Wafer edge cleaning device and wafer cleaning equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses a wafer edge cleaning device and wafer cleaning equipment. The wafer edge cleaning device comprises a cleaning brush assembly, a mounting base, a bottom frame and a driving mechanism. The cleaning brush assembly comprises a cleaning brush, and the cleaning brush is provided with an inclined brush surface which is in contact fit with the edge of the wafer. The mounting seat is used for connecting the driving mechanism and the cleaning brush assembly, the driving mechanism is used for driving the mounting seat to rotate around the driving mechanism, so that the cleaning brush assembly is close to a wafer, and the driving mechanism is arranged on the bottom frame. The wafer edge cleaning device and the wafer cleaning equipment provided by the utility model can ensure a better cleaning effect on the edge of the wafer and prevent the wafer from being broken at the same time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model belongs to the field of semiconductor integrated circuit manufacturing equipment and relates to a wafer edge cleaning device and wafer cleaning equipment. Background Art

[0002] With the development of integrated circuit technology, wafer specifications are gradually developing towards larger sizes. 12 inches has gradually become the mainstream of integrated circuit manufacturing, and will even develop to 18 inches and above in the future. The expansion of wafer size will correspondingly cause the expansion of wafer edge area, and the control of wafer edge defects becomes more important. The so-called wafer edge defect refers to the accumulation of thin films (especially some films with poor adhesion) on the edge of the wafer (generally requiring several thin film depositions) to a certain extent, and then peeling off under the action of internal stress or external force. If it falls to the device area on the surface of the wafer, it will become a defect that affects the product yield. Severe defects may even cause the product to be scrapped. After a period of thin film deposition process, due to the larger edge reaction contact angle, a thicker film will be deposited, while the film thickness in other areas is thinner than that at the edge. The method of wafer edge defect control is to remove the possible source of peeling by cleaning the edge of the wafer, which requires the addition of a special bevel cleaning process.

[0003] In the prior art, a bevel brush is usually used for the bevel cleaning process. The bevel brush can clean the larger particles at the edge and near-edge area of ​​the wafer. However, using a single bevel brush can easily result in incomplete edge cleaning, causing edge ring defects, and having unnecessary impact on the wafer yield. Utility Model Content

[0004] The utility model aims to provide a wafer edge cleaning device and a wafer cleaning equipment, which can ensure a good cleaning effect on the edge of the wafer and avoid wafer fragmentation.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by the utility model is as follows:

[0006] A wafer edge cleaning device comprises a cleaning brush assembly, a mounting seat, a base frame and a driving mechanism;

[0007] The cleaning brush assembly comprises a cleaning brush having an inclined brush surface that contacts and cooperates with the edge of the wafer;

[0008] The mounting seat is used to connect the driving mechanism and the cleaning brush assembly;

[0009] The driving mechanism is used to drive the mounting seat to rotate around the driving mechanism so that the cleaning brush assembly is close to the wafer;

[0010] The driving mechanism is arranged on the base frame.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the mounting seat is rotatably connected to the driving mechanism through an angle adjustment mechanism, so that the wafer edge cleaning device has multiple working states, and the contact angles between the brush surface of the cleaning brush and the wafer are different in the multiple working states. In this embodiment, the contact angle between the cleaning brush and the wafer can be adjusted to meet different cleaning requirements.

[0012] In a more preferred embodiment, the driving mechanism comprises:

[0013] Rotate the motor;

[0014] An arm shaft, driven to rotate by the rotary motor, and the mounting seat is connected to the arm shaft;

[0015] A sensor is used to detect the torque acting on the arm shaft so as to monitor the force of the brush surface of the cleaning brush on the wafer.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the wafer edge cleaning device further comprises an upper nozzle and a lower nozzle arranged up and down, and the cleaning brush assembly is located between the upper nozzle and the lower nozzle. The upper and lower nozzles can spray liquid on the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer at the same time to improve the cleaning effect.

