Wafer cleaning device and cleaning method thereof

Abstract

The wafer cleaning apparatus of the present invention comprises: a cleaning tank in which a cleaning liquid and a wafer to be cleaned are accommodated; a plurality of megasonic vibration plates provided in the cleaning tank to generate megasonic waves; the lifting unit is used for stacking the wafers on the lifting unit and putting the stacked wafers into the cleaning tank or lifting the wafers accommodated in the cleaning tank; and a processor that controls the lifting unit and the plurality of megasonic diaphragms such that the plurality of megasonic diaphragms are differently controlled according to at least one lifting interval during which the wafer is lifted.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a wafer cleaning apparatus and a cleaning method thereof, and more specifically, to a wafer cleaning apparatus capable of controlling abnormal patterns that appear during the drying process after cleaning in a wet cleaning process, and ensuring a consistent level of quality. Background Technology

[0002] Typically, wafers are manufactured into wafers for making semiconductor devices through a series of processes such as slicing, grinding, lapping, etching, and polishing. During this process, the wafer surface is contaminated with various contaminants. Typical contaminants include particulate matter, organic contaminants, and metallic contaminants, and these contaminants lead to a decrease in the yield of semiconductor devices. Therefore, to remove these contaminants, a wet cleaning process using etchants such as acids or alkalis or using deionized water is usually performed.

[0003] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing a conventional wet cleaning device.

[0004] refer to Figure 1 Typically, batch wet cleaning systems use appropriate chemicals, such as Standard Clean-1 (SC1) and Standard Clean-2 (SC2), to remove contaminants such as particles, organic matter, and metallic contaminants from the surface of wafers.

[0005] like Figure 1 (a) and Figure 1 As shown in (b), even if particles are easily removed by appropriate chemicals, the problem of particle re-adsorption can occur when the wafer leaves the cleaning tank if the meniscus between the wafer surface and the solution in the cleaning tank is not properly maintained.

[0006] In other words, when particles or floating matter remain on the surface of the liquid in the cleaning tank, predetermined abnormal patterns will appear on the wafer surface even if a proper meniscus is maintained. The nature of these patterns, as particles, leads to a deterioration in the yield during device fabrication. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Technical issues

[0008] One aspect of this disclosure is to provide a wafer cleaning apparatus and a cleaning method thereof, wherein abnormal patterns that appear during the drying period after cleaning in a wet cleaning process are controlled, and a consistent quality level is ensured.

[0009] The aspects to be achieved by this disclosure are not limited to those described above, and other aspects not mentioned herein will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

[0010] Technical solution

[0011] A wafer cleaning apparatus according to the present disclosure for achieving the above aspects includes: a cleaning tank configured to contain a cleaning solution and a wafer to be cleaned; a plurality of megasonic oscillators mounted in the cleaning tank and configured to generate megasonic waves; a lifting unit configured to stack wafers and configured to introduce the stacked wafers into the cleaning tank or lift the wafers contained in the cleaning tank; and a processor configured to control the lifting unit and the plurality of megasonic oscillators, the processor controlling the plurality of megasonic oscillators differently according to at least one wafer lifting section.

[0012] In addition, the plurality of megasonic vibrating plates may include: a first megasonic vibrating plate mounted on the lower surface of the cleaning tank; a second megasonic vibrating plate mounted on the outer surface of the cleaning tank; and a third megasonic vibrating plate mounted on the outer surface of the cleaning tank at a predetermined distance from the second megasonic vibrating plate.

[0013] In addition, at least one wafer lifting section may include: a first lifting section in which the entire wafer is contained in a cleaning tank; a second lifting section following the first lifting section in which the wafer contained in the cleaning tank in the second lifting section reaches a first portion of the wafer; a third lifting section following the second lifting section in which the wafer contained in the cleaning tank in the third lifting section reaches a second portion of the wafer; and a fourth lifting section following the third lifting section in which the wafer is no longer contained in the cleaning tank.

[0014] Furthermore, the processor can be configured to: control the first megason oscillator from the second lift section to the third lift section to generate the first megason; and control at least one of the second or third megason oscillator in the third lift section to generate the second or third megason.

[0015] In addition, the processor can provide a predetermined power intensity in the range of 2000 watts (W) to 2400 watts (W) to control the intensity of each of the first megahertz wave, the second megahertz wave, and the third megahertz wave to a specific value.

[0016] Furthermore, a wafer cleaning method using a wafer cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a cleaning tank configured to contain a cleaning solution and a wafer to be cleaned; a plurality of megasonic wave (MWW) vibrators mounted on the cleaning tank, the plurality of MWW vibrators including: a first MWW vibrator mounted on a lower surface of the cleaning tank, a second MWW vibrator mounted on an outer surface of the cleaning tank, and a third MWW vibrator mounted on the outer surface of the cleaning tank at a predetermined distance from the second MWW vibrator; a lifting unit configured to stack wafers and introduce the stacked wafers into the cleaning tank or lift wafers contained in the cleaning tank; and a processor configured to control the lifting unit and the plurality of MWW vibrators, the wafer cleaning method including the processor controlling the plurality of MWW vibrators differently according to at least one wafer lifting segment.

