Purification gas control method and semiconductor device

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a purge gas control method and semiconductor equipment. The purge gas control method includes: obtaining position information of a wafer transfer box relative to a machine and / or operating information of the machine; determining an operating stage based on the position information and / or operating information; and controlling the flow rate of the purge gas based on the operating stage. In the present disclosure, the operating stage of the wafer transfer box is determined by obtaining position information of the wafer transfer box relative to the machine and / or operating information of the machine, and different flow rates of purge gas are output according to different operating stages to adapt the flow rate of the purge gas to the operating stage. This not only improves the problem of semiconductor product defects caused by gas condensation, but also saves purge gas flow, thereby saving production costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and in particular to a method for controlling purified gas and semiconductor equipment. Background Art

[0002] During the semiconductor device manufacturing process, after the previous process is completed, the wafer transfer box will transfer the wafer from the process chamber of the previous process to the process chamber of the next process. Usually, some chemical residues from the previous process will remain on the wafer. If these chemical residues are not removed from the wafer surface before entering the next process, it will affect the processing of the next process and easily cause processing defects in the semiconductor device. For example, when the wafer is about to enter the etching process, if the chemical residues remaining in the wafer transfer box are not removed before entering the etching process, these chemical residues will produce condensates on the surface of the wafer. These condensates will cause the wafer to be under-etched during the etching process. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The following is an overview of the subject matter described in detail in this disclosure. This overview is not intended to limit the scope of the claims.

[0004] The present disclosure provides a method for controlling a purified gas and a semiconductor device.

[0005] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, a method for controlling purified gas is provided, the method comprising:

[0006] Obtaining the position information of the wafer transfer box relative to the machine and / or the operation information of the machine;

[0007] determining an operation phase according to the position information and / or the operation information;

[0008] The flow rate of the purge gas is controlled according to the operation stage.

[0009] In some embodiments, determining the operation stage according to the location information and / or the operation information includes:

[0010] When the distance between the wafer transport box and the machine platform gradually decreases to a first preset distance, it is determined that the wafer transport box has entered the first stage;

[0011] According to the operation stage, the flow rate of the purge gas is controlled, including:

[0012] When the wafer transport box runs to the first stage, the purge pipeline is controlled to open and blow the purge gas at a first preset flow rate, wherein the range of the first preset flow rate is (0, 100], and the unit is sccm.

[0013] In some embodiments, determining the operation stage according to the location information and / or the operation information includes:

[0014] When the wafer transport box moves to the machine platform and is locked with the machine platform, determining that the wafer transport box has entered the second stage;

[0015] According to the operation stage, the flow rate of the purge gas is controlled, including:

[0016] When the wafer transport box runs to the second stage, controlling the purge pipeline to blow the purge gas at a second preset flow rate, wherein the second preset flow rate is in a range of [50, 100] and the unit is sccm;

[0017] The first preset flow rate is smaller than the second preset flow rate.

[0018] In some embodiments, the method for controlling the purified gas further includes:

[0019] When the wafer transport box runs to the second stage, the purge pipeline is connected with the internal pipeline of the wafer transport box, and the purge gas is blown from the first side of the wafer transport box to the door of the wafer transport box;

[0020] Wherein, the first side of the wafer transport box is opposite to the door of the wafer transport box.

[0021] In some embodiments, determining the operation stage according to the location information and / or the operation information includes:

[0022] When the door of the wafer transport box is opened and the machine detects the wafers in the wafer transport box, it is determined that the wafer transport box has entered the third stage;

[0023] According to the operation stage, the flow rate of the purge gas is controlled, including:

[0024] When the wafer transport box runs to the third stage, controlling the purge pipeline to blow the purge gas at a third preset flow rate, wherein the third preset flow rate is in a range of [50, 200], and the unit is sccm;

[0025] The third preset flow rate is greater than or equal to the second preset flow rate.

[0026] In some embodiments, determining the operation stage according to the location information and / or the operation information includes:

[0027] When the machine is processing the wafers in the wafer pod, determining that the wafer pod has reached the fourth stage;

[0028] According to the operation stage, the flow rate of the purge gas is controlled, including:

[0029] When the wafer transport box runs to the fourth stage, the flow rate of the purge gas is controlled according to the number and / or placement positions of the wafers accommodated in the wafer transport box.

[0030] In some embodiments, controlling the flow rate of the purge gas according to the number and / or placement of wafers accommodated in the wafer pod includes:

[0031] The flow rate of the purge gas is positively correlated with the number of wafers accommodated in the wafer transport box.

[0032] In some embodiments, the wafer pod is divided into a plurality of blowing areas, each of which is associated with a placement position of the wafer. Controlling the flow rate of the purge gas according to the number and / or placement position of the wafers accommodated in the wafer pod includes:

[0033] The flow rates of the purge gas are different in the plurality of blowing areas.

[0034] In some embodiments, in the fourth stage, the flow rate of the purge gas is in the range of [50, 200], with the unit being sccm.

[0035] In some embodiments, determining the operation stage according to the location information and / or the operation information includes:

[0036] After the machine completes processing of the wafers in the FOUP and the FOUP is connected to the machine, determining that the FOUP has entered the fifth stage;

[0037] According to the operation stage, the flow rate of the purge gas is controlled, including:

[0038] When the wafer transport box runs to the fifth stage, the purge gas is blown at a fourth preset flow rate, and the range of the fourth preset flow rate is [50, 200], and the unit is sccm.

[0039] In some embodiments, the control method further includes:

[0040] When the wafer transport box is separated from the tool and the distance between the wafer transport box and the tool gradually increases, the purification pipeline is controlled to be closed.

