A fully automatic semiconductor wafer cleaning equipment

Abstract

This invention discloses a fully automated semiconductor wafer cleaning device, including a housing and a chemical immersion cleaning mechanism, a feeding conveyor mechanism, a discharging conveyor mechanism, a gripping and inserting loading mechanism, a gripping and extracting unloading mechanism, a spray pre-cleaning mechanism, a spray rinsing mechanism, and a drying mechanism disposed on the housing. The chemical immersion cleaning mechanism includes a chemical immersion tank and a slot rotor rotatably disposed therein. Multiple sets of wafer insertion slots are formed on the outer periphery of the slot rotor. The slot rotor rotates intermittently in the chemical immersion tank, immersing each set of wafers sequentially into the chemical agent. The slot rotor is equipped with an anti-detachment rotation mechanism, which locks the wafer and drives it to rotate when it is immersed in the agent, and unlocks it when it rotates out of the liquid surface. This invention organically combines tank-type immersion cleaning with belt-type continuous conveying, realizing fully automated, high-efficiency, and high-cleanliness wafer cleaning, and has the advantages of thorough cleaning, continuous operation, low water consumption, and compact structure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of wafer cleaning technology, and specifically discloses a fully automated semiconductor wafer cleaning device. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor chip manufacturing, cleaning is a core process that runs throughout the entire process, and its quality directly affects the yield, performance, and reliability of the devices. Statistics show that cleaning accounts for 30% to 40% of the entire wafer manufacturing process. Therefore, efficient and high-cleanliness wafer cleaning equipment has become crucial for ensuring chip yield.

[0003] Currently, semiconductor wafer cleaning equipment is mainly divided into two categories according to the process flow: tank-type immersion cleaning equipment and belt conveyor cleaning equipment. Tank-type immersion cleaning equipment involves placing multiple wafers in baskets or carriers and immersing them sequentially into multiple tanks containing chemical reagents and high-purity water. While this type of cleaning equipment achieves batch cleaning of wafers with high efficiency, it still has significant limitations: First, multiple wafers sharing the same cleaning tank easily leads to cross-contamination between wafers and contamination transfer between batches; second, particle removal capacity is poorly controlled, making it difficult to meet the stringent requirements of advanced processes for micro-contaminants; third, its offline batch operation mode is difficult to integrate with online continuous production lines, affecting the overall production cycle.

[0004] Belt conveyor cleaning equipment utilizes conveyor belts or chain conveyors to carry wafers sequentially through various cleaning stations, performing cleaning operations such as spraying and brushing during continuous transport. This type of equipment enables continuous assembly line operation and avoids the cross-contamination problems caused by multiple wafers sharing a common tank in trough-type equipment. However, belt conveyor cleaning equipment also has inherent drawbacks: First, to ensure cleaning effectiveness, belt cleaning equipment requires multiple rows of spray heads along the conveyor path for continuous spraying, resulting in high pure water consumption; second, existing belt cleaning equipment mostly only has spray cleaning functions and lacks deep cleaning methods such as chemical immersion and megasonic cleaning, resulting in relatively limited cleaning capabilities and difficulty in effectively cleaning stubborn impurities on the wafer surface; third, the conveyor belt covers a large area of ​​the lower surface of the wafer, resulting in the lower surface not being effectively cleaned, creating cleaning dead zones; fourth, the equipment occupies a large area, and the longer the conveyor belt path, the more cleanroom space it takes up.

