Wafer curing equipment for improving wafer cooling effect
By using a gas path system and a cooling chip or water cooling system to control the gas temperature in the wafer curing equipment, the problem of wafer surface temperature rise caused by ultraviolet light irradiation is solved, achieving uniform cooling of wafer surface temperature and improved curing effect.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202323528222.4
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-12-22
- Publication Date
- 2025-02-28
- Estimated Expiration
- 2033-12-22
AI Technical Summary
In existing technologies, when ozone UV curing is performed at low temperatures, UV irradiation causes the wafer surface temperature to rise, affecting the curing effect. Furthermore, traditional methods suffer from uneven temperature distribution.
A gas path system is adopted, which controls the temperature of the gas entering the chamber through a cooling chip or water cooling system, maintaining it at a preset temperature (such as 10°C), and distributes it evenly through a gas distribution device to improve the wafer cooling effect.
This achieved uniform cooling of the wafer surface temperature, improved the curing effect, and ensured the uniformity of wafer temperature and curing quality during ultraviolet irradiation.
Smart Images
Figure CN222546302U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The utility model relates to semiconductor process equipment, in particular to wafer solidification equipment for improving wafer cooling effect. Background Art
[0002] The ozone ultraviolet (OU) curing method needs to be carried out at a low temperature (10°C) and uses ultraviolet (UV) light to irradiate the wafer to achieve the curing effect. UV light irradiation will cause the surface temperature of the wafer to rise, thus affecting the curing effect. The traditional method is to cool the wafer by controlling the heater temperature and sapphire column heat conduction, but this method may result in uneven temperature distribution.
[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a gas delivery device that improves wafer cooling effect to achieve better solidification effect. Utility Model Content
[0004] In order to improve the cooling effect of the wafer and achieve a better curing effect, the utility model provides a wafer curing device for improving the cooling effect of the wafer.
[0005] The wafer curing equipment includes: a process chamber and a gas path system.
[0006] The gas path system is connected to the process chamber and is in sealed communication with a gas distribution device in the process chamber.
[0007] The gas circuit system comprises a gas pipeline and a refrigeration device wrapped outside the gas pipeline.
[0008] The gas circuit system provides temperature-controllable low-temperature gas for the process chamber, and the low-temperature gas is delivered through the gas outlet holes evenly distributed on the gas distribution device.
[0009] In one embodiment, the refrigeration device is a semiconductor refrigeration chip.
[0010] In one embodiment, the semiconductor refrigeration sheet surrounds the cooling side around the gas pipeline according to the size of the gas pipeline, and the number of the semiconductor refrigeration sheets corresponds to the number of the gas pipelines.
[0011] In one embodiment, the gas circuit system further includes a gas cabinet for providing gas to the gas pipeline.
[0012] In one embodiment, the gas provided by the gas cabinet includes one or more of N2, Ar and He.
[0013] In one embodiment, the refrigeration device controls the temperature of the gas transmitted by the gas circuit system to 5-30°C.
[0014] In one embodiment, the refrigeration device is a circulating water cooling system.
[0015] In one embodiment, the wafer curing equipment further includes a temperature measuring line installed before the gas pipeline enters the process chamber.
[0016] In one embodiment, a support seat, a heating plate on the support seat, and the gas distribution device above the heating plate are disposed in the process chamber, and the heating plate is provided with a water cooling device.
[0017] In one embodiment, the process chamber is a curing chamber.
[0018] The utility model improves the surface temperature of the wafer by controlling the temperature of the gas entering the chamber, thereby achieving a better curing effect. Specifically, the utility model controls the temperature of the gas entering the chamber by using a refrigeration plate or a water cooling system, so that the gas flowing into the chamber is maintained at a preset temperature (for example, 10°C) to improve the problem of the surface temperature of the wafer rising when irradiated with UV light. The utility model reduces the wafer temperature by the gas temperature, and since the gas distribution is more uniform, the wafer cooling will also be more uniform. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] The above utility model content and the following specific embodiments of the utility model will be better understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the accompanying drawings are only examples of the utility model claimed for protection. In the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals represent the same or similar elements.
