Developing shower device and developing method

Abstract

The application provides a developing spray device and a developing method, wherein the developing spray device comprises a spray base, a concentric ring spray assembly and an independent electric control valve group; the concentric ring spray assembly is fixed on the spray base, the concentric ring spray assembly comprises multiple spray rings and is sequentially divided into an inner ring spray ring, a middle ring spray ring and an outer ring spray ring from inside to outside along the radial direction; and the independent electric control valve group is independently connected with the concentric ring spray assembly. The application can improve the line width uniformity of different areas of a wafer and solve the problem of insufficient line width uniformity by dynamically adjusting the spray parameters of the inner ring spray ring, the middle ring spray ring and the outer ring spray ring through the independent electric control valve group.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of semiconductor lithography equipment technology, and specifically relates to a developing spray device and developing method. Background Technology

[0002] Photolithography is a crucial step in semiconductor manufacturing, using photochemical reactions to transfer patterns from a photomask onto a wafer substrate. Key performance indicators for evaluating photolithography processes include pattern linewidth and overlay error. As process nodes continue to shrink, the requirements for linewidth uniformity across different areas of the wafer surface increase. However, in the development step of photolithography, centrifugal rotation leads to significant differences in developer coverage between the wafer's edge and center areas (up to 20% to 30%), and traditional single-area temperature control results in large temperature differences (≥1.2℃) on the wafer surface, leading to insufficient linewidth uniformity across different areas of the wafer. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a developing spray apparatus and developing method to solve the problem of insufficient linewidth uniformity.

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides a developing spray device, comprising: a spray base, a concentric annular spray assembly, and an independent electrically controlled valve group; wherein the concentric annular spray assembly is fixed on the spray base, and the concentric annular spray assembly includes, from the inside to the outside, an inner spray ring, a middle spray ring, and an outer spray ring in a radial direction; the independent electrically controlled valve group is independently connected to the inner spray ring, the middle spray ring, and the outer spray ring, respectively, and is used to dynamically adjust the spray parameters of the inner spray ring, the middle spray ring, and the outer spray ring.

[0005] Optionally, the inner ring spray ring, the middle ring spray ring, and the outer ring spray ring are all provided with annular liquid collection chambers, and the inner wall of the annular liquid collection chambers is provided with a corrosion-resistant lining.

[0006] Optionally, the developing spray device further includes a diversion pipe and an independent liquid supply branch, and the annular liquid collection chamber is connected to the diversion pipe, and the diversion pipe extends to the outside of the concentric annular spray assembly and is connected to the independent liquid supply branch.

[0007] Optionally, each spray ring is a split annular cavity structure, each spray ring includes an upper ring body and a lower ring body. The upper ring body and the lower ring body are welded at their end faces and spliced ​​together by bolts to form a closed annular hollow cavity, which serves as the annular liquid collection cavity.

[0008] Optionally, the bottom or side surface of the lower ring body is provided with a plurality of nozzles, the density of the nozzles is distributed in a gradient along the direction from the inner ring spray ring to the outer ring spray ring, and the nozzles are directly connected to the interior of the annular liquid collection chamber.

[0009] Optionally, the nozzles are provided on the bottom or side surface of the lower ring of the inner ring spray ring, the bottom or side surface of the lower ring of the middle ring spray ring, and the bottom or side surface of the lower ring of the outer ring spray ring, and the density of the nozzles on the outer ring spray ring is greater than the density of the nozzles on the middle ring spray ring and the density of the nozzles on the inner ring spray ring.

[0010] Optionally, the nozzles on the inner ring spray ring include straight-shot nozzles, and the nozzles on the inner ring spray vertically downwards; the nozzles on the middle ring spray ring include micro-fan-shaped nozzles, and the nozzles on the middle ring spray downwards at an angle; the nozzles on the outer ring spray ring include wide-angle fan-shaped nozzles, and the nozzles on the outer ring spray ring spray downwards at an angle, and the spray angle of the nozzles on the outer ring spray ring is greater than the spray angle of the nozzles on the middle ring spray ring.

