Full-automatic wafer cleaning equipment and wafer cleaning method

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of wafer cleaning, and discloses full-automatic wafer cleaning equipment and a wafer cleaning method.The full-automatic wafer cleaning equipment comprises a base frame, a conveying robot, a conveying guide rail, an alignment module and a cleaning module, and the conveying robot, the conveying guide rail, the alignment module and the cleaning module are fixedly arranged in the base frame; the conveying guide rail is horizontally placed in the base frame, sequentially penetrates through the aligning module and the cleaning module from the position where the conveying robot is located, and finally extends back to the position where the conveying robot is located; the conveying guide rail is used for conveying the to-be-cleaned wafer conveyed by the conveying robot to the alignment module for position correction, conveying the to-be-cleaned wafer subjected to position correction to the cleaning module for cleaning, and then conveying the cleaned to-be-cleaned wafer back into the conveying robot; according to the full-automatic wafer cleaning equipment, the alignment module is added before cleaning to correct the position of the wafer, and the wafer is cleaned according to the corresponding wafer cleaning method, so that the cleaning efficiency and the cleaning quality of the wafer can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of wafer cleaning, and more specifically, to a fully automated wafer cleaning equipment and wafer cleaning method. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, wafer cleaning is a crucial step in semiconductor manufacturing. Existing wafer cleaning methods typically employ rail transport, which presents significant technical challenges. During wafer placement on the rails, mechanical errors or other inaccuracies may prevent the wafers from being accurately centered. This results in wafer misalignment during cleaning, leading to incomplete cleaning and the potential presence of impurities and stains at the edges. These residual impurities and stains may require secondary or even multiple cleaning cycles to remove, severely impacting cleaning efficiency and production cycle time. Furthermore, incomplete cleaning due to wafer misalignment can adversely affect subsequent semiconductor manufacturing processes, such as impacting thin film deposition uniformity and etching precision, ultimately affecting the performance and yield of the final product.

[0003] Therefore, existing technologies need to be improved and developed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide a fully automated wafer cleaning equipment and method. By using a conveying robot, conveying rails, alignment module, and cleaning module fixedly installed inside the base frame, and by adding an alignment module to correct the position of the wafer before cleaning, the method solves the problem of incomplete cleaning caused by the inability to accurately place the wafer in the center of the rail in the existing guide rail transport wafer cleaning method. This ensures the thoroughness and uniformity of wafer cleaning, avoids cleaning blind spots at the edges, and thus improves the cleaning efficiency and quality of the wafer.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a fully automated wafer cleaning device, including a base frame, and a transfer robot, a transfer rail, an alignment module and a cleaning module fixedly disposed inside the base frame; the transfer rail is horizontally placed inside the base frame, and the transfer rail starts from the position of the transfer robot, passes through the alignment module and the cleaning module in sequence, and finally extends back to the position of the transfer robot; The conveyor rail is used to first convey the wafer to be cleaned, which is transported by the conveyor robot, to the alignment module for position correction, then convey the position-corrected wafer to the cleaning module for cleaning, and finally send the cleaned wafer back to the conveyor robot.

[0006] The fully automated wafer cleaning equipment provided in this application can clean wafers. By using a conveying robot, conveying rails, alignment module, and cleaning module fixedly installed inside the base frame, and by adding an alignment module to correct the position of the wafers before cleaning, the existing guide rail transport wafer cleaning method cannot accurately place the wafers in the center of the guide rail, resulting in incomplete cleaning due to wafer position deviation. It can ensure the thoroughness and uniformity of wafer cleaning, avoid cleaning blind spots at the edges, and thus improve the cleaning efficiency and cleaning quality of wafers.

[0007] Optionally, the alignment module includes an identification unit and a correction unit that are electrically connected; The identification unit is used to identify the location of the wafer to be cleaned; The correction unit is used to correct the position of the wafer to be cleaned.

[0008] Optionally, the cleaning module includes a plasma cleaning unit, an electrostatic elimination unit, a deionized water cleaning unit, and a drying unit connected in sequence.

[0009] This application provides a fully automatic wafer cleaning equipment that achieves comprehensive and thorough cleaning of wafers through a multi-stage cleaning unit combination of a plasma cleaning unit, an electrostatic elimination unit, a deionized water cleaning unit, and an air drying unit. This includes plasma cleaning, electrostatic elimination, deionized water cleaning, and air drying, ensuring that there are no residual impurities and stains on the wafer surface and improving the cleaning quality.