[0017] Furthermore, at least one wafer lifting section may include: a first lifting section in which the entire wafer is contained in a cleaning tank; a second lifting section following the first lifting section, in which the wafer contained in the cleaning tank in the second lifting section reaches a first portion of the wafer; a third lifting section following the second lifting section, in which the wafer contained in the cleaning tank in the third lifting section reaches a second portion of the wafer; and a fourth lifting section following the third lifting section, in which the wafer is no longer contained in the cleaning tank. Differently controlling multiple megaacoustic wave resonators may include: from the second lifting section to the third lifting section, the processor controls the first megaacoustic wave resonator to generate a first megaacoustic wave, and in the third lifting section, the processor controls at least one of the second or third megaacoustic wave resonator to generate at least one of the second or third megaacoustic wave.

[0018] Furthermore, different control of multiple megasonic resonators may include the processor providing power of a predetermined intensity in the range of 2000 watts (W) to 2400 watts (W) to control the intensity of each of the first megasonic wave, the second megasonic wave, and the third megasonic wave to a specific value.

[0019] The aspects of this disclosure are merely some of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, and various embodiments reflecting the technical features of this disclosure can be deduced and understood by those skilled in the art based on the detailed description of this disclosure described below.

[0020] Beneficial effects

[0021] The wafer cleaning apparatus and cleaning method of this disclosure, as described above, have the following effects.

[0022] By removing aberrant patterns that appear during the drying process following the wet cleaning process, wafers of uniform quality can be obtained.

[0023] The effects achievable through this disclosure are not limited to those described above, and other effects not mentioned herein will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing a conventional wet cleaning device.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating a wafer cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating the lifting of a wafer housed in a wafer cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 4 This is a diagram used to explain at least one lifting section according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating Experiment 1 using the wafer cleaning apparatus of this disclosure.

[0029] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating Experiment 2 using the wafer cleaning apparatus of this disclosure.

[0030] Figure 7 This is a diagram illustrating Experiment 3 using the wafer cleaning apparatus of this disclosure.

[0031] Figure 8 This is a diagram illustrating Experiment 4 using the wafer cleaning apparatus of this disclosure.

[0032] Figure 9 This is a diagram illustrating Experiment 5 using the wafer cleaning apparatus of this disclosure.

[0033] Figure 10 This is a diagram illustrating Experiment 6 using the wafer cleaning apparatus of this disclosure.

[0034] Figure 11 This is a diagram illustrating a wafer cleaning method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0035] This disclosure will now be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which various embodiments are illustrated.

[0036] In the accompanying drawings, elements may be enlarged, omitted, or shown schematically for clarity and convenience. Furthermore, the dimensions of elements do not indicate their actual size. Where possible, the same reference numerals will be used in all drawings to refer to the same parts.

[0037] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating a wafer cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating the lifting of a wafer housed in a wafer cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 The wafer cleaning apparatus 100 disclosed herein may include a cleaning tank 110, a plurality of mega-sonic vibrating plates 130a, 130b and 130c, a lifting unit 120 and a processor 140.

[0039] The cleaning tank 110 can contain the cleaning solution and the wafer 10 to be cleaned. The cleaning tank 110 may include an inner tank 111 and an outer tank 112. In this case, the cleaning tank 110 may be referred to as a tank.

[0040] The inner tank 111 can hold the cleaning solution and the wafer 10. Although not shown, the inner tank 111 can be physically connected to a cleaning solution supply unit for supplying the cleaning solution.

[0041] The outer tank 112 may be disposed outside the inner tank 111 to allow the cleaning solution overflowing from the inner tank 111 to be circulated. Although not shown, the outer tank 112 may be physically connected to a drain pipe for discharging the overflowing cleaning solution to the outside after cleaning, a pump for circulating the cleaning solution, and a filter for removing contaminants from the cleaning solution.

[0042] Multiple megasonic wave vibrators 130a, 130b, and 130c can be installed in the cleaning tank 110. The multiple megasonic wave vibrators 130a, 130b, and 130c can generate megasonic waves under the control of the processor 140. For example, the multiple megasonic wave vibrators 130a, 130b, and 130c may include a first megasonic wave vibrator 130a, a second megasonic wave vibrator 130b, and a third megasonic wave vibrator 130c.

[0043] The first mega-sound vibrating plate 130a can be electrically connected to the processor 140 and can generate the first mega-sound under the control of the processor 140. The first mega-sound vibrating plate 130a can be mounted on the lower surface of the cleaning tank 110. For example, the first mega-sound vibrating plate 130a can be mounted on the outer lower surface of the outer tank 112. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the first mega-sound vibrating plate 130a can also be mounted on the inner lower surface of the outer tank 112.