[0011] Optionally, the spray angle of the nozzles on the middle spray ring is 30° to 45°; the spray angle of the nozzles on the outer spray ring is 60° to 90°.

[0012] Optionally, each spray ring of the concentric annular spray assembly corresponds to a region of the wafer. The wafer is divided into a wafer center region, a wafer transition region, and a wafer edge region from the inside to the outside along the radial direction. The inner spray ring corresponds to the wafer center region, the middle spray ring corresponds to the wafer transition region, and the outer spray ring corresponds to the wafer edge region.

[0013] Optionally, the developing spray device further includes an installation interface and a monitoring component. Each spray ring is provided with the installation interface. The monitoring component is detachably or fixedly mounted to the inner ring wall, outer ring wall, or bottom end face of each spray ring through the installation interface. A sealing gasket is provided between the monitoring component and each spray ring for sealing. The monitoring component is evenly arranged along the annular array of each spray ring for recording the flow rate, temperature, and pressure data of the inner ring spray ring, middle ring spray ring, and outer ring spray ring.

[0014] Optionally, the mounting interface further includes a threaded mounting hole, and the monitoring component is further provided with an external thread structure. The mounting interface and the monitoring component are connected by threads, and the external thread structure of the monitoring component is assembled in the threaded mounting hole.

[0015] Optionally, the inner ring spray ring, the middle ring spray ring, and the outer ring spray ring adopt a uniform flow rate liquid supply method.

[0016] Optionally, the concentric annular spray assembly further includes a thermostatic jacket, which covers the outer ring of the inner spray ring, the middle spray ring, and the outer spray ring to form a double-layer coaxial nested structure with the spray rings as the inner layer and the thermostatic jacket as the outer layer.

[0017] Optionally, a temperature control medium circulates within the constant temperature jacket to ensure a constant temperature of the sprayed developer, and the temperature control medium includes constant temperature deionized water.

[0018] Optionally, the independent electrically controlled valve group is used to control the spray opening sequence, spray closing sequence, and spray flow rate of each spray ring respectively; the spray opening sequence is as follows: the outer ring spray ring, the middle ring spray ring, and the inner ring spray ring; the spray closing sequence is as follows: the inner ring spray ring, the middle ring spray ring, and the outer ring spray ring.

[0019] Optionally, the independent electrically controlled valve assembly includes a proportional solenoid valve for flow regulation.

[0020] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention also provides a developing method, which is applicable to the above-mentioned developing spray apparatus, and the steps of the method are as follows:

[0021] Fix the wafer onto the rotating stage and start rotating;

[0022] The spraying of the outer ring spray ring, the middle ring spray ring, and the inner ring spray ring is turned on in sequence;

[0023] At the end of development, the spraying of the inner ring spray ring, the middle ring spray ring, and the outer ring spray ring is turned off in sequence;

[0024] The wafer is spun dry.

[0025] Optionally, during the development process, the rotational speed of the wafer is linked to the spraying sequence, and the rotational speed of the wafer is greater when the inner spray ring sprays than when the outer spray ring sprays.

[0026] The developing spray apparatus and developing method provided by the present invention dynamically adjust the spray parameters by using the concentric ring spray assembly and independent electrically controlled valve group, and control the spray flow rate and the contact time between the wafer and the developing solution, thereby eliminating regional linewidth differences and improving the uniformity of linewidth in different regions of the wafer.

[0027] In addition, the present invention dynamically partitions the wafer into three zones, then precisely controls the spraying sequence and controls the spraying flow rate through a monitoring component, so that the developer on the wafer is evenly distributed, specifically compensating for the uneven distribution of developer caused by centrifugal force; at the same time, the opening and closing times of different spray rings are set to balance the development contact time between the center and the edge of the wafer.

