicates with the liquid guiding port 352.

[0050] As the baffle moves outward toward the waste discharge pipe 32, residual adhesive carried out by the baffle and residual adhesive overflowing from the gaps in the seal 33 can flow back to the waste discharge pipe 32 through the liquid guide shell 35. The liquid guide shell 35 is also provided with a cleaning hole 353, which is provided corresponding to the baffle 31. The cleaning hole 353 is connected to an external cleaning device via a micro connector 7 for cleaning the inside of the liquid guide shell 35 and the baffle 31.

[0051] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, reference is made to... Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the exhaust assembly 4 also includes an exhaust pipe 42, and the sealing gasket 41 is adapted to the inner diameter of the exhaust pipe 42. The sealing gasket 41 is used to close or open the exhaust pipe 42.

[0052] Specifically, the exhaust assembly 4 further includes a second power mechanism 43, a connecting rod 44, a first baffle 45, and a second baffle 46. The first baffle 45 and the second baffle 46 are disposed inside the exhaust pipe 42, and the diameters of the first baffle 45 and the second baffle 46 are both smaller than the inner diameter of the exhaust pipe 42. A sealing gasket 41 is provided between the first baffle 45 and the second baffle 46, and the first baffle 45, the second baffle 46, and the sealing gasket 41 are connected by fixing screws. The diameter of the sealing gasket 41 is equal to the inner diameter of the exhaust pipe 42. The second power mechanism 43 is disposed on the outer wall of the exhaust pipe 42, and the second power mechanism 43 is connected to the first baffle 45 through the connecting rod 44. The second power mechanism 43 can drive the sealing gasket 41 to swing, similar to a fan blade swinging inside the exhaust pipe 42, so as to close or open the exhaust pipe 42.

[0053] In this embodiment, the second power mechanism 43 is a pneumatic swing cylinder. When the operation is completed, the second power mechanism 43 controls the sealing gasket 41 to open the exhaust pipe 42, and the exhaust pipe 42 connected to the plant will play a normal role in drawing air out, drawing the glue particles generated by the uniform glue in the housing 1 to the plant end, so as to ensure that the environment inside the housing 1 is normal.

[0054] In another embodiment of the present invention, a method for coating a wafer is provided, with reference to... Figure 6 As shown, the wafer coating method is applied to the wafer coating equipment in the above embodiments, and the coating method includes:

[0055] S601: Turn off the waste discharge component and the ventilation component.

[0056] S602: Place the wafer on the support platform.

[0057] S603: Apply adhesive to the wafer; wherein the support stage moves at a rotation speed of 50-100 r / min to drive the wafer to rotate.

[0058] In this step, the arm of the glue gun moves onto the wafer, and while the carrier stage moves the wafer at a speed of 50-100 r / min, glue is applied at a certain position away from the center of the wafer to form a sealed ring.

[0059] S604: Reduce the rotational speed of the support platform and seal the opening with the shielding member.

[0060] In this step, the rotation speed of the support stage is reduced until it stops rotating, and then spin coating operations such as spreading and setting the film are performed in a completely sealed space until the operation is completed. Afterward, the shielding is opened and the product is removed. After the entire coating, exposure, and development process is completed, a roller coating operation is performed. Finally, the roller coating is verified under an electron microscope to check for any abnormalities. Verification showed that when the coating method was used in the wafer coating equipment of the above embodiments, no abnormalities were observed after the wafers were roller coated.

[0061] The above description is merely a specific implementation of the embodiments of this application, but the protection scope of the embodiments of this application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the embodiments of this application should be covered within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of the embodiments of this application should be determined by the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A wafer coating apparatus, characterized in that, Includes housing, shielding components, waste discharge assembly, and ventilation assembly; The housing is rotatably provided with a support platform for placing wafers, and the top of the housing has an opening corresponding to the support platform; The shielding member has a shielding part that is adapted to the opening, and the shielding part and the opening are connected to seal the top of the housing; The exhaust assembly is located at the bottom of the housing and communicates with the housing. The exhaust assembly includes a sealing gasket, which is used to open or close the exhaust assembly. The waste discharge assembly is located at the bottom of the housing and communicates with the housing. The waste discharge assembly includes a baffle, which is used to open or close the waste discharge assembly. The housing is also provided with a flow guide, one end of which is close to the support platform, and the side wall of the flow guide forms a flow channel close to the inner side wall of the housing. The waste discharge assembly includes a waste discharge pipe, which is connected to the flow guide channel; The waste discharge assembly also includes a seal and a first power mechanism; A baffle groove is provided on one side wall of the waste discharge pipe, and the baffle groove extends from one side wall of the waste discharge pipe to the other side wall of the waste discharge pipe; The sealing element is provided on one side wall of the waste discharge pipe and covers the opening of the partition groove; The partition is movably disposed in the partition groove, and one end of the partition passes through the seal and is connected to the first power mechanism; The first power mechanism moves the partition to open or close the waste discharge pipe; The waste discharge assembly also includes a liquid guiding shell, which has a connecting part that connects the sealing element to the waste discharge pipe. The connecting part is provided with a liquid guiding port corresponding to the partition groove. The waste discharge pipe is provided with a return hole, which is close to the baffle groove and is connected to the liquid guide port; The liquid guiding shell is also provided with a cleaning hole, which is provided corresponding to the partition. The cleaning hole is connected to a cleaning device for cleaning the inside of the liquid guiding shell. The exhaust assembly also includes an exhaust pipe, and the sealing gasket is adapted to the inner diameter of the exhaust pipe. The sealing gasket is used to close or open the exhaust pipe. The exhaust assembly also includes a second power mechanism, a connecting rod, a first baffle, and a second baffle. The first baffle and the second baffle are disposed inside the exhaust pipe, and the sealing gasket is provided between the first baffle and the second baffle; The second power mechanism is located on the outer wall of the exhaust pipe. The second power mechanism is connected to the first baffle through the connecting rod. The second power mechanism can drive the sealing gasket to swing, so as to close or open the exhaust pipe.

2. The wafer coating equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shielding member has a protruding structure in the direction facing the support platform.

3. A method for coating a wafer with adhesive, characterized in that, The coating apparatus for the wafer according to claim 1 or 2, the coating method comprising: Turn off the waste discharge assembly and the ventilation assembly; Place the wafer on the support platform; Glue is applied to the wafer; wherein the support stage moves at a speed of 50-100 r / min to drive the wafer to rotate; Reduce the rotational speed of the support platform and seal the opening with the shielding member.

4. The wafer coating method according to claim 3, characterized in that, Reducing the rotational speed of the support platform and sealing the opening with the shielding member includes: Reduce the rotational speed of the support platform until it stops rotating.

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