Wafer drying device and wafer drying equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor manufacturing, and discloses a wafer drying device and wafer drying equipment.The wafer drying device comprises a rotating mechanism and an air supply mechanism, and the rotating mechanism comprises a rotating support and a supporting assembly which is arranged on the rotating support and used for supporting a wafer; the air supply mechanism comprises a temperature keeping assembly, an air supply assembly and a connecting pipeline, the temperature keeping assembly is arranged on the rotating support, one end of the connecting pipeline communicates with the air supply assembly, the other end of the connecting pipeline communicates with the temperature keeping assembly, the air supply assembly is used for providing heated air for the temperature keeping assembly, and the temperature keeping assembly is used for keeping the drying temperature stable. According to the wafer drying device, the temperature maintaining assembly is arranged and connected with the gas supply assembly through the connecting pipeline, during drying, the gas supply assembly provides heated gas for the temperature maintaining assembly through the connecting pipeline, the temperature maintaining assembly provides heat for wafer drying and keeps the wafer drying temperature stable, and the wafer drying effect is guaranteed; and the production yield of the wafer is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor manufacturing, and in particular to a wafer drying device and wafer drying equipment. Background Art

[0002] This section merely provides background information related to the present disclosure and is not necessarily prior art.

[0003] In the wafer manufacturing process, in order to remove the residual grinding particles and grinding by-products on the wafer surface, it is necessary to effectively clean it. At the same time, semiconductor manufacturing requires that the wafer is "dry in and dry out" in the CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) process module, so the wafer needs to be dried.

[0004] When drying the wafer, the drying temperature will directly affect the drying effect. Unstable drying temperature will produce various pollutants and water spots on the wafer, resulting in a decrease in the production yield of the wafer. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to at least solve the problem of reduced wafer production yield due to unstable drying temperature. This purpose is achieved by the following technical solutions:

[0006] A first aspect of the present invention provides a wafer drying device, comprising:

[0007] The rotating mechanism comprises a rotating support and a supporting assembly arranged on the rotating support, wherein the supporting assembly is used to support the wafer;

[0008] The air supply mechanism includes a temperature maintaining component, an air supply component and a connecting pipeline. The temperature maintaining component is arranged on the rotating bracket. One end of the connecting pipeline is used to communicate with the air supply component, and the other end of the connecting pipeline is connected to the temperature maintaining component. The air supply component is used to provide heated gas to the temperature maintaining component via the connecting pipeline. The temperature maintaining component is used to maintain the stability of the drying temperature.

[0009] The wafer drying device of the present invention is provided with a temperature maintaining component, and the temperature maintaining component is connected to the air supply component through a connecting pipeline. When drying, the air supply component provides heated gas to the temperature maintaining component through the connecting pipeline. The temperature maintaining component provides heat for drying the wafer and keeps the drying temperature of the wafer stable, thereby ensuring the drying effect of the wafer and improving the production yield of the wafer.

[0010] A second aspect of the present invention provides a wafer drying device, comprising a chamber and a wafer drying device as described in any one of the above items, wherein the wafer drying device is arranged inside the chamber. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiments below. The accompanying drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating the preferred embodiments and are not to be considered as limiting the present invention. Moreover, the same reference numerals are used throughout the accompanying drawings to represent the same components. In the accompanying drawings:

[0012] Figure 1 The structure of the wafer drying device according to the embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown. Figure 1 ;

[0013] Figure 2 The structure of the wafer drying device according to the embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown. Figure 2 ;

[0014] Figure 3 A partial structural diagram of a wafer drying device according to an embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown;

[0015] Figure 4 The structural diagram of the support assembly of the wafer drying device according to the embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown.

