Silicon wafer cleaning apparatus, control method and control module therefor
By monitoring and adjusting the wind speed and direction of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment, the problem of cumbersome wind direction and speed control in existing equipment has been solved, achieving airflow stability and effective control of chemical volatiles, thereby improving cleaning effect and product quality.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- XIAN ESWIN MATERIAL TECHNOLOGY CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-27
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-14
AI Technical Summary
Existing silicon wafer cleaning equipment is cumbersome and difficult to quantify in terms of air direction and speed control, which leads to the residue or diffusion of volatile chemicals, affecting product quality and the cleanroom environment.
By monitoring the exhaust air speed, air direction, and fan speed of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment, the control module automatically or manually adjusts the exhaust opening, fan opening, and frequency to ensure that the air intake, air outlet, and air direction are within the target range, thereby achieving stable airflow control.
It effectively reduces the diffusion and residue of volatile chemicals, improves the stability and cleanliness of the silicon wafer cleaning process, and reduces the defect rate.
Smart Images
Figure CN119626934B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of surface contamination control technology, and in particular to silicon wafer cleaning equipment and its control methods and control modules. Background Technology
[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing, silicon wafer cleaning is a crucial step in ensuring surface cleanliness and reducing surface contamination. The adjustment and operation of related silicon wafer cleaning equipment are cumbersome, and the effects of these adjustments are difficult to quantify, making precise control of internal airflow direction and speed challenging. With the ever-increasing precision requirements of semiconductor manufacturing, silicon wafer cleaning equipment demands increasingly higher precision and stability in airflow control during chemical processing. Unstable exhaust or intake airflow within the equipment can easily lead to chemical volatiles remaining on the silicon wafers or equipment surface, and may even diffuse into the cleanroom, affecting product quality.
[0003] Based on this, this application provides silicon wafer cleaning equipment and its control method and control module to improve related technologies. Summary of the Invention
[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide silicon wafer cleaning equipment and its control method and control module, which controls one or more of the air intake volume, air outlet volume and air direction of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment within the corresponding target value range, thereby reducing the impact on product quality.
[0005] The objective of this application is achieved through the following technical solution:
[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides a control method for a silicon wafer cleaning equipment, the method comprising: receiving corresponding monitoring data of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment, the monitoring data including one or more of the exhaust air velocity, air direction, and fan speed inside the silicon wafer cleaning equipment; based on the monitoring data, processing the control parameters of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment accordingly until one or more of the air intake volume, air outlet volume, and air direction of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment are within a corresponding target value range; the control parameters including one or more of the exhaust opening degree, fan opening degree, and fan frequency.
[0007] In some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving target setting information, the target setting information being used to determine one or more corresponding target value ranges among the air intake volume, air outlet volume, and air direction of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment.
[0008] In some embodiments, the step of processing the control parameters of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment based on the monitoring data includes: visualizing the monitoring data to obtain corresponding visual information; the visual information adopts one or more formats of text, visual graphics, and visual tables; and generating a first control instruction corresponding to the manual adjustment operation for the control parameters in response to the manual adjustment operation, the first control instruction being used to configure the control parameters of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment.
[0009] In some embodiments, the step of processing the control parameters of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment based on the monitoring data includes: generating a second control command based on the monitoring data, using one or more corresponding target value ranges of the air intake volume, air outlet volume, and air direction of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment as the automatic control target, wherein the second control command is used to automatically compensate the control parameters of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment.
[0010] In some embodiments, the control parameters include the exhaust opening and the fan opening, and the action includes proportional adjustment of the exhaust opening and the fan opening.
[0011] Secondly, this application provides a control module for a silicon wafer cleaning device, the control module being used to perform any of the above methods.
[0012] Thirdly, this application provides a silicon wafer cleaning device, which includes: a monitoring module for monitoring the silicon wafer cleaning device to obtain corresponding monitoring data, the monitoring data including one or more of the exhaust air velocity, air direction, and fan speed inside the silicon wafer cleaning device; a control module for receiving the corresponding monitoring data of the silicon wafer cleaning device; and processing the control parameters of the silicon wafer cleaning device according to the monitoring data until one or more of the air intake volume, air outlet volume, and air direction of the silicon wafer cleaning device are within the corresponding target value range; the control parameters include one or more of the exhaust opening degree, fan opening degree, and fan frequency.
