Wafer cleaning and drying apparatus

Abstract

The application discloses wafer cleaning and drying equipment and belongs to the technical field of wafer cleaning equipment. The equipment comprises a shielding annular plate, a lifting rotating frame table and a gas and liquid supply assembly which are arranged on a wafer cleaning table. The gas and liquid supply assembly comprises a flow guide column, a flexible flow guide plate and a plurality of linear drive assemblies. The flow guide column passes through a connecting cylinder to form an annular gas flow cavity. The flow guide column is connected with the lifting rotating frame table. The plurality of linear drive assemblies are circumferentially arranged on the side of the flow guide column, and the driving ends of the linear drive assemblies are located at the bottom of the flow guide column. The outer arc edges of the plurality of inner flow guide arc plates are fixedly connected with the inner arc edges of an outer flow guide arc ring. The driving ends of each linear drive assembly are located between two inner flow guide arc plates, are hingedly connected with the outer flow guide arc ring and are drivingly connected with the flow guide column through a connecting rod assembly. The equipment optimizes the structure of the gas supply related components, provides adaptive gas states in different cleaning and drying links, effectively solves the problem of washing liquid retention of large wafers with small patterns and improves the cleaning and drying effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of wafer cleaning equipment technology, specifically wafer cleaning and drying equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Based on the substrate processing method in patent document CN101359584B and other related prior art, the typical process of wafer cleaning and drying is as follows: after wet processing (chemical cleaning), a low surface tension solvent (isopropyl alcohol IPA) is supplied to the rotating wafer surface to replace the rinsing solution, followed by drying through high-speed rotation or airflow purging. To prevent water spots or pattern collapse due to Marangoni convection during drying, existing technologies often employ a shielding component to form a narrow gap space with the wafer surface, and separately set a central high-speed, low-flow-rate gas nozzle and an outer annular low-speed, high-flow-rate gas nozzle to maintain an inert environment, isolate oxygen, and assist solvent spreading. This solution, by controlling the wafer rotation speed, first decelerates to form an immersion-like liquid film, and then accelerates to expand the replacement area, effectively reducing IPA usage and suppressing localized drying defects.

[0003] However, as wafer sizes increase and pattern feature nodes shrink (e.g., below 5nm), the aforementioned gas supply methods reveal significant drawbacks: the low-velocity, high-flow-rate gas generated by the outer annular nozzle struggles to form a uniform and controllable gas flow assist layer within the radial range of large-sized wafers. This results in a lack of effective gas flow driving force for the low-surface-tension solvent to spread from the center to the edge, easily leading to inconsistent solvent front spreading and premature drying in certain areas. Particularly with small pattern nodes, the extremely narrow gaps between lines cause the rinsing solution DIW to become trapped due to capillary effects. Centrifugal force and diffusion of the low-surface-tension solvent alone are insufficient for complete replacement. Furthermore, the existing gas ejection angle is fixed, and the flow rate distribution is uniform, resulting in trace amounts of DIW remaining at the bottom of the pattern, causing pattern collapse or water spots during subsequent high-speed rotation or thermal drying. Therefore, a gas-assisted drying method suitable for both large-sized wafers and small pattern nodes is urgently needed to simultaneously meet the process requirements of uniform spreading, complete replacement, and oxidation prevention. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a wafer cleaning and drying equipment. This equipment optimizes the structure of gas supply-related components, provides suitable gas states in different cleaning and drying stages, effectively solves the problem of rinsing fluid retention on large wafers with small patterns, and improves the cleaning and drying effect.

[0005] The technical solution of this invention is: A wafer cleaning and drying equipment includes a shielding annular plate mounted on a wafer cleaning table. The shielding annular plate is driven to lift and rotate by a lifting and rotating frame, which is connected to the shielding annular plate through a connecting cylinder. It also includes a gas and liquid supply assembly. The gas and liquid supply assembly includes a flow guide column with multiple axial liquid guide tubes, a flexible flow guide plate, and multiple linear drive components; the flow guide column passes through the connecting cylinder to form an annular airflow cavity for connecting the gas supply through an external gas supply component; the flow guide column is connected to the lifting and rotating frame; the multiple linear drive components are circumferentially arranged on the side of the flow guide column, and their drive ends are located at the bottom of the flow guide column; The flexible guide plate includes an outer guide arc ring and multiple inner guide arc plates; the outer arc edges of the multiple inner guide arc plates are fixedly connected to the inner ring edge of the outer guide arc ring; the low arc surfaces of the outer guide arc ring and the inner guide arc plates are the outer and inner sides, respectively. The driving end of each linear drive assembly is located between the two inner guide arc plates, hinged to the outer guide arc ring, and driven by the guide column through the connecting rod assembly; wherein, when the linear drive assembly drives the lifting, it drives the flexible guide plate to swing, changing the angle of the high and low arc surfaces.

