Flow-through wafer cleaning machine

Abstract

A flow-type wafer cleaning machine includes a soaking tank unit, a scrubbing tank unit and an air washing unit. A wafer storage rack is connected to the entrance of the soaking tank unit. A rolling conveyor belt runs through the soaking tank unit, the scrubbing tank unit and the air washing unit. The rolling conveyor belt includes an upper conveyor belt and a lower conveyor belt correspondingly arranged at upper and lower positions. The spacing between the lower surface of the upper conveyor belt and the upper surface of the lower conveyor belt is adapted to the diameter of the wafer. The conveyor belt from the entrance of the soaking tank unit to the exit of the scrubbing tank unit presents a gradually ascending ramp. The present invention adopts the above-mentioned structural design, so that the cleaning machine can realize assembly line operation, improve cleaning efficiency, and can be added to an automated production line. The design of segmented rolling drive is adopted to prevent the problem that the wafer brings the cleaning solution of the previous process to the next process during the process of flowing through the assembly line, thereby extending the service life of the cleaning solution.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to cleaning equipment, in particular to cleaning equipment for precision electronic substrates such as wafers. Background Art

[0002] In the prior art, a single cleaning method is mostly used for cleaning electronic precision components or substrates such as wafers. The reason for adopting this cleaning method is mainly due to the relatively high requirements for the objects to be cleaned, and the ordinary running water cleaning method cannot meet the cleaning requirements at all. However, this cleaning method is also difficult to add to the production line, and more clamping or picking devices are required, which affects production efficiency and increases costs. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present invention adopts a rolling drive method to drive the wafer to flow through the assembly line in a rolling manner, which can solve the problem of clamping or taking equipment affecting the cleaning effect in the prior art, and also solves the problem of low cleaning efficiency of a single component and inability to join the production line.

[0004] The present invention is designed to solve the above-mentioned technical problems. This kind of flow-type wafer cleaning machine includes a soaking tank unit, a brushing tank unit and an air washing unit which are arranged in sequence. A wafer storage rack is connected to the entrance of the soaking tank unit. A rolling conveyor belt runs through the soaking tank unit, the brushing tank unit and the air washing unit. The rolling conveyor belt includes an upper conveyor belt and a lower conveyor belt which are arranged correspondingly at upper and lower positions. The spacing between the lower surface of the upper conveyor belt and the upper surface of the lower conveyor belt is adapted to the diameter of the wafer. The upper conveyor belt is driven to roll by a first driving device, and the lower conveyor belt is driven to roll by a second driving device. Both the first driving device and the second driving device are controlled by a control system. The conveyor belt from the entrance of the soaking tank unit to the exit of the brushing tank unit presents a gradually rising ramp.

[0005] The upper surface of the lower conveyor belt section of the present invention is provided with a plurality of "V"-shaped first notches, and the lower surface of the upper conveyor belt section is also provided with a plurality of "V"-shaped second notches corresponding to the first notches, and the bottom of the first notch is provided with a channel communicating with the soaking tank unit, the brushing tank unit and the air washing unit.

[0006] A first drain unit is provided between the soaking tank unit and the scrubbing tank unit, and the conveyor belt is a parallel conveyor belt in the first drain unit stage; a second drain unit is provided between the scrubbing tank unit and the air washing unit, and the conveyor belt in the second drain unit section is a horizontal conveyor belt, and the portion of the conveyor belt in the soaking tank unit is located below the soaking liquid surface, and the soaking liquid in the soaking tank unit is a metal cleaning liquid, and the soaking tank unit also includes an ultrasonic probe. The scrubbing tank unit includes a scrubbing tank containing a cleaning liquid, and the conveyor belt is located above the cleaning liquid surface of the scrubbing tank, and a plurality of rows of cleaning brushes are provided to scrub the wafers clamped between the first notch and the second notch.

[0007] The brush washing tank unit includes a cleaning liquid cleaning device and a pure water cleaning device which are sequentially arranged from the soaking tank unit to the air washing unit. The cleaning brush is arranged in the cleaning liquid cleaning device. The cleaning liquid cleaning device also includes a cleaning liquid nozzle arranged on the cleaning brush. The pure water cleaning device includes pure water nozzles arranged on both sides of the wafer position clamped between the first notch and the second notch. The air washing unit is provided with a plurality of groups of wind knives which are opposite to each other. Each group of wind knives is arranged across the two sides of the wafer clamped by the first notch and the second notch. The wind knife edge of each group of wind knives is inclined toward the direction of the first notch. The lower conveyor belt is a segmented drive structure, which includes an ascending section lower conveyor belt located in the soaking tank unit, the cleaning liquid cleaning device, the pure water cleaning device and the air washing unit, and a horizontal section lower conveyor belt located in the first drain unit and the second drain unit.