[0041] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a semiconductor device is provided, comprising a wafer transport box, a tool, and a controller, wherein the wafer transport box is provided with an internal pipeline, the tool is provided with a first detection device and a purge pipeline, and the purge pipeline and the internal pipeline are used for circulating a purge gas;

[0042] The first detection device and the purification pipeline are electrically connected to the controller respectively. The first detection device is used to detect the distance between the wafer transfer box and the machine platform.

[0043] In some embodiments, the wafer transport box is used to accommodate wafers, and a plurality of the wafers are stacked along the height direction of the wafer transport box;

[0044] The wafer conveying box includes a first side and a door body, the first side is arranged opposite to the door body, the internal pipeline includes a plurality of air outlet holes, and the plurality of air outlet holes are distributed along the height direction of the wafer conveying box. The purified gas blown out from the air outlet holes flows from the first side to the door body.

[0045] In some embodiments, the wafer transport box is provided with a plurality of support racks, each of the support racks being used to support one wafer;

[0046] Each support frame is provided with a pressure sensor.

[0047] In some embodiments, a plurality of optical sensors are provided in the machine, and the plurality of optical sensors are arranged along the height direction of the wafer transport box;

[0048] The optical sensors are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the support frames, and the optical sensors are used to detect whether a wafer is placed on the support frame.

[0049] In the purification gas control method and semiconductor equipment provided by the present disclosure, the operating stage of the wafer transfer box is determined by obtaining the position information of the wafer transfer box relative to the machine and / or the operating information of the machine, and different flow rates of purification gas are output according to different operating stages to make the flow rate of the purification gas adapt to the operating stage. This can not only improve the problem of defects in semiconductor products caused by gas condensation, but also save the purification gas flow rate, thereby saving production costs.

[0050] Still other aspects will become apparent upon reading and understanding the accompanying drawings and detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description, are used to explain the principles of the embodiments of the present disclosure. In these drawings, similar reference numerals are used to represent similar elements. The drawings described below are some embodiments of the present disclosure, not all embodiments. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be derived from these drawings without inventive effort.

[0052] Figure 1The figure is a flow chart of a method for controlling a purified gas according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0053] Figure 2 The figure is a flow chart of a method for controlling a purified gas according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0054] Figure 3 The figure is a flow chart of a method for controlling a purified gas according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0055] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a semiconductor device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0056] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a semiconductor device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0057] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a semiconductor device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0058] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a semiconductor device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0059] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a semiconductor device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0060] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a semiconductor device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0061] Reference numerals:

[0062] 10. Wafer transfer box;

[0063] 11. Wafer; 12. Internal piping; 121. Air outlet; 13. First side; 14. First door; 15. Support frame;

[0064] 20. Machine;

[0065] 21. First detection device; 22. Purification pipeline; 23. Optical sensor; 24. Second door. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0066] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure clearer, the technical solutions in the disclosed embodiments will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure. It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments in the present disclosure and the features in the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined with each other.

[0067] During the semiconductor device manufacturing process, after the previous process is completed, the wafer transfer box will transfer the wafer from the process chamber of the previous process to the process chamber of the next process. Usually, some chemical residues from the previous process will remain on the wafer. If these chemical residues are not removed from the wafer surface before entering the next process, it will affect the processing of the next process and easily cause processing defects in the semiconductor device. For example, when the wafer is about to enter the etching process, if the chemical residues remaining in the wafer transfer box are not removed before entering the etching process, these chemical residues will produce condensates on the surface of the wafer. These condensates will cause the wafer to be under-etched during the etching process.

[0068] In order to effectively improve gas condensation defects that occur during the processing of semiconductor products, the present disclosure provides a purge gas control method, which includes: obtaining position information of a wafer transfer box relative to a machine and / or operating information of the machine; determining an operating stage based on the position information and / or operating information; and controlling the flow rate of the purge gas based on the operating stage. In the present disclosure, the operating stage of the wafer transfer box is determined by obtaining position information of the wafer transfer box relative to the machine and / or operating information of the machine, and different flow rates of purge gas are output according to different operating stages to adapt the flow rate of the purge gas to the operating stage. This not only improves the problem of semiconductor product defects caused by gas condensation, but also saves purge gas flow, thereby saving production costs.

[0069] In the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, Figure 1 As shown, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for controlling a purified gas, the method comprising:

[0070] Step S100: obtaining position information of the wafer FOUP relative to the machine and / or operation information of the machine.

[0071] In this step, if Figures 4 to 9 As shown, a pod 10 is a container used to protect, transport, and temporarily store wafers 11 in semiconductor manufacturing processes. The pod 10 can be placed on the loading port of a tool 20 of a semiconductor device. When the second door 24 of the tool 20 and the first door 14 of the pod 10 are opened, a robotic arm provided in the tool 20 transports the wafers in the pod 10 to the tool 20 for processing, or transports processed wafers 10 in the tool 20 back to the pod 10. The pod 10 can be, for example, a front-opening unified pod (FOUP).

[0072] In this step, a detection device can be provided to obtain position information of the pod 10 relative to the platform 20, such as whether the pod 10 is moving closer to the platform 20, or moving away from the platform 20, or whether the pod 10 is already placed on the platform 20. At the same time, a controller (not shown) can be electrically connected to the platform 20 to obtain real-time operating information of the platform 20. The controller can be, for example, a computer.

[0073] In one example, if Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, a first detection device 21 (described in detail later) can be provided to detect the distance between the FOUP 10 and the platform 20, thereby obtaining position information of the FOUP 10 relative to the platform 20. The first detection device 21 can be, for example, a distance sensor. The first detection device 21 can be provided on the platform 20 or on the FOUP 10.