[0006] Preferably, the bottom surface of the guide column is higher than the bottom surface of the blocking annular plate; the bottom surface of the flexible guide plate is flush with the bottom surface of the blocking annular plate under the drive of the linear drive assembly.

[0007] Preferably, the side of the guide column has multiple grooves with through lower ends along the axial direction, the linear drive assembly is fixedly installed in the groove, and a control plate is fixedly installed at its drive end; a rotating shaft is rotatably installed at the outer end of the control plate, and the two ends of the rotating shaft are respectively fixedly connected to the ends of two adjacent inner guide arc plates; the connecting rod assembly is respectively connected to the groove wall of the groove and the rotating shaft for transmission.

[0008] Preferably, the linkage assembly includes a first linkage and a second linkage; one end of the first linkage and the second linkage are articulated; the other end of the first linkage is hinged to the wall of the groove, and the other end of the second linkage is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft.

[0009] Preferably, the lower arc side of the inner guide plate is in contact with the lower edge of the guide column under the drive of the linear drive assembly and the connecting rod assembly.

[0010] Preferably, the height between the low arc side and the high arc side of the outer guide arc ring is 0.5mm to 2mm; the height between the low arc side and the high arc side of the inner guide arc plate is 1 / 2 of that of the outer guide arc ring.

[0011] Preferably, the external gas supply component is connected to the annular airflow cavity through a diverter component; the diverter component includes an inert gas pipe and a plurality of arc-shaped gas guide pipes connected to the other end of the inert gas pipe; the gas guide pipes are evenly arranged circumferentially, and the gas outlet port passes into the annular airflow cavity.

[0012] Preferably, the connection between the connecting cylinder and the blocking annular plate forms a transition arc surface.

[0013] Preferably, the flexible guide plate is a silicone plate.

[0014] Preferably, the guide column is eccentrically inserted through and fixed to the flushing liquid pipe and the solvent pipe along the axial direction.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: This invention proposes a wafer cleaning and drying device. This device, through the installation of a swingable flexible guide plate and a linked linear drive assembly, achieves dynamic diversion and direction adjustment of the inert gas supplied to the annular airflow chamber. In different stages such as wet processing, displacement processing, and drying processing, this invention can flexibly adjust the flow rate ratio and ejection angle of the inner and outer airflows according to process requirements. This avoids the impact and interference of high-speed airflow on the chemical solution or solvent, and provides uniform airflow assistance from the center to the edge for large wafers, solving the problem of weak solvent spread at the radial distance of large wafers.

[0016] This invention can also rapidly reciprocate through a linear drive component, causing the flexible guide plate to oscillate at high frequency, forming controllable pulse fluctuations in the inner airflow. This pulsed airflow effectively disrupts the surface tension balance of DIW (diluted water) retained in small pattern nodes (especially high aspect ratio microstructures) due to capillary effects, promoting the penetration and replacement of low surface tension solvents, significantly reducing the probability of residual DIW at the bottom of the pattern, thereby reducing pattern collapse and water spot defects caused by moisture evaporation during subsequent drying. Regardless of the airflow mode switching, the flexible guide plate always guides inert gas to uniformly fill the gap space between the shielding ring plate and the wafer, forming a stable and reliable gas seal layer, effectively isolating oxygen in the environment, preventing oxidation of wafer surface metals or sensitive materials during cleaning and drying, and ensuring wafer yield.

[0017] Furthermore, since airflow assistance improves the replacement efficiency and drying uniformity, complete replacement of DIW can be achieved at lower speeds, thereby reducing the consumption of low surface tension solvents and the mechanical stress caused by high-speed rotation. At the same time, the pulsed airflow mode can shorten the drying time of small pattern nodes and increase production capacity. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is an overall assembly drawing of the wafer cleaning and drying equipment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a front view of the overall assembly of the wafer cleaning and drying equipment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional assembly diagram of the flow guide column and the blocking annular plate of the present invention. Figure 4This is a bottom view structural diagram of the assembly structure of the guide column and the blocking annular plate of the present invention. Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional assembly diagram of the flow guide column assembly structure of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a half-sectional three-dimensional structural diagram of the assembly structure of the guide column and the blocking annular plate of the present invention. Figure 7 This is a front view of the flow guide column assembly structure of the present invention.