[0028] Furthermore, the present invention also solves the problem of temperature gradient runaway by using a thermostatic jacket built into the concentric annular spray assembly, in which a temperature control medium flows, to ensure a constant temperature of the spray developing solution. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 This is a top view of the partitions of a wafer according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 This is a simplified schematic diagram of a concentric annular spray assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the nozzle spray angle according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 4 This is a schematic flowchart of a development method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figures 1-4 middle,

[0034] 101-Inner ring spray zone; 102-Middle ring spray zone; 103-Outer ring spray zone; 201-Inner ring spray ring; 202-Middle ring spray ring; 203-Outer ring spray ring; 30-Nozzle; 301-First nozzle; 302-Second nozzle; 303-Third nozzle. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The core idea of ​​this invention is to provide a developing spray apparatus and developing method to solve the problem of insufficient linewidth uniformity in different regions of a wafer.

[0036] To achieve the above-mentioned goals, the present invention provides a developing spray device, comprising: a spray base, a concentric annular spray assembly, and an independent electrically controlled valve group; wherein the concentric annular spray assembly is fixed on the spray base, and the concentric annular spray assembly includes, from the inside to the outside, an inner spray ring, a middle spray ring, and an outer spray ring in a radial direction; the independent electrically controlled valve group is independently connected to the inner spray ring, the middle spray ring, and the outer spray ring, respectively, and is used to dynamically adjust the spray parameters of the inner spray ring, the middle spray ring, and the outer spray ring.

[0037] The developing spray apparatus of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The advantages and features of the present invention will become clearer from the following description and claims. It should be noted that the drawings are all in a very simplified form and use non-precise proportions, and are only used to facilitate and clarify the illustration of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0038] Specifically, Figure 1 A top view of the wafer partitions is shown, using a 12-inch (300mm) wafer. It should be noted that the 12-inch (300mm) size listed in this embodiment is merely illustrative and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this invention. In other alternative embodiments, the wafer size can be set to 10 inches, 20 inches, or other specifications depending on the needs of the actual application scenario. Any wafer employing the core structural design of this invention falls within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0039] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment divides the wafer surface into three concentric ring-shaped regions by dynamically adjusting the spraying sequence: an inner ring spraying region 101, a middle ring spraying region 102, and an outer ring spraying region 103. Each spraying ring of the concentric ring spraying assembly corresponds to a region of the wafer. The wafer is divided radially from the inside to the outside into a wafer center region, a wafer transition region, and a wafer edge region. The inner ring spraying ring corresponds to the wafer center region, the middle ring spraying ring corresponds to the wafer transition region, and the outer ring spraying ring corresponds to the wafer edge region. Specifically, the inner ring spraying region 101 is the wafer center region, the middle ring spraying region 102 is the wafer transition region, and the outer ring spraying region 103 is the wafer edge region.

[0040] The inner ring spray area 101 can be the region from 0 to 30 mm in the radial direction of the wafer, the middle ring spray area 102 can be the region from 30 to 70 mm in the radial direction of the wafer, and the outer ring spray area 103 can be the region from 70 mm to 300 mm in the radial direction of the wafer, where the wafer radial direction 0 is the center of the wafer. Each region is equipped with an independent spray device. The spray area ranges listed in this embodiment are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this invention. In other alternative embodiments, the spray area ranges can also be set to other specifications according to the needs of the actual application scenario. As long as the core structural design of this invention is adopted, it falls within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0041] Please refer to Figure 2 This is a simplified schematic diagram of the concentric annular spray assembly in this embodiment. Figure 2As shown, the concentric annular spray assembly may include: an inner spray ring 201, a middle spray ring 202, an outer spray ring 203, and nozzles 30. Each of the inner spray ring 201, the middle spray ring 202, and the outer spray ring 203 is provided with an annular liquid collection chamber, and the inner wall of the annular liquid collection chamber may be provided with a corrosion-resistant lining. The lining material is preferably polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). PTFE material gives the lining the advantages of corrosion resistance and non-stick properties, and also good chemical stability. This is only an illustrative example; those skilled in the art can replace it with other suitable corrosion-resistant lining materials according to actual needs.