[0010] Optionally, the deionized water cleaning unit includes a spraying unit, a brushing unit, and a detection unit.

[0011] Optionally, the conveying robot includes a robotic arm and a storage unit; the storage unit is disposed at the bottom of the robotic arm. The robotic arm is used to transport the wafers to be cleaned in the storage unit to the transfer rail, and to transport the cleaned wafers to be cleaned back to the storage unit from the transfer rail.

[0012] Optionally, the fully automated wafer cleaning equipment further includes an operation panel disposed outside the base frame; the operation panel is electrically connected to the conveying robot, the conveying guide rail, the alignment module and the cleaning module respectively.

[0013] Secondly, a wafer cleaning method, applied to the fully automated wafer cleaning equipment described above to clean wafers, includes: The robot is controlled to transport the wafer to be cleaned onto the transport rail; The wafer to be cleaned is transported to the alignment module using the conveying guide rail, and the alignment module performs position correction on the wafer to be cleaned. The position-corrected wafer to be cleaned is transported to the cleaning module using the conveyor rail; The cleaning module cleans the wafer to be cleaned after position correction. After the cleaned wafer is transported to the location of the transfer robot using the transfer rail, the transfer robot is controlled to transport the cleaned wafer back to the storage unit from the transfer rail.

[0014] This wafer cleaning method utilizes a transfer robot, transfer rails, alignment module, and cleaning module fixedly installed inside the base frame. By adding an alignment module to correct the wafer's position before cleaning, it solves the problem of incomplete cleaning caused by the inaccurate placement of wafers in existing rail-transported wafer cleaning methods. This ensures thorough and uniform wafer cleaning, avoids cleaning blind spots at the edges, and thus improves wafer cleaning efficiency and quality.

[0015] Optionally, the cleaning module cleans the wafer to be cleaned, including: The plasma cleaning unit performs plasma cleaning on the position-corrected wafer to be cleaned. The electrostatic elimination unit is used to eliminate static electricity from the wafer after plasma cleaning. The deionized water cleaning unit is used to clean the wafer after static electricity has been eliminated. The drying unit performs air drying on the water-washed wafers.

[0016] Optionally, the deionized water cleaning unit performs water cleaning on the wafer after static electricity elimination, including: Obtain contaminant distribution information on the wafer surface after electrostatic discharge; Based on the pollutant distribution information, determine the location, type, and concentration of pollutants on the wafer surface after electrostatic discharge; Based on the location, type, and concentration of the contaminants, the cleaning parameters or cleaning method are adjusted to perform targeted cleaning on the wafer after static electricity elimination.

[0017] Optionally, based on the location, type, and concentration of the contaminants, the cleaning parameters or cleaning method are adjusted to perform targeted cleaning on the wafer after electrostatic discharge, including: Determine preliminary cleaning parameters and cleaning methods corresponding to the location, type, and concentration of the contaminants to perform preliminary cleaning on the wafer after static electricity elimination; During the initial cleaning, real-time cleaning status data of the wafer surface after static electricity elimination is acquired to determine the corresponding cleaning effect. Based on the cleaning effect, the cleaning parameters or the cleaning method are adjusted to achieve targeted cleaning of the wafer after static electricity elimination.

[0018] Beneficial effects: The fully automated wafer cleaning equipment and method provided in this application, through the conveying robot, conveying rail, alignment module and cleaning module fixedly installed inside the base frame, and by adding the alignment module to correct the position of the wafer before cleaning, solves the problem of incomplete cleaning caused by the inability to accurately place the wafer in the center of the rail in the existing guide rail transport wafer cleaning method. It can ensure the thoroughness and uniformity of wafer cleaning, avoid cleaning blind spots at the edge, and thus improve the cleaning efficiency and cleaning quality of wafers. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a fully automatic wafer cleaning device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a wafer cleaning method provided in an embodiment of this application. Labeling Explanation: 1. Conveying Robot; 2. Conveying Rail; 3. Alignment Module; 4. Plasma Cleaning Unit; 5. Static Electricity Elimination Unit; 6. Deionized Water Cleaning Unit; 7. Drying Unit. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of this application described and shown in the accompanying drawings can be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of this application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed application, but merely represents selected embodiments of this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0022] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures indicate similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures. Furthermore, in the description of this application, terms such as "first," "second," etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0023] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1The present application provides a fully automatic wafer cleaning device for cleaning wafers, including a base frame, and a transfer robot 1, a transfer rail 2, an alignment module 3 and a cleaning module fixedly installed inside the base frame; the transfer rail 2 is placed horizontally inside the base frame, starting from the position of the transfer robot 1, passing through the alignment module 3 and the cleaning module in sequence, and finally extending back to the position of the transfer robot 1. The conveyor rail 2 is used to first convey the wafer to be cleaned by the conveyor robot 1 to the alignment module 3 for position correction, then convey the position-corrected wafer to the cleaning module for cleaning, and finally send the cleaned wafer back to the conveyor robot 1.