[0005] In summary, immersion tank cleaning equipment boasts strong cleaning capabilities and high capacity, but suffers from drawbacks such as a high risk of cross-contamination and difficulty in integrating with continuous production lines. Belt conveyor cleaning equipment enables continuous operation and avoids cross-contamination, but is hampered by difficulties in cleaning the lower surface, high water consumption, large footprint, and limited cleaning methods. Both types of cleaning equipment have their advantages and disadvantages, but currently, no single device can organically combine the deep cleaning capabilities of immersion tank cleaning with the continuous and low-contamination advantages of belt conveyor cleaning. Therefore, this application provides a fully automated semiconductor wafer cleaning device, aiming to organically combine the deep cleaning capabilities of immersion tank cleaning with the continuous advantages of belt conveyor cleaning. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to address the technical problems of existing semiconductor wafer cleaning equipment, such as the high risk of cross-contamination and difficulty in connecting with continuous production lines in tank-type immersion cleaning equipment, and the difficulties in cleaning the lower surface, large water consumption, large footprint, and limited cleaning methods in belt conveyor cleaning equipment. The invention provides a fully automated semiconductor wafer cleaning equipment that can effectively solve the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0007] This invention is achieved through the following technical solution: A fully automated semiconductor wafer cleaning device includes a housing, and further includes a reagent immersion cleaning mechanism, a feeding conveying mechanism, a discharging conveying mechanism, a gripping and inserting loading mechanism, a gripping and extracting unloading mechanism, a spray pre-cleaning mechanism, a spray rinsing mechanism, and a drying mechanism. Wherein: A chemical immersion mechanism is provided at one end of the housing. The chemical immersion mechanism includes a chemical immersion tank and a slot rotor rotatably disposed in the chemical immersion tank. Multiple sets of wafer insertion slots for accommodating wafers are evenly opened on the outer periphery of the slot rotor. The slot rotor rotates intermittently in the chemical immersion tank to immerse the wafers in each set of wafer insertion slots into the chemical agent in sequence. The slot rotor is also equipped with an anti-detachment rotation mechanism, which is used to lock the wafer in the wafer insertion slot when the wafer insertion slot rotates into the lower end of the chemical immersion tank, and to release the locking of the wafer when the wafer insertion slot rotates out of the upper end of the chemical immersion tank; the anti-detachment rotation mechanism is also used to drive the wafer to rotate at a set work station; The feeding conveyor and the discharging conveyor are respectively located on both sides of the other end of the box base; A gripping and inserting feeding mechanism is located between the feeding conveyor mechanism and one side of the slot rotor, and is used to transfer the wafer on the feeding conveyor mechanism and insert it vertically into the wafer insertion slot on the slot rotor. A gripping and unloading mechanism is located between the discharge conveying mechanism and the slot rotor on the other side, and is used to transfer the wafer in the wafer insertion slot and place it horizontally on the discharge conveying mechanism. A pre-spray cleaning mechanism is installed on the feeding and conveying mechanism to pre-spray clean the wafers during the conveying process, so as to reduce the consumption of subsequent chemical agents. A spray rinsing mechanism is installed on the discharge conveying mechanism and near one end of the slot rotor, and is used to spray rinse the immersed wafers. A drying mechanism, located on the discharge conveying mechanism and at one end away from the slot rotor, is used to dry the wafers after spray rinsing.

[0008] As a specific design of the above scheme, the slot rotor includes a horizontal columnar drum, and each group of wafer insertion slots is distributed in a ring array along the outer circumference of the drum, and each group of wafer insertion slots is arranged in rows at equal intervals along the axial direction of the drum.

[0009] As a specific design of the above scheme, the anti-detachment rotation mechanism includes multiple L-shaped pressing rods and a drive closed-loop groove. The multiple L-shaped pressing rods are rotatably arranged in a circular array on both ends of the drum and correspond one-to-one with each set of wafer insertion slots. One end of each L-shaped pressing rod is rotatably connected to a guide wheel, and the other end is rotatably connected to a limit roller. The drive closed-loop groove is opened on the inner walls of both ends of the reagent immersion tank. The guide wheel is embedded in the drive closed-loop groove and slides along it. The drive closed-loop groove includes a first arc segment in the upper half and a second arc segment in the lower half. The radius of the second arc segment is smaller than that of the first arc segment, and the ends of the two are connected by a diagonal line segment. When the guide wheel is in the first arc segment, the L-shaped pressing rod is in an unfolded state relative to the corresponding wafer insertion slot, which facilitates the insertion or removal of the wafer; when the guide wheel is in the second arc segment, the L-shaped pressing rod is in a closed state relative to the corresponding wafer insertion slot, in order to limit the wafer from falling. The limiting roller is used to engage with a rotary power source located on the reagent immersion tank at a set work position, so as to rotate under the drive of the rotary power source, thereby driving a set of wafers to rotate.

[0010] As a specific design of the above scheme, the reagent immersion mechanism also includes a wafer flexible brushing assembly. The wafer flexible brushing assembly includes a rotating adjusting rod rotatably disposed in the reagent immersion tank and a row of brush strips fixedly connected to the rotating adjusting rod. The brush strips are provided with flexible bristles on both sides facing the two corresponding wafers. One end of the rotating adjusting rod is connected to an adjusting power source, which is used to drive the rotating adjusting rod to rotate between the avoidance position and the working position.

[0011] As a specific design of the above scheme, the feeding conveying mechanism includes a first conveying seat and a first belt conveying assembly disposed within the first conveying seat, and the discharging conveying mechanism includes a second conveying seat and a second belt conveying assembly disposed within the second conveying seat.

[0012] As a specific design of the above scheme, the first belt conveyor assembly and the second belt conveyor assembly have the same structure, both of which adopt an alternating arrangement of narrow conveyor belts and wide conveyor belts. The narrow conveyor belt is used to support the two side edges of the wafer so that the central area of ​​the lower surface of the wafer is suspended and exposed, and the wide conveyor belt is used to support the central area of ​​the lower surface of the wafer so that the two side areas of the lower surface of the wafer are suspended and exposed.