[0019] In the diagram: 10. Bracket; 11. Lifting platform; 12. Lead screw; 20. Rotating seat; 21. Support platform; 22. Limiting pin; 30. Wafer sample; 40. Blocking ring plate; 41. Connecting cylinder; 42. Driven gear ring; 43. Drive gear; 50. Rinsing fluid pipe; 51. Solvent pipe; 52. Inert gas pipe; 53. Gas guide pipe; 60. Guide column; 61. Electric telescopic rod; 62. Outer guide arc ring; 63. Inner guide arc plate; 64. Control board; 65. Rotating shaft; 66. Second connecting rod; 67. First connecting rod; 68. Tank. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The following is combined Figures 1 to 7 The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. In the description of the invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

[0021] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature; in the description of the invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0022] Example 1 like Figures 1 to 7 As shown, the present invention provides a wafer cleaning and drying equipment, including a blocking annular plate 40 mounted on a wafer cleaning table. The blocking annular plate 40 is driven to lift and rotate by a lifting and rotating frame, and the lifting and rotating frame is connected to the blocking annular plate 40 through a connecting cylinder 41. Further, an air and liquid supply assembly is also included. The air and liquid supply assembly comprises a flow guide column 60 having two liquid guide pipes in the axial direction, a flexible flow guide plate and a plurality of linear drive assemblies; the liquid guide pipes include a flushing liquid pipe 50 and a solvent pipe 51; the flow guide column 60 penetrates through the connecting cylinder 41 to form an annular air flow chamber, which is used for communicating with an external air supply component to supply air; the flow guide column 60 is connected to the lifting and rotating rack; the plurality of linear drive assemblies are circumferentially arranged on the side surface of the flow guide column 60, and the driving ends thereof are located at the bottom of the flow guide column 60; The flexible flow guide plate is arranged at the lower end of the annular air flow chamber between the flow guide column 60 and the inner side wall of the connecting cylinder 41, and the flexible flow guide plate comprises an outer flow guide arc ring 62 and a plurality of inner flow guide arc plates 63; the outer arc edges of the plurality of inner flow guide arc plates 63 are fixedly connected with the inner ring edge of the outer flow guide arc ring 62, forming a double-arc ridge structure that is high in the middle and low on both sides, presenting a herringbone shape.

[0023] The driving end of each linear drive assembly is located between two inner flow guide arc plates 63, is hinged to the outer flow guide arc ring 62, and is in transmission connection with the flow guide column 60 through a link assembly; wherein, when the linear drive assembly drives to lift, it drives the flexible flow guide plate to swing, so as to change the angles of the high and low arc surface sides.

[0024] As shown in Figure 6 and Figure 7 , Figure 6 is a half-section three-dimensional structural view of the matching assembly structure of the flow guide column and the blocking annular plate, Figure 7 is a front view of the flow guide column assembly structure. When the present invention supplies air to the annular air flow chamber, the flexible flow guide plate serves as a flow dividing assembly, and divides the introduced inert gas (such as nitrogen) into air flows in two different directions: the inner air flow is guided by the plurality of inner flow guide arc plates 63 and then blows downward to the central area of the wafer, and the outer air flow is guided by the outer flow guide arc ring 62 and then diffuses to the outer side of the wafer edge. By controlling the linear drive assembly to drive the flexible flow guide plate to swing, the angles of the high and low arc surface sides of the inner flow guide arc plates 63 and the outer flow guide arc ring 62 can be dynamically changed, so as to adjust the flow rate ratio and ejection direction of the inner and outer air flows, so that the inert gas uniformly fills the gap space between the blocking annular plate 40 and the wafer, forming a stable inert atmosphere and effectively isolating oxygen.