[0024] In practical applications, fully automated wafer cleaning equipment includes a base frame, and a transfer robot 1, transfer rails 2, alignment module 3, and cleaning module, all fixedly installed inside the base frame. The base frame, as the supporting structure of the fully automated wafer cleaning equipment, can be made of various materials and structural forms. For example, the base frame can be welded from high-strength steel to provide sufficient rigidity and stability, ensuring the accuracy of the equipment during operation. The internal space of the base frame is carefully designed to accommodate and secure the transfer robot, transfer rails, alignment module, and cleaning module.

[0025] The transfer guide 2 is placed horizontally inside the base frame, and its path design is crucial. The transfer guide can take various forms, such as linear, circular, or U-shaped guides. For example, a linear guide can be used, forming a closed loop path through a combination of multiple straight and curved segments. The transfer guide starts from the location of the transfer robot, passes sequentially through the alignment module and the cleaning module, and finally extends back to the location of the transfer robot. This loop path design ensures continuous wafer transfer during the cleaning process without manual intervention.

[0026] The main function of the conveyor rail 2 is to transport the wafers to be cleaned. Specifically, the conveyor rail 2 first transports the wafers to be cleaned from the conveyor robot 1 to the alignment module 3 for position correction. After the alignment module 3 corrects the position of the wafers to be cleaned, the conveyor rail 2 transports the position-corrected wafers to the cleaning module for cleaning. After cleaning, the conveyor rail 2 then returns the cleaned wafers to the conveyor robot 1. The conveying method of the conveyor rail can be varied, for example, it can use belt drive, chain drive, or roller drive.

[0027] Alignment module 3 is mounted on conveyor rail 2 and is used for position correction of the wafer to be cleaned. Specifically, alignment module 3 can be a vision recognition system that captures wafer images through a camera and performs image processing to calculate the precise position and orientation of the wafer. Then, a mechanical adjustment mechanism fine-tunes the wafer to be cleaned to achieve the optimal cleaning or transport position.

[0028] The fully automated wafer cleaning equipment operates as follows: First, the wafer to be cleaned is taken out by the transfer robot 1 and placed on the transfer rail 2. The transfer rail 2 starts, transporting the wafer along a preset path. When the wafer reaches the alignment module 3, the alignment module 3 performs precise position correction. This step is crucial, as it effectively corrects any positional deviations that may occur during placement or transport, ensuring the wafer is in the optimal position during subsequent cleaning processes. After position correction, the wafer is then transported by the transfer rail 2 to the cleaning module. The cleaning module performs multi-stage cleaning according to a preset cleaning program, such as plasma cleaning, deionized water cleaning, and drying, to thoroughly remove contaminants from the wafer surface. After cleaning, the transfer rail 2 returns the cleaned wafer to the transfer robot 1. The transfer robot 1 removes the cleaned wafer from the transfer rail 2 and places it back into the storage unit or transports it to subsequent process steps. The entire process automates and continuously processes wafer cleaning, significantly improving cleaning efficiency and quality.

[0029] In some optional embodiments, the alignment module 3 can be fixedly mounted on the conveying guide rail 2. The alignment module 3 corrects the position of the wafer to be cleaned and fixes the wafer to be cleaned at the center position of the conveying guide rail 2, so that the wafer to be cleaned will not have any positional deviation in the subsequent conveying and cleaning processes, which significantly improves the cleaning efficiency and quality.

[0030] This application provides a fully automated wafer cleaning equipment. By using a conveying robot, conveying rails, alignment module, and cleaning module fixedly installed inside the base frame, and by adding an alignment module to correct the position of the wafer before cleaning, the equipment can ensure the thoroughness and uniformity of wafer cleaning, avoid cleaning blind spots at the edges, and thus improve the cleaning efficiency and quality of the wafer.