[0013] As a specific design of the above scheme, the spray pre-cleaning mechanism includes a first delivery pump and a first spray pipe connected to the liquid outlet end of the first delivery pump. The first spray pipe is arranged in sections above and below the first belt conveyor assembly for spraying the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer. The spray rinsing mechanism includes a second delivery pump and a second spray pipe connected to the liquid outlet of the second delivery pump. The second spray pipe is arranged in sections above and below the second belt conveyor assembly for spraying the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer.

[0014] As a specific design of the above scheme, the drying mechanism includes a hot air blower and an air outlet pipe connected to the air outlet end of the hot air blower. The air outlet pipe is located at the end of the conveying path of the material conveying mechanism, and the air outlet pipe includes an upper air outlet section and a lower air outlet section for hot air drying of the wafer from the upper and lower directions respectively.

[0015] As a specific design of the above scheme, the gripping and inserting feeding mechanism and the gripping and extracting unloading mechanism have the same structure, both including a groove beam arranged along the conveying direction, a lead screw rotatably arranged in the slide groove of the groove beam, a lead screw power source connected to one end of the lead screw, and a lead screw nut block arranged in the slide groove to cooperate with the lead screw. The outer end of the lead screw nut block is connected to a movable seat, and a telescopic cylinder is arranged on the movable seat. The telescopic end of the telescopic cylinder is connected to a rotary cylinder, and the rotary output end of the rotary cylinder is connected to a clamping cylinder. The output end of the clamping cylinder is provided with a clamp for clamping the wafer.

[0016] As a specific design of the above scheme, a feeding chute is provided on one side of the end of the feeding conveying mechanism, and a pushing cylinder is provided on the feeding conveying mechanism on the opposite side of the feeding chute. The pushing cylinder is used to push the cleaned and dried wafers into the feeding chute.

[0017] This invention divides the fully automated wafer cleaning process into three major stages: pre-cleaning before feeding, deep immersion in chemicals, and rinsing and drying after discharge. Each stage is seamlessly connected by the intermittent rotation of the slot rotor and the continuous conveying of the conveying mechanism, forming a complete process link from wafer loading to wafer discharge after cleaning.

[0018] This invention abandons the traditional belt cleaning method that relies on multiple rows of spray heads continuously spraying along the conveyor path. Instead, it uses a slot rotor to carry wafers, which are sequentially immersed in a chemical cleaning tank for immersion cleaning. This ensures full contact between the chemical agents and the wafer surface. Combined with an anti-detachment rotation mechanism on the slot rotor, the wafers are automatically locked and rotated as they are immersed in the chemical solution, enabling batch immersion cleaning of multiple wafers. This maintains the excellent cleaning effect of the tank cleaning method while avoiding the risk of cross-contamination from multiple wafers sharing the same cleaning tank. Simultaneously, the feeding and discharging conveyors act as bridges connecting wafer loading and unloading, respectively cooperating with the gripping and insertion loading mechanism and the gripping and extraction unloading mechanism. This allows for automatic switching between horizontal conveying and vertical insertion postures, enabling wafers to be inserted into the slot rotor in an upright state for immersion cleaning. This significantly saves space in the chemical cleaning tank, making the overall equipment structure more compact.

[0019] Furthermore, both the feeding and discharging conveyors employ an alternating design of narrow and wide conveyor belts, ensuring that the lower surface of the wafer is exposed without obstruction during transport. This allows the spray liquid from below to directly wash the lower surface of the wafer during the pre-cleaning and rinsing stages, completely solving the technical problem of cleaning dead zones caused by the large-area coverage of the wafer's lower surface by traditional conveyor belts. In summary, this invention, through the aforementioned systematic structural design, organically integrates the continuous operation capability of belt conveyor cleaning equipment with the deep cleaning capability of immersion tank cleaning equipment into a single device.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: The fully automatic semiconductor wafer cleaning equipment disclosed in this invention organically integrates the reagent immersion mechanism and the conveying mechanism into the same equipment. Multiple wafers are immersed and cleaned in turn by the intermittent rotation of the slot rotor. With the help of the feeding conveying mechanism and the discharging conveying mechanism, continuous automatic loading and unloading is achieved. Thus, it has the dual advantages of tank cleaning and belt cleaning. At the same time, the whole equipment has a compact structure and a small footprint.

[0021] The chemical immersion cleaning mechanism of this invention uses a slotted rotor to carry wafers, which are then sequentially immersed in chemical agents for deep cleaning. An anti-detachment rotation mechanism locks the wafers during immersion and drives them to rotate at a designated position, significantly improving cleaning effectiveness and efficiency. Furthermore, the integration of a megasonic transducer and a flexible brush assembly further enhances the ability to remove stubborn particles.