[0025] The basic process of the present invention is: after wet processing (chemical cleaning), a low surface tension solvent (such as isopropyl alcohol IPA) is supplied to the surface of the rotating wafer to displace the flushing liquid (DIW), and then drying is achieved through high-speed rotation or air flow purging. For different process stages, the present invention performs differentiated control on the air flow state: During the wet processing stage, to prevent high-speed airflow from impacting the liquid and causing turbulence or splashing, the linear drive assembly moves the flexible guide plate upward, raising the inner edge of the inner guide arc plate 63 and lowering the outer edge of the outer guide arc ring 62. At this time, the inner airflow decreases and the outer airflow increases, preventing the central airflow from interfering with the liquid's descent and spread. Subsequently, the linear drive assembly gradually moves the flexible guide plate downward, gradually increasing the inner airflow and decreasing the outer airflow to help push the liquid evenly from the center to the edge. At the same time, the outer airflow can still form an air seal to maintain an oxygen-free environment and prevent oxidation of the wafer surface.

[0026] During the replacement process, the linear drive assembly slowly lowers the flexible guide plate, continuously enhancing the airflow on the inner side and correspondingly weakening the airflow on the outer side. This creates a directional airflow driving force from the center outwards, propelling the low surface tension solvent to spread uniformly and replace residual rinsing fluid. For large-size wafers, this directional airflow can compensate for the insufficient attenuation of centrifugal force at the radial distal end, ensuring consistent solvent front spreading.

[0027] In the replacement and drying stage of small pattern nodes (such as patterns below 5nm with high aspect ratios), steady-state airflow alone is insufficient to completely replace DIW trapped in the pattern gaps due to capillary effects. This invention utilizes a linear drive component to repeatedly and rapidly rise and fall, for example, at a frequency of 10–50Hz, causing a flexible guide plate to oscillate at high frequency. This generates periodic fluctuations in the inner airflow, forming a pulse-like impact airflow. This pulsed airflow can hammer and disturb the liquid within the pattern gaps, disrupting the surface tension balance of the DIW, promoting the full penetration of IPA and displacing residual DIW, significantly improving the thoroughness of replacement at the bottom of the pattern. Simultaneously, the pulsed airflow avoids localized tearing or atomization of the liquid film that can be caused by continuous high-speed airflow, ensuring a stable drying process. This invention, through a flexible guide plate structure that can dynamically adjust the ratio and direction of the inner and outer airflows, combined with both steady-state and pulsed airflow modes, achieves active control of the radial airflow distribution on large-size wafers, enhanced replacement of DIW trapped in small pattern nodes, and oxidation protection throughout the entire process, thus comprehensively adapting to the gas-assisted drying requirements of large-size wafers and small pattern nodes.

[0028] like Figure 3 and Figure 4The diagram shows two perspective views of the flow guide column 60 and the blocking annular plate 40 in conjunction. Specifically, the bottom surface of the flow guide column 60 is higher than the bottom surface of the blocking annular plate 40; under the drive of the linear drive assembly, the bottom surface of the flexible flow guide plate is flush with the bottom surface of the blocking annular plate 40, maintaining a slight gap. Specifically, the linear drive assembly can be an electric telescopic rod 61, which has high telescopic accuracy and relatively stable control. Furthermore, the inner edge of the double-arc convex ridge structure formed by the outer flow guide arc ring 62 and multiple inner flow guide arc plates 63, when rotated to its highest position under the drive of the linear drive assembly and the linkage assembly, is in contact with the lower edge of the outer wall of the flow guide column 60. The above-mentioned positional relationship proposed in this invention ensures that the flexible flow guide plate will never be lower than the bottom surface of the blocking annular plate 40 during the swinging process, avoiding contact with the wafer surface and causing scratches. Meanwhile, when maximizing the inner airflow is required, such as in pulse mode, the inner guide arc plate 63 can be lowered to be flush with the bottom surface of the blocking annular plate, maximizing the cross-sectional area of ​​the airflow channel and enhancing the pulse impact intensity. When minimizing the inner airflow is required, such as in the initial stage of wet treatment, the arc surface of the inner guide arc plate 63 can be raised to be flush with the lower edge of the guide column. At this time, the inner airflow is almost blocked, and the outer airflow dominates, thus avoiding interference from the central airflow on the splashing of the liquid. This wide-range airflow adjustment capability is something that existing fixed annular slit structures cannot achieve.

