Wafer cleaning brush, and wafer horizontal scrubbing equipment, system and method

Abstract

The invention provides a wafer cleaning brush and a wafer horizontal scrubbing device, system and method. The wafer cleaning brush comprises a core shaft, the core shaft is in a cylinder shape which is gradually thinned from the two ends to the middle, an air channel is formed in the core shaft, and the core shaft is provided with an air hole which enables the air channel to be communicated with the outside of the peripheral surface of the core shaft; the brush body is in a hollow cylinder shape and connected to the outer portion of the core shaft in a sleeving mode, and the brush body is configured to be gradually expanded from the two ends to the middle when the air channel is inflated and gradually contracted from the two ends to the middle when air is sucked in the air channel. According to the invention, the contact area between the cleaning brush and the warped wafer can be effectively increased, brushing missing is avoided, and the brushing effect is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing; more specifically, the present invention relates to a wafer cleaning brush, a wafer horizontal brushing device, a wafer horizontal brushing system and a method for horizontally brushing a wafer. Background Art

[0002] In the wafer thinning and polishing machine, there will be polishing liquid and grinding particles on the surface of the wafer after grinding and polishing, and cleanliness is crucial in wafer processing. The wafer horizontal cleaning process is a key process to clean the particles and polishing liquid residue on the wafer surface after the polishing process is completed. The cleaning method is to move the wafer horizontally in and out and brush it. During the brushing process, the spray component sprays cleaning liquid on the front and back sides of the wafer, and the two cleaning brushes brush the front and back sides of the wafer by rotating.

[0003] In existing horizontal scrubbing, the cleaning brush is usually cylindrical and is targeted at non-warped wafers. During scrubbing, the cleaning brush can evenly and fully contact the wafer to ensure the scrubbing effect. However, for warped wafers, the cleaning brush cannot fully contact the wafer at the same feed distance, resulting in missed scrubbing areas. To ensure full contact, the cleaning brush feed distance needs to be increased, which will increase the torque, increase the wear of the cleaning brush, and different scrubbing forces at different positions, which may lead to the risk of wafer breakage. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention provides a wafer cleaning brush, a horizontal wafer brushing device, a horizontal wafer brushing system and a method for horizontally brushing a wafer, thereby solving or at least alleviating one or more of the above-mentioned problems and other problems existing in the prior art.

[0005] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a first aspect of the present invention provides a wafer cleaning brush, wherein the wafer cleaning brush comprises:

[0006] A mandrel, the mandrel being in a cylindrical shape tapering from both ends to the middle, the mandrel having an air passage inside, and the mandrel having an air hole connecting the air passage to the outside of the outer peripheral surface of the mandrel; and

[0007] The brush body is in a hollow cylindrical shape and is sleeved on the outside of the core shaft. The brush body is configured to gradually expand from both ends to the middle when inflated in the airway, and gradually shrink from both ends to the middle when inhaled in the airway.

[0008] In the wafer cleaning brush as described above, optionally, the wafer cleaning brush includes an air film sleeved between the core shaft and the brush body, two ends of the air film are sleeved and fixed on two ends of the core shaft, and the air film is an airtight film.

[0009] In the wafer cleaning brush as described above, optionally, the air film is configured to expand when air is inflated in the air channel to cause the brush body to expand, and to contract when air is inhaled in the air channel to cause the brush body to contract.

[0010] In the wafer cleaning brush as described above, optionally, the air channel is located at the axial center of the core shaft and extends from the open end of the core shaft to the closed end of the core shaft, and the air holes are multiple circular holes evenly distributed along the entire length of the core shaft and along the entire outer circumferential surface of the core shaft.

[0011] In the wafer cleaning brush as described above, optionally, the circular holes all extend along the radial direction of the core shaft.

[0012] In the wafer cleaning brush as described above, optionally, the brush body is made of polyvinyl alcohol material.

[0013] In the wafer cleaning brush as described above, optionally, the air film gradually becomes thinner from both ends to the middle.

[0014] In the wafer cleaning brush as described above, optionally, the air film is bonded to the brush body over the entire surface where the air film contacts the brush body, and the brush body can change shape along with the air film.

[0015] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the second aspect of the present invention provides a wafer horizontal scrubbing device, wherein the wafer horizontal scrubbing device comprises:

[0016] A first cleaning brush, wherein the first cleaning brush is the wafer cleaning brush as described in any one of the first aspects, and the first cleaning brush is used to rotate and brush the upper surface of the wafer;

[0017] a second cleaning brush, the second cleaning brush being the wafer cleaning brush as described in any one of the first aspects above, the second cleaning brush being aligned with the first cleaning brush up and down, and the second cleaning brush being used to rotate and brush the lower surface of the wafer; and

[0018] A control device, wherein the control device is used to control the expansion or contraction of the brush body of the first cleaning brush and the brush body of the second cleaning brush by controlling the inflation into the air channel of the core shaft of the first cleaning brush and the air channel of the core shaft of the second cleaning brush or the suction from the air channel of the core shaft of the first cleaning brush and the air channel of the core shaft of the second cleaning brush, so that the brush body of the first cleaning brush and the brush body of the second cleaning brush expand or contract to match the warpage of the wafer.