[0016] The reference numerals are as follows:

[0017] 100. Wafer drying device;

[0018] 1. Rotating bracket;

[0019] 2. Support assembly; 21. Support body; 211. Fixed portion; 212. Telescopic portion; 22. Support portion; 221. Support surface; 23. Vacuum adsorption channel;

[0020] 3. Temperature maintenance component; 31. First air storage chamber; 32. Second air storage chamber; 33. Third air storage chamber;

[0021] 4. Air supply components;

[0022] 51. First pipeline; 52. Second pipeline;

[0023] 6. Temperature detection component; 61. Temperature sensor;

[0024] 71. First control valve; 72. Second control valve;

[0025] 8. Chip. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided in order to enable a more thorough understanding of the present disclosure and to fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0027] It should be understood that the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific example embodiments and are not intended to be limiting. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "one", "an" and "said" as used herein may also be meant to include plural forms. The terms "include", "comprise", "contain", and "have" are inclusive, and therefore specify the existence of stated features, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the existence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, parts, and / or combinations thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not interpreted as necessarily requiring them to be performed in the specific order described or illustrated, unless the execution order is clearly indicated. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be used.

[0028] Although the terms first, second, third, etc. can be used in the text to describe multiple elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms can only be used to distinguish an element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Unless the context clearly indicates, terms such as "first", "second" and other numerical terms do not imply order or sequence when used in the text. Therefore, the first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below can be referred to as the second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teaching of the example embodiments.

[0029] For ease of description, spatial relative terms may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element or feature relative to another element or feature as shown in the figure, such as "inside", "outside", "inner side", "outer side", "below", "below", "above", "above", etc. Such spatial relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figure. For example, if the device in the figure is turned over, then the elements described as "below other elements or features" or "below other elements or features" will subsequently be oriented as "above other elements or features" or "above other elements or features". Therefore, the example term "below..." can include both above and below orientations.

[0030] In the wafer manufacturing process, the semiconductor manufacturing process is to repeatedly process exposure, evaporation, etching, grinding and cleaning and other processes on the wafer for dozens or hundreds of times. Through this process, a layer of corrosion-resistant photoresist is coated on the surface of the silicon wafer, and then a mask with a predetermined electronic component pattern is placed, and then the pattern on the mask is transferred to the photoresist by ultraviolet irradiation, and then the photoresist in the exposure area is removed by grinding, so as to form an accurate pattern on the wafer. In order to remove the residual abrasive particles and grinding by-products on the surface of the wafer, it is necessary to effectively clean it. At the same time, semiconductor manufacturing requires that the wafer is "dry in and dry out" in the CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) process module, that is, the wafer needs to be kept dry before and after the grinding and cleaning process, so the wafer needs to be dried.

[0031] In the related art, when drying a wafer, isopropyl alcohol (IPA) is sprayed to dry the wafer liquid, and then the liquid is dried by heating. The drying temperature directly affects the drying effect. Unstable drying temperature will produce various pollutants and water spots on the wafer, resulting in a decrease in the production yield of the wafer.

[0032] In view of this, the present embodiment provides a wafer drying device 100, which aims to provide heat for drying the wafer 8 and maintain the stability of the drying temperature of the wafer 8 by setting a temperature maintaining component 3, thereby ensuring the drying effect of the wafer 8 and improving the production yield of the wafer 8, thereby solving the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0033] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a wafer drying device 100 is proposed. The wafer drying device 100 includes a rotating mechanism and an air supply mechanism. The rotating mechanism includes a rotating bracket 1 and a supporting assembly 2 arranged on the rotating bracket 1. The supporting assembly 2 is used to support the wafer 8.

[0034] Among them, the support assembly 2 includes a plurality of support units, and the plurality of support units are arranged on the top surface of the rotating bracket 1 at intervals around the circumference of the rotating bracket 1. There are many ways to arrange them, such as including but not limited to welding, riveting, bonding or being arranged on the top surface of the rotating bracket 1. The material of the support unit can be quartz or Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene) series materials, etc., to improve the heat conduction function of the support unit. Each support unit includes a support body 21, and the support body 21 includes a fixed part 211 and a telescopic part 212. The top of the telescopic part 212 is provided with a support part 22, and the top of the support part 22 has a support surface 221. The wafer 8 is arranged on the support surface 221, and the support surface 221 is used to support the wafer 8. The cross-sectional shape surrounded by the plurality of support units is circular, and the diameter of the wafer 8 is slightly larger than the diameter of the circle surrounded by the support units, so that the wafer 8 can be placed on the support surface 221 at the top of the support unit during rotation. Each support unit is provided with a vacuum adsorption channel 23, which is provided on the support body 21 along the axial direction of the support body 21, and can penetrate the support surface 221. The vacuum adsorption channel 23 is connected with the vacuum generating device through a vacuum pipeline to adsorb the wafer 8 placed on the support surface 221. When the wafer 8 is dried, the vacuum generating device is started to evacuate the support unit, and the support unit adsorbs the wafer 8 through the vacuum adsorption channel 23, so that the wafer 8 is adsorbed on the rotating bracket 1.