[0029] The guide column 60 has multiple slots 68 extending through its lower end along its axial direction on its side. A linear drive assembly is fixedly installed inside the slot 68, and a control plate 64 is fixedly installed at its drive end. A rotating shaft 65 is rotatably installed at the outer end of the control plate 64, and the two ends of the rotating shaft 65 are respectively fixedly connected to the ends of two adjacent inner guide arc plates 63. The connecting rod assembly is connected to the slot wall of the slot 68 and the rotating shaft 65 for transmission. Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, Figure 5 This is the overall assembly state of the guide column 60. Figure 6 The internal structure of the assembly of the guide column 60 and the blocking annular plate 40 is shown in the cut-off diagram. The connecting rod assembly includes a first connecting rod 67 and a second connecting rod 66. One end of the first connecting rod 67 and the second connecting rod 66 are articulated. The other end of the first connecting rod 67 is hinged to the wall of the groove 68, and the other end of the second connecting rod 66 is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 65.

[0030] This invention, through the aforementioned structure, transforms the telescopic motion of the linear drive assembly into the precise oscillation of the flexible guide plate. Since the rotating shaft is directly fixed to the end of the adjacent inner guide arc plate 63, and the linkage assembly forms a stable four-bar linkage, the minute displacement of the electric telescopic rod can be precisely transmitted to the entire flexible guide plate, achieving synchronous adjustment of the angles of the outer guide arc ring and the inner guide arc plate. Compared to existing fixed or integrally lifting airflow guiding structures, this invention can achieve more precise angle control within a confined space, thereby optimizing the ratio and ejection direction of the inner and outer airflows in real time according to the process stage (wet processing, displacement processing, pulse drying). This is particularly important for large-size wafers. By precisely controlling the inner airflow to gradually increase from a small angle, a sweeping airflow auxiliary force from the center to the edge can be formed, compensating for the attenuation of centrifugal force in the wafer's radial direction, ensuring consistent spreading of the low surface tension solvent front, and avoiding premature drying in certain areas.

[0031] In this embodiment, a structural arrangement of an inner guide arc plate 63 and an outer guide arc ring 62 is provided. Specifically, in the double-arc convex ridge structure, the distance from the outer edge of the arc surface of the outer guide arc ring 62 to the convex ridge is 0.5mm to 2mm; the distance from the inner edge of the arc surface of the inner guide arc plate 63 to the convex ridge is 1 / 2 of that of the outer guide arc ring 62.

[0032] First, the height difference directly determines the tilt angle of the airflow. Taking an outer guide arc ring with a radial width of approximately 10 mm as an example, a height difference of 0.5–2 mm corresponds to an ejection angle of approximately 3°–11°, suitable for forming a relatively gentle outward airflow during the replacement and drying stages. This allows the liquid film to move towards the edge without being blown away by an excessively large angle. The height difference of the inner guide arc plate is half that of the outer one (i.e., 0.25–1 mm), and its ejection angle is even smaller (approximately 1.5°–5.5°). It is mainly used to provide a nearly vertical, weak internal airflow during the wet processing stage to maintain the inert atmosphere in the central region of the wafer without interfering with the liquid's fall. Through this differentiated design, this invention achieves a division of labor and cooperation between the inner and outer airflows: the outer airflow primarily drives the flow, while the inner airflow primarily protects it. When pulsed airflow is required, the linear drive component reciprocates rapidly, causing the aforementioned height difference to change dynamically within a very small range. This generates high-frequency disturbances while maintaining the basic flow field direction, effectively disrupting the surface tension balance of DIW in the small pattern gaps and promoting IPA penetration and replacement. If the height difference is too large (>2mm), the airflow angle fluctuation range in pulse mode will be too wide, which can easily lead to local tearing of the liquid film; if the height difference is too small (<0.5mm), the airflow will be almost vertical and unable to generate effective lateral driving force. Therefore, the parameter range of 0.5 to 2mm and halved on the inner side is the better implementation range, which combines driving efficiency and pulse stability.

[0033] This embodiment provides a preferred inert gas pipe layout scheme, such as... Figure 1As shown, the external gas supply component is connected to the annular airflow cavity via a diversion pipe component. The diversion pipe component includes an inert gas pipe 52 and multiple arc-shaped gas guide pipes 53 connected to the other end of the inert gas pipe 52. The gas guide pipes 53 are evenly arranged circumferentially, and their outlet ports penetrate into the annular airflow cavity. The multiple arc-shaped gas guide pipes 53 are evenly distributed circumferentially, ensuring that the inert gas entering the annular airflow cavity is pre-distributed evenly circumferentially before being sprayed out after being diverted by a flexible guide plate. This design eliminates the problem of uneven circumferential airflow that may be caused by single-point gas intake, ensuring a consistent inert atmosphere concentration within a 360° range around the large-size wafer and avoiding oxidation defects caused by local oxygen infiltration. Especially during the high-speed drying stage, the wafer edge linear velocity is high, easily generating negative pressure that draws in ambient air; the circumferentially uniform gas supply structure effectively maintains the integrity of the edge gas seal.