[0019] In the wafer horizontal scrubbing device as described above, optionally, the wafer horizontal scrubbing device includes a first gas path and a second gas path, the control device controls the gas path of the first cleaning brush through the first gas path and controls the gas path of the second cleaning brush through the second gas path, and the first gas path and the second gas path both include:

[0020] a vacuum air circuit, the vacuum air circuit being connected to a vacuum source for air suction, wherein a one-way valve, a first solenoid valve, a first proportional valve and a first pressure gauge which are sequentially connected in series are arranged in the vacuum air circuit toward the first cleaning brush or the second cleaning brush; and

[0021] An inflation air circuit is connected to an inflation source, and a throttle valve, a second solenoid valve, a second proportional valve and a second pressure gauge which are sequentially connected in series are arranged in the inflation air circuit toward the first cleaning brush or the second cleaning brush.

[0022] In the wafer horizontal scrubbing equipment as described above, optionally, the air supply source is a compressed dry air source that outputs compressed dry air.

[0023] In the aforementioned horizontal wafer scrubbing device, optionally, the horizontal wafer scrubbing device is provided with a liquid spraying assembly for spraying cleaning liquid onto the upper surface and the lower surface of the wafer during scrubbing.

[0024] In the wafer horizontal scrubbing equipment as described above, optionally, the cleaning liquid is deionized water.

[0025] In order to achieve the aforementioned object, a third aspect of the present invention provides a wafer horizontal scrubbing system, wherein the wafer horizontal scrubbing system comprises:

[0026] A wafer horizontal scrubbing device as described in any one of the aforementioned second aspects;

[0027] A robot arm, the robot arm is used to load and unload materials horizontally between the first cleaning brush and the second cleaning brush of the wafer horizontal brush cleaning device;

[0028] A detector is used to detect the warpage information of the wafer to be brushed before the wafer is placed in the horizontal wafer brushing equipment, and transmit the warpage information to the control device of the horizontal wafer brushing equipment, so that the control device controls the expansion or contraction of the brush body of the first cleaning brush and the brush body of the second cleaning brush to match the warpage of the wafer.

[0029] In the wafer horizontal scrubbing equipment as described above, optionally, the detector is a line laser sensor, which is configured to irradiate a line laser at the diameter of the wafer, and fit the light spot of the line laser at the diameter of the wafer into a curve, and determine the warping information of the wafer based on the shape of the curve, wherein the warping information includes a warping direction and a warping value.

[0030] In order to achieve the aforementioned object, a fourth aspect of the present invention provides a method for horizontally brushing a wafer using the wafer horizontal brushing system as described in the third aspect, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

[0031] Step I: the manipulator performs horizontal loading;

[0032] Step II: the detector detects the warpage information of the wafer;

[0033] Step III: determining the warpage value and warpage direction of the wafer;

[0034] Step IV: controlling the first cleaning brush and the second cleaning brush to apply positive pressure or negative pressure respectively according to the warping value and the warping direction;

[0035] Step V: controlling the expansion or contraction amplitude of the first cleaning brush and the second cleaning brush to adapt to the wafer;

[0036] Step VI: Deionized water is passed from the outside to the wafer, the first cleaning brush, and the second cleaning brush, and the first cleaning brush and the second cleaning brush are rotated for brushing.

[0037] In the method described above, optionally, the detector is a line laser sensor, which is configured to irradiate a line laser at the diameter of the wafer, and fit the light spot of the line laser at the diameter of the wafer into a curve, and determine the warping information of the wafer based on the shape of the curve, wherein the warping information includes a warping direction and a warping value.

[0038] In the method as described above, optionally, the control in step V is achieved by a proportional valve.

[0039] Some technical solutions of the present invention provide a wafer cleaning brush, which can effectively increase the contact area between the cleaning brush and the warped wafer, avoid brushing leakage, and improve the brushing effect.

[0040] In a further technical solution, the cleaning brush of the present invention can shrink or expand, and is compatible with warped wafers in different directions; it can avoid uneven force on different positions of the warped wafers due to different compression amounts of the cleaning brush during brushing, leading to damage; or there is no need to change the original wafer horizontal brushing equipment structure, only the liquid circuit is changed to a gas circuit, and a proportional valve control is added. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] The disclosure of the present invention will become more apparent with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these drawings are only for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. In the drawings:

[0042] Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a wafer cleaning brush according to the present invention is shown, wherein an air-inflated brush body is shown.

[0043] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 Schematic cross-section of a wafer cleaning brush showing the brush body being retracted during suction.

[0044] Figure 3 A schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a wafer horizontal brushing system according to the present invention is shown, wherein a wafer horizontal brushing device is shown.

[0045] Figure 4 A warped wafer in a brushing state is schematically shown, wherein a first cleaning brush and a second cleaning brush are shown above and below the wafer.