[0074] In another example, Figures 4 to 9 As shown, a pressure sensor (not shown) can be provided on the support frame 15 of the wafer folding box 10. The support frame 15 is used to support the wafer 11. The information of the wafer 11 in the wafer folding box 10 is obtained based on the pressure value detected by the pressure sensor, and then the operation information of the machine 20 is determined. When the pressure sensor reading is not 0, it means that the wafer 11 is currently placed on the support frame 15. When the pressure sensor reading is 0, it means that the wafer 11 is currently not placed on the support frame 15. In this way, the position and number of the wafers 11 in the wafer folding box 10 can be accurately obtained, and then the flow rate and path of the purge gas can be controlled according to the different placement positions of the wafers 11. While improving the purification effect, the purification position is more targeted, thereby saving purification gas and achieving the purpose of reducing production costs.

[0075] Step S200: Determine the operation stage according to the location information and / or operation information.

[0076] In this step, the wafer FOUP 10 has different position information relative to the platform 20 .

[0077] The operation of the pod 10 can be divided into five phases based on the relative position between the pod 10 and the platform 20, as well as the operating information of the platform 20. During implementation, the position and operating information can be monitored in real time to determine the current operating phase, and the purge gas flow rate can be controlled accordingly.

[0078] In one example, if Figure 4As shown, when wafers 11 to be processed are present in a pod 10, an automated overhead crane (not shown) can transport the pod 10 to a tool 20. During transport, the position of the pod 10 relative to the tool 20 continuously changes. The operational phase of the pod 10 can be determined based on the position information (i.e., the change in the position of the pod 10 relative to the tool 20). For example, if the distance between the pod 10 and the tool 20 is less than a preset threshold, the pod 10 can be considered to be in the first phase.

[0079] In one example, if Figure 5 As shown, when the wafer transport box 10 is just connected to the loading end of the machine 20, the first door 14 of the wafer transport box 10 is in a closed state, and the second door 24 on the machine 20 is also in a closed state. At this time, the distance between the machine 20 and the wafer transport box 10 is 0, which defines that the wafer transport box 10 is currently in the second stage.

[0080] In another example, Figure 6 As shown, when the first door 14 (refer to Figure 5 ) is opened, the second door 24 of the machine 20 (refer to Figure 5 ) is opened, the operating information of the machine 20 changes when the machine 20 detects the number and position of the wafers 10 in the FOUP 10. The operating information of the machine 20 can be used to determine that the FOUP is currently in the third stage. When the robot arm in the machine 20 removes the wafers 11 from the FOUP 10 and processes them, and then charges and places the processed wafers 11 back into the FOUP 10, the FOUP 10 is considered to be in the fourth stage.

[0081] In another example (this example can be referred to Figure 5 ), after the wafer 11 is processed, the first door 14 of the wafer transfer box 10 is closed, the second door 24 of the platform 20 is closed, and the wafer 11 has not left the loading end of the platform 20, it can be considered that the current wafer transfer box 10 is in the fifth stage.

[0082] Step S300: Control the flow rate of the purified gas according to the operation stage.

[0083] In this step, the purge gas flow rate is controlled according to the operating stage of the wafer pod 10. Different purge gas flow rates are controlled differently during different operating stages, making the purge process more targeted. The purge gas can be, for example, nitrogen (N2) or an inert gas that is less likely to react with residual chemical gases on the wafers.

[0084] Reference Figures 4 to 9For example, when the wafer transport box 10 is close to the machine 20 (first stage), the purge gas can be controlled to start blowing, and the purge gas can have a first preset flow rate. When the wafer transport box 10 is just connected to the machine 20 (second stage), the purge pipe 22 that supplies the purge gas can be connected to the internal pipe 12 in the wafer transport box 10, and the purge gas with a second preset flow rate can be used to blow the wafers 11 in the wafer transport box 10. When the wafers 11 in the wafer transport box 10 are inspected (third stage), the purge gas with a third preset flow rate can be used for blowing. When the machine 20 processes the wafers 11 (fourth stage), the flow rate and blowing position of the purge gas can be adjusted according to the number of wafers in the wafer transport box 10 and the position of the wafers. When the machine 20 completes processing of the wafers 11 and the internal pipe 12 of the wafer transport box 10 is still connected to the purification pipe 22 of the machine 20 (the fifth stage), the wafers 11 in the wafer transport box 10 can be blown with the purification gas of the fourth preset flow rate.

[0085] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the position information of the wafer transfer box relative to the machine and / or the operation information of the machine are obtained to determine the operation stage of the wafer transfer box, and different flow rates of purification gas are output according to different operation stages to control the purification gas to be blown at different flow rates in different operation stages, thereby effectively improving the condensation defects caused by gas condensation problems in the semiconductor product processing process, and can also save the amount of purification gas and save production costs.

[0086] In an exemplary embodiment, this embodiment is a further explanation of step S200 and step S300 in the above embodiment. Figure 2 As shown, the control method for purifying gas may specifically include the following steps:

[0087] Step S100: obtaining position information of the wafer FOUP relative to the machine and / or operation information of the machine.

[0088] This step has been described in the above embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0089] In step S210 , when the distance between the wafer FOUP and the machine platform gradually decreases to a first preset distance, it is determined that the wafer FOUP has entered the first stage.

[0090] In this step, if Figure 4 As shown, a first detection device 21 can be provided on the wafer transport box 10 or the platform 20. The first detection device 21 can be, for example, a distance sensor. When the wafer transport box 10 is located above the platform 20 ( Figure 4 When the first detection device 21 detects that the distance between the wafer transport box 10 and the machine 20 is gradually reduced to the first preset distance ( Figure 4When the wafer pod 10 is moving in the z direction (as shown in FIG), it can be determined that although the wafer pod 10 has not yet reached the loading end of the tool 20, it is gradually approaching the loading end of the tool 20. At this time, it can be determined that the wafer pod 10 has entered the first stage of operation. The first stage can be considered as the stage in which the wafer pod 10 loaded with the wafers 11 to be processed gradually approaches the tool 20.

[0091] Step S310: When the wafer transfer box runs to the first stage, the purge pipeline is controlled to open and purge gas is blown at a first preset flow rate, wherein the first preset flow rate ranges from (0, 100] and the unit is sccm.