[0042] Furthermore, each spray ring can be a split-type annular cavity structure, comprising an upper ring body and a lower ring body. The upper and lower ring bodies are welded at their end faces and bolted together to form a closed annular hollow cavity, which serves as the annular liquid collection cavity. The developing spray device may also include a diversion pipe and an independent liquid supply branch, with the annular liquid collection cavity connected to the diversion pipe. The diversion pipe extends to the outside of the concentric annular spray assembly and connects to the independent liquid supply branch. Preferably, the spray rings are made of 316L stainless steel and sealed with O-rings, with a wall thickness preferably of 2mm. This is merely an illustrative example; those skilled in the art can substitute other suitable spray ring materials and wall thicknesses according to actual needs.

[0043] Furthermore, a plurality of nozzles 30 are provided on the bottom or side surface of the lower ring body. The density of the nozzles 30 is gradient-distributed along the direction from the inner ring spray ring 201 to the outer ring spray ring 203, and the nozzles are directly connected to the interior of the annular liquid collection chamber. Specifically, nozzles 30 are provided on the bottom or side surface of the lower ring body of the inner ring spray ring, the lower ring body of the middle ring spray ring, and the lower ring body of the outer ring spray ring. The density of nozzles on the outer ring spray ring is greater than that on the middle ring spray ring, which is greater than that on the inner ring spray ring. Preferably, the density of nozzles on the outer ring spray ring is 1.5 to 1.8 times that of the nozzles on the inner ring spray ring, and the density of nozzles on the middle ring spray ring is 1.2 to 1.4 times that of the nozzles on the inner ring spray ring to compensate for insufficient edge developer coverage caused by centrifugal force. Simultaneously, the spray start time of the outer ring spray ring is delayed (0.3s to 0.5s) to reduce the risk of over-development at the edges. This is merely an illustrative example; those skilled in the art can replace it with other suitable nozzle densities and spray start-up times according to actual needs.

[0044] The nozzles on the inner spray ring 201 can be straight-shot nozzles, but are not limited to this, and the nozzles on the inner spray ring 201 spray vertically downwards; the nozzles on the middle spray ring 202 can be micro-fan-shaped nozzles, but are not limited to this, and the nozzles on the middle spray ring 202 spray obliquely downwards; the outer spray ring 203 can be wide-angle fan-shaped nozzles, but are not limited to this, and the nozzles on the outer spray ring 203 spray obliquely downwards. Furthermore, the spray angle of the nozzles on the outer spray ring 203 is greater than the spray angle of the nozzles on the middle spray ring 202. This embodiment, by using different types of nozzles to spray different partitions of the wafer, can better cover each partition with the developer, resulting in a better spraying effect.

[0045] Please refer to Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the nozzle spray angle in this embodiment. The nozzle 30 includes: a first nozzle 301, a second nozzle 302, and a third nozzle 303. The first nozzle 301 is the nozzle of the inner ring spray ring, preferably a vertically downward columnar flow nozzle, with a nozzle orifice diameter preferably of 0.6mm~0.8mm; the second nozzle 302 is the nozzle of the middle ring spray ring, preferably a fan-shaped nozzle, with a spray angle preferably of 30°~45° and a nozzle orifice diameter preferably of 0.6mm~0.8mm; the third nozzle 303 is the nozzle of the outer ring spray ring, preferably a near-horizontal wide-angle fan-shaped nozzle, with a spray angle preferably of 60°~90° and a nozzle orifice diameter preferably of 1.0mm~1.2mm. The third nozzle 303 of the outer ring spray ring is inclined outwards at 10° to 15° to compensate for the loss of edge developer caused by the centrifugal force of wafer rotation. This embodiment utilizes nozzles with different orifice diameters to effectively control the spray flow rate, thereby controlling the developing effect. This is merely an illustrative example; those skilled in the art can substitute other suitable nozzle orifice diameters according to actual needs.