[0008] The present invention adopts the above-mentioned structural design, so that the cleaning machine can realize assembly line operation, improve cleaning efficiency, and can be added to the automated production line. The design of segmented rolling drive is adopted to prevent the wafer from carrying the cleaning liquid of the previous process to the next process during the process of flowing through the assembly line, thereby extending the service life of the cleaning liquid. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the flow-type cleaning device of the present invention.

[0010] Figure 2 It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the conveyor belt described in the present invention.

[0011] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the scrubbing unit of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the air washing unit described in the present invention.

[0013] Figure 5 It is a transmission schematic diagram of the lower conveyor belt described in the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] By the attached Figures 1 to 5 Specific embodiments of the present invention are shown in FIG.

[0015] Depend on Figures 1 to 5 It can be seen that the flow-type wafer cleaning machine of the present invention includes a soaking tank unit 100, a brushing tank unit 200 and an air washing unit 300 which are arranged in sequence, and a wafer storage rack is connected to the entrance of the soaking tank unit 100, and a rolling conveyor belt 10 runs through the soaking tank unit 100, the brushing tank unit 200 and the air washing unit 300, and the rolling conveyor belt 10 includes an upper conveyor belt 11 and a lower conveyor belt 12 which are arranged correspondingly at upper and lower positions, and the spacing between the lower surface of the upper conveyor belt 11 and the upper surface of the lower conveyor belt 12 is adapted to the diameter of the wafer, the upper conveyor belt 11 is driven to roll by a first driving device 13, and the lower conveyor belt 12 is driven to roll by a second driving device 14, and the first driving device 13 and the second driving device 14 are both controlled by a control system 20, and the conveyor belt from the entrance of the soaking tank unit 100 to the exit of the brushing tank unit 200 is a gradually ascending ramp. The present invention adopts a rolling drive method, so that the wafer W can flow through the production line in a rolling manner, and the side of the wafer is not blocked by a clamping device or a picking device, so all surfaces of the wafer can be washed, thereby improving the cleaning effect and the cleaning efficiency.

[0016] Depend on Figure 1 and Figure 2 As can be seen from the figure, the upper surface of the cross section of the lower conveyor belt 12 is provided with a plurality of “V”-shaped first notches 121, and the lower surface of the cross section of the upper conveyor belt 11 is also provided with a plurality of “V”-shaped second notches 111 corresponding to the first notches 121. The wafer is clamped between the first notches 121 and the second notches 111, and the side to be cleaned is completely exposed, so that the cleaning is more complete.

[0017] Depend on Figure 2 As can be seen, the bottom of the first notch 121 of the present invention is provided with a channel 122 communicating with the soaking tank unit 100, the scrubbing tank unit 200 and the air washing unit 300. In this solution, the channel 122 is mainly used to allow the cleaning liquid or pure water used as the cleaning medium in each process to flow back to its cleaning tank quickly to avoid flowing into the next process and contaminating the cleaning liquid of the next process.

[0018] Depend on Figure 1It can be seen that a first drain unit 400 is provided between the soaking tank unit 100 and the scrubbing tank unit 200, the conveyor belt 10 is a parallel conveyor belt 15 at the first drain unit 400 stage, a second drain unit 500 is provided between the scrubbing tank unit 200 and the air washing unit 300, and the conveyor belt 10 is a horizontal conveyor belt 16 at the second drain unit 500 section. The design of the drain unit in this scheme is mainly to drain the cleaning liquid in the previous process to prevent it from flowing into the next process, and the liquid collection box of the drain unit can be connected to the liquid box of the previous process. A first pressing wheel 17 is provided at the corner where the upper conveyor belt 11 turns from the ascending section to the parallel section, and a second pressing wheel 18 is provided at the corner where the lower conveyor belt 12 turns from the parallel section to the ascending section. The backs of the upper conveyor belt 11 and the lower conveyor belt 12 are both provided with a lining plate 19, and the lining plate 19 rises and falls with the rise and fall of the conveyor belt 10. The conveyor belt in the present invention is generally made of a relatively soft material, which can increase the friction with the edge of the wafer and is conducive to driving. However, the relatively soft conveyor belt may also cause problems such as insufficient pressure on the wafer or jumping and detaching in the middle. For this reason, the present scheme designs a lining plate, which is set on the back of the transmission belt. Since the conveyor belt is supported, the pressure on the edge of the wafer can be maintained. Since the present scheme adopts a multi-section undulating conveyor belt design, a pressure wheel is added at the corner, so that the conveyor belt can maintain a stable state and can also ensure sufficient tension, which is conducive to the rolling transmission of the wafer. The action point of the pressure wheel on the belt is on both sides of the "V" groove, which will not affect the normal transmission of the wafer. The spring of the pressure wheel itself can automatically adjust the position of the pressure wheel so that it always maintains pressure on the conveyor belt. The present invention can also design a lifting mechanism, which can adjust the position of the upper conveyor belt according to the diameter of the wafer, thereby keeping the spacing between the upper and lower conveyor belts suitable for the diameter of the wafer, which is conducive to the driving of the wafer (not shown in the figure).