[0046] Figure 5 A schematic gas path diagram of the first cleaning brush and the second cleaning brush is shown.

[0047] Figure 6 For use Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the process flow of a method for wafer scrubbing using a wafer horizontal scrubbing system.

[0048] Figure markings: 1-wafer cleaning brush; 2-core shaft; 3-air channel; 4-air hole; 5-brush body; 6-air film; 7-wafer horizontal brushing equipment; 8-first cleaning brush; 9-wafer; 10-second cleaning brush; 11-vacuum air circuit; 12-one-way valve; 13-first solenoid valve; 14-first proportional valve; 15-first pressure gauge; 16-inflating air circuit; 17-throttle valve; 18-second solenoid valve; 19-second proportional valve; 20-second pressure gauge; 21-manipulator; 22-line laser sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] With reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, the structure, composition, characteristics and advantages of the wafer cleaning brush, horizontal wafer brushing equipment, horizontal wafer brushing system and method for horizontally brushing wafers of the present invention will be explained in an illustrative manner below. However, all descriptions should not be used to form any limitations on the present invention.

[0050] For any single technical feature described or implied in the embodiments mentioned in this document, or any single technical feature displayed or implied in the accompanying drawings, the present invention still allows any combination or deletion between these technical features (or their equivalents) without any technical obstacles, and thus it should be considered that these more embodiments according to the present invention are also within the scope of the description of this document.

[0051] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features.

[0052] Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a wafer cleaning brush according to the present invention is shown, wherein an air-inflated brush body is shown. Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 Schematic cross-section of a wafer cleaning brush showing the brush body being retracted during suction.

[0053] As can be seen from the picture, the wafer cleaning brush consists of three parts. The inner layer is a hollow core shaft, which is slightly concave in the middle and has a circle of small holes on the core shaft; the second layer is an air film, which is thin in the middle and thick on both sides. Both ends are attached (bonded) to the core shaft, which expands when ventilated and contracts when inhaled; the outer layer is a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) brush body, which is attached to the air film and changes with the shape of the air film.

[0054] Specifically, from Figure 1 and Figure 2 As can be seen in the figure, the wafer cleaning brush 1 includes a core shaft 2, an air film 6 and a brush body 5, and the core shaft 2 has an air channel 3 and air holes 4. When cleaning a warped wafer, the air channel 3 of the wafer cleaning brush 1 can be inflated to make the brush body 5 swell or air can be sucked to make the brush body 5 shrink, so that it matches the shape of the warped wafer. Figure 1 The middle is an inflated state, and the brush body 5 gradually bulges from both ends to the middle; Figure 2 The middle part is the state of air suction and contraction, and the brush body 5 gradually contracts from both ends to the middle part.

[0055] As shown in the figure, the middle of the core shaft 2 is slightly concave, so that the core shaft 2 is cylindrical and gradually becomes thinner from both ends to the middle. The interior of the core shaft 2 is hollow to form an air channel 3, and gas can be introduced into the core shaft 2. An air hole 4 is formed in the wall of the core shaft, and the air hole 4 is a through hole, which connects the air channel 3 to the outside of the outer peripheral surface of the core shaft 2. The air channel 3 can be connected to an air source (not shown) so that it can be inflated or inhaled. By inflating or inhaling, the shape of the air film 6 is affected, and the expansion or contraction of the brush body 5 can be controlled. Since the core shaft 2 is thick at both ends and thin in the middle, when the air film 6 and the brush body 5 shrink, a cleaning brush that is thick at both ends and thin in the middle can be formed as a whole.

[0056] The two ends of the core shaft 2 can be used to fix it. As shown in the figure, the step shape formed in the opening on the left side can be used to connect an external driving component or a centering component, and the extended interface on the right side can also be used to connect an external driving component or a centering component to drive the rotation of the core shaft 2 and scrub the surface of the wafer. According to different needs, an appropriate connecting device can be used to connect the external driving component and the centering component. In one embodiment, a driving component can be connected at one end and a centering component can be connected at the other end, one providing a rotational driving force and the other providing a rotation center.

[0057] As shown in the figure, the air channel 3 is located at the axial center of the mandrel 2 and extends from the open end of the mandrel 2 to the closed end of the mandrel 2. The air holes 4 are multiple circular holes uniformly distributed along the entire length of the mandrel 2 and along the entire outer peripheral surface of the mandrel 2. In the illustrated example, the circular holes all extend in the radial direction of the mandrel 2. In an optional embodiment, the air holes 4 can extend in other directions or even random directions as needed.

[0058] The air film 6 is sleeved between the core shaft 2 and the brush body 5. The two ends of the air film 6 are sleeved and fixed on the two ends of the core shaft 2, and the air film 6 is an airtight film. Therefore, when inflating, the gas will not leak outward from the two ends of the air film 6 or other positions, so that the air film 6 can be expanded; when inhaling, the external gas will not leak inward from the two ends of the air film 6 or other positions, so that the air film 6 can be contracted.