[0017] In a more preferred embodiment, the upper nozzle and / or the lower nozzle are adjustable to adjust the spray angle. Setting different spray angles for different cleaning processes helps to better clean the sidewalls of the wafer and improve the cleaning efficiency. A suitable spray angle can also reduce the requirements for the force of the cleaning brush on the wafer surface to a certain extent, thereby reducing the risk of wafer breakage.

[0018] In a more preferred embodiment, the upper nozzle and / or the lower nozzle is configured to spray a cleaning liquid onto the wafer.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment, the cleaning brush has two conical parts, the two conical parts have two conical surfaces which are symmetrical up and down, and the brush surface is the conical surface or a part of the conical surface.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment, the cleaning brush assembly further includes a sensor for detecting the force of the brush surface on the wafer. The sensor detects the output torque, thereby controlling the force of the cleaning brush on the wafer and improving the cleaning effect. At the same time, the sensor can monitor and control the cleaning force of the cleaning brush on the edge surface of the wafer in real time, thereby preventing the cleaning brush from crushing the wafer during cleaning.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment, the angle adjustment mechanism includes a rotating shaft.

[0022] The utility model also adopts the following technical solutions:

[0023] A wafer cleaning device comprises the wafer edge cleaning device.

[0024] The utility model adopts the above solution, which has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0025] The wafer edge cleaning device of the utility model causes the mounting base to rotate around the driving mechanism through the driving mechanism, so that the cleaning brush assembly can be brought close to the wafer, and the distance and the degree of compression between the brush surface and the edge of the wafer can be adjusted. The force of the cleaning brush on the edge of the wafer can be adjusted, thereby obtaining a good cleaning effect and avoiding wafer breakage. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, the accompanying drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other accompanying drawings can be obtained based on these accompanying drawings without paying creative work.

[0027] Figure 1 The present invention is a structural diagram of a wafer cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A partial enlarged view of point A in the middle.

[0029] Figure 3 It is a three-dimensional diagram of a wafer edge cleaning device according to an embodiment of the utility model.

[0030] Figure 4 It is a three-dimensional diagram of another wafer edge cleaning device according to an embodiment of the utility model.

[0031] Figure 5 It is a partial structural diagram of a wafer edge cleaning device according to an embodiment of the utility model.

[0032] in,

[0033] 1. Clamping device; 2. Wafer edge cleaning device; 3. Wafer;

[0034] 21. cleaning brush assembly; 210. cleaning brush; 211. brush surface; 212. tapered portion;

[0035] 22. Mounting seat;

[0036] 23. Base frame;

[0037] 24. driving mechanism; 240. rotating motor; 241. arm shaft; 242. bearing;

[0038] 25. Angle adjustment mechanism; 250. Rotating shaft;

[0039] 261. Upper nozzle; 262. Lower nozzle; 263. Liquid supply pipeline. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings so that the advantages and features of the present invention can be more easily understood by those skilled in the art. It should be noted that the description of these embodiments is used to help understand the present invention, but does not constitute a limitation of the present invention.

[0041] This embodiment provides a wafer edge cleaning device, which is used to clean the edge of a wafer. Figure 1 As shown, the wafer edge cleaning device 2 can be used as one of the components of the wafer cleaning equipment to realize automatic cleaning of the wafer 3. The wafer 3 is clamped by the clamping device 1 of the wafer cleaning equipment and is kept in a specific working position; the edge of the wafer 3 passes through the wafer edge cleaning device 2 and its edge is cleaned.