[0092] In this step, if Figure 4 As shown, the controller (not shown) controls the purge line 22 to blow the purge gas to the wafer transfer box 10 at a first preset flow rate. The range of the first preset flow rate is, for example, (0, 100], and the unit is sccm. That is, the range of the first preset flow rate is greater than 0 sccm and less than or equal to 100 sccm, for example, 10 sccm, 30 sccm, 50 sccm, and 60 sccm.

[0093] It is understandable that, referring to Figure 4 In the first stage, the FOUP 10 is not connected to the tool 20. Even if the purge gas is blown at a higher flow rate, it will not remove the residual chemical gases in the FOUP 10 and will result in waste. Therefore, a lower flow rate of purge gas can be used in the first stage. This not only saves purge gas, but also prevents the purge gas from having a large resistance that affects the docking and locking of the FOUP 10 and the tool 20. At the same time, it also provides a buffer period for the purge gas to transition from a low flow rate to a high flow rate, making the purge gas flow more stable.

[0094] In an exemplary embodiment, this embodiment is a further explanation of step S200 and step S300 in the above embodiment. Figure 2 As shown, the control method for purifying gas may specifically include the following steps:

[0095] Step S100: obtaining position information of the wafer FOUP relative to the machine and / or operation information of the machine.

[0096] This step has been described in the above embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0097] In step S220 , when the wafer FOUP moves to the machine platform and is locked with the machine platform, it is determined that the wafer FOUP has entered the second stage.

[0098] In this step, if Figure 5As shown, a first detection device 21 can be provided on the pod 10 or the platform 20. The first detection device 21 can be, for example, a distance sensor. When the pod 10 is moved onto the platform 20, the detection distance value of the first detection device 21 can be, for example, 0. Then, a controller (not shown) can control the pod 10 to lock with the platform 20, thereby confirming that the pod 10 has moved to the second stage. In the second stage, after the pod 10 is locked with the loading end of the platform 20, the purge line 22 of the platform 20 is connected to the internal line 12 of the pod 10.

[0099] It is understandable that, referring to Figure 5 The second stage can be considered as the stage where the wafer transport box 10 moves onto the platform 20 and is locked with the platform 20, and the first door 14 of the wafer transport box 10 is not opened.

[0100] Step S320: When the wafer pod reaches the second stage, the purge gas is blown through the purge line at a second preset flow rate. The second preset flow rate is in the range of [50, 100], expressed in sccm. The first preset flow rate is less than the second preset flow rate. The second preset flow rate is in the range of greater than or equal to 50 sccm and less than or equal to 100 sccm, and greater than the first preset flow rate. Examples of the second preset flow rate include 50 sccm, 60 sccm, 75 sccm, and 90 sccm.

[0101] In this step, if Figure 5 As shown, the controller (not shown) controls the purification pipeline 22 to blow the purification gas to the wafer transfer box 10 at a second preset flow rate. The range of the second preset flow rate is, for example, [50, 100], and the unit is sccm. The second preset flow rate needs to be greater than the first preset flow rate in the above embodiment, wherein the first preset flow rate is the flow rate of the purification gas in the first stage.

[0102] Among them, such as Figure 5 As shown, when the wafer conveying box 10 runs to the second stage, the purification pipeline 22 of the machine 20 is connected with the internal pipeline 12 of the wafer conveying box 10, and the purification gas blown out by the purification pipeline 22 enters the interior of the wafer conveying box 10 through the internal pipeline 12, and the purification gas can be blown from the first side 13 of the wafer conveying box 10 to the first door body 14 side of the wafer conveying box 10. The first side 13 of the wafer conveying box 10 is opposite to the first door body 14 of the wafer conveying box 10, so that when the first door body 14 is opened, the residual chemicals in the wafer conveying box 10 are removed from the surface of the wafer 11 by the purification gas.

[0103] It is understandable that, referring to Figure 5In the second stage, the wafer transfer box 10 has been connected to the machine 20 and locked. The flow rate of the purification gas can be appropriately increased to improve the purification effect. In addition, a large flow rate of purification gas is required in the subsequent process. Therefore, increasing the flow rate of the purification gas at this time can also provide a buffer period for the transition from a small flow rate to a large flow rate, making the flow transition process of the purification gas more stable.

[0104] In an exemplary embodiment, this embodiment is a further explanation of step S200 and step S300 in the above embodiment. Figure 2 As shown, the control method for purifying gas specifically includes the following steps:

[0105] Step S100: obtaining position information of the wafer FOUP relative to the machine and / or operation information of the machine.

[0106] This step has been described in the above embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0107] Step S230: When the door of the wafer FOUP is opened and the machine detects the wafers in the wafer FOUP, it is determined that the wafer FOUP has entered the third stage.

[0108] In this step, in one example, Figure 6 As shown, when the first door 14 of the wafer conveying box 10 is opened, the wafers 11 in the wafer conveying box 10 can be detected by, for example, a light sensor 23 arranged in the machine 20, so as to obtain the number of wafers 11 and the placement position of the wafers 11 in the wafer conveying box 10.

[0109] In another example, Figure 6 As shown, a pressure sensor (not shown) may be provided on each support frame 15 in the wafer pod 10. The data detected by the pressure sensor is transmitted to a controller (not shown). The controller obtains the number of wafers 11 and the placement position of the wafers 11 in the wafer pod 10 based on the detection data of the pressure sensor. For example, when the pressure sensor on a certain support frame 15 detects a value, it indicates that a wafer 11 is placed on the support frame 15. The controller can then determine the placement position of the wafer 11 and increase the number of wafers 11 by one.