[0059] In an optional embodiment, the air film 6 can be configured to gradually become thinner from both ends to the middle. By configuring in this way, the air films 6 at both ends can be more tightly fastened and sealed, and are less likely to leak gas or fall off, while the middle part has better flexibility and is easy to control its expansion and contraction to adjust the shape of the brush body 5.

[0060] The brush body 5 is in a hollow cylindrical shape and is sleeved on the outside of the mandrel 2; specifically, in the illustrated example, it can be sleeved on the outside of the air film 6, that is, it is sleeved on the outside of the mandrel 2 through the air film 6. In some embodiments, the brush body 5 can be made of polyvinyl alcohol material. In order to ensure that the brush body 5 swells and shrinks with the air film 6, optionally, the air film 6 can be bonded to the brush body 5 on the entire surface where the air film 6 contacts the brush body 5, and the brush body 5 can change shape with the air film 6. In the illustrated example, the entire surface where the brush body 5 contacts the air film 6 is bonded as a whole, and the gaps at both ends in the illustration are for the purpose of showing the air film 6. The brush body 5 can be selected to be a columnar or cylindrical shape with uniform thickness, so that when the brush body swells, its contact surface with the wafer can better follow the shape of the air film 6, and when the brush body shrinks, its contact surface with the wafer can better follow the shape of the mandrel 2.

[0061] In an optional embodiment, the air film 6 can be omitted, and the brush body 5 is directly sealed at both ends of the core shaft 2 through both ends, and the expansion and contraction of the brush body 5 are directly controlled by the air in and out of the air channel 3 and the air hole 4. In this case, the brush body 5 needs to be made of a material with good airtightness to prevent excessive gas leakage and difficulty in controlling the deformation of the brush body.

[0062] exist Figure 1 The state in which the air film 6 and the brush body 5 are inflated is shown in FIG. 1 . In this state, it can be seen that the air fills the air gap between the air film 6 and the outer peripheral surface of the mandrel 2, causing the air film 6 to inflate, and at the same time, the air film 6 presses the brush body 5, causing the brush body 5 to form a shape with thin ends and thick in the middle. When the outer peripheral edge of the wafer warps upward, the cleaning brush above the wafer can be in this state; when the outer peripheral edge of the wafer warps downward, the cleaning brush below the wafer can be in this state.

[0063] exist Figure 2 The figure shows the state where the air film 6 and the brush body 5 are contracted. In this state, it can be seen that the gas in the air gap between the air film 6 and the outer peripheral surface of the mandrel 2 is evacuated, causing the air film 6 to contract, while the air film 6 pulls the brush body 5, making the brush body 5 form a shape with thick ends and thin in the middle. When the outer peripheral edge of the wafer is warped upward, the cleaning brush below the wafer can be in this state; when the outer peripheral edge of the wafer is warped downward, the cleaning brush above the wafer can be in this state.

[0064] Figure 3 A schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a wafer horizontal brushing system according to the present invention is shown, wherein a wafer horizontal brushing device is shown.

[0065] like Figure 3As shown in the figure, the wafer horizontal scrubbing system may include a wafer horizontal scrubbing device 7, a robot 21 and a line laser sensor 22. In the figure, the robot 21 holds a wafer 9. The wafer horizontal scrubbing device 7, the robot 21 and the line laser sensor 22 may be installed on the rack of the wafer horizontal scrubbing system, respectively. In an optional embodiment, other forms of detectors may be used to replace the line laser sensor 22 to detect the warpage information of the wafer 9.

[0066] The wafer horizontal brush cleaning device 7 also shows a wafer cleaning brush 1, which may include two upper and lower arranged Figure 1 and 2 The wafer cleaning brush shown in Figure 2. Figure 3 Only one wafer cleaning brush can be seen in the figure. The structure, shape, configuration, etc. of the wafer horizontal brush cleaning device 7 in the figure are schematic and will not be described in detail here.

[0067] The manipulator 21 is used to load and unload materials horizontally between the first cleaning brush 8 and the second cleaning brush 10 of the wafer horizontal brushing device 7. The manipulator 21 as shown in the figure may include a drive motor (indicated by a cylindrical shape in the figure), a speed change mechanism (indicated by a square shape in the figure), a clamp, etc. The clamp grasps the wafer by clamping on the outer peripheral edge of the wafer 9, and performs shifting and transport operations on the wafer 9. It can be seen from the figure that the clamp has two clamping points on the near side of the wafer 9 and one clamping point on the far side of the wafer 9, and these clamping points clamp the outer peripheral edge of the wafer 9. The figure may have four clamping points, and another clamping point is not shown in the figure due to the viewing angle.

[0068] In the illustrated example, the line laser sensor 22 is disposed in the path from the robot 21 to the wafer horizontal brushing device 7, and may be located above the path. The line laser sensor 22 is used to detect the warpage information of the wafer 9 to be brushed before being placed in the wafer horizontal brushing device 7, and transmit the warpage information to the control device (not shown) of the wafer horizontal brushing device 7, so that the control device controls the expansion or contraction of the brush body of the first cleaning brush 8 and the brush body of the second cleaning brush 10 to match the warpage of the wafer 9.