[0035] The support surface 221 is used to provide support for the wafer 8 during the process of the support unit adsorbing the wafer 8 through the vacuum adsorption channel 23, to prevent the wafer 8 from being dented during the adsorption process, and to ensure the adsorption effect of the support unit on the wafer 8. Since the support surface 221 is in direct contact with the wafer 8, in order to prevent the support surface 221 from scratching the wafer 8, the portion of the support surface 221 that is in direct contact with the wafer 8 is made of an elastic material, such as a rubber material, an elastic plastic, or a silicone material.

[0036] The more support units there are, the more dispersed the force on the wafer 8 is, and the less likely it is to damage the wafer 8 during the adsorption process. In addition, uniform distribution of support units is also beneficial to avoid damage to the wafer 8. In order to make the wafer 8 more evenly subjected to force during the adsorption process, each support unit is set at the same distance.

[0037] The gas supply mechanism includes a temperature maintaining component 3, a gas supply component 4 and a connecting pipeline. The temperature maintaining component 3 is arranged on the rotating bracket 1. One end of the connecting pipeline is connected to the gas supply component 4, and the other end of the connecting pipeline is connected to the temperature maintaining component 3. The gas supply component 4 is used to provide heated gas to the temperature maintaining component 3 via the connecting pipeline. The gas can be nitrogen, helium and other gases. The temperature maintaining component 3 is used to provide heat for drying the chip 8 and maintain the stability of the drying temperature.

[0038] The wafer drying device 100 of the present invention is provided with a temperature maintaining component 3, and the temperature maintaining component 3 is connected to the air supply component 4 through a connecting pipeline. When drying, the air supply component 4 provides heated gas to the temperature maintaining component 3 through the connecting pipeline. The temperature maintaining component 3 provides heat for drying the wafer 8 and maintains the drying temperature of the wafer 8 stable, thereby ensuring the drying effect of the wafer 8 and improving the production yield of the wafer 8.

[0039] In some embodiments of the present invention, the temperature maintaining component 3 includes an air storage chamber, which is arranged inside the rotating bracket 1 and close to the supporting component 2. The air storage chamber is a closed cavity structure, and the gas supply component 4 provides heated gas to the air storage chamber through a connecting pipeline, and the air storage chamber is used to store the heated gas. A mounting groove is arranged on the top of the rotating bracket 1, and the air storage chamber is arranged in the mounting groove, so that the top surface of the air storage chamber is flush with the top surface of the rotating bracket 1 or slightly lower than the top surface of the rotating bracket 1, so that the air storage chamber is arranged closer to the supporting unit, so as to better dry the wafer 8 on the supporting unit, and better maintain the drying temperature, thereby improving the drying effect.

[0040] In some embodiments of the present invention, multiple gas storage cavities are provided along the radial direction of the rotating bracket 1 from the inside to the outside, and the temperature of the hot gas introduced into the multiple gas storage cavities gradually increases from the inside to the outside. In this embodiment, the number of gas storage cavities is three, and from the inside to the outside, they are the first gas storage cavity 31, the second gas storage cavity 32, and the third gas storage cavity 33. The first gas storage cavity 31, the second gas storage cavity 32, and the third gas storage cavity 33 are respectively connected to the gas supply components 4 providing different temperatures, wherein the temperature of the gas stored in the first gas storage cavity 31 is 40-50°C (for example, the temperature can be 40°C, 41°C, 43°C, 45°C, 49°C, 50°C, etc.), and the temperature of the gas stored in the second gas storage cavity 32 is 60-70°C (for example, the temperature can be 60°C). , 62°C, 63°C, 66°C, 68°C, 70°C, etc.), the temperature of the gas stored in the third gas storage chamber 33 is 80-100°C (for example, the temperature can be 80°C, 85°C, 90°C, 93°C, 96°C, 100°C, etc.), this is because when the wafer 8 is set on the support unit, since the wafer 8 is made of flexible material, when it is placed on the support unit, it will appear slightly concave in the middle and higher around. Therefore, the gas storage temperature of the gas storage chamber near the rotating bracket 1 is set higher, which is conducive to drying the surroundings of the wafer 8. At the same time, setting gas storage chambers with different temperatures can facilitate adjusting the drying temperature according to needs.

