Chemical mechanical polishing system

Abstract

The application discloses a chemical mechanical polishing system, which comprises a preposition unit, a polishing unit and a cleaning unit arranged between the preposition unit and the polishing unit; the polishing unit comprises a plurality of polishing modules and a polishing transmission mechanism, and the polishing modules are arranged around the polishing transmission mechanism; the cleaning unit comprises a plurality of post-processing modules and a cleaning transmission mechanism, the post-processing modules are vertically stacked to form a stacked module group, the stacked module group is arranged in a staggered mode along a transverse direction and a longitudinal direction of the cleaning unit, and the cleaning transmission mechanism is arranged at a side of the stacked module group.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application filed on December 1, 2022, with application number 2022115236558. Technical Field

[0002] This invention belongs to the field of chemical mechanical polishing technology, and more specifically, relates to a chemical mechanical polishing system. Background Technology

[0003] The integrated circuit industry is the core of the information technology industry, playing a crucial role in promoting the digital and intelligent transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry. Chips are the carriers of integrated circuits, and chip manufacturing involves processes such as integrated circuit design, wafer fabrication, packaging, and testing. Among these, chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is one of the five core processes in wafer fabrication.

[0004] Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is an ultra-precision surface processing technology that achieves global planarization. A CMP system typically includes a front-end unit, a polishing unit, and a cleaning unit. Through chemical mechanical polishing, wafers that meet process requirements can be obtained.

[0005] With the advancement of chip integration, CMP (Chip Motion Processing) technology is being used more frequently, and the requirements for CMP efficiency and cost are also increasing. Existing CMP systems are limited by their overall architecture, making it difficult to significantly improve processing efficiency, thus increasing wafer manufacturing costs. Furthermore, existing CMP systems lack versatility and cannot adapt to diverse process technologies; different process technologies require different CMP system models, which also increases wafer manufacturing costs. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This invention provides a chemical mechanical polishing system, which aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art.

[0007] This invention provides a chemical mechanical polishing system, comprising:

[0008] Front unit;

[0009] Polishing unit;

[0010] And a cleaning unit, located between the pre-mount unit and the polishing unit;

[0011] The polishing unit includes multiple polishing modules and a polishing transfer mechanism, with the polishing modules arranged around the polishing transfer mechanism.

[0012] The cleaning unit includes multiple post-processing modules and a cleaning transfer mechanism. The post-processing modules are stacked vertically to form a stacked module. The stacked module is staggered along the horizontal and vertical sides of the cleaning unit. The cleaning transfer mechanism is located on the side of the stacked module.

[0013] In some embodiments, the polishing module includes a polishing disc, a polishing assembly, and a loading / unloading platform. The loading / unloading platform is disposed outside the polishing disc, and the polishing assembly is disposed above the polishing disc and the loading / unloading platform and includes a pair of support heads that are movable between the polishing disc and the loading / unloading platform.

[0014] In some embodiments, the polishing assembly includes a support frame and a rotating device. The fixed part of the rotating device is connected to the frame of the polishing unit, and the rotating part of the rotating device is connected to the support frame. The bearing head is suspended below the support frame. The rotating device is capable of rotating to drive the bearing head on the support frame to rotate.

[0015] In some embodiments, the bearing head is suspended below the support frame via a linear module, and the bearing head is movable along the length of the support frame.

[0016] In some embodiments, the support frame includes a first support member, a second support member, and a connector. The second support member is spaced below the first support member, and the connector is disposed at the ends of the first and second support members. The linear module is disposed above the second support member, and the bearing head is suspended below the second support member by a fixing member.

[0017] In some embodiments, the first support member, the second support member, and the fastener are formed by casting, welding, 3D printing, machining, or assembly.

[0018] In some embodiments, the polishing transfer mechanism includes a pair of polishing transfer robots, which are horizontally adjacent to the loading and unloading table configured for the polishing module.

[0019] In some embodiments, the polishing transfer mechanism further includes an inlet / outlet buffer device and an intermediate buffer device, which are arranged along the length of the polishing unit and located on both sides of the polishing transfer robot.

[0020] In some embodiments, the infeed and outfeed buffer device is disposed adjacent to the cleaning unit and includes an infeed layer and an outfeed layer to buffer wafers to be polished and cleaned.

[0021] In some embodiments, the cleaning transfer mechanism includes a front cleaning transfer robot and a rear cleaning transfer robot, wherein the front cleaning transfer robot is disposed adjacent to the front unit and the rear cleaning transfer robot is disposed adjacent to the polishing unit.

[0022] In some embodiments, the pre-cleaning transfer robot and the post-cleaning transfer robot are capable of moving vertically to transfer wafers between vertically stacked post-processing modules.

[0023] In some embodiments, the stacked module is configured with a fixed buffer device disposed between vertically stacked post-processing modules.