[0069] Line laser sensor is a distance measurement sensor based on line laser technology. Line laser sensor uses the scattering principle of laser to measure distance by emitting a thin linear laser beam. Its principle can be simply summarized as including laser emission, laser irradiation, laser reception, signal processing and distance calculation. A high-power laser can be installed in the line laser sensor, and the emission and stop of the laser are controlled by an electronic controller. When the laser is activated, a thin linear laser beam is emitted. The laser beam is irradiated onto the target object, and the surface of the target object scatters the laser beam, and part of the laser beam is reflected back to the sensor in the original direction. A receiver is installed inside the sensor to receive the reflected laser beam. The receiver converts the received optical signal into an electrical signal. The electronic controller of the sensor processes the received electrical signal and calculates the distance between the target object and the sensor by measuring the time delay of the laser speed. According to the difference between the emission time and the reception time of the laser beam, combined with the constant value of the speed of light, the distance between the target object and the sensor can be accurately calculated.

[0070] Here, the line laser sensor 22 can be configured to irradiate a line laser at the diameter of the wafer. As shown in the figure, there are several points on this line laser, which hits the diameter position of the wafer 9. A curve can be obtained by fitting the light spots of the line laser at the diameter of the wafer. Based on the shape of the curve, the warping posture of the wafer can be determined, and the warping information such as the warping direction and amplitude of the wafer can be obtained. The difference between the high point and the low point is the warping value of the wafer. This information can be used to control the drum and contraction shape of the wafer cleaning brush.

[0071] Combination Figure 3 The specific working steps of the wafer horizontal brushing system shown in the figure when performing wafer horizontal brushing may include the following:

[0072] 1. The robot 21 loads the material. Before the wafer 9 to be scrubbed is placed into the wafer horizontal scrubbing device 7, the warping of the wafer 9 is detected by the line laser sensor 22. The line laser sensor 22 projects the line laser to the diameter of the wafer;

[0073] 2. The line laser sensor 22 measures the distance from each point on the wafer 9 to the laser sensor 22 from the line laser projected thereon, and by calculating the maximum and minimum values ​​of the line laser measurement value, the position where the line laser appears can be determined to obtain the warpage value and direction of the wafer 9;

[0074] 3. The robot 21 feeds the wafer 9 into the wafer horizontal brush cleaning device 7. At the same time, according to the warping direction and numerical information of the wafer 9, the upper and lower cleaning brushes are respectively passed through positive pressure or negative pressure, and the expansion and contraction amplitude of the cleaning brushes is controlled by a proportional valve to adapt to different wafers 9;

[0075] 4. Optionally, the cleaning brush can be wetted with deionized water from the outside, and the upper and lower cleaning brushes clamp the wafer 9 and rotate to clean the wafer 9. Wetting the cleaning brush here can maintain the performance of the brush body to prevent the brush body from gradually hardening due to long-term evaporation of water. In addition, deionized water can be sprayed onto the cleaning brush and the wafer through a nozzle to assist in cleaning.

[0076] In addition, it is further explained that the wafer horizontal scrubbing device 7 in the figure may include two cleaning brushes, as shown in the following combination. Figure 4 After the robot 21 feeds the wafer 9 into the wafer level scrubbing device 7 , the robot 21 may exit the wafer level scrubbing device 7 to avoid affecting wafer cleaning.

[0077] Figure 4 A warped wafer in a brushing state is schematically shown, wherein a first cleaning brush and a second cleaning brush are shown above and below the wafer. Figure 4 The first cleaning brush 8, the second cleaning brush 10 and the wafer 9 clamped therebetween can also be seen. The end shafts at both ends of the first cleaning brush 8 and the second cleaning brush 10 can be used to connect a rotating drive component or a centering component so that the first cleaning brush 8 and the second cleaning brush 10 can rotate and brush the wafer 9 stably and accurately.

[0078] The first cleaning brush 8 may be the wafer cleaning brush 1 as described above, and has a Figure 1 and Figure 2 The wafer cleaning brush 1 has the same structure as the wafer cleaning brush 1. The first cleaning brush 8 is used to rotate and brush the upper surface of the wafer 9.

[0079] The second cleaning brush 10 may be the wafer cleaning brush 1 as described above, Figure 1 and Figure 2 The wafer cleaning brush 1 has the same structure as the wafer cleaning brush 1. The second cleaning brush 10 is aligned with the first cleaning brush 8 up and down, and the second cleaning brush 10 is used to rotate and brush the lower surface of the wafer 9.