[0046] In this embodiment, by setting different spray angles for each of the spray rings, the wafer can be divided into three regions, with each spray ring corresponding to a spray area. The inner spray ring 201 corresponds to the wafer center region, the middle spray ring 202 corresponds to the wafer transition region, and the outer spray ring 203 corresponds to the wafer edge region. Then, each spray ring achieves zoned spraying through nozzles. By setting nozzles with corresponding angles, the spraying area can be made more uniform, and zoned spraying can balance the spray flow rate in each region, stabilizing the contact time between the wafer and the developer.

[0047] The developing spray device further includes an installation interface and a monitoring component. Each spray ring is provided with the installation interface. The monitoring component is detachably or fixedly mounted to the inner ring wall, outer ring wall, or bottom end face of each spray ring via the installation interface. A sealing gasket is provided between the monitoring component and each spray ring for sealing. The monitoring components are evenly arranged in a circular array along each spray ring, and are used to record the flow rate, temperature, and pressure data of the inner, middle, and outer spray rings. Preferably, the monitoring component is an embedded laser interferometer (wavelength preferably 635nm). The installation interface also includes a threaded mounting hole, and the monitoring component also has an external thread structure. The installation interface and the monitoring component are connected by threads, and the external thread structure of the monitoring component is assembled into the threaded mounting hole.

[0048] The concentric annular spray assembly further includes a thermostatic jacket, which covers the outer rings of the inner, middle, and outer spray rings to form a double-layer coaxial nested structure with the spray rings as the inner layer and the thermostatic jacket as the outer layer. A temperature-controlled medium flows within the thermostatic jacket to ensure a constant temperature of the developing solution during spraying, and the temperature-controlled medium includes constant-temperature deionized water. Specifically, the annular collection chamber in the inner spray ring is used for the flow of the developing solution; the outer thermostatic jacket is used for the flow of the temperature-controlled medium. The flow of the temperature-controlled medium within the thermostatic jacket ensures a constant temperature of the developing solution during spraying, thereby controlling the temperature difference on the wafer surface.

[0049] In this embodiment, the independent electrically controlled valve group is independently connected to the inner ring spray ring, the middle ring spray ring, and the outer ring spray ring, respectively, for dynamically adjusting the spray parameters of the inner ring spray ring, the middle ring spray ring, and the outer ring spray ring. Preferably, the independent electrically controlled valve group is a proportional solenoid valve, which can achieve 0-100% flow rate adjustment. Specifically, the minimum adjustment step of the proportional solenoid valve is extremely short, and the flow rate change caused by a single action is minimal, enabling different degrees of flow rate adjustment, suitable for scenarios with different step lengths or flow rates. This high-resolution adjustment mechanism effectively avoids the flow rate jumps or overshoot phenomena that easily occur when traditional valves are adjusted at small openings, significantly improving the control accuracy and system stability under low flow conditions, thereby improving the precision of spraying. This embodiment utilizes proportional solenoid valves to differentiate the spray timing, flow rate, and spray angle of each area, accurately compensating for the residence time and coverage of the developer in each area. The inner, middle, and outer spray rings employ a unified flow rate for liquid supply, eliminating the need for multiple independent flow rate adjustment components. This simplifies the liquid supply pipeline and electrical control system, reducing equipment hardware costs and simplifying debugging and maintenance. Specifically, the spray flow rate of the outer ring is greater than that of the middle ring, which is greater than that of the inner ring. Preferably, the spray flow rate of the outer ring is 1.5 to 1.8 times that of the inner ring, and the spray flow rate of the middle ring is 1.2 to 1.4 times that of the inner ring. In this embodiment, based on displayed flow rate, temperature, and pressure data, the parameters of the monitoring components and the independent electrically controlled valve group are dynamically adjusted to ensure sufficient contact between the developer and the wafer under suitable temperature and pressure, accelerating development time and effects while reducing linewidth differences. This is merely an illustrative example; those skilled in the art can substitute other suitable spray flow rates according to actual needs.

