Wafer supporting device and wafer cleaning device

Abstract

The invention discloses a wafer supporting device and a wafer cleaning device. The wafer supporting device comprises a supporting assembly, and the supporting assembly moves to horizontally support a wafer; the at least one supporting assembly can swing relative to the moving direction so as to adjust the position of the supporting assembly. According to the wafer supporting device, the supporting rollers make uniform contact with the outer edge of the wafer, reliable supporting of the wafer is guaranteed, sundries on the surface of the wafer are effectively removed through the cleaning brush arranged on the side portion of the wafer, and cleaning of the surface of the wafer is achieved.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application filed on December 31, 2019, with application number 2019114077035. Technical Field

[0002] This invention belongs to the field of wafer post-processing technology, and specifically relates to a wafer support device and a wafer cleaning device. Background Technology

[0003] Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is an ultra-precision surface finishing technique that achieves global planarization. Because CMP uses a large amount of chemical reagents and abrasives, it can contaminate the wafer surface. Therefore, post-processing is required after CMP. Post-processing typically consists of cleaning and drying to provide a smooth and clean wafer surface.

[0004] Horizontal cleaning is common in post-processing. The wafer to be cleaned is set horizontally, and cleaning brushes are placed on both sides of the wafer. Horizontal wet cleaning uses mechanical action to remove contaminants from the wafer surface and into the cleaning solution, and also utilizes the chemical reaction between the cleaning solution and the contaminants on the wafer surface to dissolve them into the cleaning solution, thereby removing the contaminants from the wafer surface.

[0005] In existing technologies, wafers are horizontally supported by support rollers, such as... Figure 1 As shown in (a), the support roller 12' contacts the outer edge of the wafer W. Some support rollers are equipped with devices to drive their rotation. Under the frictional force between the support roller 12' and the outer edge of the wafer W, the wafer rotates, thereby allowing a cleaning brush located on the side of the wafer to remove contaminants from the wafer surface. However, due to errors in the assembly process, there may be uneven or no contact between the support roller 12' and the outer edge of the wafer W. Figure 1 As shown in (b), in this embodiment, one of the support rollers 12' does not contact the outer edge of the wafer W. The wafer will wobble during rotation, meaning it cannot maintain a horizontal position during the cleaning process. This results in uneven contact between the cleaning brush and the rotating wafer, thus affecting the cleaning effect. Furthermore, after a period of use, the support rollers may age and deform, which can also lead to uneven or no contact between the support rollers and the outer edge of the wafer. The aging of the support rollers also affects the cleaning effect of the wafer.

[0006] Therefore, there is an urgent need to design a wafer support device and a wafer cleaning device to solve the technical problems existing in the prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present invention aims to at least partially solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, a first aspect of the present invention provides a wafer support device, which includes a support assembly that is movable to horizontally support a wafer; at least one support assembly is oscillating relative to its direction of movement to adjust the position of the support assembly.

[0008] Preferably, the support assembly includes a support roller located thereon, and the support assembly oscillates to adjust the gap between the support roller and the outer edge of the wafer.

[0009] Preferably, the support component includes a slewing component that causes the support component to oscillate adaptively.

[0010] Preferably, the support assembly is configured with an active support roller and / or a driven support roller, and the support assembly adaptively oscillates to adjust the position of the active support roller and / or the driven support roller.

[0011] Preferably, the support assembly includes a support plate on which an active support roller and a driven support roller are disposed; the support plate is connected to a moving assembly via a rotary assembly, and the moving assembly drives the support plate and the support rollers thereon to move toward each other to horizontally support the wafer.

[0012] Preferably, the support assembly includes a support plate, an active support roller, a driven support roller, and a rotary assembly. The active support roller and / or the driven support roller are connected to the support plate via the rotary assembly, which enables the support roller to adaptively swing to adjust its gap with the outer edge of the wafer.

[0013] Preferably, the rotary assembly includes a connecting shaft and a sleeve, one end of the connecting shaft is connected to a support assembly, and the other end of the connecting shaft is pivotally connected to the sleeve disposed on the movable assembly.