[0080] As shown in the figure, the warping of the wafer 9 is that the circumferential edge is warped upward, the first cleaning brush 8 at the top is bulged, and the second cleaning brush 10 at the bottom is contracted. Specifically, the first cleaning brush 8 at the top gradually bulges from both ends to the middle, and the second cleaning brush 10 at the bottom gradually contracts from both ends to the middle, thereby matching the shape of the wafer 9 that is warped upward. If the warping of the wafer 9 to be cleaned is that the circumferential edge is warped downward, the first cleaning brush 8 at the top can be contracted and the second cleaning brush 10 at the bottom can be bulged, thereby matching the shape of the wafer. It can be seen that the first cleaning brush 8 and the second cleaning brush 10 match the warping shape of the wafer 9, so that the contact area between the cleaning brush and the warped wafer can be effectively increased, avoiding missed brushing and improving the brushing effect. Furthermore, since the cleaning brush can shrink and expand, the brush body can be compatible with warped wafers in different directions, avoiding uneven force at different positions of the warped wafer due to different compression amounts of the cleaning brush during brushing, resulting in damage. In this way, the wafer can be discarded as little as possible due to the warping of the wafer, which is conducive to saving materials and reducing costs.

[0081] Now return to Figure 3 . Figure 3 The wafer horizontal brush cleaning device 7 may further include a control device (not shown). The control device may be used to control the expansion or contraction of the brush body of the first cleaning brush 8 and the brush body of the second cleaning brush 10 by controlling the inflation of air into the air passage of the mandrel of the first cleaning brush 8 and the air passage of the mandrel of the second cleaning brush 10 or the suction of air from the air passage of the mandrel of the first cleaning brush 8 and the air passage of the mandrel of the second cleaning brush 10 according to the measurement result of the line laser sensor 22, so that the brush body of the first cleaning brush 8 and the brush body of the second cleaning brush 10 expand or contract to match the warpage of the wafer 9.

[0082] As mentioned above, the wafer horizontal scrubbing device 7 may also be provided with a liquid spraying assembly for spraying cleaning liquid onto the first cleaning brush 8, the second cleaning brush 10 and the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer 9 during scrubbing. The cleaning liquid may be deionized water (DIW). Deionized water has high purity and contains only a small amount of ions. Due to its high purity, it can effectively dissolve and remove some substances with relatively high purity requirements, and can achieve better decontamination effects. In some cases, deionized water can also be used in combination with an organic cleaning agent to achieve efficient cleaning.

[0083] Figure 5 A schematic gas path diagram of the first cleaning brush and the second cleaning brush is shown.

[0084] The wafer horizontal brush cleaning device 7 may include two air circuits, referred to herein as a first air circuit and a second air circuit, for controlling the expansion and contraction of the first cleaning brush 8 and the second cleaning brush 9 respectively.

[0085] Specifically, the control device of the wafer horizontal scrubbing device 7 controls the air passage of the first cleaning brush 8 through the first air passage and controls the air passage of the second cleaning brush 10 through the second air passage. The first cleaning brush 8 and the second cleaning brush 10 may have the same air passage, so Figure 5 The gas path diagram in FIG. 1 may represent both the first gas path for the first cleaning brush 8 and the second gas path for the second cleaning brush 10 .

[0086] As shown in the figure, the air circuit may include a vacuum air circuit 11 and an inflation air circuit 16 placed in parallel.

[0087] In this illustrated example, the vacuum air circuit 11 is connected to a vacuum source for air suction, and a one-way valve 12, a first solenoid valve 13, a first proportional valve 14 and a first pressure gauge 15 are sequentially arranged in series in the vacuum air circuit 11 toward the first cleaning brush 8 or the second cleaning brush 10. The one-way valve 12 can be used to prevent backflow; the first solenoid valve 13 has an on and off position for controlling the on and off of the airflow; the proportional valve 14 is used to control the size of the air pressure and further adjust the degree of expansion or contraction of the cleaning brush; the first pressure gauge 15 is used to measure the pressure in the air circuit.

[0088] The inflation gas path 16 is connected to an inflation source, and a throttle valve 17, a second solenoid valve 18, a second proportional valve 19, and a second pressure gauge 20 are sequentially connected in series in the inflation gas path 16 toward the first cleaning brush 8 or the second cleaning brush 10. The throttle valve 17 is used to adjust the flow rate; the solenoid valve 18 is used to control the on-off of the gas path; the proportional valve 19 is used to control the size of the air pressure; and the second pressure gauge 20 is used to measure the pressure in the gas path. Here, the inflation source may be a compressed dry air source that outputs compressed dry air.

[0089] In an optional embodiment, the vacuum air circuit 11, the inflation air circuit 16 and the various valves and instruments therein can be arranged as a whole in an air circuit box.

[0090] In some embodiments, the solenoid valves 13, 18 and the proportional valves 14, 19 can all be controlled by a programmable logic controller (PLC), the solenoid valves 13, 18 control the on and off of the air circuit, and the proportional valves 14, 19 can control the size of the air pressure. The inflation air circuit 16 can be a compressed dry air circuit. Therefore, the two air circuits in the above figure, that is, a vacuum air circuit (VAC) and a compressed dry air circuit (CDA) are connected to the same cleaning brush, such as the first cleaning brush 8, and another cleaning brush, such as the second cleaning brush 10, can also have the other two air connections. When the cleaning brush needs to be inflated, the solenoid valve of the vacuum air circuit is closed, and the solenoid valve of the compressed dry air circuit is opened to supply air to the cleaning brush, and then the air pressure is controlled by the proportional valve to adjust the inflating amplitude of the cleaning brush; similarly, when the cleaning brush needs to be concave, the solenoid valve of the compressed dry air circuit is closed, the vacuum air circuit is opened, and the concave amplitude of the cleaning brush is controlled by the proportional valve.