[0050] This embodiment utilizes an independent electrically controlled valve group for precise timing control. This group controls the spray opening sequence, spray closing sequence, and spray flow rate of each spray ring. The spray opening sequence is as follows: outer spray ring, middle spray ring, and inner spray ring; the spray closing sequence is as follows: inner spray ring, middle spray ring, and outer spray ring. Simultaneously, during the spraying process, zone rotation speed is optimized, linking wafer rotation speed with the spray timing. The rotation speed is reduced during outer ring spraying to minimize droplet ejection, while the rotation speed is moderately increased during inner ring spraying to prevent liquid accumulation, achieving dynamic matching between fluid dynamics and the spray timing.

[0051] Furthermore, the present invention also provides a developing method, which is implemented using the developing apparatus described above. Wherein, Figure 4 This is a schematic flowchart of a developing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. The developing method may include the following steps:

[0052] Step S1: Fix the wafer onto the rotating stage and start rotation;

[0053] Step S2: Sequentially activate the spraying of the outer ring spray ring, the middle ring spray ring, and the inner ring spray ring;

[0054] Step S3: At the end of development, sequentially turn off the spray of the inner ring spray ring, the middle ring spray ring, and the outer ring spray ring;

[0055] Step S4: Spin-dry the wafer.

[0056] Before performing step S1, the development method in this embodiment may further include: a parameter initialization step and a dynamic control stage.

[0057] The parameter initialization step is mainly used to set relevant values, define the ranges of the inner ring spray zone 101, the middle ring spray zone 102, and the outer ring spray zone 103, and set the pressure and temperature of the corresponding spray rings to ensure that the spraying conditions are optimal and to minimize the linewidth difference in the regions. Optionally, this embodiment can be parametrically designed as follows: the inner ring spray zone 101 can be a radial region of 0 to 30 mm on the wafer, the middle ring spray zone 102 can be a radial region of 30 to 70 mm on the wafer, and the outer ring spray zone 103 can be a radial region of 70 mm to 300 mm on the wafer. The spray rings can be made of 316L stainless steel and sealed with O-rings, with a wall thickness of 2 mm. Furthermore, the pressure of the outer ring spray ring can be 0.25 MPa, the pressure of the middle ring spray ring and the inner ring spray ring can be 0.20 MPa, and the temperature can be set to 23°C. This is only an illustrative example; those skilled in the art can replace it with other suitable parametric designs according to actual needs.

[0058] The dynamic control stage mainly involves dynamically adjusting the spray flow rate and spray time of the spray ring based on factors such as developing efficiency and developer flow rate, and correspondingly adjusting parameters such as the spray ring pressure. The control parameters are updated periodically, for example, every 5 seconds, but not limited to this. Optionally, this embodiment can perform the following dynamic control: when the edge developing rate is greater than 150 nm / s, the outer ring spray ring temperature can be reduced by 0.3℃, the flow rate can be reduced by 15%, while the middle ring spray ring pressure can be increased by 0.05 MPa; simultaneously, the control parameters are updated every 5 seconds, controlling the response time to be less than 100 ms. This is merely an illustrative example; those skilled in the art can replace it with other suitable dynamic controls according to actual needs.

[0059] In this embodiment, before step S1, the inner spray ring can perform rapid pre-spraying on the wafer surface (for example, for 1 second, but not limited to this), and rotate the wafer at a high speed of 800 rpm to 1200 rpm to ensure that the developer evenly covers the surface. After pre-spraying, the wafer is then dynamically sprayed. The rapid pre-spraying ensures that the developer evenly covers the wafer surface, allowing the developer to fully contact the wafer.