[0034] Specifically, the flexible guide plate is made of silicone. Silicone plates have excellent chemical inertness and elastic recovery, allowing them to adapt to the oscillation of curved structures.

[0035] Furthermore, a transition arc surface is formed at the connection between the connecting cylinder 41 and the blocking annular plate 40. The transition arc surface reduces eddy current losses at the turning point of the airflow, allowing the airflow to enter the gap space above the wafer more smoothly, reducing pressure fluctuations, and facilitating the formation of a stable laminar flow auxiliary layer. The guide column 60 is eccentrically inserted and fixed with the flushing liquid pipe 50 and the solvent pipe 51 along the axial direction, which are used to inject the flushing liquid and solvent, respectively.

[0036] In this embodiment, the basic wafer cleaning stage and the lifting and rotating frame stage are as follows: Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown. The lifting and rotating platform includes an I-shaped support 10, a lifting platform 11, and a gear assembly; a rotating seat 20 is fixed to the bottom of the support 10. A horizontally placed support platform 21 is fixed to the output end of the rotating seat 20. The support platform 21 has multiple insertable limiting pins 22 arranged circumferentially. The limiting pins 22 are positioned and fixed by studs. The tops of the multiple limiting pins 22 are provided with arc-shaped slots, forming a support for limiting the wafer sample 30. After the wafer sample 30 is fixed, a certain amount of gap is formed between it and the support platform 21.

[0037] The lifting platform 11 is mounted between the top and bottom horizontal plates of the support 10 via a lead screw assembly. One end of the lifting platform 11 passes through a guide rod and a lead screw 12. The two ends of the guide rod are fixedly connected to the top and bottom horizontal plates, respectively, and the two ends of the lead screw 12 are rotatably connected to the top and bottom horizontal plates, respectively. A motor (omitted in the figure) for driving the lead screw 12 to rotate is fixed to the top horizontal plate. The gear assembly includes a driven gear ring 42 and a drive gear 43 that mesh with each other. The driven gear ring 42 is fixed to the outside of the connecting cylinder 41, and the drive gear 43 is rotatably mounted on the lifting platform 11. A motor (omitted in the figure) for driving the drive gear 43 to rotate is provided on the lifting platform 11. Furthermore, the top of the guide column 60 is fixed to the bottom of the lifting platform 11, and the top of the connecting cylinder 41 is rotatably connected to the bottom of the lifting platform 11. For example, a T-shaped track can be used. The flushing liquid pipe 50, the solvent pipe 51, and multiple air guide pipes 53 all pass through the lifting platform 11, and the multiple air guide pipes 53 enter the lifting platform 11 and communicate with the annular airflow chamber. Among them, the lifting platform 11 drives the connecting cylinder 41 and the guide column 60 to rise and fall synchronously, and the gear assembly only drives the connecting cylinder 41 and the blocking annular plate 40 to rotate.

[0038] This example has the following technical effects: (1) The airflow distribution can be actively adapted: In different stages such as wet processing, displacement processing, and drying processing, the flow ratio and spray angle of the inner and outer airflows can be flexibly adjusted according to the process requirements. This avoids the impact and interference of high-speed airflow on the liquid or solvent, and provides uniform airflow assistance from the center to the edge for large wafers, solving the problem of weak solvent spread at the radial far end of large wafers.

[0039] (2) Pulsed airflow enhances the replacement of small patterns: The linear drive component moves rapidly back and forth, causing the flexible guide plate to oscillate at high frequency, forming controllable pulse fluctuations in the inner airflow. This pulsed airflow can effectively disrupt the surface tension balance of the rinsing fluid DIW retained in small pattern nodes (especially high aspect ratio microstructures) due to capillary effect, promote the penetration and replacement of low surface tension solvents, significantly reduce the probability of residual DIW at the bottom of the pattern, and thus reduce pattern collapse and water spot defects caused by water evaporation during the subsequent drying process.