[0044] The second mega-sonic wave vibrating plate 130b can be electrically connected to the processor 140 and can generate second mega-sonic waves under the control of the processor 140. The second mega-sonic wave vibrating plate 130b can be mounted on the outer surface of the cleaning tank 110. For example, the second mega-sonic wave vibrating plate 130b can be mounted on a portion of the outer surface of the inner tank 111. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the second mega-sonic wave vibrating plate 130b can also be mounted on the inner surface of the outer tank 111.

[0045] The third mega-sound wave vibrator 130c can be electrically connected to the processor 140 and can generate third mega-sound waves under the control of the processor 140. The third mega-sound wave vibrator 130c can be mounted on the outer surface of the cleaning tank 110 at a predetermined distance from the second mega-sound wave vibrator 130b. For example, the third mega-sound wave vibrator 130c can be mounted on a portion of the outer surface of the inner tank 111 at a predetermined distance from the second mega-sound wave vibrator 130b. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto; the third mega-sound wave vibrator 130c can also be mounted on the inner surface of the inner tank 111 at a predetermined distance from the second mega-sound wave vibrator 130b.

[0046] Although each of the first mega-sound resonator 130a to the third mega-sound resonator 130c described above is illustrated as being implemented as a single resonator, this disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the first mega-sound resonator 130a may include 11 to 1n mega-sound resonators, the second mega-sound resonator 130b may include 21 to 2n mega-sound resonators, and the third mega-sound resonator 130c may include 31 to 3n mega-sound resonators. In this case, n may be an integer greater than zero.

[0047] The lifting unit 120 can stack wafers 10 and can introduce the stacked wafers 10 into the cleaning tank 110 or lift the wafers 10 contained in the cleaning tank 10. The lifting unit 120 may include a wafer boat 122 and a lifting rod 121.

[0048] The wafer boat 122 can stack one or more wafers 10. The wafer boat 122 may include one or more combs. The one or more combs may be set at predetermined intervals.

[0049] The lifting rod 121 can be physically connected to the wafer boat 122 and can move the wafer boat 122 up and down. Although in Figure 2 Not shown, but may include a servo motor for providing power for raising the lifting rod 121. This configuration can be fully inferred from the prior art, and therefore its detailed description will be omitted.

[0050] The processor 140 can control the lifting unit 120 and the multiple megasonic wave resonators 130a, 130b and 130c. The processor 140 can be electrically connected to the lifting unit 120 and the multiple megasonic wave resonators 130a, 130b and 130c, and can control the operation of the lifting unit 120 or the operation of the multiple megasonic wave resonators 130a, 130b and 130c.

[0051] For example, the processor 140 can control multiple megasonic oscillators 130a, 130b, and 130c differently depending on at least one lifting segment of the wafer 10 stacked on the lifting unit 120. A detailed description of this will be given later.

[0052] Figure 4 This is a diagram used to explain at least one lifting section according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0053] refer to Figure 4 At least one lifting section can be set according to the width of the area in which the wafer 10 is contained in the cleaning tank 110.

[0054] For example, at least one lifting segment may include a first lifting segment T0 to a fourth lifting segment T3.

[0055] The first lifting section T0 can be the section in which the wafer 10 is entirely housed within the cleaning tank 110. The first megaacoustic wave resonator 130a to the third megaacoustic wave resonator 130c can be shut down under the control of the processor 140.

[0056] The second lifting section T1 can occur after the first lifting section T0. The second lifting section T1 can be the section where the wafer 10 contained in the cleaning tank 110 reaches the first portion of the wafer 10. The second lifting section T1 can be the section where the wafer 10 contained in the cleaning tank 110 is gradually lifted, causing the portion corresponding to "2 / 3R" of the wafer 10 to detach from the cleaning tank 110 and be exposed to the outside. In this case, the first portion of the wafer 10 can be the portion corresponding to "2 / 3R" of the wafer 10. In this case, the portion corresponding to "1 / 3R" of the wafer 10 can remain contained in the cleaning tank 110. The first megaacoustic resonator 130a can be activated under the control of the processor 140 and can generate a first megaacoustic wave in the second lifting section T1.

[0057] The third lifting section T2 can occur after the second lifting section T0. The third lifting section T2 can be the section where the wafer 10 contained in the cleaning tank 110 reaches the second portion of the wafer 10. The third lifting section can be the section where the wafer 10 is lifted from a state where the portion corresponding to "1 / 3R" of the wafer 10 is contained in the cleaning tank 110 to a state where it is about to be removed from the cleaning tank 110. In this case, the second portion of the wafer 10 can be the portion in contact with the cleaning solution. In this case, a very small portion of the wafer 10 can remain contained in the cleaning tank 110.

[0058] The first megasonite vibrator 130a can be kept on under the control of the processor 140 and can continuously generate the first megasonite in the third boost section T2. ​​The second megasonite vibrator 130b and the third megasonite vibrator 130c can be turned on under the control of the processor 140 and can generate the second and third megasonite in the third boost section T2. ​​This disclosure is not limited thereto, and the processor 140 can turn on only one of the second megasonite vibrator 130b and the third megasonite vibrator 130c to generate only one of the second and third megasonite.