[0022] The feeding and discharging mechanisms of this invention employ alternating narrow and wide conveyor belts, ensuring unobstructed exposure of the wafer's lower surface during transport. This, combined with bottom-up spraying, achieves thorough cleaning of the lower surface, solving the technical problem of blind spots caused by traditional conveyor belts covering the lower surface. Simultaneously, pre-cleaning via spraying reduces the consumption of subsequent chemical agents. Furthermore, the gripping and insertion feeding mechanism and the gripping and extraction unloading mechanism enable automatic attitude conversion between horizontal transport and vertical insertion of the wafer, achieving continuous, streamlined wafer transport operations. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the external three-dimensional structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the present invention after the cover is removed; Figure 3 This is a top view of the structure of the present invention after the cover is removed; Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the medicine immersion and washing mechanism in this invention; Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the medicinal soaking tank and its auxiliary components in this invention. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional planar structure of the slot rotor in this invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the internal planar structure of the medicine immersion and washing mechanism in this invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the L-shaped pressing rod, the limiting roller, etc. in this invention; Figure 9 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the gripping and inserting feeding mechanism of the present invention from a first angle; Figure 10 This is a two-dimensional structural diagram of the gripping and inserting feeding mechanism in this invention from a second angle; Figure 11 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the feeding and conveying mechanism and the spray pre-cleaning mechanism in this invention; Figure 12 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the material conveying mechanism and the spray rinsing mechanism in this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0026] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. The following will refer to the appendix... Figures 1-12 This application will be described in detail with reference to the embodiments.

[0027] Example 1 Example 1 discloses a fully automated semiconductor wafer cleaning device, such as... Figures 1-3 As shown, the equipment includes a housing 10, with a chemical immersion mechanism 20 disposed on the right end of the upper surface of the housing 10. A feeding conveyor 30 and a discharging conveyor 40 are respectively disposed at the front and rear ends on the left side of the chemical immersion mechanism 20. A spray pre-cleaning mechanism 50 is disposed on the feeding conveyor 30 for pre-cleaning during the wafer feeding process; a spray rinsing mechanism 60 and a drying mechanism 70 are sequentially disposed along the conveying direction on the discharging conveyor 40, with the spray rinsing mechanism 60 located at the end closer to the chemical immersion mechanism 20, and the drying mechanism 70 located at the end farther away from the chemical immersion mechanism 20.

[0028] A gripping and inserting feeding mechanism 80a and a gripping and extracting unloading mechanism 80b are respectively provided on the front and rear sides of the chemical immersion mechanism 20. The gripping and inserting feeding mechanism 80a is used to transfer and insert the wafers that have been pre-cleaned at the end of the feeding conveyor mechanism 30 into the chemical immersion mechanism 20; the gripping and extracting unloading mechanism 80b is used to extract the chemically immersed wafers from the chemical immersion mechanism 20 and transfer them to the starting section of the discharge conveyor mechanism 40.

[0029] In addition, the upper surface of the housing 10 is covered by a cover 90, which isolates the fully automated wafer cleaning process from the external environment. This prevents dust contamination of the wafers from the external environment and also prevents cleaning fluid and chemicals from splashing or evaporating and leaking during the cleaning process. A controller 91 is installed on the cover 90. The controller 91 is electrically connected to the various power sources, delivery pumps, hot air blowers, and other actuators in the equipment, and is used to coordinate and control the entire machine to operate automatically according to a preset sequence.

[0030] like Figure 4As shown, the core of the chemical immersion mechanism 20 lies in the chemical immersion tank 21 and the slot rotor 22 rotatably mounted inside it. One end of the slot rotor 22 is shaft-connected to a power source 23 fixed to the outer end face of the chemical immersion tank 21. The power source 23 is preferably a servo motor with a reducer, used to drive the slot rotor 22 to rotate intermittently at a fixed angle in the chemical immersion tank 21. That is, after each station of immersion is completed, the drum 221 rotates by a fixed angle to send the next set of wafers 100 to be immersed into the chemical agent, while rotating out the wafers that have been immersed, thus realizing continuous cycle immersion operation.

[0031] like Figures 6-8 As shown, the slot rotor 22 includes a horizontal cylindrical drum 221. Each end of the drum 221 has an end shaft 222 at its center. The end shafts 222 are rotatably connected to bearings at the upper ends of the end faces of the reagent immersion tank 21, and one end shaft 222 is connected to a power source 23. The outer circumference of the drum 221 has 4 to 8 sets of wafer insertion slots 223 arranged in a ring array. Each set of wafer insertion slots 223 is arranged at equal intervals along the axial direction of the drum 221 to accommodate multiple wafers for parallel immersion in an upright position.