[0060] In step S2, the outer spray ring is activated first to replenish the developer in the edge area, pre-covering the wafer edge and compensating for the rapid loss of developer caused by centrifugal force, ensuring sufficient development contact time in the edge area. Then, the middle spray ring is activated to further ensure that the developer in the transition area is replenished, maintaining stable developer coverage in the wafer transition area and ensuring uniform development in the central area. Finally, the inner spray ring is activated with a delay, which not only prevents excessive accumulation of developer in the central area but also avoids overuse of developer in the central area.

[0061] In step S3, sequentially closing the inner, middle, and outer spray rings balances the contact time between different areas of the wafer and the developer. At the end of development, the spray rings are closed in reverse order, with the inner ring closing first, followed by the middle ring, and finally the outer ring. This embodiment balances the total development contact time across all areas of the wafer by extending the edge spraying time, thus eliminating linewidth differences.

[0062] In step S4, after the wafer has fully reacted with the developer, the wafer is rotated on a rotating stage to spin off the remaining developer, thus completing the developing process.

[0063] During the development process, the rotation speed of the wafer is linked to the spraying sequence. The wafer rotates faster when the inner spray ring is sprayed than when the outer spray ring is sprayed. Using different rotation speeds allows the developer to react more effectively with the wafer.

[0064] The method described in this embodiment can significantly improve the linewidth uniformity of different regions of the wafer and increase the development speed. For example, the linewidth uniformity obtained by the method is ±1.8nm (3σ), and the total development time is 38 seconds, while the traditional process requires 48 seconds.

[0065] In summary, the embodiments of the present invention can specifically compensate for the uneven distribution of developer caused by centrifugal force through dynamic zoned spraying and precise timing control, balance the development contact time between the wafer center and the edge, and eliminate regional linewidth differences. This not only improves the linewidth uniformity of different regions of the wafer but also reduces the development time, greatly improving development efficiency. Furthermore, the embodiments of the present invention can ensure a constant temperature of the sprayed developer through a temperature control medium, thereby solving the problem of temperature gradient runaway.

[0066] The above description is merely a description of preferred embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any way. Any changes or modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the above disclosure shall fall within the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A developing spray apparatus, characterized in that, include: Sprayer base, concentric ring spray assembly and independent electrically controlled valve group; The concentric annular spray assembly is fixed on the spray base. The concentric annular spray assembly includes an inner spray ring, a middle spray ring, and an outer spray ring in a radial direction from the inside to the outside. The independent electrically controlled valve group is independently connected to the inner spray ring, the middle spray ring, and the outer spray ring, respectively, and is used to dynamically adjust the spray parameters of the inner spray ring, the middle spray ring, and the outer spray ring.

2. The developing spray apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The inner ring spray ring, the middle ring spray ring, and the outer ring spray ring are all provided with annular liquid collection chambers, and the inner wall of the annular liquid collection chambers is provided with a corrosion-resistant lining.

3. The developing spray apparatus as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The developing spray device further includes a diversion pipe and an independent liquid supply branch, and the annular liquid collection chamber is connected to the diversion pipe, and the diversion pipe extends to the outside of the concentric annular spray assembly and is connected to the independent liquid supply branch.

4. The developing spray apparatus as described in claim 2, characterized in that, Each spray ring is a split-type annular cavity structure, comprising an upper ring body and a lower ring body. The upper ring body and the lower ring body are welded together at their ends and tightened with bolts to form a closed annular hollow cavity, which serves as the annular liquid collection cavity.

5. The developing spray apparatus as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The bottom or side surface of the lower ring body is provided with multiple nozzles. The density of the nozzles is distributed in a gradient along the direction from the inner ring spray ring to the outer ring spray ring, and the nozzles are directly connected to the interior of the annular liquid collection chamber.