[0110] Step S330: When the wafer pod reaches the third stage, the purge gas is blown through the purge line at a third preset flow rate. The third preset flow rate is in the range of [50, 200], in units of sccm; the third preset flow rate is greater than or equal to the second preset flow rate. The third preset flow rate is in the range of greater than or equal to 50 sccm and less than or equal to 200 sccm, and greater than or equal to the second preset flow rate. Examples of the third preset flow rate include 50 sccm, 80 sccm, 120 sccm, and 160 sccm.

[0111] In this step, if Figure 6 As shown, the controller controls the purge line 22 to blow purge gas to the wafer pod 10 at a third preset flow rate. The third preset flow rate is in the range of [50, 200], for example, in units of sccm. The third preset flow rate must be greater than or equal to the second preset flow rate. The second preset flow rate is the flow rate of the purge gas in the second stage.

[0112] It is understandable that, referring to Figure 6 In the third stage, the wafer transfer box 10 is already connected to the machine 20, and in the third stage, the first door 14 of the wafer transfer box 10 is already opened. You can choose to increase the flow rate of the purification gas to blow out the residual chemicals on the surface of the wafer 11 from the wafer transfer box 10, so as to keep the surface of the wafer 11 that is about to enter the machine 20 for processing clean and improve the purification effect.

[0113] In an exemplary embodiment, this embodiment is a further explanation of step S200 and step S300 in the above embodiment. Figure 2 As shown, the control method for purifying gas specifically includes the following steps:

[0114] Step S100: obtaining position information of the wafer FOUP relative to the machine and / or operation information of the machine.

[0115] This step has been described in the above embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0116] Step S240 : When the machine processes the wafers in the wafer FOUP, it is determined that the wafer FOUP has entered the fourth stage.

[0117] In this step, if Figure 6 As shown, a sensor can be installed in the FOUP 10 or the platform 20 to detect the movement of the wafer 11. When the sensor detects that the wafer 11 is taken out of or put back into the FOUP, it indicates that the FOUP 10 has reached the fourth stage of operation. Furthermore, the fourth stage of operation can also be directly determined by monitoring the operation of the platform 20.

[0118] In one example, if Figure 6 As shown, a pressure sensor (not shown) can be installed on each support 15 in the wafer pod 10. When the pressure sensor reading changes, it indicates that the wafer pod 10 has entered the fourth stage of operation. For example, if the pressure sensor installed on the support 15 can detect a value, it means that the wafer 11 is placed on the support 15. When the value detected by the pressure sensor on the support 15 becomes 0, it means that the wafer 11 on the support 15 has been removed by the robot arm of the tool 20, indicating that the tool 20 has begun processing the wafer 11.

[0119] In another example, Figures 4 to 9 As shown, a plurality of light sensors 23 can be set in the machine 20, and the light sensors 23 are set in a one-to-one correspondence with the support frames 15, that is, the number of light sensors 23 is equal to the number of support frames 15, and each light sensor 23 emits a detection light at the position of the wafer 11. When a wafer 11 is placed on the support frame 15, the detection light can be blocked by the wafer 11. When no wafer 11 is placed on the support frame 15, the detection light will not be blocked. For example, when the detection light of the light sensor 23 changes from being blocked to being unblocked, it indicates that the wafer 11 on the support frame 15 corresponding to the light sensor 23 is taken out, thereby realizing the judgment of the number of wafers 11 in the wafer transfer box 10 and the placement position of the wafer 11 based on whether the detection light is blocked.

[0120] In another example, Figure 6 As shown, an image sensor (not shown) can be set in the platform 20. When the image sensor obtains that the wafer is transported by the robot arm (not shown) of the platform 20, it indicates that the wafer transport box 10 has run to the fourth stage.

[0121] Step S340: When the wafer transport box runs to the fourth stage, the flow rate of the purge gas is controlled according to the number and / or placement positions of the wafers accommodated in the wafer transport box.

[0122] In this step, if Figure 6 As shown, the controller can control the flow rate of the purge gas based on the placement and number of wafers 11 in the FOUP 10 to achieve optimal purification results. When the FOUP reaches the fourth stage, the controller can control the purge line 22 to blow purge gas into the FOUP 10. The purge gas flow rate is in the range of [50, 200], for example, in units of sccm.

[0123] In one example, if Figure 6 As shown, the controller can control the flow rate of the purge gas according to the number of wafers 11 accommodated in the wafer transport box 10, and the flow rate of the purge gas is positively correlated with the number of wafers 11 accommodated in the wafer transport box 10. Figure 6 and Figure 7 , Figure 6 As shown in FIG, there are a large number of wafers 11 in the wafer transport box 10, the flow rate of the purge gas can be increased to quickly blow the purge gas out of the wafer transport box 10 to improve the purification effect and purification rate. Figure 7 As shown in FIG, the number of wafers in the wafer transfer box 10 is small, and the flow rate of the purge gas can be reduced to achieve the purification effect, thereby saving the amount of purge gas.

[0124] In another example, Figures 7 to 9As shown, the controller can control the flow rate of the purge gas according to the placement position of the wafers 11 accommodated in the wafer transport box 10. Figures 7 to 9 The wafer transfer box 10 is divided into multiple blowing areas, and the blowing areas are related to the placement of the wafers 11. The flow rates of the purification gas in the multiple blowing areas are different. The blowing areas can be arranged according to the stacking direction of the wafers 11 ( Figure 7 The wafer pod 10 is divided into an upper purge area, a middle purge area, and a lower purge area (in the z direction shown in FIG). It is understood that the internal pipe 12 of the wafer pod 10 is provided with a plurality of air outlets 121, each corresponding to a plurality of purge areas. The plurality of air outlets 121 can be independently controlled by a controller, thereby enabling the controller to control the opening and closing of the air outlets 121 to blow purified gas to a designated purge area.