[0032] To ensure reliable positioning and prevent wafer 100 from falling off during immersion and rotation, L-shaped pressure rods 224, corresponding one-to-one with each set of wafer insertion slots 223, are circumferentially and uniformly rotatably connected to both ends of the drum 221. The turning points of the L-shaped pressure rods 224 are rotatably connected to the end face of the drum 221 via pins. A guide wheel 225 is rotatably connected to the end near the end shaft 222, and a limiting roller 226 located on the periphery of the drum 221 is rotatably connected between the other two ends away from the end shaft 222. This limiting roller 226 is made of engineering plastic and covered with a rubber layer, which not only prevents scratches on the wafer but also provides sufficient friction to drive the wafer's rotation when in contact with the wafer edge.

[0033] like Figure 5 and Figure 8As shown, the inner walls at both ends of the reagent immersion tank 21 (i.e., the tank walls corresponding to the axial direction of the slot rotor 22) are provided with drive closed-loop grooves 24 centered on the end shaft 222. The guide wheels 225 at the ends of all L-shaped pressure rods 224 on the slot rotor 22 are embedded in the corresponding drive closed-loop grooves 24 and slide along them. The drive closed-loop groove 24 includes a first arc segment 241 in the upper half and a second arc segment 242 in the lower half. The radius of the second arc segment 242 is smaller than that of the first arc segment 241, and the ends of the two are smoothly connected by a slanted line segment 243. When the guide wheel 225 runs along the first arc segment 241 (i.e., the corresponding wafer insertion slot 223 is in the upper half of the drum 221), the L-shaped pressing rod 224 rotates outward around the pin axis, causing the limiting roller 226 to move away from the opening of the wafer insertion slot 223 and be in an unfolded state, at which time the wafer can be freely inserted or pulled out; when the guide wheel 225 transitions from the inclined line segment 243 to the second arc segment 242 (i.e., the corresponding wafer insertion slot 223 rotates into the area below the lower half of the drum 221), the L-shaped pressing rod 224 rotates inward around the pin axis, driving the limiting roller 226 to move closer to the opening of the wafer insertion slot 223, restricting the wafer in the wafer insertion slot.

[0034] A megasonic transducer 27 is installed on the bottom wall of the chemical immersion tank 21. The megasonic transducer 27 is connected to a megasonic generator (not shown in the figure) via wires. During the chemical immersion process, the megasonic transducer 27 generates high-frequency megasonic energy and conducts it into the chemical agent. Utilizing the cavitation effect and acoustic flow effect of megasonic waves, the microbubbles in the chemical agent are excited to generate strong micro-jets and shock waves, which can effectively remove submicron-level particulate contaminants on the wafer surface and significantly improve the cleaning effect of the chemical agent.

[0035] Furthermore, a first rotary power source 26 is provided on the outer end face of the reagent immersion tank 21 at the bottom set of wafer insertion slots 223 on the corresponding drum 221. An active transmission component 261, which is sealed and rotatably extends into the reagent immersion tank 21, is connected to the output shaft of the first rotary power source 26. A driven transmission component 227, which cooperates with the active transmission component 261, is fixedly connected to the end of each limiting roller 226. When the slot rotor 22 rotates intermittently to a specific angle, aligning the driven transmission component 227 at the end of a certain set of limiting rollers 226 with the active transmission component 261, the rotational power of the first rotary power source 26 can be transmitted to the limiting roller 226 through the coupling of the active transmission component 261 and the driven transmission component 227, driving the limiting roller 226 to rotate at a set speed. In specific designs, the coupling method between the active transmission component 261 and the driven transmission component 227 can be magnetic coupling or gear transmission made of engineering plastic. When the limiting roller 226 rotates, the wafer supported by it rotates along with it under the drive of friction, causing the wafer surface to form relative flow in the chemical agent, eliminating the concentration boundary layer effect, and accelerating the chemical reaction and particle desorption.

[0036] like Figure 3 , Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, the gripping and inserting feeding mechanism 80a and the gripping and extracting unloading mechanism 80b have the same structure. The following description uses the gripping and inserting feeding mechanism 80a as an example. It includes a slotted beam 801 arranged along the conveying direction of the feeding conveyor 30. A lead screw 802 extending along the length of the slotted beam 801 is rotatably disposed in a groove on the slotted beam 801. One end of the lead screw 802 is connected to a lead screw power source 803 located at the outer end of the slotted beam 801. A lead screw nut block 804, threadedly engaged with the lead screw 802, is disposed in the groove of the slotted beam 801. A movable seat 805 is fixedly connected to the outer end of the lead screw nut block 804 extending out of the groove. The movable seat 805 is provided with a telescopic cylinder 806 that extends and retracts in a direction perpendicular to the slot beam 801. The telescopic end of the telescopic cylinder 806 is connected to a rotary cylinder 807. The rotary output end of the rotary cylinder 807 is connected to a clamping cylinder 808. The clamping cylinder 808 is located in the area between the feeding conveyor mechanism 30 and the slot rotor 22. The output end of the clamping cylinder 808 is provided with a clamp 809 for clamping the edge of the wafer.