[0042] Reference Figures 2 to 5 As shown, the wafer edge cleaning device 2 includes a cleaning brush assembly 21, a mounting seat 22, a base frame 23 and a driving mechanism 24. The cleaning brush assembly 21 includes a cleaning brush 210, and the cleaning brush 210 has an inclined brush surface 211 that contacts and cooperates with the edge of the wafer 3. The mounting seat 22 is used to connect the driving mechanism 24 and the cleaning brush assembly 21; the driving mechanism 24 is used to drive the mounting seat 22 to rotate around the driving mechanism 24, so that the cleaning brush assembly 21 is close to the wafer 3. The driving mechanism 24 is arranged on the base frame 23. As the driving mechanism 24 rotates, the mounting seat 22 rotates around the driving mechanism 24, so that the cleaning brush assembly 21 finally rotates around the driving mechanism 24, so that it can approach the edge of the wafer 3, change the gap between it and the edge of the wafer 3, until the brush surface 211 contacts the edge of the wafer 3 with a suitable pressure, and obtain the expected cleaning effect; at the same time, avoid crushing the wafer 3.

[0043] Furthermore, the mounting seat 22 is rotatably connected to the driving mechanism 24 through the angle adjustment mechanism 25, so that the wafer edge cleaning device 2 has multiple working states, and the contact angles between the brush surface 211 of the cleaning brush 210 and the wafer 3 are different in the multiple working states. The inclination angle of the cleaning brush 210 can be adjusted by the angle adjustment mechanism 25, so that the cleaning brush 210 can adapt to wafers 3 of different thicknesses, and by changing the contact angle between the cleaning brush 210 and the wafer 3, the contact area between the wafer 3 and the cleaning brush 210 (the range within which the cleaning brush 210 can clean the wafer 3) is changed to meet different cleaning requirements. Specifically, the mounting seat 22 can rotate as a whole relative to the driving mechanism 24, thereby changing the orientation of the cleaning brush 210 and adjusting the contact angle between the brush surface 211 and the wafer 3.

[0044] In the specific example shown in the drawings, the angle adjustment mechanism 25 includes a rotating shaft 250. The axis of the rotating shaft 250 preferably extends in the horizontal direction. The angle between the mounting seat 22 and the driving mechanism 24 is adjusted by adjusting the rotation angle of the rotating shaft 250, thereby changing the angle between the wafer 3 and the brush surface 211 to meet different cleaning requirements of the wafer 3.

[0045] In another optional embodiment, the angle adjustment mechanism 25 includes a rotating motor, and the angle between the mounting seat 22 and the driving mechanism 24 is adjusted by the action of the rotating motor.

[0046] The driving mechanism 24 includes another rotating motor 240, an arm shaft 241 and a first sensor. The rotating motor 240 is mounted on the base frame 23, the arm shaft 241 is driven to rotate by the rotating motor 240, the mounting seat 22 is connected to the arm shaft 241, and the cleaning brush assembly 21 deviates from the arm shaft 241 by a distance in the horizontal direction. Specifically, the mounting seat 22 is rotatably connected to the arm shaft 241 through the above-mentioned rotating shaft 250. Further, the middle part of the arm shaft 241 is mounted on the base frame 23 through a bearing, and can rotate around its own center line around the base frame 23. Specifically, in the example shown in the accompanying drawings, the center line of the arm shaft 241 extends in the vertical direction. The upper end of the arm shaft 241 is connected to the mounting seat 22 through the rotating shaft 250; the lower end of the arm shaft 241 is connected to the rotating motor 240. The first sensor is used to detect the torque acting on the arm shaft 241 so as to monitor the force of the brush surface 211 of the cleaning brush 210 on the wafer 3. Specifically, the first sensor can be arranged on the rotating motor 240, and the torque acting on the arm shaft 241 can be obtained by detecting the output torque of the rotating motor 240. The cleaning force of the cleaning brush 210 acting on the surface of the wafer 3 can be known from the real-time output torque of the rotating motor 240 and the data of the first sensor. The cleaning force of the cleaning brush 210 acting on the surface of the wafer 3 is monitored in real time by the first sensor, and the cleaning force of the cleaning brush 210 acting on the surface of the wafer 3 is adjusted by adjusting the parameters of the rotating motor 240, so that the force of the cleaning brush 210 acting on the surface of the wafer 3 is within the process limit, ensuring the cleaning effect while avoiding excessive force causing wafer breakage. .