[0125] For example, refer to Figure 8 When a wafer 11 is placed in the upper blowing area of ​​the wafer transport box 10, the controller can control the air outlet 121 corresponding to the upper blowing area to open, and control the purge line 22 to blow a small flow of purge gas into the wafer transport box 10. For another example, referring to Figure 7 When a wafer 11 is placed in the lower blowing area of ​​the wafer transport box 10, the controller can control the air outlet 121 corresponding to the lower blowing area to open, and control the purge line 22 to blow a larger flow of purge gas into the wafer transport box 10. For another example, referring to Figure 9 When a wafer 11 is placed in the middle blowing area of ​​the wafer conveying box 10, the controller can control the air outlet 121 corresponding to the middle blowing area to open. It can be understood that when only a certain blowing area in the wafer conveying box 10 stores wafers, the controller can still open all the air outlet holes 121 to purify the entire area of ​​the wafer conveying box 10.

[0126] It should be noted that the wafers 11 in the wafer transfer box 10 are constantly taken out for processing and put back after processing is completed. Therefore, the number of wafers 11 in the wafer transfer box 10 is constantly changing, and the machine 20 does not necessarily put a wafer back to its original place after taking it out for processing, which may cause some support frames 15 carrying wafers 11 to no longer carry wafers. Therefore, the controller needs to adjust the flow rate of the purification gas and the blowing area of ​​the purification gas in real time according to the information of the sensor, so as to achieve better cleaning effect while saving the amount of purification gas.

[0127] In an exemplary embodiment, this embodiment is a further explanation of step S200 and step S300 in the above embodiment. Figure 2 As shown, the control method for purifying gas may specifically include the following steps:

[0128] S100: Obtaining position information of a wafer transfer box relative to a machine and / or operation information of the machine.

[0129] This step has been described in the above embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0130] Step S250 : After the machine completes processing the wafers in the FOUP, and the FOUP is connected to the machine, it is determined that the FOUP has entered the fifth stage.

[0131] In this step, if Figure 4 As shown, the pressure sensor or optical sensor 23 used in the above embodiments can be used to determine whether all wafers have been processed. When it is determined that all wafers have been processed and the FOUP 10 is still connected to the platform 20, the FOUP 10 is determined to have entered the fifth stage.

[0132] It should be noted that the fifth stage may also be defined by the following conditions: for example, the first door 14 of the FOUP 10 is closed, and the FOUP 10 is unlocked from the platform 20. In other words, in the fifth stage, the FOUP 10 is waiting for an automated overhead crane (not shown) to pick it up and remove it from the platform 20.

[0133] Step S350: When the wafer transfer box runs to the fifth stage, the purge gas is blown at a fourth preset flow rate, where the range of the fourth preset flow rate is [50, 200] and the unit is sccm.

[0134] In this step, the controller controls the purge pipeline to blow the purge gas to the wafer transfer box at a fourth preset flow rate, where the fourth preset flow rate is in a range of [50, 200] and the unit is sccm.

[0135] It is understandable that the flow range of the purge gas blown in the fifth stage can also be selectively set according to the number and position of wafers in the wafer transfer box. In actual production, the flow range of the purge gas in the fifth stage can be the same as that in the fourth stage.

[0136] Among them, reference Figure 3 Steps S260 and S360 shown in FIG, and combined with Figure 4 When the automated overhead crane (not shown) grabs the wafer transport box 10, causing the distance between the wafer transport box 10 and the platform 20 to increase and separate, the controller can control the purge line 22 to close to save purge gas.

[0137] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, Figures 4 to 9 As shown, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a semiconductor device, which is applied to a process of processing a wafer 11 . The semiconductor device includes a wafer transport box 10 , a platform 20 and a controller (not shown).

[0138] In this embodiment, Figures 4 to 9 As shown, the FOUP 10 is used to accommodate wafers 11. The FOUP 10 is provided with an internal pipeline 12, and the machine 20 is provided with a purge pipeline 22. The purge pipeline 22 can provide purge gas, which can enter the FOUP 10 through the internal pipeline 12 of the FOUP 10 to purge the wafers 11 in the FOUP 10. The FOUP 10 can be provided with two first pairs of ports, and the purge pipeline 22 can be provided with two second pairs of ports. The first pairs of ports are provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the second pairs of ports. When the FOUP 10 falls onto the loading end of the machine 20 and the FOUP 10 and the loading end of the machine 20 are locked, the first pairs of ports are connected to the second pairs of ports, so that the purge gas in the purge pipeline 22 flows into the internal pipeline of the FOUP 10 through the first and second pairs of ports. A flow control valve may be provided on the purification pipeline 22 , which can not only control the on-off of the purification pipeline 22 , but also control the flow rate of the purified gas output by the purification management 22 .

[0139] Among them, such as Figures 4 to 9 As shown, the platform 20 is further provided with a first detection device 21. The first detection device 21 and the purge line 22 are respectively electrically connected to a controller (not shown). The first detection device 21 is used to detect the distance between the wafer pod 10 and the platform 20, thereby determining the positional relationship of the wafer pod 10 relative to the platform 20. The controller can then control the flow rate provided by the purge line 22 based on the positional relationship. The first detection device 21 can be, for example, a distance sensor.

[0140] In some embodiments, as Figures 4 to 9 As shown, the wafer transport box 10 is used to accommodate wafers 10, and a plurality of wafers 10 are arranged along the height direction ( Figure 4 The wafers 10 are stacked in the z direction (as shown in FIG), and each wafer 10 is supported by a corresponding support frame 15 .