[0031] Specifically, the alignment module 3 includes an identification unit and a correction unit with electrical connections; The identification unit is used to identify the location of the wafer to be cleaned; The calibration unit is used to calibrate the position of the wafer to be cleaned.

[0032] In practical applications, when the conveyor rail 2 transports the wafer to be cleaned to the alignment module 3, the identification unit in the alignment module 3 first identifies the position of the wafer. The identification unit accurately obtains the specific position information of the wafer, including potential deviations, such as whether the center of the wafer deviates from the preset cleaning path centerline, or whether there is a rotational angular deviation. This identification process forms the basis for subsequent precise correction, ensuring the targeted nature of the correction. After the identification unit obtains the position information of the wafer, the correction unit precisely adjusts its position based on this information. For example, if the identification unit detects that the wafer has shifted 2 mm to the left, the correction unit will drive the corresponding actuator to move the wafer 2 mm to the right, returning it to the correct position. If the wafer has a rotational deviation, the correction unit will also make corresponding rotational adjustments. Through the precise identification by the identification unit and the effective correction by the correction unit, the position of the wafer is optimized before entering the cleaning module, thus avoiding incomplete cleaning due to positional deviations and significantly improving the quality and efficiency of wafer cleaning.

[0033] Specifically, the cleaning module includes a plasma cleaning unit 4, an electrostatic elimination unit 5, a deionized water cleaning unit 6, and a drying unit 7 connected in sequence.

[0034] In practical applications, a complete, multi-stage wafer cleaning process is formed by sequentially connecting the plasma cleaning unit 4, the electrostatic elimination unit 5, the deionized water cleaning unit 6, and the drying unit 7. First, the plasma cleaning unit 4 effectively removes organic contaminants and particles from the wafer surface, solving the problem of incomplete removal of certain stubborn stains by traditional cleaning methods. Plasma can be understood as partially ionized gas; specifically, radio frequency (RF) plasma or microwave plasma can be used. Its purpose is to remove organic residues and micron-sized particles from the wafer surface, providing a clean foundation for subsequent cleaning steps. Second, the electrostatic elimination unit 5 promptly eliminates static electricity generated during the cleaning process, preventing static electricity from attracting dust or damaging the wafer. This compensates for the shortcomings of single cleaning steps that may neglect static electricity control; for example, an AC or DC ion generator can be used to remove static electricity. Third, the deionized water cleaning unit 6 ensures thorough rinsing of the wafer surface, removing all residual chemicals and ions, and preventing watermarks and secondary contamination. Finally, the drying unit 7 ensures rapid and traceless drying of the wafers, effectively preventing the formation of water spots and oxide layers, thus solving the problems of low drying efficiency or easy water stains left by traditional methods. It is precisely because of this staged and synergistic cleaning process that fully automated wafer cleaning equipment can achieve comprehensive, efficient, and high-quality cleaning of wafers.

[0035] In some optional embodiments, the drying unit 7 includes a temperature control unit and a blowing unit. The temperature control unit can heat or cool the airflow generated by the blowing unit to the optimal drying temperature according to preset process parameters, thereby avoiding poor drying results or wafer damage caused by ambient temperature fluctuations. The blowing unit provides a stable and uniform airflow, ensuring that moisture is efficiently removed from the wafer surface. Due to the precise control of both temperature and airflow, the wafer obtains an optimal drying environment during the drying process.

[0036] Specifically, the deionized water cleaning unit 6 includes a spraying unit, a brushing unit, and a detection unit.

[0037] In practical applications, the spraying unit pre-wets and initially rinses the wafer surface to remove most of the loose contaminants. The spraying unit can be equipped with multiple nozzles that can spray high-purity deionized water onto the wafer surface at specific angles and pressures to achieve initial wetting and rinsing of loose contaminants.

[0038] Under the continuous action of deionized water, the scrubbing unit generates a gentle mechanical friction force through the physical contact between the brush head and the wafer surface, which can effectively peel off and remove tiny particles and tightly attached contaminants that are difficult to remove by simple rinsing. The scrubbing unit may include one or more brush heads, such as brushes made of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) or other soft materials.