6. The developing spray apparatus as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The nozzles are provided on the bottom or side surface of the lower ring of the inner ring spray ring, the bottom or side surface of the lower ring of the middle ring spray ring, and the bottom or side surface of the lower ring of the outer ring spray ring. The density of the nozzles on the outer ring spray ring is greater than the density of the nozzles on the middle ring spray ring, which is greater than the density of the nozzles on the inner ring spray ring.

7. The developing spray apparatus as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The nozzles on the inner ring spray ring include straight-shot nozzles, and the nozzles on the inner ring spray vertically downwards; the nozzles on the middle ring spray ring include micro-fan-shaped nozzles, and the nozzles on the middle ring spray downwards at an angle; the nozzles on the outer ring spray ring include wide-angle fan-shaped nozzles, and the nozzles on the outer ring spray ring spray downwards at an angle, and the spray angle of the nozzles on the outer ring spray ring is greater than the spray angle of the nozzles on the middle ring spray ring.

8. The developing spray apparatus as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The spray angle of the nozzles on the middle spray ring is 30° to 45°; the spray angle of the nozzles on the outer spray ring is 60° to 90°.

9. The developing spray apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Each spray ring of the concentric ring spray assembly corresponds to a region of the wafer. The wafer is divided into a wafer center region, a wafer transition region, and a wafer edge region from the inside to the outside along the radial direction. The inner ring spray ring corresponds to the wafer center region, the middle ring spray ring corresponds to the wafer transition region, and the outer ring spray ring corresponds to the wafer edge region.

10. The developing spray apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The developing spray device also includes an installation interface and a monitoring component. Each spray ring is provided with the installation interface. The monitoring component can be detachably or fixedly assembled to the inner ring wall, outer ring wall or bottom end face of each spray ring through the installation interface. A sealing gasket is provided between the monitoring component and each spray ring for sealing. The monitoring component is evenly arranged in a ring array along each spray ring for recording the flow rate, temperature and pressure data of the inner ring spray ring, middle ring spray ring and outer ring spray ring.

11. The developing spray apparatus as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The mounting interface also includes a threaded mounting hole, and the monitoring component is further provided with an external thread structure. The mounting interface and the monitoring component are connected by threads, and the external thread structure of the monitoring component is assembled in the threaded mounting hole.

12. The developing spray apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The inner ring spray ring, middle ring spray ring and outer ring spray ring adopt a uniform flow liquid supply method.

13. The developing spray apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The concentric annular spray assembly further includes a thermostatic jacket, which covers the outer ring of the inner spray ring, the middle spray ring, and the outer spray ring to form a double-layer coaxial nested structure with the spray rings as the inner layer and the thermostatic jacket as the outer layer.

14. The developing spray apparatus as described in claim 13, characterized in that, The constant temperature jacket contains a temperature control medium to ensure that the temperature of the sprayed developer is constant, and the temperature control medium includes constant temperature deionized water.

15. The developing spray apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The independent electrically controlled valve group is used to control the spray opening sequence, spray closing sequence, and spray flow rate of each spray ring respectively; the spray opening sequence is as follows: the outer ring spray ring, the middle ring spray ring, and the inner ring spray ring; the spray closing sequence is as follows: the inner ring spray ring, the middle ring spray ring, and the outer ring spray ring.

16. The developing spray apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The independent electrically controlled valve assembly includes a proportional solenoid valve, which can achieve flow regulation.

17. A developing method, characterized in that, The developing spray apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 16 is used to achieve the following steps: Fix the wafer onto the rotating stage and start rotating; The spraying of the outer ring spray ring, the middle ring spray ring, and the inner ring spray ring is turned on in sequence; At the end of development, the spraying of the inner ring spray ring, the middle ring spray ring, and the outer ring spray ring is turned off in sequence; The wafer is spun dry.

18. The developing method as described in claim 17, characterized in that, During the development process, the rotation speed of the wafer is linked to the spraying sequence. When the inner spray ring sprays, the rotation speed of the wafer is greater than when the outer spray ring sprays.

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