[0141] Among them, taking the front-opening wafer transport box as an example, the wafer transport box 10 includes a first side 13 and a first door body 14, and the first door body 14 can be opened and closed. When the first door body 14 is closed, the interior of the wafer transport box 10 is a closed space. When the first door body 14 is opened, the wafers 11 can be taken in and out of the wafer transport box 10. The first side 13 of the wafer transport box 10 is arranged opposite to the first door body 14, and multiple wafers 11 are located between the first side 13 and the first door body 14. The internal pipeline 12 of the wafer transport box 10 includes multiple air outlets 121, and the multiple air outlets 121 are arranged along the height direction of the wafer transport box 10 ( Figure 4 The opening direction of each air outlet 121 is ( Figure 4The x direction shown in FIG is disposed toward the first door 14 , so that the purge gas blown out of the gas outlet 121 can move from the first side 13 to the first door 14 to blow the gas on the wafer 11 out of the wafer transport box 10 .

[0142] In some embodiments, as Figures 4 to 9 As shown, a plurality of support racks 15 are provided in the wafer transport box 10, each support rack 15 is used to support a wafer 11, and a pressure sensor (not shown) is provided on the top of each support rack 15. By providing a pressure sensor on each support rack 15, the controller can obtain the number and placement position of the wafers 11 in the wafer transport box 10 according to the reading of the pressure sensor, and then the controller can adjust the flow rate and blowing area of ​​the purification gas according to the number and position of the wafers 11 to improve the purification effect. A plurality of air outlets 121 can be provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the support racks 15, that is, the number of the support racks 15 is the same as the number of the air outlets 121, and the air outlets 121 can be provided at a position slightly above the position of the support rack 15 so that the air outlets 121 are provided directly opposite the wafers 11 placed on the support rack 15, ensuring that the air flow blown out from the air outlets 121 can blow to the surface of the wafer 11 to blow away the chemical residues on the surface of the wafer 1.

[0143] In some embodiments, as Figures 4 to 9 As shown, a plurality of optical sensors 23 may be provided in the platform 20, and the plurality of optical sensors 23 are arranged along the height direction ( Figure 4 The light sensors 23 are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the support frames 15, that is, the number of the light sensors 23 is equal to the number of the support frames 15, and the emission direction of the light sensors 23 ( Figure 4 ) is aligned with the wafer 11 on the support frame 15. When the light emitted by the light sensor 23 is blocked by the wafer 11, it indicates that the support frame 15 corresponding to the light sensor 23 is provided with a wafer 11. Therefore, the light sensor 23 can be used to detect whether the wafer 11 is placed on the support frame 15, thereby obtaining the number and placement position of the wafers 11 in the wafer folding box 10. The light emitted by the light sensor 23 is infrared light.

[0144] Semiconductor equipment employing the purge air control method provided in the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure can output varying purge gas flow rates according to the different operating stages of the wafer pod, adapting the purge gas flow rate to the operating stage. This not only alleviates the problem of semiconductor product defects caused by gas condensation, but also reduces purge gas flow, thereby reducing production costs.

[0145] Reference Figure 3 , Figure 3The workflow of the semiconductor device provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, and the workflow is as follows:

[0146] Step S401, start.

[0147] In this step, an automated overhead crane may transport the wafer transfer box toward the machine.

[0148] In step S402, when the distance between the wafer transfer box and the machine gradually decreases to a first preset distance, it is determined that the wafer transfer box has entered the first stage of operation, and the purge pipeline is controlled to open and purge gas is blown at a first preset flow rate, wherein the first preset flow rate ranges from (0, 100] and the unit is sccm.

[0149] In step S403, when the wafer transfer box moves to the machine and is locked with the machine, it is determined that the wafer transfer box has entered the second stage, and the purification pipeline is controlled to blow the purification gas at a second preset flow rate, wherein the second preset flow rate is in the range of [50, 100], and the unit is sccm; the first preset flow rate is less than the second preset flow rate.

[0150] Step S404: When the door of the wafer transfer box is opened and the machine detects the wafers in the wafer transfer box, it is determined that the wafer transfer box has entered the third stage, and the purification pipeline is controlled to blow the purification gas at a third preset flow rate, wherein the third preset flow rate ranges from [50, 200] and the unit is sccm; the third preset flow rate is greater than or equal to the second preset flow rate.

[0151] Step S405: When the machine processes the wafers in the wafer pod, it is determined that the wafer pod has entered the fourth stage, and the flow rate of the purge gas is controlled according to the number and / or placement of the wafers in the wafer pod.

[0152] Step S406: After the machine completes processing of the wafers in the wafer transfer box and the wafer transfer box is connected to the machine, it is determined that the wafer transfer box is running to the fifth stage, and the purge gas is blown at a fourth preset flow rate. The fourth preset flow rate range is [50, 200] and the unit is sccm.

[0153] In step S407 , the wafer transfer box is separated from the tool, and the distance between the wafer transfer box and the tool is gradually increased, and the purge line is controlled to be closed.

[0154] In this step, the automated overhead crane transports the wafer pod away from the tool. At this point, the wafer pod's operational phase relative to the tool has concluded. To conserve purge gas, the purge line can be closed and purge gas discontinued. Waiting for the next wafer pod to arrive at the tool's loading port, the above steps are repeated to begin executing the purge gas control method disclosed herein.

[0155] Step S408, end.

[0156] The semiconductor equipment provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure can execute the above steps to output different flow rates of purified gas according to different operating stages, so that the flow rate of purified gas is adapted to the operating stage. This can not only improve the problem of defects in semiconductor products caused by gas condensation, but also save the flow rate of purified gas, thereby saving production costs.

[0157] The various embodiments or implementation methods in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments, and the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referenced to each other.

[0158] In the description of this specification, reference to the terms "embodiment", "exemplary embodiment", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiment", "example", etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure.

[0159] In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0160] In the description of the present disclosure, it should be noted that the terms "center", "up", "down", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present disclosure and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limitations on the present disclosure.

[0161] It is to be understood that the terms "first", "second", etc. used in the present disclosure can be used to describe various structures in the present disclosure, but these structures are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish a first structure from another structure.