[0024] In some embodiments, the post-processing module includes a brushing module, a pre-cleaning module, and a drying module, wherein the drying module is horizontally adjacent to the pre-processing unit.

[0025] In some embodiments, the drying module is disposed on the upper part of the stacked module.

[0026] The beneficial effects of this invention include:

[0027] a. The polishing modules of the polishing unit are arranged around the polishing transfer mechanism. The wafer transfer robot of the polishing transfer mechanism can transfer wafers between adjacent polishing modules to ensure the convenience of wafer transfer.

[0028] b. The polishing assembly is equipped with a pair of carrier heads, which switch between the polishing station and the loading and unloading station via a rotary device to shorten the process waiting time and increase the productivity of the CMP system;

[0029] c. During the rotation of the support frame driven by the rotary device, the bearing head swinging towards the loading and unloading platform is pre-moved to the corresponding position of the loading and unloading station to avoid resonance caused by the simultaneous horizontal movement of the two bearing heads, thus ensuring the reliability of the polishing assembly operation.

[0030] d. The post-processing modules are vertically stacked to make full use of vertical space and reduce the horizontal and vertical space occupied by the cleaning unit, which helps to reduce the size of the cleaning unit; a fixed buffer device is configured in the stacked module to facilitate the transfer of wafers between the front unit and the polishing unit by the robot; the post-processing modules in the stacked module operate independently and do not interfere with each other, which helps to improve the fault tolerance of the cleaning unit.

[0031] e. The stacked modules are staggered along the lateral side of the cleaning unit, which increases the maintenance space of the cleaning unit and improves the convenience of using and maintaining the CMP system. Attached Figure Description

[0032] The advantages of the present invention will become clearer and easier to understand through the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are merely illustrative and do not limit the scope of protection of the present invention, wherein:

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a chemical mechanical polishing system provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a polishing unit provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the polishing unit for some hidden components;

[0036] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an inbound / outbound buffer device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of an intermediate cache device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a polishing module provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a polishing assembly provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a polishing assembly for a hidden bearing head provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 9 yes Figure 8 Disassembly diagram of the polishing component;

[0042] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the pre-processor unit and the cleaning unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of a first front-end stacked module provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of a scrubbing module provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of a pre-cleaning module provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of a drying module provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of a cleaning unit provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 16 It is configured with Figure 15 A plan view of the CMP system for the cleaning unit shown;

[0049] Figure 17This is a transmission route diagram of a wafer in a CMP system provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0050] The technical solutions of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. The embodiments described herein are specific implementations of the present invention, used to illustrate the concept of the present invention; these descriptions are explanatory and exemplary, and should not be construed as limiting the implementation methods or the scope of protection of the present invention. In addition to the embodiments described herein, those skilled in the art can employ other obvious technical solutions based on the content disclosed in the claims and specification of this application. These technical solutions include those that make any obvious substitutions and modifications to the embodiments described herein.

[0051] The accompanying drawings in this specification are schematic diagrams used to illustrate the concept of the invention and to schematically show the shapes of the various parts and their interrelationships. It should be understood that, in order to clearly show the structure of the various components of the embodiments of the invention, the drawings are not drawn to the same scale, and the same reference numerals are used to indicate the same parts in the drawings.

[0052] In this invention, "Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP)" is also called "Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP)," and the wafer (W) is also called the substrate (Substrate), with the same meaning and actual function.

[0053] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a chemical mechanical polishing system provided in an embodiment of the present invention, which includes a pre-positioning unit 1, a cleaning unit 2 and a polishing unit 3. The pre-positioning unit 1 is used to store wafers to be polished and wafers that have already been polished, and the polishing unit 3 is used to remove material from the surface of the wafer. The cleaning unit 2 is disposed between the pre-positioning unit 1 and the polishing unit 3 and is used to remove residual particles on the surface of the wafer to complete the post-processing of the wafer surface.

[0054] Figure 2 In the polishing unit 3, there are multiple polishing modules 30 and a polishing transfer mechanism 4. The polishing modules 30 of the polishing unit 3 are arranged around the polishing transfer mechanism 4 to facilitate the transfer of wafers between the polishing modules 30.

[0055] Figure 2In the embodiment shown, the polishing unit 3 includes four polishing modules 30, namely: polishing module 30A, polishing module 30B, polishing module 30C, and polishing module 30D. Each polishing module 30 is arranged horizontally along the length direction of the polishing unit 3, and the polishing transfer mechanism 4 is disposed between adjacent polishing modules 30 to facilitate the transfer and turnover of wafers between the polishing modules 30.