[0014] Preferably, the support roller includes a connecting portion and a support portion located at the top of the connecting portion. The support portion includes an upper support body, a washer, and a lower support body. The washer is disposed in the groove formed by the upper support body and the lower support body. A gap is provided on the outer surface and / or part of the top surface of the washer that contacts the upper support body and the lower support body.

[0015] A second aspect of the present invention provides a wafer cleaning apparatus, which includes the wafer support device described above, wherein the wafer support device horizontally supports the wafer, and the upper surface and / or lower surface of the wafer is provided with cleaning brushes for removing impurities from the wafer surface.

[0016] Preferably, the cleaning brush is disposed non-parallel to the side of the horizontally supported wafer.

[0017] This invention discloses a wafer support device, in which at least one support component can adaptively swing to adjust the gap between the support roller and the outer edge of the wafer W, ensuring uniform contact between the support roller and the outer edge of the wafer W and ensuring stable rotation of the horizontally positioned wafer W. Simultaneously, this invention also discloses a wafer cleaning device, which includes the aforementioned wafer support device. A cleaning brush for removing impurities from the wafer surface is provided on the side of the horizontally supported wafer W, offering the advantage of good cleaning effect. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The advantages of the present invention will become clearer and easier to understand through the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are merely illustrative and do not limit the scope of protection of the present invention, wherein:

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer support device in the prior art;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer support device according to the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the rotary component, the moving component, and the support component described in this invention;

[0022] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A magnified view of a portion of the image;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the support roller described in this invention;

[0024] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A partial enlarged view of the support described in the figure;

[0025] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer cleaning device according to the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solutions of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. The embodiments described herein are specific implementations of the present invention, used to illustrate the concept of the present invention; these descriptions are explanatory and exemplary, and should not be construed as limiting the implementation methods or the scope of protection of the present invention. In addition to the embodiments described herein, those skilled in the art can employ other obvious technical solutions based on the content disclosed in the claims and specification of this application. These technical solutions include those that make any obvious substitutions and modifications to the embodiments described herein.

[0027] The accompanying drawings in this specification are schematic diagrams used to illustrate the concept of the invention and to schematically show the shapes of the various parts and their interrelationships. It should be understood that, in order to clearly show the structure of the various components of the embodiments of the invention, the drawings are not drawn to the same scale, and the same reference numerals are used to indicate the same parts in the drawings.

[0028] As one aspect of the present invention, a wafer support device is disclosed for horizontal support of a wafer. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer support device 100 according to the present invention. It includes a support component 10, and the support component 10 is equipped with a moving component 20. The moving component 20 is disposed at the lower part of the support component 10, and the moving component 20 drives the support component 10 to move so as to horizontally support the wafer W.

[0029] exist Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, there are two support components 10, which move towards each other to support the wafer W, so that the wafer W is horizontally positioned. It is understood that the number of support components 10 can also be other, such as three, four or other numbers, as long as the moving component 20 drives the support components 10 to move towards the outer edge of the wafer W to support the wafer W.

[0030] As one aspect of this embodiment, the support assembly 10 includes a support plate 11 and a support roller 12, with the support roller 12 disposed on the upper part of the support plate 11. Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, there are two support rollers 12, and the contact points between the support rollers 12 and the outer edge of the wafer W are arranged on the same horizontal plane to ensure horizontal support of the wafer W. It is understood that the number of support rollers 12 arranged on the upper part of the support plate 11 may also be one, three, or other numbers, as long as the contact points between the support rollers 12 and the outer edge of the wafer W are located on the same horizontal plane.

[0031] exist Figure 2 In the embodiment shown, the wafer support device further includes a rotating component 30, which is disposed between the support component 10 and the moving component 20. The rotating component 30 causes the support component 10 connected to it to swing relative to the moving direction, so as to adjust the position of the support component 10, so as to achieve uniform contact between the support roller 12 and the outer edge of the wafer W, and avoid the swaying during the horizontal rotation of the wafer, which would affect the cleaning effect of the wafer.