[0162] In one or more of the accompanying drawings, identical elements are represented by similar reference numerals. For clarity, many parts in the accompanying drawings are not drawn to scale. In addition, certain well-known parts may not be shown. For simplicity, a structure obtained after several steps may be described in a single figure. Many specific details of the present disclosure, such as device structure, materials, dimensions, processing techniques, and technologies, are described below to facilitate a clearer understanding of the present disclosure. However, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the present disclosure may be practiced without following these specific details.

[0163] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present disclosure, rather than to limit them. Although the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the above embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein with equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for controlling purified gas, characterized in that: The control method includes: Obtaining the position information of the wafer transfer box relative to the machine and / or the operation information of the machine; Determining the operation stage according to the position information and / or the operation information specifically includes: when the distance between the wafer pod and the tool gradually decreases to a first preset distance, determining that the wafer pod is continuously approaching but has not reached the loading end of the tool, and determining that the wafer pod has entered the first stage; when the wafer pod moves to the tool and is locked with the tool, determining that the wafer pod has entered the second stage; According to the operation stage, the flow rate of the purification gas is controlled, specifically including: when the wafer transport box runs to the first stage, the flow rate of the purification gas is controlled to be a first preset flow rate; when the wafer transport box runs to the second stage, the flow rate of the purification gas is controlled to be a second preset flow rate, and the first preset flow rate is less than the second preset flow rate.

2. The method for controlling purified gas according to claim 1, wherein: When the wafer transport box runs to the first stage, the purge pipeline is controlled to open and blow the purge gas at a first preset flow rate, wherein the range of the first preset flow rate is (0, 100], and the unit is sccm.

3. The method for controlling purified gas according to claim 2, wherein: When the wafer transport box runs to the second stage, the purge pipeline is controlled to blow the purge gas at a second preset flow rate, wherein the second preset flow rate is in a range of [50, 100] and the unit is sccm.

4. The method for controlling purified gas according to claim 3, wherein: The method for controlling the purified gas further includes: When the wafer transport box runs to the second stage, the purge pipeline is connected with the internal pipeline of the wafer transport box, and the purge gas is blown from the first side of the wafer transport box to the door of the wafer transport box; Wherein, the first side of the wafer transport box is opposite to the door of the wafer transport box.

5. The method for controlling purified gas according to claim 3, wherein: Determining the operation stage according to the location information and / or the operation information includes: When the door of the wafer transport box is opened and the machine detects the wafers in the wafer transport box, it is determined that the wafer transport box has entered the third stage; According to the operation stage, the flow rate of the purge gas is controlled, including: When the wafer transport box runs to the third stage, controlling the purge pipeline to blow the purge gas at a third preset flow rate, wherein the third preset flow rate is in a range of [50, 200], and the unit is sccm; The third preset flow rate is greater than or equal to the second preset flow rate.

6. The method for controlling purified gas according to claim 1, wherein: Determining the operation stage according to the location information and / or the operation information includes: When the machine is processing the wafers in the wafer pod, determining that the wafer pod has reached the fourth stage; According to the operation stage, the flow rate of the purge gas is controlled, including: When the wafer transport box runs to the fourth stage, the flow rate of the purge gas is controlled according to the number and / or placement positions of the wafers accommodated in the wafer transport box.

7. The method for controlling purified gas according to claim 6, wherein: Controlling the flow rate of the purge gas according to the number and / or placement positions of the wafers accommodated in the wafer pod includes: The flow rate of the purge gas is positively correlated with the number of wafers accommodated in the wafer transport box.

8. The method for controlling purified gas according to claim 6, wherein: The wafer pod is divided into a plurality of blowing areas, each of which is related to the placement of the wafers. The flow rate of the purge gas is controlled according to the number and / or placement of the wafers accommodated in the wafer pod, including: The flow rates of the purge gas are different in the plurality of blowing areas.

9. The method for controlling purified gas according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that: In the fourth stage, the flow rate of the purge gas is in the range of [50, 200], with the unit being sccm.

10. The method for controlling purified gas according to claim 1, wherein: Determining the operation stage according to the location information and / or the operation information includes: After the machine completes processing of the wafers in the FOUP and the FOUP is connected to the machine, determining that the FOUP has entered the fifth stage; According to the operation stage, the flow rate of the purge gas is controlled, including: When the wafer transport box runs to the fifth stage, the purge gas is blown at a fourth preset flow rate, and the range of the fourth preset flow rate is [50, 200], and the unit is sccm.

11. The method for controlling purified gas according to claim 10, wherein: The control method further includes: When the wafer transport box is separated from the tool and the distance between the wafer transport box and the tool gradually increases, the purification pipeline is controlled to be closed.

12. A semiconductor device that runs the purge gas control method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that: The semiconductor device includes a wafer transport box, a machine and a controller, the wafer transport box is provided with an internal pipeline, the machine is provided with a first detection device and a purification pipeline, the purification pipeline and the internal pipeline are used for circulating a purification gas; The first detection device and the purification pipeline are electrically connected to the controller respectively. The first detection device is used to detect the distance between the wafer transfer box and the machine platform.

13. The semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein: The wafer transport box is used to accommodate wafers, and a plurality of wafers are stacked along the height direction of the wafer transport box; The wafer conveying box includes a first side and a door body, the first side is arranged opposite to the door body, the internal pipeline includes a plurality of air outlet holes, and the plurality of air outlet holes are distributed along the height direction of the wafer conveying box. The purified gas blown out from the air outlet holes flows from the first side to the door body.

14. The semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein: The wafer transport box is provided with a plurality of support frames, each of which is used to support one wafer; Each support frame is provided with a pressure sensor.

15. The semiconductor device according to claim 14, wherein: A plurality of optical sensors are arranged in the machine, and the plurality of optical sensors are arranged along the height direction of the wafer transfer box; The optical sensors are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the support frames, and the optical sensors are used to detect whether a wafer is placed on the support frame.

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