[0039] The spraying and brushing units work together to perform preliminary deionized water cleaning on the wafer, removing most contaminants. Building on this, the detection unit can acquire real-time cleaning status information of the wafer surface. For example, the detection unit can use high-resolution cameras, spectrometers, or atomic force microscopes to scan and image the wafer surface, and can also combine infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy to analyze the chemical composition of contaminants, thereby obtaining more comprehensive cleaning status information. By analyzing the cleaning status information, potential blind spots, residual stains, or areas that are not thoroughly cleaned can be identified. This visual feedback mechanism makes the cleaning process more intelligent and controllable. Based on the acquired cleaning status information, it can guide the spraying and brushing units to perform targeted secondary cleaning or localized enhanced cleaning, thereby ensuring a higher level of cleanliness on the wafer surface. This effectively solves the cleaning blind spots and residue problems that may exist in traditional cleaning methods, improving the quality and efficiency of wafer cleaning.

[0040] Specifically, the transfer robot 1 includes a robotic arm and a storage unit; the storage unit is located at the bottom of the robotic arm; The robotic arm is used to transport the wafers to be cleaned in the storage unit to the transfer rail 2, and to transport the cleaned wafers to be cleaned back to the storage unit from the transfer rail 2.

[0041] In practical applications, a robotic arm can be understood as a multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm configured to precisely grasp, move, and place wafers. For example, this robotic arm can employ a multi-joint design to achieve flexible manipulation of wafers in three-dimensional space, ensuring accurate placement and retrieval of wafers on transport rails. Its purpose is to provide high-precision and high-efficiency wafer transport capabilities.

[0042] The storage unit can be understood as a wafer temporary storage device integrated with the robotic arm, located at the bottom of the robotic arm. This storage unit can be one or more wafer cassettes, wafer stacking racks, or specially designed wafer trays, used to temporarily store multiple wafers, either to be cleaned or already cleaned, during robotic arm transfer operations. Its purpose is to reduce the number of interactions between the robotic arm and external storage devices, improving transfer efficiency and continuity.

[0043] Specifically, the fully automated wafer cleaning equipment also includes an operation panel located outside the base frame; the operation panel is electrically connected to the conveying robot, the conveying guide rail, the alignment module and the cleaning module respectively.

[0044] In practical applications, a centralized, user-friendly control and monitoring platform is constructed by installing an external control panel on the fully automated wafer cleaning equipment and establishing electrical connections between it and the various core functional modules inside the equipment (including the conveyor robot, conveyor rails, alignment module, and cleaning module). Operators can intuitively obtain the equipment's operating status and fault information, and input various operational commands through the control panel without entering the equipment or using complex programming interfaces. For example, when cleaning parameters need to be adjusted, operators can directly set them on the control panel, which converts these commands into electrical signals and transmits them to the corresponding cleaning module, enabling real-time parameter adjustment. Similarly, when the conveyor robot malfunctions, its status information is fed back to the control panel for display, facilitating timely problem detection and resolution by operators. This design simplifies the equipment's control logic, streamlines the operation process, and significantly improves the equipment's usability and manageability.

[0045] In some alternative embodiments, the control panel can be operated via buttons or a touchscreen. A button-based control panel allows for control via physical buttons, while a touchscreen control panel allows for control of the cleaning process via virtual buttons. Alternatively, the control panel can employ a combination of button and touchscreen operation.

[0046] In some alternative embodiments, the fully automated wafer cleaning equipment is further equipped with a wireless communication module for communication with a remote control terminal. The wireless communication module can employ wireless communication methods such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular networks (e.g., 4G / 5G), or LoRa to adapt to different communication distances and data transmission requirements. Operators can remotely communicate with the wireless communication module through the remote control terminal to remotely control the fully automated wafer cleaning equipment.

[0047] This technical solution utilizes a conveying robot, conveying rails, alignment module, and cleaning module fixedly installed inside the base frame. By adding an alignment module to correct the wafer's position before cleaning, the thoroughness and uniformity of wafer cleaning can be ensured, and blind spots at the edges can be avoided, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency and quality of the wafer.

[0048] Please refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2 A wafer cleaning method provided in this application embodiment, applied to the fully automated wafer cleaning equipment described above for cleaning wafers, includes: Step S101: Control the conveying robot 1 to transport the wafer to be cleaned onto the conveying guide rail 2; Step S102: The wafer to be cleaned is transferred to the alignment module 3 using the transfer guide 2, and the alignment module 3 performs position correction on the wafer to be cleaned. Step S103: The position-corrected wafer to be cleaned is transported to the cleaning module using the transfer guide rail 2. Step S104: The wafer to be cleaned after position correction is cleaned by the cleaning module; In step S105, after the cleaned wafer is transported to the location of the transfer robot 1 using the transfer rail 2, the transfer robot 1 is controlled to transport the cleaned wafer back to the storage unit from the transfer rail 2.