[0032] As an embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 2As shown, the wafer support device includes two support components 10, each with a rotating component 30 at its lower part. The rotating component 30 allows the support component 10 to swing relative to its direction of movement to adjust its position. Specifically, the swinging of the support component 10 adjusts the gap between the support roller 12 and the outer edge of the wafer W, ensuring uniform contact between the support roller 12 and the outer edge of the wafer W and guaranteeing a good cleaning effect for the wafer. In a variation of this embodiment, one support component 10 may have a rotating component 30 at its lower part, while the other support component 10 may not have a rotating component 30. That is, one support component 10 can swing relative to its direction of movement, ensuring uniform contact between the support roller 12 and the outer edge of the wafer W. In some embodiments, the wafer support device includes multiple support components 10, which can move along the location of the wafer W to support it. To ensure uniform contact between the support roller and the outer edge of the wafer W, at least one support component 10 can swing relative to its direction of movement to adjust the gap between the support roller 12 and the outer edge of the wafer, so that the support roller and the outer edge of the wafer W are in full contact.

[0033] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the connection of the rotary assembly 30 described in this invention. The rotary assembly 30 includes a connecting shaft 31 and a sleeve 32. One end of the connecting shaft 31 is connected to the support plate 11 of the support assembly 10, and the other end of the connecting shaft 31 is pivotally connected to the sleeve 32 disposed in the moving assembly 20. A bushing 33 is disposed inside the sleeve 32, and the end of the connecting shaft 31 is clearance-fitted with the bushing 33. In this way, the connecting shaft 31 can adaptively rotate around the bushing 33 inside the sleeve 32 to drive the support assembly 10 connected to the connecting shaft 31 to swing in the horizontal direction. The bushing 33 is made of a material with good wear resistance and self-lubrication, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and / or polypropylene (PP), to ensure that the connecting shaft 31 can adaptively rotate along the sleeve 32. Figure 4 This is a partially enlarged view of the connection between the connecting shaft 31 and the bushing 33. In this embodiment, the bushing 33 is made of PTFE, and the connecting shaft 31 can rotate adaptively along the bushing 33.

[0034] As an embodiment of the present invention, the support plate 11 of the support assembly 10 is provided with an active support roller 12a and a driven support roller 12b, such as... Figure 2As shown, the active support roller 12a and the driven support roller 12b are disposed at the ends of the support plate 11, such that the contact points between the active support roller 12a and the wafer W and the contact points between the driven support roller 12b and the wafer W are spaced apart, forming reliable support for the wafer W. The active support roller 12a is equipped with a direct drive motor. Under the electric drive of the direct drive motor, the active support roller 12a rotates around the axis of the support roller. Under the action of friction, the support roller drives the wafer W to rotate. The driven support roller 12b does not require a drive device. The wafer W is in full contact with the driven support roller 12b, and the rotating wafer W can drive the driven support roller 12b to rotate. The driven support roller 12b can reliably limit the rotation of the wafer W, ensuring the smoothness of the wafer W's rotation. As another embodiment of the present invention, the active support roller 12a and the driven support roller 12b are disposed around the outer periphery of the wafer W, wherein the active support roller 12a and the driven support roller 12b are spaced apart to ensure the smoothness of the wafer W's rotation.

[0035] As a variant of this embodiment, the support plate 11 of the support assembly 10 may be provided with an active support roller 12a and / or a driven support roller 12b. The support assembly 10 swings adaptively, and the positions of the active support roller 12a and / or the driven support roller 12b on it move so that the support roller 12 makes full contact with the outer edge of the wafer W, ensuring the smoothness of the wafer rotation.

[0036] As one aspect of this embodiment, the driven support roller 12b may be equipped with a speed measuring device to measure the rotational parameters corresponding to the driven support roller 12b, such as whether it rotates and at what speed. In this way, the working state of the driven support roller 12b can be monitored in real time by the configured speed measuring device, thereby indirectly monitoring the rotational state of the horizontally set wafer W.

[0037] In one embodiment of the present invention, the active support roller 12a and the driven support roller 12b located on the support plate 11 can be connected by a transmission device to realize the rotation of the support roller 12. The transmission device can be a conveyor belt, a transmission chain or other transmission mechanism.