[0059] The fourth lifting section T3 can be after the third lifting section T2. ​​The fourth lifting section T3 can be the section where wafer 10 is no longer contained in the cleaning tank 110. The fourth lifting section T3 can be the section where the entire wafer 10 is detached from the cleaning tank 110 and exposed to the outside.

[0060] The first mega-sound wave resonator 130a to the third mega-sound wave resonator 130c can be shut down under the control of the processor 140.

[0061] As described above, processor 140 can control a first megason oscillator 130a to generate a first megason oscillator from the second boost section T1 to the third boost section T2. ​​In the third boost section T2, processor 140 can control at least one of a second megason oscillator 130b or a third megason oscillator 130c, as well as the first megason oscillator 130a, to generate a second megason oscillator and / or a third megason oscillator, along with the first megason oscillator 130a.

[0062] However, this disclosure is not limited thereto. In the second boosting section T1, the processor 140 can control the first megaacoustic wave resonator 130a to generate the first megaacoustic wave, and in the third boosting section T2, the processor 140 can control the second megaacoustic wave resonator 130b and / or the third megaacoustic wave resonator 130c and the first megaacoustic wave resonator 130a to generate the second megaacoustic wave and / or the third megaacoustic wave and the first megaacoustic wave.

[0063] As described above, the processor 140 can perform control to apply megasonic waves at different times depending on the section of wafer 10 being raised, thereby effectively obtaining a clean wafer 10 from which contaminants have been removed.

[0064] For example, in the second lift section T1 corresponding to the region from 0 to "2 / 3R" of wafer 10, processor 140 can activate the first megaacoustic wave resonator 130a to generate the first megaacoustic wave, and in the third lift section T2 corresponding to the region beyond "2 / 3R" of wafer 10, processor 140 can activate the second megaacoustic wave resonator 130b and / or the third megaacoustic wave resonator 130c and the first megaacoustic wave resonator 130a to generate the second megaacoustic wave and / or the third megaacoustic wave and the first megaacoustic wave, thereby obtaining a clean wafer 10 from which contaminants have been removed.

[0065] In other words, the reason for activating the second megasonite vibrating plate 130b and / or the third megasonite vibrating plate 130c in the third lifting section T2 is that activating them from the second lifting section T1 may cause irregular flow (vortex) of contaminants in the cleaning tank 110, which may worsen the particle condition and may greatly reduce the particle removal performance of the first megasonite generated by the first megasonite vibrating plate 130a from the third lifting section T2.

[0066] Furthermore, if the second mega-sonic oscillator 130b and / or the third mega-sonic oscillator 130c are turned on later than the third lift section T2, particles may have already adhered to the wafer 10, thus allowing particle contamination of the wafer 10 to develop.

[0067] To this end, processor 140 can activate the second megaacoustic wave resonator 130b and / or the third megaacoustic wave resonator 130c and the first megaacoustic wave resonator 130a in the third boost section T2, which most effectively removes particles and achieves the acquisition of a clean wafer 10. (See reference...) Figures 5 to 10 Describe the experimental results related to this.

[0068] Furthermore, the processor 140 can control the first megaphone diaphragm 130a to the third megaphone diaphragm 130c in the second boost section T1 and the third boost section T2 to adjust and maintain the intensity of the first megaphone to the third megaphone at a constant level. For example, the processor 140 can control the first megaphone diaphragm 130a to the third megaphone diaphragm 130c to adjust the intensity of the first megaphone to the third megaphone between 2000 W and 2400 W.

[0069] As stated above, the reasons for adjusting the intensity of the first to third megason waves to between 2000 W and 2400 W are as follows: If megason waves are applied at an intensity of less than 2000 W, the pollutant removal performance deteriorates, and if megason waves are applied at an intensity of more than 2400 W, it leads to irregular flow of pollutants, which worsens the particulate condition.

[0070] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating Experiment 1 using the wafer cleaning apparatus of this disclosure.

[0071] Reference Figure 5 Experiment 1 of this disclosure was conducted, in which, during the lifting of the wafer 10 contained in the cleaning tank 110, only the first megaacoustic resonator 130a was activated, regardless of the lifting section. In this case, Figure 5 (a) shows 0 and 1 indicating the area of ​​wafer 10 that was cleaned.

[0072] The processor 140 executes control to turn on the first megason oscillator 130a to generate the first megason, and the intensity or power of the first megason is maintained between 2000 W and 2400 W.

[0073] This state corresponds to the closed state of the second mega-sound wave resonator 130b and the third mega-sound wave resonator 130c.

[0074] The results of experiments conducted in this manner, such as Figure 5 As shown in (b), a predetermined pattern appears on wafer 10.