[0049] This wafer cleaning method utilizes a fully automated wafer cleaning equipment consisting of a transfer robot, transfer rails, alignment module, and cleaning module. By adding an alignment module to correct the wafer's position before cleaning, it solves the problem of incomplete cleaning caused by the inaccurate placement of wafers in existing rail-transported wafer cleaning methods. This ensures thorough and uniform wafer cleaning, avoids cleaning blind spots at the edges, and thus improves wafer cleaning efficiency and quality.

[0050] Specifically, in step S101, the robotic arm of the transfer robot 1 takes out the wafer to be cleaned from the storage unit at its bottom and places it precisely at the starting position of the transfer rail 2.

[0051] Specifically, in step S102, the conveyor rail 2 serves as the wafer transport path, using its internal drive mechanism (e.g., conveyor belt, rollers, or air flotation system) to transport the wafer to be cleaned from the location of the conveyor robot 1 to the alignment module 3. In the alignment module 3, the identification unit accurately obtains the specific position information of the wafer to be cleaned, and the correction unit precisely adjusts the position of the wafer based on this position information to ensure it is in optimal condition when entering the cleaning module, avoiding incomplete cleaning or equipment damage due to positional deviations.

[0052] Specifically, in step S103, the wafer to be cleaned, after being corrected by the alignment module 3, is continued to be transported to the cleaning module by the transfer rail 2.

[0053] Specifically, in step S104, the wafer to be cleaned is cleaned by the cleaning module, including: Plasma cleaning unit 4 is used to perform plasma cleaning on the wafer to be cleaned after position correction. The electrostatic elimination unit 5 is used to eliminate static electricity from the wafer after plasma cleaning. The wafer after static electricity elimination is cleaned by deionized water cleaning unit 6. The water-washed wafers are dried using the drying unit 7.

[0054] In step S104, within the cleaning module, firstly, the position-corrected wafer is subjected to plasma cleaning by the plasma cleaning unit 4. The active particles of the plasma effectively remove organic matter and particles from the wafer surface, laying the foundation for subsequent cleaning. Next, the electrostatic elimination unit 5 eliminates static electricity from the plasma-cleaned wafer, preventing secondary contamination caused by electrostatic adsorption and ensuring a clean wafer surface. Subsequently, the electrostatically eliminated wafer is rinsed with water by the deionized water cleaning unit 6, using high-purity deionized water to wash away residual contaminants and cleaning agents, further improving the cleaning effect. Finally, the water-rinsed wafer is dried by the air-drying unit 7, quickly removing moisture from the wafer surface and preventing water stains, thereby achieving thorough wafer cleaning, improving cleaning efficiency and quality, and providing clean wafers for subsequent semiconductor manufacturing processes.

[0055] Specifically, in step S104, the wafer after static electricity elimination is cleaned with water by the deionized water cleaning unit 6, including: Obtain information on the distribution of contaminants on the wafer surface after electrostatic discharge; Based on the contaminant distribution information, determine the location, type, and concentration of contaminants on the wafer surface after electrostatic discharge; Based on the location, type, and concentration of contaminants, the cleaning parameters or cleaning methods are adjusted to perform targeted cleaning on the wafers after static electricity is eliminated.

[0056] In step S104, after the wafer undergoes plasma cleaning and electrostatic elimination, the contaminant distribution information on the wafer surface after electrostatic elimination allows for a comprehensive understanding of the contamination status. This is typically accomplished through a detection unit, such as using an optical detection system within the unit to scan the wafer surface and identify microscale contaminants. Then, based on this contaminant distribution information, the location, type, and concentration of contaminants on the wafer surface can be accurately determined. For example, image analysis and spectral recognition technology within the detection unit can distinguish between organic, inorganic, and particulate matter, and determine their specific coordinates (locations) and content (i.e., concentration, which can be expressed as the number of particles per square millimeter or a specific spectral absorption intensity) on the wafer. This provides precise data support for subsequent targeted cleaning. Finally, based on the location, type, and concentration of these contaminants, cleaning parameters or methods can be flexibly adjusted to perform targeted cleaning of the wafer after electrostatic elimination. For example, if a high concentration of particulate matter is detected in a specific area, the deionized water jet pressure or the number of brushing cycles in that area can be increased; if a specific type of chemical residue is detected, the temperature of the deionized water can be adjusted or a small amount of a specific cleaning agent can be added.