[0038] In another embodiment of the present invention, the support assembly 10 includes a support plate 11, an active support roller 12a, a driven support roller 12b, and a rotary assembly 30. The active support roller 12a and / or the driven support roller 12b are connected to the support plate 11 via the rotary assembly 30. The rotary assembly 30 causes the support roller 12b to adaptively swing to adjust its gap with the outer edge of the wafer W. In one aspect of this embodiment, the wafer support device includes four support assemblies 10, which are arranged along the radial direction of the wafer W to be supported. Each support assembly 10 includes a support plate 11 on which an active support roller 12a is disposed. The active support roller 12a is connected to the support plate 11 via the rotary assembly 30. A moving assembly 20 is connected to the rotary assembly 30 and moves along the radial direction of the wafer W. Under the action of the rotating assembly 30, the support plate 11 and its active support roller 12a can swing relative to the moving direction of the support assembly 10 to adjust the gap between the active support roller 12a and the outer edge of the wafer W, ensuring uniform contact between the support roller and the outer edge of the wafer W. As a variant of this embodiment, at least one support assembly 10 is equipped with the rotating assembly 30 to improve the adaptability of the wafer support device.

[0039] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the support roller 12 of the present invention. The support roller 12 includes a connecting part 121 and a support part 122 located on top of the connecting part 121. The connecting part 121 is connected to the support plate 11, and a drive motor or a speed measuring device may be provided on the connecting part 121.

[0040] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A partially enlarged view of the middle support portion 122 shows that it includes an upper support body 1221, a washer 1222, and a lower support body 1223. The washer 1222 is disposed within a groove formed by the upper support body 1221 and the lower support body 1223. A V-shaped groove is provided on the outer surface of the washer 1222, and this V-shaped groove is matched to the thickness of the wafer W. To ensure that the wafer W is accurately inserted into the V-shaped groove of the washer 1222, a first inclined surface is provided on the top surface of the lower support body 1223, which is parallel to the lower inclined surface corresponding to the V-shaped groove. Simultaneously, a second inclined surface is provided on the bottom surface of the upper support body 1221, which is parallel to the upper inclined surface corresponding to the V-shaped groove.

[0041] As one embodiment of the invention, the gasket 1222 is made of polyurethane, which has good chemical resistance, resilience, and mechanical properties, and can absorb vibration. The polyurethane gasket 1222 reliably secures the wafer W, and the outer edges of a pair of wafers W form reliable support. It is understood that the gasket 1222 can also be made of other materials with good chemical resistance, resilience, and mechanical properties. Since the support portion 122 needs to be in prolonged contact with the cleaning fluid, the upper support 1221 and the lower support 1223 are made of chemically inert materials, such as PPS, PTFE, PP, PET, and / or PEEK. Figure 5 and Figure 6 In the embodiment shown, the upper support 1221 and the lower support 1223 are made of PPS.

[0042] To mitigate the impact of aging and deformation of the gasket 1222 on the wafer W support, a gap is provided on the outer surface of the gasket 1222 that contacts the upper support 1221 and the lower support 1223, such as... Figure 6 As shown. The aged and deformed gasket 1222 can fill the reserved gap without affecting the V-groove on the outer side of the gasket 1222 due to compression from the upper support 1221 and / or the lower support 1223. As a variation of this embodiment, the top surface of the portion of the gasket 1222 that contacts the upper support 1221 and the lower support 1223 may also have a gap to reserve space for the aging and deformation of the gasket 1222, thus ensuring the structural integrity of the V-groove supporting the wafer W. Figure 6 In the illustrated embodiment, gaps are provided on the outer surface and part of the top surface of the washer 1222 that contact the upper support 1221 and the lower support 1223 to allow space for aging and deformation of the washer 1222. As one aspect of this embodiment, the gap between the outer surface of the washer 1222 that contacts the upper support 1221 and the lower support 1223 is 0.1mm-0.5mm, and the gap between the top surface of the washer 1222 that contacts the upper support 1221 and the lower support 1223 is 0.05mm-0.3mm.