[0047] The wafer edge cleaning device 2 also includes an upper nozzle 261 and a lower nozzle 262, which are arranged opposite to each other up and down, and the cleaning brush assembly 21 is located between the upper nozzle 261 and the lower nozzle 262. The upper nozzle 261 and the lower nozzle 262 can also rinse the surface of the cleaning brush 210 while rinsing the edge of the wafer 3, thereby improving the cleaning effect. In the example shown in the accompanying drawings, the upper nozzle 261 and the lower nozzle 262 are adjustable to adjust the spray angle; the upper nozzle 261 and the lower nozzle 262 are configured to spray cleaning liquid onto the wafer 3, and the upper nozzle 261 and the lower nozzle 262 are respectively connected to the liquid supply pipeline 263 to provide cleaning liquid to the upper nozzle 261 and the lower nozzle 262 respectively. During cleaning, the upper nozzle 261 sprays cleaning liquid onto the upper surface of the wafer 3, and the lower nozzle 262 sprays cleaning liquid onto the upper surface of the wafer 3. In some other examples, depending on the specific process requirements, only the upper nozzle 261 or the lower nozzle 262 can adjust the spray angle and be configured to spray cleaning liquid onto the wafer 3. Specifically, the upper nozzle 261 and / or the lower nozzle 262 are fixed by a nozzle bracket, and the spray height and angle can be adjusted to facilitate wetting and cleaning the upper and lower surfaces of the edge of the wafer 3, and to facilitate wetting and cleaning the edge of the wafer 3. The direction in which the upper nozzle 261 and the lower nozzle 262 spray the liquid can be freely adjusted according to the process requirements. Setting different spray angles for different cleaning processes helps to better clean the edge of the wafer 3 and improve the cleaning efficiency. The appropriate spray angle can also reduce the requirements for the force of the cleaning brush 210 on the surface of the wafer 3 to a certain extent, thereby reducing the risk of wafer 3 breakage.

[0048] The cleaning brush assembly 21 has two inclined brush surfaces 211, one of which is configured to contact and cooperate with the edge of the lower surface of the wafer 3, and the other of which is configured to contact and cooperate with the edge of the upper surface of the wafer 3. Figure 2 and Figure 5 As shown, the cleaning brush 210 has two conical parts, the two conical parts have two conical surfaces that are symmetrical up and down, and the two brush surfaces 211 are respectively composed of the two conical surfaces or a part of the conical surfaces. The two conical surfaces are opposite to each other up and down.

[0049] In this embodiment, during the process of cleaning the wafer 3, the cleaning brush 210 is in an inclined state, and the inclination angle of the cleaning brush 210 is between 60-85 degrees. At this time, the upper / lower surface of the wafer 3 is in contact with the brush surface 211 of the upper / lower conical portion 212 of the cleaning brush 210 respectively. Compared with the solution in which the cleaning brush 210 is vertically arranged, the contact area between the wafer 3 and the cleaning brush 210 is larger, thereby improving the cleaning effect of the wafer.

[0050] The cleaning brush assembly 21 also includes a motor for driving the cleaning brush 210 to rotate and a second sensor for detecting the force exerted by the brush surface 211 on the wafer 3, such as a pressure sensor, etc. The second sensor is arranged in the motor or at the connection between the motor and the cleaning brush 211.

[0051] The second sensor is used to detect the force between the cleaning brush 210 and the motor in real time. The force between the cleaning brush 210 and the motor is the cleaning force of the cleaning brush 210 on the surface of the wafer 3, thereby achieving real-time control of the force on the surface of the wafer 3.