[0013] In some embodiments, the silicon wafer cleaning equipment further includes a visualization module and an interaction module; the control module is used to process the control parameters of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment in the following ways: visualizing the monitoring data to obtain corresponding visualization information; the visualization information adopts one or more formats of text, visualization graphics, and visualization tables; in response to a manual adjustment operation for the control parameters, generating a first control instruction corresponding to the manual adjustment operation, the first control instruction being used to configure the control parameters of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment; the visualization module is used to receive and display the visualization information; the interaction module is used to receive the manual adjustment operation for the control parameters.
[0014] In some embodiments, the control module is used to process the control parameters of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment in the following manner: based on the monitoring data, using one or more corresponding target value ranges of the air intake volume, air outlet volume, and air direction of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment as automatic control targets, a second control command is generated, and the second control command is used to automatically compensate the control parameters of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment.
[0015] In some embodiments, a fan is provided on the top of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment, and the interior of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment includes: a silicon wafer loading end and a silicon wafer unloading end, respectively used for loading and unloading silicon wafers; a robotic arm for transporting the silicon wafers, including a robotic arm body, a traveling axis, and a front silicon wafer gripping arm; a silicon wafer processing module, including one or more of a silicon wafer hydrofluoric acid processing unit, a silicon wafer ammonia hydrogen peroxide processing unit, a silicon wafer hydrochloric acid hydrogen peroxide processing unit, and a silicon wafer drying unit; multiple silicon wafer processing tanks, spaced apart on the silicon wafer processing module, the silicon wafer processing tanks being connected to the silicon wafer processing module so that the silicon wafer processing module can process the silicon wafers in the silicon wafer processing tanks; and piping located below the multiple silicon wafer processing tanks, the piping being connected to the silicon wafer processing module so that the silicon wafer processing module can process the silicon wafers. The liquid flows out from the piping; at least one exhaust pipe grille is disposed near the plurality of silicon wafer processing tanks so that the first gas generated by the silicon wafer processing module in processing the silicon wafer is discharged under the guidance of the exhaust pipe grille; at least one first exhaust channel is located below the exhaust pipe grille for discharging the first gas generated in processing the silicon wafer; at least one second exhaust channel is disposed near the lower end of the robotic arm for discharging the second gas at the location of the robotic arm; the monitoring module includes a plurality of wind speed detection instruments, at least one of the wind speed detection instruments is disposed near the top to detect the wind speed of the fan, at least one of the wind speed detection instruments is located in the first exhaust channel to detect the exhaust wind speed of the first gas, and at least one of the wind speed detection instruments is located in the second exhaust channel to detect the exhaust wind speed of the second gas.
[0016] This application provides a silicon wafer cleaning equipment and its control method and control module. By receiving monitoring data from inside the cleaning equipment, including exhaust air velocity, air direction, and fan speed, the airflow direction and velocity within the equipment are monitored. Next, based on the monitoring data, the control parameters of the cleaning equipment (such as exhaust opening, fan opening, and fan frequency) are adjusted to ensure that the airflow volume, airflow volume, and airflow direction inside the equipment are always maintained within the set target range. This application can maintain the stability of airflow velocity and direction during the silicon wafer cleaning process, effectively reducing the diffusion and residue problems of volatile chemicals caused by airflow fluctuations inside the equipment, thereby reducing their impact on the cleanliness and processing quality of the silicon wafer surface. Attached Figure Description
[0017] This application will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.
[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart of a control method for a silicon wafer cleaning device provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram (front view) of a silicon wafer cleaning device provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0020] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view (side view) of a silicon wafer cleaning device provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the control process of a silicon wafer cleaning device provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0022] In the diagram: 101. Product loading end; 102. Fan and filter; 103. Wind speed measuring instrument; 104. Inward wind direction arrow; 105. Silicon wafer loading end; 106. Silicon wafer processing tank; 107. Silicon wafer hydrofluoric acid processing unit; 108. Silicon wafer ammonia and hydrogen peroxide processing unit; 109. Silicon wafer hydrochloric acid and hydrogen peroxide processing unit; 110. Silicon wafer drying unit; 111. Piping; 112. Silicon wafer unloading end; 201. Silicon wafer and silicon wafer support frame; 202. Downward wind direction arrow; 203. Robotic arm body; 204. Traveling axis; 205. Second exhaust channel; 206. First exhaust channel; 207. Exhaust pipe grille; 208. Front silicon wafer gripping arm. Detailed Implementation
[0023] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.