[0091] Figure 6 For use Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the process flow of a method for wafer scrubbing using a wafer horizontal scrubbing system.

[0092] from Figure 6 It can be seen that the method of horizontally brushing a wafer using the wafer horizontal brushing system may include the following steps I to VI.

[0093] In step I, the robot 21 performs loading. In this example, the robot 21 can load materials horizontally. During the horizontal loading process, the wafer 9 passes through the projection area of ​​the line laser sensor 22.

[0094] In step II, the line laser sensor 22 detects the warpage information of the wafer 9. The line laser sensor 22 projects a line laser onto the wafer 9. When the projection position is located at the diameter of the wafer 9, a curve is obtained by fitting a number of points at the diameter position. The shape of the curve is the warpage posture of the wafer, which can be used to determine the warpage information of the wafer, and the difference between the highest point and the lowest point on the curve is the warpage value of the wafer.

[0095] In step III, the warpage value and warpage direction of the wafer 9 are determined. As described in the previous step, the line laser sensor 22 measures the distance from each point on the diameter of the wafer 9 projected by the line laser to the laser sensor 22, and by calculating the maximum and minimum values ​​of the line laser measurement value, the warpage value and direction of the wafer 9 at the position where the line laser appears can be determined according to the information of the fitting curve.

[0096] In step IV, the first cleaning brush 8 and the second cleaning brush 10 are controlled to pass positive pressure or negative pressure according to the warping value and the warping direction. The air pressure control is achieved through a vacuum air circuit and a compressed dry air circuit.

[0097] In step V, the expansion or contraction amplitude of the first cleaning brush 8 and the second cleaning brush 10 is controlled to adapt to the wafer 9. The control in this step can be achieved by a proportional valve. The cleaning brush is expanded when positive pressure is provided by the compressed dry air circuit, and the cleaning brush is contracted when negative pressure is provided by the vacuum air circuit, so that the expansion and contraction degree of the present invention is adjustable, and it is not necessary to expand or contract all the way; different expansion amplitudes and different contraction amplitudes can reasonably match different warping degrees of the wafer.

[0098] In step VI, deionized water is passed from the outside to the wafer 9, the first cleaning brush 8 and / or the second cleaning brush 10, and the first cleaning brush 8 and the second cleaning brush 10 are rotated for brushing.

[0099] According to the technical solutions in different embodiments of the present invention, the advantages may include one or more of the following: effectively increasing the contact area between the cleaning brush and the warped wafer, avoiding missed brushing and improving the brushing effect; the brush body can shrink or expand, and is compatible with warped wafers in different directions; avoiding uneven force at different positions of the warped wafer due to different compression amounts of the brush body during brushing, resulting in damage; there is no need to change the mechanical structure of the original wafer horizontal brush equipment, only the liquid circuit is changed to an air circuit, and a proportional valve control is added; avoiding stress breakage of the warped wafer, saving materials and reducing costs.

[0100] The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the contents of the above description. Those skilled in the art can make various deformations and modifications to the above implementation without departing from the technical idea of ​​the present invention, and these deformations and modifications should all fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wafer cleaning brush (1), characterized in that: The wafer cleaning brush (1) comprises: A core shaft (2), the core shaft (2) is in a cylindrical shape that gradually tapers from both ends to the middle, the core shaft (2) has an air passage (3) inside, and the core shaft (2) has an air hole (4) that connects the air passage (3) to the outside of the outer peripheral surface of the core shaft (2); and The brush body (5) is in the shape of a hollow cylinder and is sleeved on the outside of the core shaft (2). The brush body (5) is configured to gradually expand from both ends to the middle when the airway (3) is inflated, and to gradually contract from both ends to the middle when air is inhaled in the airway.

2. The wafer cleaning brush (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wafer cleaning brush (1) comprises an air film (6) sleeved between the core shaft (2) and the brush body (5), the two ends of the air film (6) being sleeved and fixed on the two ends of the core shaft (2), and the air film (6) is an airtight film.

3. The wafer cleaning brush (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that: The air membrane (6) is configured to expand when air is inflated in the airway to cause the brush body (5) to expand, and to contract when air is inhaled in the airway to cause the brush body (5) to contract.

4. The wafer cleaning brush (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The air channel (3) is located at the axial center of the core shaft (2) and extends from the open end of the core shaft (2) to the closed end of the core shaft (2); the air holes (4) are multiple circular holes evenly distributed along the entire length of the core shaft (2) and along the entire outer circumferential surface of the core shaft (2).

5. The wafer cleaning brush (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that: The circular holes all extend along the radial direction of the core shaft (2).

6. The wafer cleaning brush (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The brush body (5) is made of polyvinyl alcohol material.