[0075] In other words, it can be confirmed from Experiment 1 that during the lifting of the wafer 10 contained in the cleaning tank 110, if only the first mega-sonic wave vibrating plate 130a, which serves as the lower mega-sonic wave vibrating plate, is turned on to generate only the first mega-sonic wave, as the wafer 10 moves away from the first mega-sonic wave vibrating plate 130a, the particle removal performance decreases, resulting in particles appearing on the wafer 10 in a specific pattern.

[0076] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating Experiment 2 using the wafer cleaning apparatus of this disclosure.

[0077] Reference Figure 6 Experiment 2 of this disclosure is performed such that the lifting section is divided into a first section and a second section, and during the lifting of the wafer 10 contained in the cleaning tank 110, a first megaacoustic wave resonator 130a is activated in the first section, and a first megaacoustic wave resonator 130a, a second megaacoustic wave resonator 130b, and a third megaacoustic wave resonator 130c are activated in the second section. In this case, as Figure 6As shown in (a), the first segment corresponds to the segment from 0 to “1 / 3R”, and the second segment corresponds to the segment from “1 / 3R” to 1.

[0078] The processor 140 activates the first megason oscillator 130a in the first section to generate the first megason oscillator, and activates all three megason oscillators 130a to 130c in the second section to generate the first to third megason oscillators. In this case, the intensity or power of the first to third megason oscillators is controlled to be maintained between 2000 W and 2400 W.

[0079] The result of conducting the experiment in this manner is as follows: Figure 6 As shown in (b), particles and a predetermined pattern appear above the entire surface of wafer 10.

[0080] In other words, Experiment 2 confirms that when the first megaacoustic wave vibrator 130a is activated in the first interval to generate the first megaacoustic wave during wafer lifting, and the first megaacoustic wave vibrator 130a, the second megaacoustic wave vibrator 130b, and the third megaacoustic wave vibrator 130c are activated in the second interval to generate the first megaacoustic wave, the second megaacoustic wave, and the third megaacoustic wave, the generation of the second megaacoustic wave and the third megaacoustic wave will cause irregular flow (eddy currents) of contaminants in the cleaning solution, resulting in not only the appearance of the predetermined pattern above the entire surface of the wafer 10, but also the appearance of particles.

[0081] Figure 7 This is a diagram illustrating Experiment 3 using the wafer cleaning apparatus of this disclosure.

[0082] Reference Figure 7 Experiment 3 of this disclosure is performed such that the lifting section is divided into a first section and a second section, and during the lifting of the wafer 10 contained in the cleaning tank 110, a first megaacoustic wave resonator 130a is activated in the first section, and a first megaacoustic wave resonator 130a, a second megaacoustic wave resonator 130b, and a third megaacoustic wave resonator 130c are activated in the second section. In this case, as Figure 7 As shown in (a), the first segment corresponds to the interval from 0 to “1 / 2R”, and the second segment corresponds to the interval from “1 / 2R” to 1.

[0083] The processor 140 activates the first megason oscillator 130a in the first section to generate the first megason oscillator, and activates all three megason oscillators 130a to 130c in the second section to generate the first to third megason oscillators. In this case, the intensity or power of the first to third megason oscillators is controlled to be maintained between 2000 W and 2400 W.

[0084] The result of conducting the experiment in this manner is as follows: Figure 7 As shown in (b), particles appeared on the entire surface of wafer 10.

[0085] In other words, during wafer lifting, when the first megaacoustic wave resonator 130a is activated in the first section to generate the first megaacoustic wave, and the first megaacoustic wave resonator 130a, the second megaacoustic wave resonator 130b, and the third megaacoustic wave resonator 130c are activated in the second section to generate the first, second, and third megaacoustic waves, the generation of the second and third megaacoustic waves causes irregular flow (eddies) of contaminants in the cleaning solution, resulting in particles appearing above the entire surface of the wafer 10. However, as confirmed by Experiment 3, compared to Experiment 2, the predetermined pattern disappears, and the particles distributed above the entire surface are removed to a certain extent.

[0086] Figure 8 This is a diagram illustrating Experiment 4 using the wafer cleaning apparatus of this disclosure.

[0087] Reference Figure 8 Experiment 4 of this disclosure is performed such that the lifting section is divided into a first section and a second section, and during the lifting of the wafer 10 contained in the cleaning tank 110, a first megaacoustic wave resonator 130a is activated in the first section, and a first megaacoustic wave resonator 130a, a second megaacoustic wave resonator 130b, and a third megaacoustic wave resonator 130c are activated in the second section. In this case, as Figure 8 As shown in (a), the first segment corresponds to the segment from 0 to "2 / 3R", and the second segment corresponds to the segment from "2 / 3R" to 1. In this case, the first segment can be a reference. Figure 4 The second lifting segment is described, and the second segment can be the third lifting segment.

[0088] The processor 140 activates the first megason oscillator 130a in the first section to generate the first megason oscillator, and activates all three megason oscillators 130a to 130c in the second section to generate the first to third megason oscillators. In this case, the intensity or power of the first to third megason oscillators is controlled to be maintained between 2000 W and 2400 W.