[0024] In the description of the embodiments of this application, it should be understood that the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features. In the description of the embodiments of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.
[0025] Currently, the control of airflow direction and speed inside semiconductor cleaning equipment (which can be simply referred to as cleaning equipment, or equipment) mostly relies on manually adjusting the opening of the exhaust valve and the frequency of the top fan to increase or decrease the exhaust and intake airflow. This manual adjustment process is cumbersome, and the effectiveness of the adjustments is difficult to assess and quantify. Furthermore, instability in exhaust or intake airflow may occur in the later stages of adjustment, requiring manual monitoring and repeated adjustments. In addition, many cleaning devices lack the aforementioned adjustment functions, making it difficult to monitor and adjust the airflow direction and exhaust conditions inside the cleaning equipment.
[0026] When the airflow direction and exhaust system inside the cleaning equipment are difficult to monitor and control effectively, fluctuations in exhaust pressure or the airflow from the top fan can lead to the inability to promptly remove volatile substances from the chemicals used inside the equipment. These volatile substances eventually adhere to the surface of the silicon wafers, the internal surfaces of the equipment, or are released into the external environment, contaminating the cleanroom. This results in defective products during silicon wafer processing, and in the long run, the contamination inside the equipment can lead to batch defects, which are difficult to detect and correct in a timely manner.
[0027] This application provides visual monitoring of the exhaust air velocity, top fan velocity, and airflow direction within the equipment. It monitors and automatically adjusts relevant control parameters for exhaust and intake air to mitigate the adverse effects described above. While the above description uses a top fan as an example, this application does not limit the fan's location; the fan can be located at the top of the cleaning equipment or outside the top.
[0028] See Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart of a control method for a silicon wafer cleaning device provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0029] This application provides a control method for a silicon wafer cleaning device, the method including steps S101 to S102.
[0030] Step S101: Receive the corresponding monitoring data of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment. The monitoring data includes one or more of the following: exhaust wind speed, wind direction, and fan wind speed inside the silicon wafer cleaning equipment.
[0031] Step S102: Based on the monitoring data, the control parameters of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment are processed accordingly until one or more of the air intake volume, air outlet volume, and air direction of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment are within the corresponding target value range; the control parameters include one or more of the exhaust opening degree, fan opening degree, and fan frequency.
[0032] Here, exhaust opening refers to the opening degree of the exhaust valve. When the silicon wafer cleaning equipment is equipped with multiple exhaust valves, the corresponding exhaust opening degrees of different exhaust valves can be the same or different. In this article, air volume is the same as exhaust volume, and inlet and outlet air volume includes inlet air volume and outlet air volume.
[0033] In some embodiments, the above method can be performed on the control module of a silicon wafer cleaning device.
[0034] In the above embodiments, the target numerical range for the intake air volume is, for example, the target numerical range for the exhaust air volume, and the target numerical range for the wind direction is, for example, the target numerical range for the wind direction. In practical applications, the intake air volume, exhaust air volume, and wind direction can be controlled to specific values, or they can be stabilized within a certain numerical range. The above embodiments do not limit this.
[0035] See Figure 2 and Figure 3 , Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram (front view) of a silicon wafer cleaning device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view (side view) of a silicon wafer cleaning device provided in an embodiment of this application. In the figure, the inward wind direction arrow 104 is used to indicate that there is no left or right wind direction (the left and right wind pressure is the same), and the downward wind direction arrow 202 is used to indicate that the wind direction inside the device is downward.