[0019] Depend on Figure 1 It can be seen that the portion of the conveyor belt 10 located in the immersion tank unit 100 is located below the immersion liquid surface. The immersion liquid of the immersion tank unit 100 is a metal cleaning liquid (MC1). The immersion tank unit 100 also includes an ultrasonic probe 30 controlled by the control system 20. In this solution, while using MC1, an ultrasonic cleaning probe is used to further improve the cleaning effect, and the adhesion of solid dirt on the surface of the wafer can also be removed by ultrasonic vibration.

[0020] Depend on Figure 1 and Figure 3It can be seen that the scrubbing tank unit 200 includes a scrubbing tank 40 containing a cleaning liquid, the conveyor belt 10 is located above the cleaning liquid level of the scrubbing tank 40, and multiple rows of cleaning brushes 50 are provided to scrub the wafers clamped between the first slot 121 and the second slot 111. The scrubbing tank unit 200 includes a cleaning liquid cleaning device 60 and a pure water cleaning device 70 which are sequentially arranged from the immersion tank unit 100 to the air washing unit 300. The cleaning brush 50 is arranged in the cleaning liquid cleaning device 60. The cleaning liquid cleaning device 60 also includes a cleaning liquid nozzle 61 arranged on the cleaning brush 50. The pure water cleaning device 70 includes pure water nozzles 71 arranged on both sides of the wafer position clamped between the first slot 121 and the second slot 111. This scheme is divided into two parts, in which the cleaning liquid cleaning device 60 is mainly used for brush cleaning. After being soaked in the soaking unit, the dirt attached to the wafer is soaked and softened. If it is thoroughly scrubbed with a brush in this unit, the dirt and other dirt on the surface will be washed away. After entering the pure water cleaning device 70, the pure water nozzle 71 will flush the wafer surface to ensure the cleanliness of the surface.

[0021] Depend on Figure 1 and Figure 4 It can be seen that the present invention has designed an air washing link, and the air washing unit 300 is provided with multiple groups of air knives 80 facing each other, and each group of air knives 80 is arranged across the two sides of the wafer clamped by the first notch 121 and the second notch 111, and the air knife mouth of each group of air knives 80 is inclined toward the first notch 121. When the wafer enters the air washing unit after being washed with pure water, the clean compressed air blown by the air knife cleans the surface of the wafer to avoid the presence of dirt and water stains, and keep the surface of the wafer fully clean.

[0022] Depend on Figure 1 and Figure 5It can be seen that the lower conveyor belt 12 designed in the present invention is a segmented drive structure, which includes an ascending section lower conveyor belt 123 located in the soaking tank unit 100, the cleaning liquid cleaning device 60, the pure water cleaning device 70 and the air washing unit 300, and a horizontal section lower conveyor belt 124 located in the first drain unit 400 and the second drain unit 500. The reason for adopting the segmented drive method is mainly to meet the requirements of the cleaning process. During the immersion stage, the speed of the lower conveyor belt is consistent with the speed of the upper conveyor belt, but in opposite directions. In this way, the wafer is in an absolute motion but no relative motion stage during this stage. Although the wafer is rolling, it is not moving forward, and the immersion time can be controlled. When the wafer enters the scrubbing stage, the speed of the lower conveyor belt can be controlled to be lower than the speed of the upper conveyor belt as needed. While the wafer is rolling, it is also in a state of slow forward movement. On the one hand, the requirements of flow operation are met, and at the same time, the purpose of improving the scrubbing effect is achieved. When the wafer enters the draining stage and the air washing unit, the lower conveyor belt can be completely motionless, and the wafer can pass through the process quickly. A lap bridge plate 125 is designed at the junction of the horizontal section and the ascending section.