[0056] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a polishing unit 3 provided in an embodiment of the present invention. In order to fully demonstrate the setting position of the polishing transmission mechanism 4, some components of the polishing module 30 are deliberately hidden. Figure 3 In the polishing transfer mechanism 4, there is a polishing transfer robot 41, and the number of polishing transfer robots 41 is one pair. Figure 17 The first polishing transfer robot 41A shown is responsible for the wafer transfer between polishing module 30A and polishing module 30B; Figure 17 The second polishing transfer robot 41B shown is responsible for the wafer transfer between polishing module 30C and polishing module 30D.

[0057] Furthermore, the polishing transfer mechanism 4 also includes an inlet / outlet buffer device 42 and an intermediate buffer device 43, which are arranged along the length direction of the polishing unit 3; and the inlet / outlet buffer device 42 and the intermediate buffer device 43 are respectively located on both sides of the polishing transfer robot 41. Specifically, the inlet / outlet buffer device 42 is arranged horizontally adjacent to the cleaning unit 2 to buffer the wafer to be processed between the polishing unit 3 and the cleaning unit 2, while the intermediate buffer device 43 is arranged away from the cleaning unit 2. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an infeed / outfeed buffer device 42 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The infeed / outfeed buffer device 42 includes a movable buffer frame 42a, and a wafer support module 42b is disposed inside the movable buffer frame 42a, which horizontally supports the wafer. Further, the wafer support module 42b is connected to the buffer linear module 42c through a connecting frame, so that the wafer support module 42b can move along the length direction of the movable buffer frame 42a to transfer the wafer between the cleaning unit 2 and the polishing unit 3. Figure 3 In the embodiment shown, Figure 4 The illustrated buffer linear module 42c can transfer the wafers on the wafer support module 42b toward the polishing transfer robot 41 until the polishing transfer robot 41 can grasp the wafers on the wafer support module 42b. It should be noted that the wafers entering and exiting the buffer device 42 can move along the length direction of the buffer device 42, and the buffer device 42, similar to the intermediate buffer device 43, is integrally disposed inside the polishing unit 3.

[0058] Figure 4In the process, there are four wafer support modules 42b. The upper pair of wafer support modules 42b are the wafer entry layer, and the lower pair of wafer support modules 42b are the wafer exit layer, which buffer the wafers to be polished and the wafers that have been polished.

[0059] Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, the entry / exit buffer device 42 is disposed between the polishing module 30A and the polishing module 30C, and the position of the entry / exit buffer device 42 is relatively fixed. The wafer support module 42b in the entry / exit buffer device 42 can move along the length direction of the entry / exit buffer device 42 to facilitate the polishing transfer robot 41 to grasp the wafer to be processed.

[0060] As Figure 3 In a variation of the embodiment, the in-and-out buffer device 42 can also be movably installed between the polishing module 30A and the polishing module 30C, and the wafer support module 42b configured inside the in-and-out buffer device 42 is stacked vertically, with the horizontal position of the wafer support module 42b relatively fixed. That is, the in-and-out buffer device 42 can move as a whole along the length of the polishing unit 3 to facilitate the polishing transfer robot 41 to grasp the wafer. Figure 3 In the polishing unit 3, the entry / exit buffer device 42 is disposed on the upper surface of the support platform. The support platform is provided with mounting holes to facilitate the fixing of the polishing transfer robot 41 and corresponding components of the polishing module 30. It is understood that the entry / exit buffer device 42 can also be disposed on the frame in the polishing unit 3. Accordingly, the polishing transfer robot 41 can be inverted and mounted on the frame to facilitate the gripping of wafers in the entry / exit buffer device 42.

[0061] Figure 4 The buffer device 42 shown is also equipped with a moisturizing function module to ensure that the wafer to be polished or the wafer that has been polished is in a moist environment to avoid changes in the performance of the wafer surface.

[0062] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of an intermediate buffer device 43 provided in an embodiment of the present invention, which includes at least one wafer support module 42b to buffer wafers transported in the polishing unit 3. It is understood that there can be multiple wafer support modules 42b, vertically stacked to buffer more wafers, coordinate the production cycle between polishing modules 30, and avoid wafers remaining on the polishing module 30, thereby improving the production efficiency of the CMP system. Figure 5 The intermediate cache device 43 shown is also equipped with a wafer moisturizing module, so that the wafer placed in the intermediate cache device 43 is kept moist.

[0063] Figure 6This is a schematic diagram of a polishing module 30 provided in an embodiment of the present invention. The polishing module 30 includes a polishing disk 31, a polishing assembly 32, and a loading / unloading stage 33. The polishing disk 31 is rotatable around its axis, and a polishing pad is provided on the upper part of the polishing disk 31. The polishing assembly 32 is used for polishing and rotating the wafer. The loading / unloading stage 33 is a load cup, which is located on the outside of the polishing disk 31 and is used for loading and unloading the wafer.