[0037] When the pre-cleaned wafer 100 is conveyed to the end of the feeding conveyor 30, the clamping cylinder 808 drives the clamping device 809 to clamp and grab the wafer. The telescopic cylinder 806 then retracts to remove the wafer from the conveyor belt, and then, driven by the lead screw 802, it moves linearly along the slot beam 801 towards the slot rotor 22. During the movement, the rotary cylinder 807 rotates 90°, switching the wafer from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture identical to the wafer insertion slot 223. When it moves to the corresponding wafer insertion slot 223, the telescopic cylinder 806 extends, inserting the wafer into the wafer insertion slot 223, completing the loading. The above actions are driven sequentially by the controller 91 according to a preset timing sequence, realizing the fully automatic sequential insertion of a set of wafer insertion slots 223.

[0038] Similarly, when the gripping and unloading mechanism 80b is running, the gripper 809 first extends into the slot rotor 22 to pull the wafer out of the wafer insertion slot 223. The telescopic cylinder 806 retracts to pull out the wafer, and the screw drive moves it to the side of the discharge conveying mechanism 40. During the movement, the rotary cylinder 807 rotates 90° to switch the wafer to a horizontal position. After reaching the starting section of the discharge conveying mechanism 40, the telescopic cylinder 806 extends to accurately place the wafer on the discharge conveying mechanism 40, completing the unloading.

[0039] like Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 11As shown, the feeding and conveying mechanism 30 includes a first conveying seat 31 disposed on the upper surface of the housing 10. Inside the first conveying seat 31 is a first belt conveyor assembly 32 for uniformly conveying wafers. The first belt conveyor assembly 32 adopts a segmented design, including three axles 321 arranged sequentially along the conveying direction. One end of the middle axle 321 is connected to a conveying power source 322, and both ends of the axle 321 are provided with narrow belt pulleys 323. A wide belt pulley 324 is disposed between two narrow belt pulleys 323. Narrow belt pulleys 323 are correspondingly disposed on the axle 321 away from the reagent immersion tank 21, and the two sets of narrow belt pulleys 323 are connected by a narrow conveyor belt 325 disposed at the side end. Wide belt pulleys 324 are correspondingly disposed on the axle 321 closer to the reagent immersion tank 21, and the two wide belt pulleys 324 are connected by a wide conveyor belt 326.

[0040] The first belt conveyor assembly 32 adopts the aforementioned design of alternating support between a narrow conveyor belt 325 and a wide conveyor belt 326. This design ensures that during transport, the lower surface of the wafer is supported by the narrow conveyor belt 325 and the wide conveyor belt 326 in different sections. When the wafer is in the narrow conveyor belt 325 section, its central area is suspended and exposed; when it is in the wide conveyor belt 326 section, its two side areas are suspended and exposed. This design allows the lower surface of the wafer to receive unobstructed, bottom-up spray rinsing throughout the entire transport process, solving the industry problem of traditional conveyor belts completely covering the lower surface of the wafer, making cleaning impossible.

[0041] The pre-cleaning spray mechanism 50 includes a first delivery pump 51. The inlet of the first delivery pump 51 is connected to an external pure water source, and the outlet is connected to two first spray pipes 52. One of the first spray pipes 52 is positioned directly above the narrow conveyor belts 325 and is used to pre-clean the upper surface of the wafer from top to bottom. The other first spray pipe 52 extends directly below the narrow conveyor belts 325 and directly below both sides of the wide conveyor belts 326, and is used to spray clean the central and side areas of the lower surface of the wafer from bottom to top, respectively, to achieve synchronous and full-coverage pre-cleaning. In addition, both ends of the first conveyor seat 31 are sealed with partitions to form a liquid receiving tank inside, which collects the wastewater after spraying and discharges it through the first drain pipe 53 connected to the bottom of the first conveyor seat 31.

[0042] like Figure 12As shown, the discharge conveying mechanism 40 includes a second conveyor seat 41 disposed on the upper surface of the housing 10. Inside the second conveyor seat 41 is a second belt conveyor assembly 42 for uniformly conveying wafers. The second belt conveyor assembly 42 also adopts the same segmented design as the first belt conveyor assembly 32, using a narrow conveyor belt 325 and a wide conveyor belt 326 to alternately support the wafers, allowing the lower surface of the wafers to be exposed sequentially during transport, so that the spray rinsing mechanism 60 can thoroughly rinse the lower surface with ultrapure water. A discharge chute 43 extending from the cover 90 is disposed on one side of the end of the second conveyor seat 41. A pusher cylinder 44 is disposed on the second conveyor seat 41 opposite the discharge chute 43. When the cleaned and dried wafers are conveyed to a position aligned with the discharge chute 43, the pusher cylinder 44 extends and pushes them into the discharge chute 43 to complete the discharge.