[0023] The above contents are further detailed descriptions of the present invention in combination with specific preferred embodiments, and it cannot be determined that the specific implementation of the present invention is limited to these descriptions. For ordinary technicians in the technical field to which the present invention belongs, several simple deductions or substitutions can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention, which should be regarded as falling within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A water-flowing wafer cleaning machine, characterized in that: The cleaning machine comprises a soaking tank unit (100), a scrubbing tank unit (200) and an air washing unit (300) which are arranged in sequence. A wafer storage rack is connected to the entrance of the soaking tank unit (100). A rolling conveyor belt (10) runs through the soaking tank unit (100), the scrubbing tank unit (200) and the air washing unit (300). The rolling conveyor belt (10) comprises an upper conveyor belt (11) and a lower conveyor belt (12) which are arranged at upper and lower positions corresponding to each other. The spacing between the lower surface of the upper conveyor belt (11) and the upper surface of the lower conveyor belt (12) is adapted to the diameter of the wafer. The upper conveyor belt (11) is driven to roll by a first driving device (13), and the lower conveyor belt (12) is driven to roll by a second driving device (14). Both the first driving device (13) and the second driving device (14) are controlled by a control system (20). The conveyor belt from the entrance of the soaking tank unit (100) to the exit of the scrubbing tank unit (200) presents a gradually ascending ramp.

2. The water-flowing wafer cleaning machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper surface of the cross section of the lower conveyor belt (12) is provided with a plurality of "V"-shaped first notches (121); the lower surface of the cross section of the upper conveyor belt (11) is also provided with a plurality of "V"-shaped second notches (111) corresponding to the first notches (121); and the bottom of the first notches (121) is provided with a channel (122) communicating with the soaking tank unit (100), the scrubbing tank unit (200) and the air washing unit (300).

3. The water-flowing wafer cleaning machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A first drain unit (400) is provided between the soaking tank unit (100) and the scrubbing tank unit (200); the conveyor belt (10) is a parallel conveyor belt (15) at the first drain unit (400) stage; a second drain unit (500) is provided between the scrubbing tank unit (200) and the air washing unit (300); and the conveyor belt (10) is a horizontal conveyor belt (16) at the second drain unit (500) stage.

4. The water-flowing wafer cleaning machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: A first pressing wheel (17) is provided at the corner where the upper conveyor belt (11) turns from the ascending section to the parallel section, and a second pressing wheel (18) is provided at the corner where the lower conveyor belt (12) turns from the parallel section to the ascending section.

5. The water-flowing wafer cleaning machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: The backs of the upper conveyor belt (11) and the lower conveyor belt (12) are both provided with lining plates (19), and the lining plates (19) rise and fall with the rise and fall of the conveyor belt (10).

6. The water-flow type wafer cleaning machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The portion of the conveyor belt (10) located in the immersion tank unit (100) is located below the surface of the immersion liquid; the immersion liquid in the immersion tank unit (100) is a metal cleaning liquid; and the immersion tank unit (100) further comprises an ultrasonic probe (30) controlled by the control system (20).

7. The water-flowing wafer cleaning machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The scrubbing tank unit (200) comprises a scrubbing tank (40) containing a cleaning liquid, the conveyor belt (10) being located above the cleaning liquid level of the scrubbing tank (40), and a plurality of rows of cleaning brushes (50) being provided for scrubbing a wafer clamped between the first slot (121) and the second slot (111).

8. The water-flowing wafer cleaning machine according to claim 7, characterized in that: The brush washing tank unit (200) comprises a cleaning liquid cleaning device (60) and a pure water cleaning device (70) which are arranged in sequence from the immersion tank unit (100) to the air washing unit (300); the cleaning brush (50) is arranged in the cleaning liquid cleaning device (60); the cleaning liquid cleaning device (60) further comprises a cleaning liquid nozzle (61) arranged on the cleaning brush (50); and the pure water cleaning device (70) comprises pure water nozzles (71) arranged on both sides of the wafer position clamped between the first slot (121) and the second slot (111).

9. The water-flowing wafer cleaning machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The air washing unit (300) is provided with a plurality of groups of wind knives (80) facing each other in pairs, each group of wind knives (80) being arranged across two sides of a wafer correspondingly clamped by a first notch (121) and a second notch (111), and the wind knife edges of each group of wind knives (80) are inclined toward the direction of the first notch (121).

10. The water-flowing wafer cleaning machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: The lower conveyor belt (12) is a segmented drive structure, which includes an ascending lower conveyor belt (123) located in the soaking tank unit (100), the cleaning liquid cleaning device (60), the pure water cleaning device (70) and the air washing unit (300), and a horizontal lower conveyor belt (124) located in the first drain unit (400) and the second drain unit (500).

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