[0064] Among them, the polishing component 32 is the core component of the polishing module 30. It is located on the upper side of the polishing disk 31 and the loading and unloading stage 33 to transfer the wafer between the polishing disk 31 and the loading and unloading stage 33, and to place the wafer against the polishing pad above the polishing disk 31 to perform chemical mechanical polishing.

[0065] Figure 6 In the polishing module 30, a trimming assembly 34 and a liquid supply assembly 35 are also included. The trimming assembly 34 is oscillating about a pivot point located outside the polishing disk 31; the trimming disk of the trimming assembly 34 rotates itself and applies a downward load to trim the surface of the polishing pad; the liquid supply assembly 35 is pivotally connected to the outside of the polishing disk 31 and disposed above the polishing pad to distribute the polishing liquid on the surface of the polishing pad.

[0066] Figure 6 In the embodiment shown, the pivot points of the trimming assembly 34 and the liquid supply assembly 35 are located near the loading and unloading platform 33; and the trimming assembly 34 and the liquid supply assembly 35 are respectively located on both sides of the center line connecting the polishing disc 31 and the loading and unloading platform 33, and the trimming assembly 34 and the liquid supply assembly 35 are arranged approximately symmetrically along the center line.

[0067] Since the pivot points of the trimming assembly 34 and the liquid supply assembly 35 are both located within the range of the center line connecting the polishing disk 31 and the loading / unloading table 33, the pivot points of the trimming assembly 34 and the liquid supply assembly 35 will not increase the length of the polishing module 30. This is beneficial for controlling the space occupied by the polishing module 30 and reducing the size of the polishing unit 3 in the length direction.

[0068] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the polishing assembly 32, which includes a support frame 32a, a rotating device 32b, and a bearing head 32c. The bearing head 32c is suspended below the support frame 32a. The rotating device 32b is connected to the support frame 32a and can rotate to move the bearing head 32c between the loading / unloading stage 33 and the polishing disk 31. The bearing head 32c can move along the length of the support frame 32a, so that while rotating around its axis, the bearing head 32c reciprocates radially along the polishing disk 31 to reduce the radial difference of the polishing pads on the polishing disk 31 and promote the uniformity of global wafer polishing.

[0069] Figure 7In this design, the fixed end of the rotary device 32b is connected to the frame of the polishing unit 3 (not shown), and the rotating end of the rotary device 32b is connected to the support frame 32a. The rotating end of the rotary device 32b is also equipped with a rotary drive motor and a matching reducer. Driven by the rotary drive motor, the rotating end of the rotary device 32b drives the support frame 32a to rotate. The bearing head 32c connected to the support frame 32a can rotate around the central axis of the rotary device 32b to achieve position switching of the bearing head 32c. That is, the bearing head 32c can rotate from the position of the polishing disk 31 to the position of the loading / unloading stage 33. It should be noted that in this invention, the rotary device 32b can drive the support frame 32a to rotate 180° around the central axis to move the wafer loaded on the bearing head 32c between the polishing disk 31 and the loading / unloading stage 33; if a reverse switching is required, the rotary device 32b drives the support frame 32a to rotate 180° in the opposite direction around the central axis.

[0070] Furthermore, the polishing assembly 32 is equipped with two carrier heads 32c, which are arranged approximately symmetrically along the length of the support frame 32a. When one carrier head 32c is located above the polishing disk 31, the other carrier head 32c is located above the loading / unloading stage 33. That is, when one carrier head 32c is polishing, the other carrier head 32c can unload or load the wafer to reduce process waiting time and improve polishing efficiency.

[0071] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a polishing assembly without a suspended support head according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 9 yes Figure 8 Disassembly diagram of the corresponding polishing component. Figure 8 In the support frame 32a, there are a first support member 32a-1, a second support member 32a-2, and a connector 32a-3. The second support member 32a-2 is spaced below the first support member 32a-1 to form a space for placing the linear module 32d between the first support member 32a-1 and the second support member 32a-2.

[0072] Furthermore, the connector 32a-3 is disposed between the first support member 32a-1 and the second support member 32a-2 to fix the first support member 32a-1 and the second support member 32a-2 into one piece. Figure 8 In this, there are two pairs of connectors 32a-3, which are arranged in pairs at the ends of the first support 32a-1 and the second support 32a-2.

[0073] Figure 9In this design, connector 32a-3 has a U-shaped structure. The opening of connector 32a-3 faces the inside of support frame 32a. First support member 32a-1 is fixed to one end of connector 32a-3, and second support member 32a-2 is mounted on the other end of connector 32a-3 and fixed by bolts (not shown) so that linear module 32d can be placed above second support member 32a-2.

[0074] Figure 8 In the illustrated embodiment, the support frame 32a is horizontally positioned below the rotary device 32b, and the support frame 32a is equipped with a linear module 32d. The linear module 32d is positioned along the length of the support frame 32a, and it drives the bearing head 32c to move horizontally, causing the bearing head 32c to reciprocate radially along the polishing pad.