[0043] The structure of the spray rinsing mechanism 60 is basically the same as that of the spray pre-cleaning mechanism 50, including a second delivery pump 61. The inlet end of the second delivery pump 61 is connected to an external ultrapure water source, and the outlet end is connected to two second spray pipes 62, which perform final rinsing on the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer from both top and bottom directions to remove residual chemicals and impurities. Similarly, the two ends of the second delivery seat 41 are sealed with partitions to form liquid receiving tanks, and the liquid is discharged centrally through the second drain pipe 63 at the bottom.

[0044] The drying mechanism 70 includes a hot air blower 71 located outside the enclosure 90. The air inlet of the hot air blower 71 is equipped with a filter to filter the incoming air and ensure the cleanliness of the hot air. The air outlet of the hot air blower 71 is connected to an air outlet pipe 72 extending from the end of the second conveyor seat 41. The air outlet pipe 72 is divided into upper and lower sections, which dry the wafer 100 during the conveying process with hot air from the upper and lower directions respectively, ensuring that the surface of the wafer is completely dry when it is discharged.

[0045] Example 2 Example 2 discloses a fully automatic semiconductor wafer cleaning device that is further optimized and improved based on the technical solution of Example 1. It adds a flexible wafer brushing component 25 inside the chemical immersion mechanism 20, which is used to further physically brush the surface of the wafer 100 after the megasonic chemical immersion is completed, so as to remove stubborn particles and impurities with strong adhesion.

[0046] like Figure 5 , Figure 7 and Figure 9As shown, the flexible wafer cleaning assembly 25 is located at the next station after the mega-sonic cleaning station. It includes a rotating adjustment rod 251 that is rotatably mounted in the chemical immersion tank 21 and parallel to the slot rotor 22. A row of equally spaced brush strips 253 is fixedly connected to the rotating adjustment rod 251. Each brush strip 253 is located in the gap between two adjacent wafer slots 223 in a corresponding row of wafer slots 223. The two sides of the brush strips 253 facing the wafer slots 223 are densely covered with a large number of flexible bristles 254.

[0047] One end of the rotating adjustment rod 251 is connected to an adjustment power source 252 disposed on the outer end face of the reagent immersion tank 21. The adjustment power source 252 is preferably a servo motor with a reducer, used to precisely control the rotation angle of the rotating adjustment rod 251. When the slot rotor 22 is in the intermittent rotation indexing stage, the adjustment power source 252 drives the rotating adjustment rod 251 to rotate to the clearance position, causing the brush bar 253 and its flexible bristles 254 to swing away from the wafer insertion slot 223, thereby clearing the rotation path of the wafer assembly.

[0048] Once the slot rotor 22 has completed its rotation and a set of wafer insertion slots 223 has precisely reached the brushing station and come to rest, the power source 252 is adjusted to drive the rotating adjusting rod 251 in the reverse direction, causing the brush strip 253 to rotate from the clearance position to the working position. At this time, the flexible bristles 254 come into contact with the surface of the wafer 100. Then, the limiting roller 226 at this position rotates at a set speed under the drive of the first rotating power source 26 (or an independently set second rotating power source), causing the same set of wafers 100 to rotate.

[0049] During wafer rotation, its entire surface moves relative to the flexible bristles 254. With the aid of chemical agents, the bristles gently sweep across the wafer surface, mechanically peeling away stubborn particles that have been loosened by megasonic cavitation but still adhere to the wafer surface. These particles are then carried away by the flowing chemicals. Finally, it should be noted that the bristles in this embodiment are made of high-purity flexible material, ensuring effective particle removal without damaging the wafer surface.