[0036] As an example, the top of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment can be equipped with a fan and a filter 102, the filter being used to filter the gas supplied by the fan. The interior of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment can include a silicon wafer loading end 105, a silicon wafer unloading end 112, a robotic arm, a silicon wafer processing module, multiple silicon wafer processing tanks 106, piping 111, at least one exhaust pipe grille 207 (e.g., two), at least one first exhaust channel 206 (e.g., two), at least one second exhaust channel 205 (e.g., two), a fan, and a monitoring module. The silicon wafer loading end 105 and the silicon wafer unloading end 112 are opposite each other, and are used for loading and unloading silicon wafers, respectively. A product loading end 101 can also be provided outside the silicon wafer cleaning equipment, near the silicon wafer loading end 105. The robotic arm is used to handle silicon wafers, and includes a robotic arm body 203, a traveling axis 204, and a front silicon wafer gripping arm 208. The silicon wafer processing module includes one or more of the following: a silicon wafer hydrofluoric acid processing unit 107, a silicon wafer ammonia-hydrogen peroxide processing unit 108, a silicon wafer hydrochloric acid-hydrogen peroxide processing unit 109, and a silicon wafer drying unit 110. Multiple silicon wafer processing tanks 106 are spaced apart on the silicon wafer processing module, and the silicon wafer processing tanks 106 are connected to the silicon wafer processing module so that the silicon wafer processing module can process the silicon wafers within the silicon wafer processing tanks 106. The silicon wafer processing tanks 106 are used to house the silicon wafers and the silicon wafer support frame 201. Piping 111 is located below the multiple silicon wafer processing tanks 106, and the piping 111 is connected to the silicon wafer processing module so that liquid generated by the silicon wafer processing module during silicon wafer processing flows out of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment through piping 111. At least one exhaust pipe grille 207 (also known as an acid / alkaline exhaust pipe grille) is disposed near the multiple silicon wafer processing tanks 106 so that the first gas generated by the silicon wafer processing module during silicon wafer processing is discharged under the guidance of the exhaust pipe grille 207. At least one first exhaust channel 206 (also known as an acid / alkaline exhaust channel) is located below the exhaust pipe grille 207 for discharging the first gas generated during silicon wafer processing. At least one second exhaust channel 205 is located near the lower end of the robotic arm for discharging the second gas at the location of the robotic arm. The monitoring module includes multiple wind speed detectors 103. At least one wind speed detector 103 is located near the top to detect the fan speed, at least one wind speed detector 103 is located in the first exhaust channel 206 to detect the exhaust speed of the first gas, and at least one wind speed detector 103 is located in the second exhaust channel 205 to detect the exhaust speed of the second gas. To detect wind direction, the monitoring module may also include one or more wind vanes for detecting the wind direction at its location. The wind vanes may be, for example, colored flags, strips of cloth, or strips of paper, for easy visual observation by the user or automatic monitoring using machine vision technology. The control module can also receive exhaust volume data from the plant control system to monitor fluctuations in exhaust volume. Among them, the factory administration terminal, or factory administration server, refers to server equipment used for factory management and operation.
[0037] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in practical applications, the principle regarding the internal airflow direction of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment (which can be simply referred to as the airflow principle) can be as follows: The airflow direction at the silicon wafer loading end 105 and the silicon wafer unloading end 112 converges towards the center of the equipment to reduce the diffusion of chemical evaporation generated in the chemical processing units (e.g., silicon wafer hydrofluoric acid processing unit 107, silicon wafer ammonia hydrogen peroxide processing unit 108, silicon wafer hydrochloric acid hydrogen peroxide processing unit 109) to the silicon wafer loading end 105 or the silicon wafer unloading end 112. There is no left or right airflow between the silicon wafer hydrofluoric acid processing unit 107, silicon wafer ammonia hydrogen peroxide processing unit 108, silicon wafer hydrochloric acid hydrogen peroxide processing unit 109, and silicon wafer drying unit 110, so chemical evaporation will not diffuse to other chemical processing areas.
[0038] The advantage of this approach is that it allows for the use of monitoring data from the silicon wafer cleaning equipment to manage its control parameters until the equipment meets control objectives (such as one or more of the target airflow range, target airflow range, and target airflow direction range). This stabilizes the airflow and airflow direction within the equipment, reducing the likelihood of chemicals being released in a timely manner due to fluctuations in airflow and airflow direction. This prevents chemicals from evaporating into other chemical areas, adsorbing onto the surface of the processed silicon wafers or the internal surface of the equipment, or evaporating into the external environment.
[0039] In some embodiments, the method may further include: receiving target setting information, the target setting information being used to determine one or more corresponding target value ranges among the air intake volume, air outlet volume, and airflow direction of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment. For example, a user may manually input the target setting information, or the control module may receive target setting information sent by an external device, or the control device may use default (or pre-set) target setting information. In some embodiments, the target setting information may be received in an initial stage; in this case, the target setting information may be referred to as initial setting information.
[0040] The above embodiments do not limit the method of handling control parameters; for example, manual control mode or automatic control mode can be used.