[0075] Furthermore, the linear module 32d includes a drive motor 32d-1, a lead screw 32d-2, a slide rail 32d-3, and a moving plate 32d-4, such as... Figure 9 As shown; the drive motor 32d-1 is connected to the end of the lead screw 32d-2, and the moving plate 32d-4 is connected to the lead screw 32d-2 via a slider (not shown). The moving plate 32d-4 is slidably connected to the slide rail 32d-3, which is arranged along the length of the support frame 32a and parallel to the lead screw 32d-2. Figure 7 The bearing head 32c shown is connected to the movable plate 32d-4 via a fastener 32e. Driven by the rotation of the drive motor 32d-1, the movable plate 32d-4 moves along the length of the lead screw 32d-2, thereby driving the bearing head 32c to move horizontally. Figure 9 In this design, the output shaft of the drive motor 32d-1 is equipped with a pulley, and the end of the lead screw 32d-2 is also equipped with a pulley. The two are connected by a belt and pulleys. Meanwhile, the output shaft of the drive motor 32d-1 is positioned towards the outside of the support frame 32a, meaning the main body of the drive motor 32d-1 is positioned towards the inside of the support frame 32a. This reduces the lateral dimension of the polishing assembly 32 and controls the space occupied by the polishing unit 3.

[0076] Figure 7 In the illustrated embodiment, the first support member 32a-1, the second support member 32a-2, and the fixing member 32e can be formed by casting to enhance the vibration damping performance of the support frame 32a and the fixing member 32e, ensuring the stability of the polishing assembly 32 during operation. It is understood that the first support member 32a-1, the second support member 32a-2, and the fixing member 32e can also be formed by welding, 3D printing, processing, or assembly, using materials with good vibration damping performance, such as high-damping alloy materials, to ensure the reliability of the polishing assembly 32 during operation. Figure 10This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the cleaning unit 2 and the front unit 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The cleaning unit 2 includes a first cleaning unit 2A and a second cleaning unit 2B, wherein the first cleaning unit 2A and the second cleaning unit 2B are symmetrically arranged with respect to the transverse center line of the cleaning unit 2. The transverse center line is arranged along the length direction of the cleaning unit 2, that is, the line connecting the midpoints of the width of the cleaning unit 2. In this invention, the transverse direction of the cleaning unit 2 refers to the length direction of the cleaning unit 2; the longitudinal direction of the cleaning unit 2 refers to the width direction of the cleaning unit 2.

[0077] Figure 10 In this invention, the first cleaning unit 2A and the second cleaning unit 2B each include multiple post-processing modules 20, a pre-cleaning transfer robot 23, and a post-cleaning transfer robot 24. The post-processing modules 20 are vertically stacked to form a stacked module. The pre-cleaning transfer robot 23 and the post-cleaning transfer robot 24 are disposed on the sides of the stacked module to facilitate wafer transfer. In this invention, the pre-cleaning transfer robot 23 and the post-cleaning transfer robot 24 are collectively referred to as the cleaning transfer mechanism.

[0078] Figure 10 In the illustrated embodiment, the pre-cleaning transfer robot 23 is horizontally adjacent to the pre-processing unit 1. The pre-cleaning transfer robot 23 is primarily responsible for transferring wafers from the pre-processing unit 1 to the cleaning unit 2, and for returning processed wafers from the cleaning unit 2 to the pre-processing unit 1. The post-cleaning transfer robot 24 is horizontally adjacent to the polishing unit 3. The post-cleaning transfer robot 24 is primarily responsible for transferring wafers to be polished from the cleaning unit 2 to the polishing unit 3, and for transferring polished wafers back to the cleaning unit 2.

[0079] It should be noted that the first cleaning unit 2A and the second cleaning unit 2B in this invention have similar structures. For ease of description, the component names in the first cleaning unit 2A begin with "first" and the component numbers end with "A"; correspondingly, the component names in the second cleaning unit 2B begin with "second" and the component numbers end with "B". The composition and positional relationship of the first cleaning unit 2A will be described in detail below.

[0080] Figure 10 In the first cleaning unit 2A, there are two stacked modules, namely a first front stacked module 21A and a first rear stacked module 22A, and a first cleaning front transfer robot 23A and a first cleaning rear transfer robot 24A are disposed on the side of the stacked modules.

[0081] Furthermore, the first cleaning unit 2A and the second cleaning unit 2B also include a fixed buffer device 25, which is disposed in the stacked module to buffer the wafers transferred by the front cleaning transfer robot 23 and / or the rear cleaning transfer robot 24, so as to ensure the smoothness of wafer transfer.