[0040] (3) Full-process anti-oxidation protection: Regardless of the airflow mode, the flexible guide plate always guides the inert gas to fill the gap space between the shielding ring plate and the wafer evenly, forming a stable and reliable gas seal layer, effectively isolating oxygen in the environment, preventing the metal or sensitive materials on the wafer surface from oxidizing during the cleaning and drying process, and ensuring the device yield.

[0041] (4) Reduce solvent consumption and process time: Since the airflow assistance improves the replacement efficiency and drying uniformity, the complete replacement of DIW can be completed at a lower speed, thereby reducing the consumption of low surface tension solvent and the mechanical stress caused by high speed rotation. At the same time, the pulse airflow mode can shorten the drying time of small pattern nodes and increase production capacity.

[0042] The above-disclosed embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto, and any variations that can be conceived by those skilled in the art should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wafer cleaning and drying apparatus, comprising a blocking annular plate (40) mounted above a wafer cleaning table, wherein the blocking annular plate (40) is driven to move and rotate via a lifting and rotating frame, and the lifting and rotating frame is connected to the blocking annular plate (40) via a connecting cylinder (41); characterized in that, It also includes gas and liquid supply components; The gas and liquid supply assembly includes a flow guide column (60) with multiple axial liquid guide tubes, a flexible flow guide plate, and multiple linear drive components; the flow guide column (60) passes through the connecting cylinder (41) to form an annular airflow cavity for connecting the gas supply through an external gas supply component; the flow guide column (60) is connected to the lifting and rotating frame; the multiple linear drive components are circumferentially arranged on the side of the flow guide column (60), and their drive ends are located at the bottom of the flow guide column (60); The flexible guide plate includes an outer guide arc ring (62) and multiple inner guide arc plates (63); the outer arc edge of the multiple inner guide arc plates (63) is fixedly connected to the inner ring edge of the outer guide arc ring (62); the low arc surface sides of the outer guide arc ring (62) and the inner guide arc plates (63) are the outer side and the inner side, respectively; The driving end of each of the linear drive components is located between the two inner guide arc plates (63), hinged to the outer guide arc ring (62), and connected to the guide column (60) through the connecting rod assembly; wherein, when the linear drive component drives the lifting and lowering, it drives the flexible guide plate to swing, changing the angle of the high and low arc surfaces.

2. The wafer cleaning and drying equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom surface of the guide column (60) is higher than the bottom surface of the blocking annular plate (40); the bottom surface of the flexible guide plate is flush with the bottom surface of the blocking annular plate (40) under the drive of the linear drive assembly.

3. The wafer cleaning and drying equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide column (60) has multiple slots with through lower ends on its side along the axial direction. The linear drive assembly is fixedly installed in the slot, and a control plate (64) is fixed at its drive end. A rotating shaft (65) is rotatably installed at the outer end of the control plate (64). The two ends of the rotating shaft (65) are fixedly connected to the ends of two adjacent inner guide arc plates (63). The connecting rod assembly is connected to the slot wall and the rotating shaft (65) respectively.

4. The wafer cleaning and drying equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The linkage assembly includes a first link (67) and a second link (66); one end of the first link (67) and the second link (66) are articulated; the other end of the first link (67) is hinged to the wall of the groove, and the other end of the second link (66) is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft (65).

5. The wafer cleaning and drying equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The low arc side of the inner guide arc plate (63) is in contact with the lower edge of the guide column (60) under the drive of the linear drive assembly and the linkage assembly.

6. The wafer cleaning and drying equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The height of the low arc side and the high arc side of the outer guide arc ring (62) is 0.5mm to 2mm; the height of the low arc side and the high arc side of the inner guide arc plate (63) is 1 / 2 of that of the outer guide arc ring (62).

7. The wafer cleaning and drying equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The external gas supply component is connected to the annular airflow cavity through a diversion pipe component; the diversion pipe component includes an inert gas pipe (52) and a plurality of arc-shaped gas guide pipes (53) connected to the other end of the inert gas pipe (52); the gas guide pipes (53) are evenly arranged circumferentially, and the gas outlet port enters the annular airflow cavity.

8. The wafer cleaning and drying equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connection between the connecting cylinder (41) and the blocking annular plate (40) forms a transition arc surface.

9. The wafer cleaning and drying equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible guide plate is a silicone plate.

10. The wafer cleaning and drying equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide column (60) is eccentrically passed through and fixed with the flushing liquid pipe (50) and the solvent pipe (51) along the axial direction.

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