[0020] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing wafer cooling in the prior art is shown;
[0021] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a wafer curing device according to an embodiment of the utility model is shown;
[0022] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a wafer curing device according to another embodiment of the utility model is shown;
[0023] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of wafer cooling according to an embodiment of the utility model is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] The detailed features and advantages of the utility model are described in detail in the specific implementation mode below, and the content is sufficient for any technical personnel in the field to understand the technical content of the utility model and implement it accordingly, and according to the specification, claims and drawings disclosed in this specification, the technical personnel in the field can easily understand the relevant purposes and advantages of the utility model. Although the description of the utility model will be introduced in conjunction with the preferred embodiment, this does not mean that the features of this utility model are limited to this implementation mode. On the contrary, the purpose of introducing the utility model in conjunction with the implementation mode is to cover other options or modifications that may be extended based on the claims of the utility model. In order to provide an in-depth understanding of the utility model, the following description will include many specific details. The utility model can also be implemented without using these details. In addition, in order to avoid confusion or blurring the focus of the utility model, some specific details will be omitted in the description.
[0025] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installation", "connection" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.
[0026] In addition, the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "horizontal" and "vertical" used in the following description should be understood as the directions shown in the paragraph and the related drawings. Such relative terms are only used for the convenience of description and do not mean that the device described therein must be manufactured or operated in a specific direction. Therefore, they should not be understood as limiting the present invention.
[0027] It is understood that although the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. may be used herein to describe various components, channels, components, regions, layers and / or parts, these components, channels, components, regions, layers and / or parts should not be limited by these terms, and these terms are only used to distinguish different components, channels, components, regions, layers and / or parts. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.
[0028] As shown in this application and claims, unless the context clearly indicates an exception, the words "a", "an", "an" and / or "the" do not refer to the singular and may also include the plural. Generally speaking, the terms "include" and "comprise" only indicate the inclusion of the steps and elements that have been clearly identified, and these steps and elements do not constitute an exclusive list. The method or device may also include other steps or elements.
[0029] In some embodiments, numbers describing the number of components and attributes are used. It should be understood that such numbers used in the description of the embodiments are modified by the modifiers "about", "approximately" or "substantially" in some examples. Unless otherwise specified, "about", "approximately" or "substantially" indicate that the numbers are allowed to vary by ±20%. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters used in the specification and claims are approximate values, which may change according to the required features of individual embodiments. In some embodiments, the numerical parameters should take into account the specified significant digits and adopt the general method of retaining digits. Although the numerical domains and parameters used to confirm the breadth of their range in some embodiments of the present application are approximate values, in specific embodiments, the setting of such numerical values is as accurate as possible within the feasible range.
[0030] At the same time, the present application uses specific words to describe the embodiments of the present application. For example, "one embodiment", "an embodiment", and / or "some embodiments" refer to a certain feature, structure or characteristic related to at least one embodiment of the present application. Therefore, it should be emphasized and noted that "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" or "an alternative embodiment" mentioned twice or more in different positions in this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, some features, structures or characteristics in one or more embodiments of the present application can be appropriately combined.
[0031] The ozone ultraviolet (OU) curing method needs to be carried out at a low temperature (10°C) and uses ultraviolet (UV) light to irradiate the wafer to achieve the curing effect. UV light irradiation will cause the surface temperature of the wafer to rise, thus affecting the curing effect. The traditional method is to cool the wafer by controlling the heater temperature and sapphire column heat conduction, but this method may result in uneven temperature distribution.
[0032] The utility model improves the surface temperature of the wafer by controlling the temperature of the gas entering the chamber, thereby achieving a better curing effect. Specifically, the utility model controls the temperature of the gas entering the chamber by using a cooling plate or a water cooling system, so that the gas flowing into the chamber is kept at 10°C to improve the problem of the surface temperature of the wafer rising when UV light is irradiated. The utility model reduces the wafer temperature by the gas temperature, and since the gas distribution is more uniform, the wafer cooling will also be more uniform.
[0033] Figure 1 The schematic diagram of wafer cooling in the prior art is shown. In the prior art, the temperature of the heating plate 101 is controlled by water cooling and the sapphire column conducts heat to cool the wafer 102 .