[0082] Figure 10 In this design, the post-processing modules 20 are vertically stacked, and the fixed buffer devices 25 are positioned between them. This arrangement reduces the space occupied by the fixed buffer devices 25 in the horizontal or vertical direction of the cleaning unit 2, thereby reducing the size of the cleaning unit 2. Furthermore, the fixed buffer devices 25 are positioned approximately at the same horizontal level as the post-processing modules 20 located above and below them, thus reducing the gripping range of the pre-cleaning transfer robot 23 and the post-cleaning transfer robot 24, and controlling the manufacturing cost of the cleaning unit 2.

[0083] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the first front-end stacked module 21A. Post-processing modules 20 are stacked vertically, and a fixed buffer device 25 is disposed between the vertically stacked post-processing modules 20. Further, the vertical spacing H of the post-processing modules 20 is 50-200mm. It should be noted that the vertical spacing H of the post-processing modules 20 refers to the distance between the bottom surface of the post-processing module 20 located above the fixed buffer device 25 and the top surface of the post-processing module 20 located below the fixed buffer device 25. It is understood that the vertical spacing H needs to be matched with the wafer transfer robot to ensure smooth wafer handling by the front cleaning transfer robot 23 and the rear cleaning transfer robot 24.

[0084] Figure 11 In the fixed cache device 25, there are cache body part 25a and claw part 25b. The claw part 25b is disposed above the cache body part 25a, and there are multiple claw parts 25b to clamp the wafer placed in the fixed cache device 25.

[0085] Figure 10 In the illustrated embodiment, the post-processing module 20 includes Figure 12 The shown is a scrubbing module 20A. Figure 13 The pre-cleaning module 20B shown is... Figure 14 The drying module 20C shown is used to remove the mixture of particulate matter and liquid remaining on the wafer surface to obtain a clean wafer.

[0086] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the washing module 20A. The washing module 20A includes a tank (not shown), a wafer that is horizontally set and rotates around the central axis of the wafer under the action of rollers, and a cleaning brush located on the upper or lower side of the wafer W that can roll around the axis of the cleaning brush under the action of a roller brush drive motor (not shown). The washing module 20A also includes a cleaning liquid spraying assembly, which is set inside the tank to spray chemical liquid toward the wafer surface. Under the action of the cleaning brush, the residues on the wafer surface are removed.

[0087] Figure 13This is a structural schematic diagram of the pre-cleaning module 20B. The wafer W is horizontally clamped by multiple claws and placed in a relatively sealed groove. The horizontally placed wafer is rotated by a rotation drive device (not shown).

[0088] Furthermore, the pre-cleaning module 20B includes a dual-fluid tube 20B-1 and a brush head 20B-2. The dual-fluid tube 20B-1 sprays cleaning fluid, N2 and / or deionized water toward the wafer W to remove smaller particles on the wafer surface, thereby achieving fine cleaning of the wafer. The brush head 20B-2 is positioned above the wafer via a swing arm that can swing around a fixed point to move the brush head 20B-2 across the wafer surface to clean the tiny particles on the wafer surface.

[0089] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the drying module 20C, which includes a wafer clamping device and a drying device, both of which are disposed in a tank. The wafer clamping device horizontally clamps the wafer to be dried, and the drying device is located above the wafer to be dried. The drying device can peel off the water film on the wafer surface based on the Marangoni effect to achieve wafer drying. The drying module 20C also includes an external protective cover to control the range of centrifugal splashing of particles during wafer drying and improve the wafer drying effect.

[0090] Figure 10 In the illustrated embodiment, the drying module 20C in the stacked module is horizontally adjacent to the front unit 1. After the wafer drying is completed, the front robot 1b ( Figure 17 (As shown) the wafer is directly transferred to the front-opening wafer transfer box 1a to reduce contamination during the wafer transfer process and ensure the quality of wafer processing.

[0091] Furthermore, the drying module 20C is located at the top of the stacked module. Since the drying module 20C is equipped with fan filter units (FFUs) to ensure that it receives clean circulating air, and fan filter units are typically located at the top of the tank, considering the need to configure a fixed buffer device 25 in the stacked module adjacent to the pre-unit 1, the drying module 20C is positioned at the top of the stacked module to avoid any conflict between the fan filter units and the fixed buffer device 25.

[0092] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of a cleaning unit 2 provided in an embodiment of the present invention. The cleaning unit 2 includes a first cleaning unit 2A and a second cleaning unit 2B. Figure 16 It is configured in Figure 15 The plan view of the CMP system of cleaning unit 2 is shown.

[0093] In the first cleaning unit 2A, the line connecting the first front stacked module 21A and the front cleaning transfer robot 23 is parallel to the line connecting the first rear stacked module 22A and the rear cleaning transfer robot 24. Simultaneously, the line connecting the first rear stacked module 22A and the front cleaning transfer robot 23 is also parallel to the line connecting the first front stacked module 21A and the rear cleaning transfer robot 24. That is, the first front stacked module 21A and the first rear stacked module 22A are staggered along the transverse and longitudinal directions of the cleaning unit 2, and the lines connecting the positions of the front cleaning transfer robot 23, the rear cleaning transfer robot 24, the first front stacked module 21A, and the first rear stacked module 22A form a rectangle. This arrangement effectively controls the length of the cleaning unit 2, which helps to reduce the overall length of the CMP system and decrease the space occupied by the CMP system in the fab plant.