[0041] In some embodiments, the step of processing the control parameters of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment based on the monitoring data may include: visualizing the monitoring data to obtain corresponding visual information; the visual information adopting one or more formats of text, visual graphics, and visual tables; and generating a first control instruction corresponding to the manual adjustment operation for the control parameters in response to the manual adjustment operation, the first control instruction being used to configure the control parameters of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment.
[0042] For example, visual information can be displayed on the visualization module of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment, allowing users to intuitively understand the current status of the equipment. As an example, in manual control mode, monitoring data measured by the equipment's internal monitoring module (e.g., including multiple wind speed detectors 103) is integrated into the control module (e.g., a control computer). The control computer then manually adjusts the exhaust fan opening and fan opening to regulate the airflow direction and inlet / outlet air volume within the equipment. In this case, the control parameters include the exhaust fan opening and fan opening, and the control targets include the airflow direction and inlet / outlet air volume. Specifically, on the control computer, users can directly adjust the exhaust opening and fan frequency (i.e., the fan's operating frequency) of each unit of the equipment (e.g., silicon wafer hydrofluoric acid processing unit 107, silicon wafer ammonia hydrogen peroxide processing unit 108, silicon wafer hydrochloric acid hydrogen peroxide processing unit 109, and silicon wafer drying unit 110). The monitoring module inside the equipment monitors the wind speed and direction, and then displays the information on the visualization module. After meeting the above-mentioned wind direction principle settings, automatic production is carried out, realizing the visualized adjustment of the air volume and direction inside the silicon wafer cleaning equipment.
[0043] In some embodiments, the step of processing the control parameters of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment based on the monitoring data may include: generating a second control command based on the monitoring data, using one or more corresponding target value ranges of the air intake volume, air outlet volume, and air direction of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment as the automatic control target, wherein the second control command is used to automatically compensate the control parameters of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment.
[0044] As an example, the target value range of the control parameters can be calculated based on one or more corresponding target value ranges of the air intake volume, air outlet volume, and air direction of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment. Closed-loop control of the current control parameters can be performed based on the target value range of the control parameters to achieve automatic compensation of the control parameters.
[0045] For example, in automatic control mode, the frequency of the fan and the opening of the exhaust fan inside the equipment are automatically adjusted based on the target range of air intake, air output, and air direction (e.g., the initially set air direction and air intake / output volume), as well as the fluctuations in exhaust volume at the plant terminal (which can be monitored through the plant terminal) and the fluctuations in air intake volume of the fan at the top of the equipment (which can be monitored through the anemometer 103). This ensures the stability of the air intake / output volume and air direction inside the equipment, achieving automatic control of the air intake / output volume and air direction inside the cleaning equipment. In this case, the control parameters include the exhaust opening and the fan frequency, and the control targets include the air direction and the air intake / output volume. When using automatic control mode, frequent manual adjustments are reduced, operational efficiency is improved, reliance on human intervention and error rates are reduced, and labor costs are saved.
[0046] In some embodiments, the control parameters may include the exhaust opening and the fan opening, and the action may include proportional adjustment of the exhaust opening and the fan opening.
[0047] Proportional adjustments can include, for example, proportional increases and / or proportional decreases. During the manipulation of control parameters, the exhaust ventilation opening and fan opening can be adjusted proportionally to increase or decrease the gas exchange rate within the equipment while ensuring the airflow direction.
[0048] This application also provides a control module for a silicon wafer cleaning device, which is used to execute any of the above methods.
[0049] This application embodiment also provides a silicon wafer cleaning device, which includes a monitoring module and a control module. The monitoring module monitors the silicon wafer cleaning device to obtain corresponding monitoring data, including one or more of the following: exhaust air velocity, air direction, and fan speed within the silicon wafer cleaning device. The control module receives the corresponding monitoring data from the silicon wafer cleaning device; based on the monitoring data, it processes the control parameters of the silicon wafer cleaning device accordingly until one or more of the following: air intake volume, air outlet volume, and air direction of the silicon wafer cleaning device are within a corresponding target value range; the control parameters include one or more of the following: exhaust opening degree, fan opening degree, and fan frequency.
[0050] In some embodiments, the silicon wafer cleaning equipment may further include a visualization module and an interaction module. The control module can be used to process the control parameters of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment in the following ways: visualizing the monitoring data to obtain corresponding visual information; the visual information is in one or more formats selected from text, visual graphics, and visual tables; in response to a manual adjustment operation of the control parameters, generating a first control instruction corresponding to the manual adjustment operation, the first control instruction being used to configure the control parameters of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment. The visualization module can be used to receive and display the visual information. The interaction module can be used to receive manual adjustment operations of the control parameters.