[0057] Specifically, in step S104, based on the location, type, and concentration of contaminants, the cleaning parameters or cleaning method are adjusted to perform targeted cleaning of the wafer after static electricity elimination, including: Determine preliminary cleaning parameters and methods corresponding to the location, type, and concentration of contaminants to perform preliminary cleaning on the wafers after static electricity elimination; During the initial cleaning, real-time cleaning status data of the wafer surface after static electricity elimination is acquired to determine the corresponding cleaning effect; Based on the cleaning effect, adjust the cleaning parameters or cleaning method to achieve targeted cleaning of the wafer after static electricity elimination.

[0058] In step S104, preliminary cleaning parameters and methods are determined based on the location, type, and concentration of contaminants. This makes the cleaning process targeted from the outset, avoiding resource waste and incomplete cleaning that may result from indiscriminate cleaning. Simultaneously with the preliminary cleaning, real-time cleaning status data of the wafer surface is acquired, providing immediate feedback on the cleaning process and enabling the system to dynamically understand the progress and effectiveness of the cleaning. Based on the real-time cleaning results, cleaning parameters or methods are adjusted. This closed-loop control mechanism ensures that the cleaning process can be optimized according to actual conditions, thereby achieving precise and efficient cleaning of the wafer, maximizing contaminant removal, and improving wafer cleanliness.

[0059] For example, based on the identified location (e.g., wafer center area, edge area), type (e.g., organic residue, metal particles, water stains), and concentration (e.g., determined by color depth or particle density) of contaminants, preliminary cleaning parameters and methods are selected from a pre-defined cleaning strategy database. For instance, if high concentrations of organic residue are detected at the wafer edge, the preliminary cleaning parameters are set as follows: deionized water flow rate 10 L / min, water temperature 40°C, addition of 0.5% surfactant, spray pressure 0.2 MPa, and the brushing unit uses a soft brush at 50 rpm to locally brush the edge area for 30 seconds. After the preliminary cleaning begins, the online particle counter and conductivity sensor in the deionized water cleaning unit monitor the number of particles and changes in conductivity in the cleaning solution in real time, while a CCD camera continuously captures images of the wafer surface (the online particle counter, conductivity sensor, and CCD camera are part of the detection unit). This real-time data is transmitted to the detection unit to evaluate the current cleaning effect. For example, if the particle counter shows a slow decrease in the number of particles or persistently high conductivity, it indicates poor cleaning performance. Based on real-time feedback on the cleaning effect, the detection unit dynamically adjusts cleaning parameters or methods. For example, if incomplete removal of organic residues is detected, the surfactant concentration may be increased to 0.8%, or the brushing speed may be increased to 70 rpm, and the brushing time extended to 45 seconds. If new particles are detected, the spray angle may be adjusted or the deionized water flow rate may be increased to rinse them away. This real-time feedback and adjustment mechanism ensures that the wafer receives optimized and targeted treatment throughout the cleaning process until the preset cleanliness standard is achieved.

[0060] Specifically, in step S105, after cleaning is completed, the conveyor rail 2 transports the cleaned wafers back to the position of the conveyor robot 1. The robotic arm of the conveyor robot 1 removes the cleaned wafers from the conveyor rail 2 and places them back into the storage unit, awaiting subsequent processing or packaging. This process is repeated until all wafers to be cleaned have been cleaned.

[0061] As described above, this wafer cleaning method involves controlling a transfer robot to transport the wafer to be cleaned onto a transfer rail. The transfer rail then transports the wafer to an alignment module, where the alignment module corrects the wafer's position. The transfer rail then transports the corrected wafer to a cleaning module, where it cleans the wafer. Finally, the transfer rail transports the cleaned wafer back to the transfer robot, which then transports it back to the storage unit. This method solves the problem of incomplete cleaning caused by misalignment in existing rail-based wafer cleaning methods, where the wafer cannot be accurately placed at the center of the rail. It ensures thorough and uniform wafer cleaning, avoids cleaning blind spots at the edges, and thus improves wafer cleaning efficiency and quality.

[0062] In the embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and methods can be implemented in other ways. The apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. Furthermore, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Additionally, the displayed or discussed mutual couplings, direct couplings, or communication connections may be through some communication interfaces; indirect couplings or communication connections between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0063] Furthermore, the units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment, depending on actual needs.