[0094] Figure 15 In this process, both the pre-cleaning transfer robot 23 and the post-cleaning transfer robot 24 can transfer wafers within and between the stacked modules. During wafer post-processing, the wafer transfer workload can be evenly distributed between the pre-cleaning transfer robot 23 and the post-cleaning transfer robot 24 to control the workload of a single transfer robot and avoid excessive workload for any single transfer robot, which could affect its operational stability.

[0095] Figure 16 In the process, the stacked module near the front unit 1 is positioned close to the horizontal center line CL of the cleaning unit 2, creating a maintenance work space between the stacked module and the outer side of the cleaning unit 2; correspondingly, the stacked module near the polishing unit 3 is positioned close to the outer side of the cleaning unit 2, allowing operators to directly inspect and repair any faulty post-processing modules.

[0096] Figure 15 In this system, the first cleaning unit 2A and the second cleaning unit 2B operate independently without interfering with each other, which helps ensure the stable operation of wafer cleaning. The stacked modules are staggered along the transverse direction of the cleaning unit 2, and the post-processing modules 20 in the stacked modules are arranged vertically rather than side by side along the transverse and / or longitudinal direction of the cleaning unit 2. This helps to reduce the volume of the cleaning unit and thus control the volume of the CMP system.

[0097] Furthermore, the fixed buffer device 25 is disposed in the stacked module adjacent to the front unit 1, such as... Figure 15 As shown. Figure 16The front-mounted robotic arm 1b, as shown, transfers the wafer to be polished from the front-opening wafer transfer cassette 1a to the fixed buffer device 25, so that the post-cleaning transfer robotic arm 24 can transfer the wafer to the polishing unit 3. That is, when the wafer is transferred from the cleaning unit 2 to the polishing unit, it only needs to turn over in the fixed buffer device 25 configured in the stacked module adjacent to the front-mounted unit 1, and then be transferred to the polishing unit 3 by the post-cleaning transfer robotic arm 24, which effectively improves the wafer turnover efficiency.

[0098] Figure 17 This is a plan view of a chemical mechanical polishing system provided in an embodiment of the present invention. The following is in conjunction with... Figure 17 Briefly describe the wafer transport process:

[0099] First, the front-mounted robotic arm 1b of the front unit 1 places the wafer to be polished into the fixed buffer device 25 in the first front stacked module 21A. Figure 10 (As shown), the first step of transfer is completed; then, the first cleaning front transfer robot 23A transfers the wafer from the fixed buffer device 25 in the first front stack-up module 21A to the fixed buffer device 25 in the first rear stack-up module 22A, thus completing the second step of transfer; then, the first cleaning rear transfer robot 24A transfers the wafer placed in the fixed buffer device 25 in the first rear stack-up module 22A to the wafer entry layer in the entry / exit buffer device 42 of the polishing unit 3, thus completing the third step of transfer. It can be understood that the wafer can also be transferred towards the polishing unit 3 via the second cleaning unit 2B; the two are independent of each other and do not affect each other.

[0100] Next, the first polishing transfer robot 41A transfers the wafer from the buffer device 42 to the polishing module 30A, thus completing step ④ of the transfer. Specifically, the first polishing transfer robot 41A places the wafer on the loading and unloading stage 33, and the carrier head 32c on the polishing assembly 32 loads the wafer and rotates it above the polishing disk 31 via the rotary device 32b to perform chemical mechanical polishing.

[0101] Next, the first polishing transfer robot 41A transfers the wafer polished in polishing module 30A to polishing module 30B, thus completing step ⑤. Then, the first polishing transfer robot 41A transfers the wafer polished in polishing module 30B to intermediate buffer device 43, thus completing step ⑥.

[0102] Next, the second polishing transfer robot 41B transfers the wafer from the intermediate buffer device 43 to the polishing module 30D to complete step ⑦. Then, the second polishing transfer robot 41B transfers the wafer polished in the polishing module 30D (the polished wafer) to the exit layer of the buffer device 42 to complete step ⑧.

[0103] Next, the second post-cleaning transfer robot 24B transfers the polished wafer to the second rear stacking module 22B, completing step 9. It should be noted that the wafer can be transferred between the corresponding post-processing modules 20 of the second rear stacking module 22B. When transferring within the second rear stacking module 22B, the second post-cleaning transfer robot 24B is used. Next, the second pre-cleaning transfer robot 23B transfers the wafer from the second rear stacking module 22B to the second front stacking module 21B, completing step 10. The wafer can be transferred between the corresponding post-processing modules 20 of the second front stacking module 21B. When transferring between the second front stacking modules 21B, the second pre-cleaning transfer robot 23B is used. Finally, the front robot 1b transfers the finished wafer to the front-opening wafer transfer box 1a of the front unit 1, completing step 11.