[0041] In some embodiments of the present invention, the gas supply device further includes a temperature detection member 6, which is disposed in the gas storage cavity and is used to detect the temperature of the hot gas in the gas storage cavity. In this embodiment, the temperature detection member 6 is a non-contact temperature sensor 61, such as an infrared temperature sensor. The non-contact temperature sensor 61 is not limited by the temperature resistance of the temperature sensing element in the upper limit of measurement, and thus there is no limit on the maximum measurable temperature in principle, thereby ensuring the accuracy of temperature detection.

[0042] In other embodiments, the number of temperature sensors 61 may be multiple, and the multiple temperature sensors 61 are arranged at equal intervals along the circumference of the gas storage cavity to improve the accuracy of detecting the gas temperature in the gas storage cavity.

[0043] In some embodiments of the present invention, the gas supply device further includes a flow regulating member, which is arranged on the connecting pipeline, and the flow regulating member is used to adjust the gas flow of the connecting pipeline. Specifically, the connecting pipeline includes a first pipeline 51 and a second pipeline 52, the air inlet end of the first pipeline 51 is connected to the air outlet end of the air supply component 4, and the air outlet end of the first pipeline 51 is connected to the air storage chamber; the air inlet end of the second pipeline 52 is connected to the air storage chamber, and the air outlet end of the second pipeline 52 is connected to the air inlet end of the air supply component 4, and the first pipeline 51 and the second pipeline 52 are both provided with flow regulating members. For this embodiment, the number of connecting pipelines corresponds to the number of air storage chambers, so three groups of connecting pipelines are also provided, each group of connecting pipelines includes a first pipeline 51 and a second pipeline 52, and their connection methods are the same, and each group of connecting pipelines is provided with a flow regulating member, which will not be repeated here. By providing the first pipeline 51 and the second pipeline 52 and providing flow regulators on both the first pipeline 51 and the second pipeline 52, it is convenient to adjust the flow of gas in the gas storage chamber, further improve the accuracy and stability of the drying temperature, and ensure the drying effect.

[0044] In some embodiments of the present invention, the wafer drying device 100 further includes a controller, the signal input end of the controller is electrically connected to the signal output end of the temperature detection element 6, and the signal output end of the controller is electrically connected to the signal input end of the flow regulating element. The controller controls the vacuum generating device and the flow regulating element, the vacuum generating device evacuates the air, and the wafer 8 is adsorbed by the support unit. The temperature sensor 61 detects the temperature of the gas in the gas storage chamber and transmits the detection signal to the controller. The controller controls the opening of the flow regulating element according to the detection signal to control the flow of the gas into the gas storage chamber. For example, increasing the flow of the gas into the gas storage chamber can increase the drying temperature. Conversely, reducing the flow of the gas into the gas storage chamber can reduce the drying temperature, thereby adjusting and maintaining the drying temperature.

[0045] In some embodiments of the present invention, the flow regulating member includes a control valve. Specifically, a first control valve 71 is provided on the first pipeline 51. The intake flow of the first pipeline 51 can be adjusted by controlling the opening of the first control valve 71. A second control valve 72 is provided on the second pipeline 52. The intake flow of the second pipeline 52 can be adjusted by controlling the opening of the second control valve 72. The first control valve 71 and the second control valve 72 can be needle valves, or ball valves or other structural members that can facilitate conduction or isolation.