[0089] The result of conducting the experiment in this manner is as follows: Figure 8 As shown in (b), neither particles nor the predetermined pattern appear on wafer 10.

[0090] In other words, Experiment 4 confirms that during the wafer lifting process, when the first megaacoustic wave vibrator 130a is activated in the first section to generate the first megaacoustic wave, and the first megaacoustic wave vibrator 130a, the second megaacoustic wave vibrator 130b, and the third megaacoustic wave vibrator 130c are activated in the second section to generate the first megaacoustic wave, the second megaacoustic wave, and the third megaacoustic wave, neither particles nor the predetermined pattern appear on the wafer 10.

[0091] As can be seen from Experiment 4, in this disclosure, when the first megaacoustic wave vibrating plate 130a to the third megaacoustic wave vibrating plate 130c are opened at the "2 / 3R" point in the third lifting section to generate the first megaacoustic wave to the third megaacoustic wave, the particle removal performance is improved, thereby enabling the manufacture of clean wafer 10.

[0092] Figure 9 This is a diagram illustrating Experiment 5 using the wafer cleaning apparatus of this disclosure.

[0093] Reference Figure 9 Experiment 5 of this disclosure is performed such that the lifting section is divided into a first section and a second section, and during the lifting of the wafer 10 contained in the cleaning tank 110, a first megaacoustic wave resonator 130a is activated in the first section, and a first megaacoustic wave resonator 130a, a second megaacoustic wave resonator 130b, and a third megaacoustic wave resonator 130c are activated in the second section. In this case, as Figure 9 As shown in (a), the first segment corresponds to the interval from 0 to “4 / 5R”, and the second segment corresponds to the interval from “4 / 5R” to 1.

[0094] The processor 140 activates the first megason oscillator 130a in the first section to generate the first megason oscillator, and activates all three megason oscillators 130a to 130c in the second section to generate the first to third megason oscillators. In this case, the intensity or power of the first to third megason oscillators is controlled to be maintained between 2000 W and 2400 W.

[0095] The result of conducting the experiment in this manner is as follows: Figure 9 As shown in (b), a predetermined pattern appears on wafer 10.

[0096] In other words, during the wafer lifting process, when the first megaacoustic wave resonator 130a is activated in the first section to generate the first megaacoustic wave, and the first megaacoustic wave resonator 130a, the second megaacoustic wave resonator 130b, and the third megaacoustic wave resonator 130c are activated in the second section to generate the first megaacoustic wave, the second megaacoustic wave, and the third megaacoustic wave, the particles caused by the generation of the second megaacoustic wave and the third megaacoustic wave are removed, but a specific or predetermined pattern appears.

[0097] Particle removal performance should be maximized at the point where a specific pattern appears. However, as can be seen from Experiment 5, the particles were not sufficiently removed because the second and third megahertz waves were generated at points beyond this point.

[0098] As described above, in the wafer cleaning apparatus 100 of this disclosure, when the first megaacoustic wave vibrating plate 130a to the third megaacoustic wave vibrating plate 130c are operated together at the “2 / 3R” point in the third lifting section to generate the first megaacoustic wave to the third megaacoustic wave, the particle removal performance is maximized, thereby enabling the manufacture of a clean wafer 10.

[0099] Figure 10 This is a diagram illustrating Experiment 6 using the wafer cleaning apparatus of this disclosure.

[0100] Reference Figure 10 Various experiments were conducted, enabling the processor 140 to control the first megason oscillator 130a to fix the intensity of the first megason oscillator. In this state, the processor 140 also controlled the second megason oscillator 130b and the third megason oscillator 130c to adjust the intensity of the second and third megason oscillators differently.

[0101] In the first experiment, the intensity of the first megahertz wave was fixed within the range of 2000W to 2400W, while the intensities of the second and third megahertz waves were adjusted to 2000W or lower. As a result of the first experiment, particle control in the lower region of the wafer was satisfactory, but specific patterns appeared in the upper region of the wafer, and particle removal performance decreased.

[0102] In the second experiment, the intensity of the first megahertz wave was fixed within the range of 2000W to 2400W, and the intensities of the second and third megahertz waves were adjusted to the range of 2000W to 2400W. As a result of the second experiment, the particle control in the lower region and side surfaces of the wafer was satisfactory, and a wafer with high cleanliness was obtained.

[0103] In the third experiment, the intensity of the first megahertz wave was fixed within the range of 2000W to 2400W, while the intensities of the second and third megahertz waves were adjusted to 2400W or higher. As a result of the third experiment, particle control in the lower region of the wafer was satisfactory, but specific patterns appeared in the upper region of the wafer, and particle removal performance decreased.

[0104] In the fourth experiment, the intensities of the second and third megahertz waves were fixed within the range of 2000W to 2400W, while the intensity of the first megahertz wave was adjusted to 2000W or lower. As a result of the fourth experiment, particle removal performance in the lower region of the wafer decreased, and particles appeared above the entire surface of the wafer, but no specific pattern was observed.