[0043] As another aspect of the present invention, a wafer cleaning apparatus 1000 is also disclosed, such as... Figure 7 As shown, it includes the wafer support device 100 described above, which horizontally supports the wafer W. Cleaning brushes 200 for removing impurities from the wafer surface are provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer W. The cleaning brushes 200 are connected to a support assembly 300 located on the side, providing support and rotational power for the cleaning brushes 200. Multiple sets of nozzles (not shown) are arranged parallel to each other on the upper part of the support assembly 300 to spray cleaning fluid towards the cleaning brushes 200. The rotating cleaning brushes 200 contact the side surfaces of the wafer W to remove impurities from the wafer surface.

[0044] In one embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning brushes 200 are not parallel to the side of the horizontally supported wafer W, and the axis of the cleaning brushes 200 forms a certain angle with the horizontal plane where the wafer W is located, so as to form a certain rolling pressure on the wafer W between the cleaning brushes 200, promote the rotation of the wafer W, and ensure a good cleaning effect. In one aspect of this embodiment, the angle between the axis of the cleaning brushes 200 and the horizontal plane where the wafer W is located is 0.1-5°, preferably 0.5°.

[0045] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0046] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A wafer support device, characterized in that, It includes a pair of support components that move relative to each other to horizontally support the wafer; at least one support component swings relative to the direction of movement of the support components to adjust the position of the support components; The support assembly includes a support plate and support rollers. The support plate is equipped with an active support roller and a driven support roller. The support assembly oscillates to adjust the gap between the support rollers and the outer edge of the wafer. The support plate is connected to a moving assembly via a rotary assembly. The moving assembly drives the support plate and support rollers to move towards each other to horizontally support the wafer. The rotary assembly includes a connecting shaft and a sleeve. One end of the connecting shaft is connected to the support assembly, and the other end is pivotally connected to the sleeve disposed in the moving assembly. The end of the connecting shaft is clearance-fitted with a bushing inside the sleeve, and it rotates adaptively around the bushing to drive the support assembly to oscillate horizontally. The bushing is made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The support roller includes a connecting part and a supporting part; the supporting part is located at the top of the connecting part and includes an upper supporting body, a washer, and a lower supporting body. The washer is disposed in the groove formed by the upper supporting body and the lower supporting body; a gap is provided between the outer surface and / or part of the top surface of the washer that contacts the upper supporting body and the lower supporting body; the gap between the outer surface of the washer and the outer surface of the upper supporting body and the lower supporting body is 0.1mm-0.5mm. The outer surface of the gasket is provided with a V-shaped groove, which is matched to the thickness of the wafer.

2. The wafer support device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The top surface of the lower support is provided with a first inclined surface, which is parallel to the lower inclined surface corresponding to the V-groove, so as to ensure that the wafer is accurately inserted into the V-groove of the gasket.

3. The wafer support device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The bottom surface of the upper support is provided with a second inclined surface, which is parallel to the upper inclined surface corresponding to the V-shaped groove, so as to ensure that the wafer is accurately inserted into the V-shaped groove of the gasket.

4. The wafer support device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The gasket is made of polyurethane to reliably hold the wafer in place.

5. The wafer support device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The upper and lower supports are made of chemically inert materials.

6. The wafer support device as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The upper and lower supports are made of PPS, PTFE, PP, PET and / or PEEK.

7. The wafer support device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The rotary assembly is located at the lower part of the support assembly, and it drives the support assembly to swing relative to the moving direction of the support assembly, so as to adjust the gap between the support roller and the wafer edge by swinging the support assembly.

8. The wafer support device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The support assembly is equipped with an active support roller and / or a driven support roller. The support assembly adaptively swings to adjust the position of the active support roller and / or the driven support roller. The driven support roller is equipped with a speed measuring device to monitor the rotation parameters of the driven support roller in real time.

9. The wafer support device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The gap between the washer and the top surface of the upper and lower support bodies is 0.05mm-0.3mm.

10. The wafer support device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The active support roller and the driven support roller located on the support plate are connected by a transmission device to drive the support roller to rotate.

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