[0104] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0105] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A wafer transfer method in a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) system, the CMP system comprising a pre-processing unit, a cleaning unit, and a polishing unit, the cleaning unit comprising multiple stacked modules, a pre-cleaning transfer robot, and a post-cleaning transfer robot, the stacked modules comprising vertically stacked post-processing modules and fixed buffer devices disposed between the vertically stacked post-processing modules, the polishing unit comprising a polishing module, a polishing transfer mechanism, and an in / out buffer device; characterized in that, The transmission method includes: The wafer to be polished is transferred from the front unit to a fixed buffer device in the stacked module adjacent to the front unit; The cleaning front transfer robot transfers the wafer from the fixed buffer device in the stack-up module adjacent to the front unit to the fixed buffer device in the stack-up module adjacent to the polishing unit. The cleaning post-transfer robot transfers the wafer from the fixed buffer device in the stacked module adjacent to the polishing unit to the inlet and outlet buffer device of the polishing unit; The polishing transfer mechanism transfers the wafer from the in-and-out buffer device to the polishing module for polishing. The polished wafers are transferred from the polishing module to the stacked module of the cleaning unit via the inlet / outlet buffer device for post-processing, and then removed by the front-end robotic arm of the front unit.

2. The transmission method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The front-end robotic arm of the front unit places the wafer to be polished into the fixed buffer device in the first front stacked module.

3. The transmission method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first cleaning front transfer robot transfers the wafer from the fixed buffer device in the first front stack-up module to the fixed buffer device in the first rear stack-up module.

4. The transmission method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first polishing transfer robot transfers the wafer from the wafer entry layer of the inlet / outlet buffer device to the first polishing module, then transfers the wafer from the first polishing module to the second polishing module, and finally transfers the wafer from the second polishing module to the intermediate buffer device. The second polishing transfer robot transfers the wafer from the intermediate buffer device to the third or fourth polishing module.

5. The transmission method as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The second polishing transfer robot transports the polished wafer from the third polishing module or the fourth polishing module to the wafer exit layer of the buffer device; the second cleaning rear transfer robot transports the polished wafer from the wafer exit layer of the buffer device to the second rear stacking module. The second cleaning front transfer robot transfers the wafer from the second rear stacking module to the second front stacking module; The front-end robotic arm transfers the completed wafer from the second front-end stacking module to the front-end unit.

6. The transmission method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The wafer is transferred between post-processing modules within the stacked module via either the pre-cleaning transfer robot or the post-cleaning transfer robot.

7. The transmission method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The pre-cleaning transfer robot is mainly responsible for wafer transfer between the pre-positioning unit and the cleaning unit, while the post-cleaning transfer robot is mainly responsible for wafer transfer between the cleaning unit and the polishing unit.

8. The transmission method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The cleaning unit includes a first cleaning unit and a second cleaning unit, which operate independently of each other. The wafer is selectively transferred via the first cleaning unit or the second cleaning unit.

9. A wafer transfer method in a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) system, the CMP system comprising a pre-processing unit, a cleaning unit, and a polishing unit, the pre-processing unit comprising a pre-processing robot, the cleaning unit comprising a stacked module adjacent to the pre-processing unit, a pre-cleaning transfer robot, and a post-cleaning transfer robot, the stacked module comprising vertically stacked post-processing modules and a fixed buffer device disposed between the vertically stacked post-processing modules, and the polishing unit comprising a polishing module, a polishing transfer mechanism, and an in / out buffer device; characterized in that, The transmission method includes: The wafer to be polished is transferred from the front unit to a fixed buffer device in the stacked module adjacent to the front unit; The cleaning rear transfer robot directly transfers the wafer from the fixed buffer device in the stacked module adjacent to the front unit to the inlet and outlet buffer device of the polishing unit; The polishing transfer mechanism transfers the wafer from the in-and-out buffer device to the polishing module for polishing. The polished wafer is transferred from the polishing module to the stacked module of the cleaning unit via the inlet and outlet buffer device for post-processing, and then taken out by the front-end robot and transferred to the front-end unit. When the wafer is transferred from the front unit to the polishing unit, it is only turned over in the fixed buffer device configured in the stacked module adjacent to the front unit.

10. The transmission method as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The vertical spacing of the post-processing modules is 50-200mm. The vertical spacing refers to the distance between the bottom surface of the post-processing module located on the upper side of the fixed buffer device and the top surface of the post-processing module located on the lower side of the fixed buffer device.

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