[0034] Figure 2 FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a wafer curing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2As shown, the wafer curing equipment includes a process chamber 201 and a gas system 202 .
[0035] A support base 203 , a heating plate 204 on the support base 203 , and a gas distribution device 209 above the heating plate 204 are disposed in the process chamber 201 .
[0036] In one embodiment, the process chamber 201 is a curing chamber.
[0037] The wafer is placed on the heating plate 204. The heating plate 204 is used to heat the wafer. The temperature of the heating plate 204 can also be controlled to a preset low temperature to cool the wafer. In one embodiment, the heating plate 204 is provided with a water cooling device.
[0038] The gas system 202 is connected to the process chamber 201 and is in sealed communication with a gas distribution device 209 of the process chamber 201 .
[0039] The gas system 202 includes a gas pipeline 206 , a refrigeration device 207 wrapped outside the gas pipeline, and a gas box 205 .
[0040] The gas system 202 provides low-temperature gas to the process chamber 201 for cooling the wafer surface. The gas comes out of the gas cabinet 205 and enters the process chamber 201 along the gas pipeline 206, and is finally sent out through the gas outlets evenly distributed on the gas distribution device 209.
[0041] In one embodiment, the gas transmitted by the gas circuit system 202 includes but is not limited to one or more of N 2 , Ar and He.
[0042] The refrigeration device 207 is used to cool the gas transmitted by the gas path system.
[0043] In one embodiment, the refrigeration device controls the temperature of the gas transmitted by the gas circuit system to 5-30°C.
[0044] In one embodiment, the refrigeration device controls the temperature of the gas transmitted by the gas circuit system to 10°C.
[0045] like Figure 2 In the embodiment shown, the refrigeration device is a semiconductor refrigeration chip. The semiconductor refrigeration chip surrounds the gas pipeline with one side of the refrigeration according to the size of the gas pipeline. The number of patches is determined according to the number of gas pipelines from the exit of the gas cabinet to the entry into the process chamber, ensuring uniform refrigeration of the periphery of the pipeline, keeping the introduced gas at a certain low temperature, and cooling the surface of the wafer by introducing low-temperature gas into the chamber.
[0046] In one embodiment, the temperature of the semiconductor cooling chip is set to 10°C.
[0047] Figure 3 FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a wafer curing device according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 As shown, the wafer curing equipment includes a process chamber 301 and a gas system 302 .
[0048] A support base 303 , a heating plate 304 on the support base 303 , and a gas distribution device 309 above the heating plate 304 are disposed in the process chamber 301 .
[0049] In one embodiment, the process chamber 301 is a curing chamber.
[0050] The wafer is placed on the heating plate 304. The temperature of the heating plate 304 can also be controlled to a preset low temperature to cool the wafer. In one embodiment, the heating plate 304 is provided with a water cooling device.
[0051] The gas system 302 is connected to the process chamber 301 and is in sealed communication with a gas distribution device 309 of the process chamber 301 .
[0052] The gas system 302 includes a gas pipeline 306 , a refrigeration device 307 wrapped outside the gas pipeline, and a gas box 305 .
[0053] The gas system 302 provides low-temperature gas to the process chamber 301 for cooling the surface of the wafer. The gas comes out of the gas cabinet 305 and enters the process chamber 301 along the gas pipeline 306, and is finally sent out through the evenly distributed gas outlets on the gas distribution device 309. As shown in the figure, the low-temperature gas above the wafer is evenly distributed, which can make the wafer cooler more evenly.
[0054] In one embodiment, the gas transmitted by the gas circuit system 302 includes but is not limited to one or more of N 2 , Ar and He.
[0055] The refrigeration device 307 is used to cool the gas transmitted by the gas path system.
[0056] In one embodiment, the refrigeration device controls the temperature of the gas transmitted by the gas circuit system to 5-30°C.
[0057] In one embodiment, the refrigeration device controls the temperature of the gas transmitted by the gas circuit system to 10°C.
[0058] like Figure 3In the embodiment shown, the refrigeration device is a circulating water cooling system. By adding a layer of winding circulating water cooling system around the gas pipeline, using a chiller to keep the circulating water temperature at 10°C, passing a certain flow of 10°C circulating water around the gas pipeline, and installing the gas pipeline from the gas cabinet to the process chamber, the gas passing through is cooled.