[0064] Furthermore, the functional modules in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated together to form an independent part, or each module can exist independently, or two or more modules can be integrated to form an independent part.

[0065] In this document, relational terms such as first and second are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, without necessarily requiring or implying any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations.

[0066] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A fully automatic wafer cleaning device for cleaning wafers, characterized in that, It includes a base frame, and a conveying robot (1), a conveying rail (2), an alignment module (3) and a cleaning module fixedly installed inside the base frame; the conveying rail (2) is placed horizontally inside the base frame, starting from the position of the conveying robot (1), passing through the alignment module (3) and the cleaning module in sequence, and finally extending back to the position of the conveying robot (1); The conveying guide rail (2) is used to first convey the wafer to be cleaned by the conveying robot (1) to the alignment module (3) for position correction, then convey the position-corrected wafer to the cleaning module for cleaning, and then send the cleaned wafer back to the conveying robot (1).

2. The fully automatic wafer cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The alignment module (3) includes an identification unit and a correction unit that are electrically connected; The identification unit is used to identify the location of the wafer to be cleaned; The correction unit is used to correct the position of the wafer to be cleaned.

3. The fully automated wafer cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein The cleaning module includes a plasma cleaning unit (4), an electrostatic elimination unit (5), a deionized water cleaning unit (6), and an air drying unit (7) connected in sequence.

4. The fully automated wafer cleaning apparatus according to claim 3, wherein The deionized water cleaning unit (6) includes a spraying unit, a brushing unit, and a detection unit.

5. The fully automated wafer cleaning apparatus according to claim 4, wherein The conveying robot (1) includes a robotic arm and a storage unit; the storage unit is disposed at the bottom of the robotic arm; The robotic arm is used to transport the wafers to be cleaned in the storage unit to the transfer rail (2), and to transport the cleaned wafers to be cleaned on the transfer rail (2) back to the storage unit.

6. The fully automated wafer cleaning apparatus according to claim 5, wherein The fully automated wafer cleaning equipment also includes an operation panel disposed outside the base frame; the operation panel is electrically connected to the conveying robot, the conveying guide rail, the alignment module and the cleaning module respectively.

7. A wafer cleaning method, characterized in that, The fully automated wafer cleaning equipment described in claim 6 is used to clean wafers, comprising: The transfer robot (1) is controlled to transport the wafer to be cleaned onto the transfer guide rail (2); The wafer to be cleaned is transported to the alignment module (3) using the transport rail (2), and the alignment module (3) performs position correction on the wafer to be cleaned. The position-corrected wafer to be cleaned is transported to the cleaning module using the conveyor rail (2); The cleaning module cleans the wafer to be cleaned after position correction. After the cleaned wafer is transported to the location of the transfer robot (1) using the transfer rail (2), the transfer robot (1) is controlled to transport the cleaned wafer back to the storage unit from the transfer rail (2).

8. The wafer cleaning method of claim 7, wherein The cleaning module cleans the wafer to be cleaned, including: The position-corrected wafer is subjected to plasma cleaning by the plasma cleaning unit (4); The electrostatic elimination unit (5) is used to eliminate static electricity from the plasma-cleaned wafer. The wafer after static electricity is eliminated is cleaned with water through the deionized water cleaning unit (6); The water-washed wafers are dried by the air-drying unit (7).

9. The wafer cleaning method according to claim 8, wherein, The deionized water cleaning unit (6) performs water cleaning on the electrostatically neutralized wafer, including: Obtain contaminant distribution information on the wafer surface after electrostatic discharge; Based on the pollutant distribution information, determine the location, type, and concentration of pollutants on the wafer surface after electrostatic discharge; Based on the location, type, and concentration of the contaminants, the cleaning parameters or cleaning method are adjusted to perform targeted cleaning on the wafer after static electricity elimination.

10. The wafer cleaning method of claim 9, wherein, Based on the location, type, and concentration of the contaminants, the cleaning parameters or cleaning method are adjusted to perform targeted cleaning on the wafer after electrostatic discharge, including: Determine preliminary cleaning parameters and cleaning methods corresponding to the location, type, and concentration of the contaminants to perform preliminary cleaning on the wafer after static electricity elimination; During the initial cleaning, real-time cleaning status data of the wafer surface after static electricity elimination is acquired to determine the corresponding cleaning effect. Based on the cleaning effect, the cleaning parameters or the cleaning method are adjusted to achieve targeted cleaning of the wafer after static electricity elimination.

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