[0050] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fully automatic cleaning apparatus for semiconductor wafers, comprising a housing, characterized in that Also includes: A chemical immersion mechanism is provided at one end of the housing. The chemical immersion mechanism includes a chemical immersion tank and a slot rotor rotatably disposed in the chemical immersion tank. Multiple sets of wafer insertion slots for accommodating wafers are evenly opened on the outer periphery of the slot rotor. The slot rotor rotates intermittently in the chemical immersion tank to immerse the wafers in each set of wafer insertion slots into the chemical agent in sequence. The slot rotor is also equipped with an anti-detachment rotation mechanism, which is used to lock the wafer in the wafer insertion slot when the wafer insertion slot rotates into the lower end of the chemical immersion tank, and to release the locking of the wafer when the wafer insertion slot rotates out of the upper end of the chemical immersion tank; the anti-detachment rotation mechanism is also used to drive the wafer to rotate at a set work station; The feeding conveyor and the discharging conveyor are respectively located on both sides of the other end of the box base; A gripping and inserting feeding mechanism is located between the feeding conveyor mechanism and one side of the slot rotor, and is used to transfer the wafer on the feeding conveyor mechanism and insert it vertically into the wafer insertion slot on the slot rotor. A gripping and unloading mechanism is located between the discharge conveying mechanism and the slot rotor on the other side, and is used to transfer the wafer in the wafer insertion slot and place it horizontally on the discharge conveying mechanism. A pre-spray cleaning mechanism is installed on the feeding and conveying mechanism to pre-spray clean the wafers during the conveying process, so as to reduce the consumption of subsequent chemical agents. A spray rinsing mechanism is installed on the discharge conveying mechanism and near one end of the slot rotor, and is used to spray rinse the immersed wafers. A drying mechanism, located on the discharge conveying mechanism and at one end away from the slot rotor, is used to dry the wafers after spray rinsing.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The slot rotor includes a horizontal columnar drum, and each group of wafer insertion slots is distributed in a ring array along the outer circumference of the drum, with each group of wafer insertion slots arranged in rows at equal intervals along the axial direction of the drum.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein The anti-detachment rotation mechanism includes multiple L-shaped pressing rods and a drive closed-loop groove. The multiple L-shaped pressing rods are rotatably arranged in a circular array on both ends of the drum and correspond one-to-one with each set of wafer insertion slots. One end of each L-shaped pressing rod is rotatably connected to a guide wheel, and the other end is rotatably connected to a limit roller. The drive closed-loop groove is formed on the inner walls of both ends of the reagent immersion tank. The guide wheel is embedded in the drive closed-loop groove and slides along it. The drive closed-loop groove includes a first arc segment in the upper half and a second arc segment in the lower half. The radius of the second arc segment is smaller than that of the first arc segment, and the ends of the two are connected by a diagonal line segment. When the guide wheel is in the first arc segment, the L-shaped pressing rod is in an unfolded state relative to the corresponding wafer insertion slot, which facilitates the insertion or removal of the wafer; when the guide wheel is in the second arc segment, the L-shaped pressing rod is in a closed state relative to the corresponding wafer insertion slot, in order to limit the wafer from falling. The limiting roller is used to engage with a rotary power source located on the reagent immersion tank at a set work position, so as to rotate under the drive of the rotary power source, thereby driving a set of wafers to rotate.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein The reagent immersion mechanism also includes a wafer flexible brushing assembly, which includes a rotating adjusting rod rotatably disposed in the reagent immersion tank and a row of brush strips fixedly connected to the rotating adjusting rod. The brush strips are provided with flexible bristles on both sides facing the two corresponding wafers. One end of the rotating adjusting rod is connected to an adjusting power source, which is used to drive the rotating adjusting rod to rotate between the avoidance position and the working position.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The feeding conveying mechanism includes a first conveying seat and a first belt conveying assembly disposed within the first conveying seat, and the discharging conveying mechanism includes a second conveying seat and a second belt conveying assembly disposed within the second conveying seat.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein The first belt conveyor assembly and the second belt conveyor assembly have the same structure, both using alternating narrow and wide conveyor belts. The narrow conveyor belt is used to support the two sides of the wafer so that the central area of ​​the lower surface of the wafer is suspended and exposed, and the wide conveyor belt is used to support the central area of ​​the lower surface of the wafer so that the two sides of the lower surface of the wafer are suspended and exposed.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein The spray pre-cleaning mechanism includes a first delivery pump and a first spray pipe connected to the liquid outlet of the first delivery pump. The first spray pipe is arranged in sections above and below the first belt conveyor assembly for spraying the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer. The spray rinsing mechanism includes a second delivery pump and a second spray pipe connected to the liquid outlet of the second delivery pump. The second spray pipe is arranged in sections above and below the second belt conveyor assembly for spraying the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein The drying mechanism includes a hot air blower and an air outlet pipe connected to the air outlet end of the hot air blower. The air outlet pipe is located at the end of the conveying path of the material conveying mechanism, and the air outlet pipe includes an upper air outlet section and a lower air outlet section for hot air drying of the wafer from the upper and lower directions, respectively.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The gripping and inserting feeding mechanism and the gripping and extracting unloading mechanism have the same structure, both including a groove beam arranged along the conveying direction, a lead screw rotatably arranged in a slide groove of the groove beam, a lead screw power source connected to one end of the lead screw, and a lead screw nut block arranged in the slide groove to cooperate with the lead screw. The outer end of the lead screw nut block is connected to a movable seat, and a telescopic cylinder is arranged on the movable seat. The telescopic end of the telescopic cylinder is connected to a rotary cylinder, and the rotary output end of the rotary cylinder is connected to a clamping cylinder. The output end of the clamping cylinder is provided with a clamp for clamping the wafer.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein A discharge chute is provided on one side of the end of the discharge conveying mechanism, and a pusher cylinder is provided on the discharge conveying mechanism on the opposite side of the discharge chute. The pusher cylinder is used to push the cleaned and dried wafers into the discharge chute.

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