[0051] The visualization module may include, for example, a monitor or large screen, while the interaction module may include, for example, a touchscreen, keyboard, mouse, microphone, or camera. For instance, a user can manually adjust the input by text, voice, or video. The control module can process or recognize the user's input (text, voice, video, etc.) to determine the user's control intent and generate a corresponding first control command. In other words, "manual" in the above context refers to the user's manual control operation, not necessarily a physical hand gesture. The prefix "manual" and "automatic" distinguish the control modes. In manual control mode, users can use text control, voice control, video control, etc., and the above embodiments do not limit this.
[0052] In some embodiments, the control module can be used to process the control parameters of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment in the following manner: based on the monitoring data, using one or more corresponding target value ranges of the air intake volume, air outlet volume, and air direction of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment as automatic control targets, a second control command is generated, and the second control command is used to automatically compensate the control parameters of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment.
[0053] In some embodiments, a fan may be installed on the top of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment, and the interior of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment may include one or more of the following: a silicon wafer loading end 105, a silicon wafer unloading end 112, a robotic arm, a silicon wafer processing module, multiple silicon wafer processing tanks 106, piping 111, at least one exhaust pipe grille 207, at least one first exhaust channel 206, at least one second exhaust channel 205, a fan, and a monitoring module. The silicon wafer loading end 105 and the silicon wafer unloading end 112 are respectively used for loading and unloading silicon wafers. The robotic arm for handling the silicon wafers includes a robotic arm body 203, a traveling axis 204, and a front silicon wafer gripping arm 208. The silicon wafer processing module includes one or more of the following: a silicon wafer hydrofluoric acid processing unit 107, a silicon wafer ammonia hydrogen peroxide processing unit 108, a silicon wafer hydrochloric acid hydrogen peroxide processing unit 109, and a silicon wafer drying unit 110. Multiple silicon wafer processing tanks 106 are spaced apart on the silicon wafer processing module. The silicon wafer processing tanks 106 are connected to the silicon wafer processing module so that the silicon wafer processing module can process the silicon wafers in the silicon wafer processing tanks 106. A piping 111 is located below the multiple silicon wafer processing tanks 106. The piping 111 is connected to the silicon wafer processing module so that liquid generated by the silicon wafer processing module during silicon wafer processing flows out from the piping 111. At least one exhaust pipe grille 207 is located near the multiple silicon wafer processing tanks 106 so that a first gas generated by the silicon wafer processing module during silicon wafer processing is discharged under the guidance of the exhaust pipe grille 207. At least one first exhaust channel 206 is located below the exhaust pipe grille 207 for discharging the first gas generated during silicon wafer processing. At least one second exhaust channel 205 is located near the lower end of the robotic arm for discharging a second gas at the location of the robotic arm. The monitoring module includes multiple wind speed detection instruments 103. At least one wind speed detection instrument 103 is positioned near the top to detect the wind speed of the fan. At least one wind speed detection instrument 103 is located in the first exhaust channel 206 to detect the exhaust wind speed of the first gas. At least one wind speed detection instrument 103 is located in the second exhaust channel 205 to detect the exhaust wind speed of the second gas.
[0054] See Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the control process of a silicon wafer cleaning device provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0055] In a specific application scenario, silicon wafer cleaning equipment can employ either manual or automatic control modes to manage control parameters. Specifically, in manual control mode, the control module (e.g., a wind speed and direction monitoring computer) monitors wind speed (e.g., exhaust wind speed and fan wind speed) and wind direction using a monitoring module, and displays this information visually. The user manually adjusts the exhaust and fan openings of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment to achieve the desired wind direction (e.g., a target wind direction range) and airflow (e.g., a target inlet airflow range and / or a target outlet airflow range). In automatic control mode, the control module monitors wind speed and direction using a monitoring module, and uses fluctuations in exhaust airflow monitored by the plant control system and wind speed fluctuations monitored by the wind speed detector 103 as control feedback to automatically compensate for changes in the equipment's exhaust and fan openings, thereby achieving the desired wind direction and airflow.
[0056] In practical applications, given the wind speed and area, the wind speed can be converted into air volume through multiplication. This article will not elaborate on the relevant calculation methods.