[0059] In one embodiment, the wafer curing equipment of the utility model also includes a temperature measuring line 308, which is installed before the gas pipeline 306 enters the process chamber 301, and plays a temperature detection role to ensure that the temperature of the gas before entering the process chamber 301 is a set temperature (for example, 10°C). If there is a deviation in the feedback temperature, the circulating water temperature is adjusted according to the feedback temperature.
[0060] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of wafer cooling according to an embodiment of the utility model is shown. Figure 4 The left side is a schematic diagram of the prior art of cooling the wafer only by using a heating plate. Figure 4 The right side is a schematic diagram of wafer cooling of the present invention, which shows that the wafer of the present invention can not only be cooled by a heating plate, but also has an additional gas cooling method.
[0061] The utility model improves the surface temperature of the wafer by controlling the temperature of the gas entering the chamber, thereby achieving a better curing effect. Specifically, the utility model controls the temperature of the gas entering the chamber by using a cooling plate or a water cooling system, so that the gas flowing into the chamber is maintained at a preset temperature to improve the problem of the surface temperature of the wafer rising when irradiated with UV light. The utility model reduces the wafer temperature by the gas temperature, and since the gas distribution is more uniform, the wafer cooling will also be more uniform.
[0062] The terms and expressions used above are for description only, and the present invention should not be limited to these terms and expressions. The use of these terms and expressions does not mean to exclude any equivalent features of the illustrations and descriptions (or parts thereof), and it should be recognized that various modifications that may exist should also be included in the scope of the claims. Other modifications, changes and substitutions may also exist. Accordingly, the claims should be deemed to cover all such equivalents.
[0063] Similarly, it should be noted that in order to simplify the description of the disclosure of this application and thus facilitate the understanding of one or more utility model embodiments, in the above description of the embodiments of this application, multiple features are sometimes combined into one embodiment, drawing or description thereof. However, this disclosure method does not mean that the features required by the object of this application are more than the features mentioned in the claims.
[0064] Similarly, it should be pointed out that although the present invention has been described with reference to the current specific embodiments, ordinary technicians in this technical field should realize that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention, and various equivalent changes or substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, as long as the changes and modifications to the above embodiments are within the scope of the essential spirit of the present invention, they will fall within the scope of the claims of this application.
Claims
1. A wafer curing device for improving wafer cooling effect, characterized in that: The wafer curing equipment comprises: Process chamber and gas system; The gas circuit system is connected to the process chamber and is in sealed communication with a gas distribution device in the process chamber; The gas circuit system includes a gas pipeline and a refrigeration device wrapped outside the gas pipeline; The gas circuit system provides temperature-controllable low-temperature gas for the process chamber, and the low-temperature gas is delivered through the gas outlet holes evenly distributed on the gas distribution device.
2. The wafer curing device for improving wafer cooling effect as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The refrigeration device is a semiconductor refrigeration sheet.
3. The wafer curing device for improving wafer cooling effect as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: The semiconductor refrigeration sheet surrounds the cooling side around the gas pipeline according to the size of the gas pipeline, and the number of the semiconductor refrigeration sheets corresponds to the number of the gas pipelines.
4. The wafer curing device for improving wafer cooling effect as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The gas circuit system also includes a gas cabinet for providing gas to the gas pipeline.
5. The wafer curing device for improving wafer cooling effect as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that: The gas provided by the gas cabinet includes one or more of N2, Ar and He.
6. The wafer curing device for improving wafer cooling effect as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The refrigeration device controls the temperature of the gas transmitted by the gas circuit system to 5-30°C.
7. The wafer curing device for improving wafer cooling effect as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The refrigeration device is a circulating water cooling system.
8. The wafer curing device for improving wafer cooling effect as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a temperature measuring line installed before the gas pipeline enters the process chamber.
9. The wafer curing device for improving wafer cooling effect as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The process chamber is provided with a support seat, a heating plate on the support seat, and the gas distribution device above the heating plate, and the heating plate is provided with a water cooling device.
10. The wafer curing device for improving wafer cooling effect according to claim 1, characterized in that: The process chamber is a curing chamber.