[0052] The working process of the wafer edge cleaning device 2 of this embodiment is as follows: according to the process requirements, the mounting seat 22 is rotated around the rotating shaft 250, and the inclination angle of the cleaning brush 210, that is, the inclination angle of the brush surface 211 relative to the surface (horizontal plane) of the wafer 3, is adjusted, so that the contact area between the brush surface 211 and the edge of the wafer 3 meets the requirements; the mounting seat 22 is rotated horizontally around the driving mechanism 24, so that the cleaning brush 210 is close to the edge of the wafer 3, until the brush surface 211 contacts the edge of the wafer 3 with a suitable pressure, and the edge of the wafer 3 is cleaned; while cleaning, the upper nozzle 261 and the lower nozzle 262 spray cleaning liquid to the edge of the wafer 3 and the brush surface 211 at a suitable angle to ensure a good cleaning effect. In the above process, the force of the brush surface 211 acting on the edge of the wafer 3 is detected by the sensor and the output torque of the motor is monitored, and the angle and position of the cleaning brush 210 are adjusted accordingly to ensure a good cleaning effect while avoiding the wafer 3 from breaking.

[0053] The wafer edge cleaning device 2 of this embodiment has the following advantages: it can adjust the contact angle between the cleaning brush 210 and the wafer 3 to meet different cleaning requirements; it can control the force of the cleaning brush 210 on the wafer 3 in real time to avoid the wafer 3 from breaking; liquid is sprayed on the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer 3 at the same time to improve the cleaning effect.

[0054] As shown in this specification and claims, the terms "comprises" and "includes" only indicate the inclusion of explicitly identified steps and elements, and these steps and elements do not constitute an exclusive list, and the method or device may also include other steps or elements.

[0055] It is further understood that in the present disclosure, "plurality" refers to two or more than two, and other quantifiers are similar thereto.

[0056] It is further understood that the terms "first", "second", etc. are used to describe various information, but such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish the same type of information from each other, and do not indicate a specific order or degree of importance. In fact, the expressions "first", "second", etc. can be used interchangeably. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, the first information can also be referred to as the second information, and similarly, the second information can also be referred to as the first information.

[0057] The above embodiment is only for illustrating the technical concept and features of the utility model, and is a preferred embodiment. Its purpose is to enable people familiar with this technology to understand the content of the utility model and implement it accordingly, and it cannot be used to limit the protection scope of the utility model.

Claims

1. A wafer edge cleaning device, characterized in that: It includes a cleaning brush assembly, a mounting base, a base frame and a driving mechanism; The cleaning brush assembly comprises a cleaning brush having an inclined brush surface that contacts and cooperates with the edge of the wafer; The mounting seat is used to connect the driving mechanism and the cleaning brush assembly; The driving mechanism is used to drive the mounting seat to rotate around the driving mechanism so that the cleaning brush assembly is close to the wafer; The driving mechanism is arranged on the base frame.

2. The wafer edge cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting seat is rotatably connected to the driving mechanism via an angle adjustment mechanism, so that the wafer edge cleaning device has multiple working states, and the contact angles between the brush surface of the cleaning brush and the wafer are different in the multiple working states.

3. The wafer edge cleaning device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The angle adjustment mechanism comprises a rotating shaft.

4. The wafer edge cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving mechanism comprises: Rotate the motor; An arm shaft, driven to rotate by the rotary motor, and the mounting seat is connected to the arm shaft; A sensor is used to detect the torque acting on the arm shaft so as to monitor the force of the brush surface of the cleaning brush on the wafer.

5. The wafer edge cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wafer edge cleaning device further comprises an upper nozzle and a lower nozzle which are arranged one above the other, and the cleaning brush assembly is located between the upper nozzle and the lower nozzle.

6. The wafer edge cleaning device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The upper nozzle and / or the lower nozzle may be adjustably disposed to adjust a spraying angle.

7. The wafer edge cleaning device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The upper nozzle and / or the lower nozzle are configured to spray a cleaning liquid onto the wafer.

8. The wafer edge cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cleaning brush has two conical parts, and the two conical parts have two conical surfaces which are symmetrical up and down. The brush surface is the conical surface or a part of the conical surface.

9. The wafer edge cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cleaning brush assembly also includes a sensor for detecting the force of the brush surface on the wafer.

10. A wafer cleaning device, characterized in that: It comprises a wafer edge cleaning device as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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