[0046] In some embodiments of the present invention, the wafer drying device 100 further includes a driving component, which is connected to the support unit, and the driving component drives the support unit to move along the axial direction of the support unit. Specifically, the support unit is a retractable structure, that is, the axial length of the support unit can be extended or shortened. The driving end of the driving component is connected to the telescopic part 212, and the driving component drives the telescopic part 212 to move relative to the fixed part 211 so that the support unit performs telescopic movement. The signal input end of the driving component is electrically connected to the signal output end of the controller. Before adsorption, the vacuum generating device evacuates the support unit, and then under the control of the controller, the driving end of the driving component drives the support unit to extend toward the wafer 8, that is, the support unit moves vertically upward. When the support surface 221 contacts the wafer 8, the wafer 8 is adsorbed through the vacuum adsorption channel 23, and then the support unit is shortened under the drive of the driving component, that is, the support unit drives the wafer 8 to move vertically downward in the direction close to the gas storage chamber. According to the process, the wafer 8 is kept at a certain distance from the gas storage chamber to dry the wafer 8. The driving components include electromechanical driving type, electromagnetic driving type, piezoelectric / electrostrictive driving type and magnetostrictive driving type, etc., which are not specifically limited here.

[0047] The second aspect of the present invention proposes a wafer 8 drying device, which includes a chamber and the above-mentioned wafer drying device 100, and the wafer drying device 100 is arranged inside the chamber. The chamber is a sealed or separate processing space, and the rotating bracket 1 is fixed inside the chamber. The rotating bracket 1 can rotate. When the wafer 8 is dried, the gas supply component 4 provides heated gas to the temperature maintenance component 3 through the connecting pipeline. The temperature maintenance component 3 provides heat for the drying of the wafer 8 and maintains the stability of the drying temperature of the wafer 8, thereby ensuring the drying effect of the wafer 8 and improving the production yield of the wafer 8. At the same time, since no physical heating elements such as heaters are arranged in the cavity of the present invention, the structure is simplified, and the pollution in the chamber is reduced, thereby reducing equipment failures.

[0048] The above is only a preferred specific embodiment of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily thought of by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A wafer drying device, characterized in that: include: The rotating mechanism comprises a rotating support and a supporting assembly arranged on the rotating support, wherein the supporting assembly is used to support the wafer; The air supply mechanism includes a temperature maintaining component, an air supply component and a connecting pipeline. The temperature maintaining component is arranged on the rotating bracket. One end of the connecting pipeline is connected to the air supply component, and the other end of the connecting pipeline is connected to the temperature maintaining component. The air supply component is used to provide heated gas to the temperature maintaining component via the connecting pipeline. The temperature maintaining component is used to maintain the stability of the drying temperature.

2. The wafer drying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The temperature maintaining assembly comprises an air storage cavity, and the air storage cavity is arranged inside the rotating bracket and close to the supporting assembly.

3. The wafer drying device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The gas storage chambers are arranged in a plurality from the inside to the outside along the radial direction of the rotating bracket, and the temperature of the hot gas introduced into the plurality of gas storage chambers gradually increases from the inside to the outside.

4. The wafer drying device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The gas supply device further comprises a temperature detection component, which is disposed in the gas storage cavity and is used to detect the temperature of the hot gas in the gas storage cavity.

5. The wafer drying device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The temperature detection element is a non-contact temperature sensor.

6. The wafer drying device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The gas supply device further comprises a flow regulating member, which is disposed on the connecting pipeline and is used to regulate the gas flow of the connecting pipeline.

7. The wafer drying device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The connecting pipeline comprises: A first pipeline, wherein an air inlet end of the first pipeline is connected to an air outlet end of the air supply assembly, and an air outlet end of the first pipeline is connected to the air storage chamber; a second pipeline, wherein an air inlet end of the second pipeline is communicated with the air storage chamber, and an air outlet end of the second pipeline is communicated with an air inlet end of the air supply assembly; The flow regulating member is disposed on both the first pipeline and the second pipeline.

8. The wafer drying device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The flow regulating member includes a control valve.

9. The wafer drying device according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that: The wafer drying device further comprises a controller, wherein a signal input end of the controller is electrically connected to a signal output end of the temperature detection element, and a signal output end of the controller is electrically connected to a signal input end of the flow regulating element.

10. A wafer drying device, characterized in that: The invention comprises a chamber and a wafer drying device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the wafer drying device is arranged inside the chamber.

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