[0057] It should be noted that the various embodiments in this application are described in a progressive manner, and the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to mutually. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments. In particular, for the product embodiments, since they are basically similar to the method embodiments, the description is relatively simple, and the relevant parts can be referred to the description of the method embodiments.
[0058] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this disclosure shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms “first,” “second,” and similar terms used in this disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Terms such as “comprising” or “including” mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the elements or objects listed following the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Terms such as “connected” or “linked” are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. Terms such as “upper,” “lower,” “left,” and “right” are used only to indicate relative positional relationships, and these relative positional relationships may change accordingly when the absolute position of the described objects changes.
[0059] It is understandable that when a component such as a layer, film, region, or substrate is referred to as being "above" or "below" another component, the component may be "directly" located "above" or "below" the other component, or there may be intermediate components present.
[0060] In the description of the above embodiments, specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.
[0061] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this disclosure, but the scope of protection of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure should be determined by the scope of the claims.
Claims
1. A control method for a silicon wafer cleaning device, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive corresponding monitoring data from the silicon wafer cleaning equipment, including the exhaust air speed, air direction, and fan speed inside the silicon wafer cleaning equipment; Based on the monitoring data, the control parameters of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment are adjusted accordingly until the air intake, air outlet, and air direction of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment are within the corresponding target value range; the control parameters include exhaust opening, fan opening, and fan frequency. The silicon wafer cleaning equipment includes a fan at its top and internal components such as a silicon wafer loading end and a silicon wafer unloading end, a robotic arm for transporting the silicon wafers, multiple silicon wafer processing tanks, at least one exhaust pipe grille, at least one first exhaust channel, at least one second exhaust channel, a wind vane, and a monitoring module. The monitoring module includes multiple wind speed detectors, with at least one wind speed detector positioned near the top, at least one wind speed detector located in the first exhaust channel, at least one wind speed detector located in the second exhaust channel, at least one exhaust pipe grille positioned near the multiple silicon wafer processing tanks, at least one first exhaust channel located below the exhaust pipe grille, and at least one second exhaust channel positioned near the lower end of the robotic arm. The monitoring data includes: the fan speed detected by at least one wind speed detection instrument located near the top; the exhaust wind speed of a first gas detected by at least one wind speed detection instrument located in the first exhaust channel, the first gas being generated during silicon wafer processing; the exhaust wind speed of a second gas detected by at least one wind speed detection instrument located in the second exhaust channel, the second gas being generated at the location of the robotic arm; and the wind direction detected by a wind vane at the silicon wafer loading end, the silicon wafer unloading end, and between multiple silicon wafer processing tanks. The handling includes: in automatic control mode, based on the target value range of air intake, air output and wind direction, the fluctuation of exhaust volume at the plant end and the fluctuation of air intake volume of the fan at the top of the equipment, automatically adjusting the frequency of the fan and the exhaust opening inside the equipment, and proportionally adjusting the exhaust opening and the fan opening, thereby increasing or decreasing the gas exchange rate of the internal environment of the equipment while ensuring the wind direction.
2. The control method for the silicon wafer cleaning equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive target setting information, which is used to determine one or more corresponding target value ranges among the air intake volume, air outlet volume, and air direction of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment.
3. The control method for the silicon wafer cleaning equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of adjusting the control parameters of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment based on the monitoring data includes: The monitoring data is visualized to obtain corresponding visual information; the visual information is in one or more formats, including text, visual graphics, and visual tables. In response to a manual adjustment operation of the control parameters, a first control instruction corresponding to the manual adjustment operation is generated, the first control instruction being used to configure the control parameters of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment.
4. The control method for the silicon wafer cleaning equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of adjusting the control parameters of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment based on the monitoring data includes: Based on the monitoring data, a second control command is generated using one or more corresponding target value ranges of the air intake volume, air outlet volume, and air direction of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment as the automatic control target. The second control command is used to automatically compensate the control parameters of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment.
5. The control method for the silicon wafer cleaning equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control parameters include the exhaust opening degree and the fan opening degree, and the action includes proportional adjustment of the exhaust opening degree and the fan opening degree.