[0105] In the fifth experiment, the intensities of the second and third megahertz waves were fixed within a range of 2000W to 2400W, and the intensity of the first megahertz wave was adjusted to a range of 2000W to 2400W. As a result of the fifth experiment, the particle control in the lower region and side surfaces of the wafer was satisfactory, and a wafer with high cleanliness was obtained.

[0106] In the sixth experiment, the intensities of the second and third megahertz waves were fixed within the range of 2000W to 2400W, while the intensity of the first megahertz wave was adjusted to 2400W or higher. As a result of the sixth experiment, particle removal performance in the lower region of the wafer decreased, and particles appeared above the entire surface of the wafer, but no specific pattern was observed.

[0107] As described above, when at least one of the first to third megahertz waves is applied at 2000W or lower, and when at least one of the first to third megahertz waves is applied at 2400W or higher, irregular flow occurs, which further reduces particle removal. When the intensity of the first to third megahertz waves is adjusted to the range of 2000W to 2400W, wafers with high cleanliness are readily obtained.

[0108] Figure 11 This is a diagram illustrating a wafer cleaning method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0109] As already referred to above Figures 1 to 10 The wafer cleaning apparatus according to embodiments of the present disclosure has been fully described, so that in Figure 11 The part with is omitted in the middle. Figures 1 to 10 The same part.

[0110] Reference Figure 11 The wafer cleaning method according to embodiments of the present disclosure may include the step of the processor 140 differently controlling a plurality of megasonic oscillators 130a to 130c according to at least one lifting segment in which the wafer 10 is lifted.

[0111] For example, at least one lifting segment may include a first lifting segment T0 to a fourth lifting segment T3.

[0112] In other words, the steps of controlling multiple mega-sound oscillators 130a to 130c differently may include the step of the processor 140 controlling the first mega-sound oscillator 130a from the second lift section T1 to the third lift section T2 to generate the first mega-sound, and the step of the processor 140 controlling the second mega-sound oscillator 130b or the third mega-sound oscillator 130c in the third lift section T2 to generate the second mega-sound or the third mega-sound.

[0113] The first enhancement section T0 can be the section in which the entire wafer 10 is housed within the cleaning tank 110. The first mega-sonic resonator 130a to the third mega-sonic resonator 130c can be shut down under the control of the processor 140.

[0114] The second lift section T1 can occur after the first lift section T0. The second lift section T1 can be the section where the wafer 10, contained in the cleaning tank 110, reaches the first portion of the wafer 10. In this case, the first portion of the wafer 10 can be the portion corresponding to "2 / 3R" of the wafer 10. In this case, the portion corresponding to "1 / 3R" of the wafer 10 can remain contained in the cleaning tank 110. The first megaacoustic wave resonator 130a can be activated under the control of the processor 140 and can generate a first megaacoustic wave in the second lift section T1.

[0115] The third lifting section T2 can occur after the second lifting section T0. The third lifting section T2 can be the section where the wafer 10 contained in the cleaning tank 110 reaches the second portion of the wafer 10. In this case, the second portion of the wafer 10 can be the portion in contact with the cleaning solution. In this case, a very small portion of the wafer 10 can remain contained in the cleaning tank 110.

[0116] The first megason oscillator 130a can be kept in the open state under the control of the processor 140, and can continuously generate the first megason oscillator in the third boost section T2. ​​The second megason oscillator 130b and the third megason oscillator 130c can be turned on under the control of the processor 140, and can generate the second megason oscillator and the third megason oscillator in the third boost section T2.

[0117] The fourth enhancement section T3 can be located after the third enhancement section T2. ​​The fourth enhancement section T3 can be the section where wafer 10 is no longer contained in the cleaning tank 110. The first megaacoustic resonator 130a to the third megaacoustic resonator 130c can be shut down under the control of the processor 140.

[0118] As described above, processor 140 can control a first megason oscillator 130a to generate a first megason oscillator from the second boost section T1 to the third boost section T2. ​​In the third boost section T2, processor 140 can control at least one of a second megason oscillator 130b or a third megason oscillator 130c, as well as the first megason oscillator 130a, to generate a second megason oscillator and / or a third megason oscillator, as well as a first megason oscillator.

[0119] As described above, the processor 140 can perform control to apply megasonic waves at different times depending on the section of wafer 10 being raised, thereby effectively obtaining a clean wafer 10 from which contaminants have been removed. Since this has been sufficiently described above, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0120] Furthermore, the step of controlling multiple mega-sound resonators differently may include supplying power of a specific intensity in the range of 2000 to 2400 watts (W) under the control of processor 140 to control the intensity of each of the first mega-sound, the second mega-sound, and the third mega-sound to a specific value.

[0121] Furthermore, the processor 140 can control the first megason oscillator 130a to the third megason oscillator 130c in the second lift section T1 and the third lift section T2 to adjust and maintain the intensity of the first megason oscillator to the third megason oscillator at a constant level.