7. The wafer cleaning brush (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The air film (6) gradually becomes thinner from both ends to the middle.

8. The wafer cleaning brush (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that: The air film (6) is bonded to the brush body (5) over the entire surface where the air film (6) contacts the brush body (5), and the brush body (5) can change shape along with the air film (6).

9. A wafer horizontal scrubbing device (7), characterized in that: The wafer horizontal scrubbing device (7) comprises: a first cleaning brush (8), the first cleaning brush (8) being a wafer cleaning brush as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, the first cleaning brush (8) being used for rotating and brushing the upper surface of the wafer (9); a second cleaning brush (10), the second cleaning brush (10) being the wafer cleaning brush as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, the second cleaning brush (10) being aligned with the first cleaning brush (8) in a vertical manner, and the second cleaning brush (10) being used for rotating and brushing the lower surface of the wafer (9); and A control device is used to control the expansion or contraction of the brush body of the first cleaning brush (8) and the brush body of the second cleaning brush (10) by controlling the inflation of air into the air channel of the core shaft of the first cleaning brush (8) and the air channel of the core shaft of the second cleaning brush (10) or the suction of air from the air channel of the core shaft of the first cleaning brush (8) and the air channel of the core shaft of the second cleaning brush (10), so that the brush body of the first cleaning brush (8) and the brush body of the second cleaning brush (10) expand or contract to match the warping of the wafer (9).

10. The wafer horizontal scrubbing device (7) according to claim 9, characterized in that: The wafer horizontal scrubbing device (7) comprises a first gas path and a second gas path, the control device controls the gas path of the first cleaning brush (8) through the first gas path and controls the gas path of the second cleaning brush (10) through the second gas path, and the first gas path and the second gas path both comprise: a vacuum air path (11), the vacuum air path (11) being connected to a vacuum source for suction, and having a one-way valve (12), a first solenoid valve (13), a first proportional valve (14) and a first pressure gauge (15) sequentially connected in series arranged in the vacuum air path (11) toward the first cleaning brush (8) or the second cleaning brush (10); and An inflation air circuit (16) is connected to an inflation source for inflation, and a throttle valve (17), a second solenoid valve (18), a second proportional valve (19) and a second pressure gauge (20) are sequentially connected in series in the inflation air circuit (16) toward the first cleaning brush (8) or the second cleaning brush (10).

11. The wafer horizontal scrubbing device (7) according to claim 10, characterized in that: The inflation source is a compressed dry air source that outputs compressed dry air.

12. The wafer horizontal scrubbing device (7) according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that: The wafer horizontal scrubbing device (7) is provided with a liquid spraying component for spraying cleaning liquid onto the upper surface and the lower surface of the wafer (9) during scrubbing.

13. The wafer horizontal scrubbing device (7) according to claim 12, characterized in that: The cleaning solution is deionized water.

14. A wafer horizontal scrubbing system, characterized in that: The wafer horizontal scrubbing system comprises: The wafer level scrubbing device (7) as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 13; A robot (21), the robot (21) being used for loading and unloading materials horizontally between the first cleaning brush (8) and the second cleaning brush (10) of the wafer horizontal brushing device (7); A detector (22), wherein the detector (22) is used to detect the warping information of the wafer (9) to be brushed before the wafer (9) to be brushed is placed in the wafer horizontal brushing device (7), and transmit the warping information to the control device of the wafer horizontal brushing device (7), so that the control device controls the expansion or contraction of the brush body of the first cleaning brush (8) and the brush body of the second cleaning brush (10) to match the warping of the wafer (9).

15. The wafer horizontal scrubbing system according to claim 14, characterized in that: The detector is a line laser sensor, which is configured to irradiate a line laser at a diameter of a wafer and fit the light spot of the line laser at the diameter of the wafer into a curve, and determine the warping information of the wafer based on the shape of the curve, wherein the warping information includes a warping direction and a warping value.

16. A method for horizontally scrubbing a wafer using the wafer horizontal scrubbing system as claimed in claim 14 or 15, characterized in that: The method comprises the following steps: Step I: the manipulator (21) performs horizontal loading; Step II: the detector (22) detects the warpage information of the wafer (9); Step III: determining the warping value and warping direction of the wafer (9); Step IV: controlling the first cleaning brush (8) and the second cleaning brush (10) to apply positive pressure or negative pressure respectively according to the warping value and the warping direction; Step V: controlling the expansion or contraction amplitude of the first cleaning brush (8) and the second cleaning brush (10) to adapt to the wafer (9); Step VI: Deionized water is passed from the outside to the wafer (9), the first cleaning brush (8), and the second cleaning brush (10), and the first cleaning brush (8) and the second cleaning brush (10) are rotated for brushing.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that The detector is a line laser sensor, which is configured to irradiate a line laser at a diameter of a wafer and fit the light spot of the line laser at the diameter of the wafer into a curve, and determine the warping information of the wafer based on the shape of the curve, wherein the warping information includes a warping direction and a warping value.

18. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that The control in step V is achieved by a proportional valve.

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