6. A control module for a silicon wafer cleaning device, characterized in that, The control module is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
7. A silicon wafer cleaning device, characterized in that, The silicon wafer cleaning equipment includes: The monitoring module is used to monitor the silicon wafer cleaning equipment to obtain corresponding monitoring data, including the exhaust air speed, air direction and fan speed inside the silicon wafer cleaning equipment. The control module is used to receive the corresponding monitoring data of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment; based on the monitoring data, it processes the control parameters of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment accordingly until the air intake, air outlet and air direction of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment are within the corresponding target value range; the control parameters include exhaust opening, fan opening and fan frequency; The silicon wafer cleaning equipment includes a fan at its top and internal components such as a silicon wafer loading end and a silicon wafer unloading end, a robotic arm for transporting the silicon wafers, multiple silicon wafer processing tanks, at least one exhaust pipe grille, at least one first exhaust channel, at least one second exhaust channel, a wind vane, and a monitoring module. The monitoring module includes multiple wind speed detectors, with at least one wind speed detector positioned near the top, at least one wind speed detector located in the first exhaust channel, at least one wind speed detector located in the second exhaust channel, at least one exhaust pipe grille positioned near the multiple silicon wafer processing tanks, at least one first exhaust channel located below the exhaust pipe grille, and at least one second exhaust channel positioned near the lower end of the robotic arm. The monitoring data includes: the fan speed detected by at least one wind speed detection instrument located near the top; the exhaust wind speed of a first gas detected by at least one wind speed detection instrument located in the first exhaust channel, the first gas being generated during silicon wafer processing; the exhaust wind speed of a second gas detected by at least one wind speed detection instrument located in the second exhaust channel, the second gas being generated at the location of the robotic arm; and the wind direction detected by a wind vane at the silicon wafer loading end, the silicon wafer unloading end, and between multiple silicon wafer processing tanks. The handling includes: in automatic control mode, based on the target value range of air intake, air output and wind direction, the fluctuation of exhaust volume at the plant end and the fluctuation of air intake volume of the fan at the top of the equipment, automatically adjusting the frequency of the fan and the exhaust opening inside the equipment, and proportionally adjusting the exhaust opening and the fan opening, thereby increasing or decreasing the gas exchange rate of the internal environment of the equipment while ensuring the wind direction.
8. The silicon wafer cleaning equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that, The silicon wafer cleaning equipment also includes a visualization module and an interactive module; The control module is used to process the control parameters of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment in the following ways: visualizing the monitoring data to obtain corresponding visual information; the visual information adopts one or more formats of text, visual graphics and visual tables; in response to a manual adjustment operation of the control parameters, generating a first control command corresponding to the manual adjustment operation, the first control command being used to configure the control parameters of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment; The visualization module is used to receive and display the visualization information; The interaction module is used to receive manual adjustment operations for the control parameters.
9. The silicon wafer cleaning equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that, The control module is used to process the control parameters of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment in the following ways: Based on the monitoring data, a second control command is generated using one or more corresponding target value ranges of the air intake volume, air outlet volume, and air direction of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment as the automatic control target. The second control command is used to automatically compensate the control parameters of the silicon wafer cleaning equipment.
10. The silicon wafer cleaning equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that, The silicon wafer cleaning equipment is also equipped with a silicon wafer processing module and piping. The silicon wafer loading terminal and the silicon wafer unloading terminal are used for loading and unloading silicon wafers, respectively. The robotic arm includes a robotic arm body, a walking axis, and a front silicon wafer gripping arm. The silicon wafer processing module includes one or more of the following: a silicon wafer hydrofluoric acid processing unit, a silicon wafer ammonia hydrogen peroxide processing unit, a silicon wafer hydrochloric acid hydrogen peroxide processing unit, and a silicon wafer drying unit; The plurality of silicon wafer processing tanks are spaced apart on the silicon wafer processing module. The silicon wafer processing tanks are connected to the silicon wafer processing module so that the silicon wafer processing module can process the silicon wafers in the silicon wafer processing tanks. The piping is located below the plurality of silicon wafer processing tanks, and the piping is used to connect to the silicon wafer processing module so that the liquid generated by the silicon wafer processing module in processing the silicon wafers flows out from the piping. The at least one exhaust pipe grille is disposed close to the plurality of silicon wafer processing tanks so that the first gas generated by the silicon wafer processing module during processing of the silicon wafer is discharged under the guidance of the exhaust pipe grille; The at least one first exhaust channel is used to discharge the first gas generated during the processing of the silicon wafer; The at least one second exhaust channel is used to discharge a second gas from the location of the robotic arm.