[0122] For example, processor 140 can control the first megaacoustic wave resonator 130a to the third megaacoustic wave resonator 130c to adjust the intensity of the first megaacoustic wave to the third megaacoustic wave to be between 2000 W and 2400 W. Since this has been sufficiently described above, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. The features, structures, and effects described in conjunction with the above embodiments are incorporated into at least one embodiment of this disclosure, but are not limited to one embodiment. Furthermore, the exemplified features, structures, and effects associated with the various embodiments can be implemented in other embodiments through combinations or modifications by those skilled in the art. Therefore, anything related to such combinations and modifications should be construed as falling within the scope of this disclosure.

[0123] Model for implementing this disclosure

[0124] Since the mode for carrying out this disclosure has already been fully described in the best mode for carrying out this disclosure, its description will be omitted.

Claims

1. A wafer cleaning apparatus comprising: a cleaning tank configured to accommodate a cleaning solution and a wafer to be cleaned; a plurality of megasonic vibration plates mounted to the cleaning tank, the plurality of megasonic vibration plates configured to generate megasonic waves; a lifting unit configured to stack wafers and configured to introduce the stacked wafers into the cleaning tank or to lift the wafer accommodated in the cleaning tank; and a processor configured to control the lifting unit and the plurality of megasonic vibration plates, the processor differently controlling the plurality of megasonic vibration plates according to at least one wafer lifting section. 2.The wafer cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of megasonic vibration plates comprises: a first megasonic vibration plate mounted on a lower surface of the cleaning tank; a second megasonic vibration plate mounted on an outer lateral surface of the cleaning tank; and a third megasonic vibration plate mounted on the outer lateral surface of the cleaning tank at a position spaced apart from the second megasonic vibration plate by a predetermined distance. 3.The wafer cleaning apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one wafer lifting section comprises: a first lifting section in which an entirety of the wafer is accommodated in the cleaning tank; a second lifting section following the first lifting section in which the wafer accommodated in the cleaning tank reaches a first portion of the wafer; a third lifting section following the second lifting section in which the wafer accommodated in the cleaning tank reaches a second portion of the wafer; and a fourth lifting section following the third lifting section in which the wafer is no longer accommodated in the cleaning tank. the processor is configured to: from the second lifting section to the third lifting section, control the first megasonic vibration plate to generate first megasonic waves; and in the third lifting section, control at least one of the second megasonic vibration plate or the third megasonic vibration plate to generate at least one of second megasonic waves or third megasonic waves.

4. The wafer cleaning apparatus of claim 3, wherein, 5.The wafer cleaning apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processor provides power of a predetermined intensity in a range of 2000 watts (W) to 2400 watts (W) to control each of an intensity of the first megasonic waves, an intensity of the second megasonic waves, and an intensity of the third megasonic waves to a specific value. 6.A wafer cleaning method using a wafer cleaning apparatus comprising: a cleaning tank configured to accommodate a cleaning solution and a wafer to be cleaned; ​ ​ ​ a plurality of megasonic vibration plates installed to the cleaning tank, the plurality of megasonic vibration plates including a first megasonic vibration plate installed on a lower surface of the cleaning tank, a second megasonic vibration plate installed on an outer lateral surface of the cleaning tank, and a third megasonic vibration plate installed on the outer lateral surface of the cleaning tank at a position spaced apart from the second megasonic vibration plate by a predetermined distance; a lifting unit configured to stack wafers and introduce the stacked wafers into the cleaning tank or lift the wafers accommodated in the cleaning tank; and a processor configured to control the lifting unit and the plurality of megasonic vibration plates, the wafer cleaning method including differently controlling, by the processor, the plurality of megasonic vibration plates according to at least one wafer lifting section.

7. The wafer cleaning method of claim 6, wherein, the at least one wafer lifting section including: a first lifting section in which an entirety of the wafer is accommodated in the cleaning tank; a second lifting section following the first lifting section in which the wafer accommodated in the cleaning tank reaches a first portion of the wafer; a third lifting section following the second lifting section in which the wafer accommodated in the cleaning tank reaches a second portion of the wafer; and a fourth lifting section following the third lifting section in which the wafer is no longer accommodated in the cleaning tank, and wherein the differently controlling the plurality of megasonic vibration plates includes: from the second lifting section to the third lifting section, controlling, by the processor, the first megasonic vibration plate to generate a first megasonic wave; and in the third lifting section, controlling, by the processor, at least one of the second megasonic vibration plate or the third megasonic vibration plate to generate at least one of a second megasonic wave or a third megasonic wave. 8.The wafer cleaning method of claim 7, wherein the differently controlling the plurality of megasonic vibration plates includes providing, by the processor, power of a predetermined intensity in a range of 2000 to 2400 watts (W) to control each of an intensity of the first megasonic wave, an intensity of the second megasonic wave, and an intensity of the third megasonic wave to a specific value.

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