Positioning device and etching machine

Abstract

The utility model provides a positioning device and an etching machine. The positioning device comprises a carrying table, a tray and an air outlet assembly, the tray is located on the carrying table, protrudes outwards in the direction away from the carrying table, and is used for carrying a wafer; the air outlet assembly comprises an air outlet channel, the air outlet channel is arranged in the carrying table, air outlet holes are formed in the surface, provided with the tray, of the carrying table, the air outlet channel is used for air circulation, and air is sprayed outwards from the air outlet holes so as to purge the wafer back area of the wafer. According to the configuration, the gas outlet assembly is additionally arranged, and the gas outlet holes are formed in the surface, provided with the tray, of the carrying table, so that the wafer back area of the wafer can be purged through gas sprayed out of the gas outlet holes before the wafer is positioned and transferred to the reaction cavity, residual particles in the wafer back area of the wafer are reduced, and after the wafer enters the reaction cavity, the wafer back area of the wafer can be cleaned. The device can be completely adsorbed on an electrostatic adsorption disc, and the consistency and the product yield of wafers are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing, in particular to a positioning device and an etching machine. Background Art

[0002] In the process of manufacturing semiconductor devices, etching is located after the coating and photolithography processes. It can remove unnecessary materials attached to the surface of the wafer by chemical methods. Etching is mainly divided into dry etching and wet etching from the process perspective. Among them, dry etcher is an important equipment in the semiconductor field.

[0003] like Figure 1 As shown, the conveying rule of the etching machine is that the wafer is separated from the wafer box and conveyed to the locator. The locator realizes positioning by searching the positioning groove, and under the action of the rotating disk, the wafer enters the predetermined position of the reaction chamber according to the pre-set rules. After entering the reaction chamber, the wafer is adsorbed and fixed by the electrostatic adsorption disk.

[0004] When the wafer is being etched in the reaction chamber, a lot of heat will be generated. If this heat is not properly controlled, it will affect the consistency of the wafer and make the wafer unable to achieve the expected function and effect. At this time, the wafer needs to be cooled and the overall temperature of the wafer is maintained at the set temperature.

[0005] like Figure 2 As shown, in the prior art, the wafer is usually cooled by spraying helium on the wafer back, where the wafer back is the back side of the wafer, i.e., the non-working side. The operator can control the wafer temperature by adjusting the pressure and flow of the helium.

[0006] like Figure 3 As shown in the figure, when the wafer enters the reaction chamber of the etching machine, there may be particles on the back of the wafer due to inadequate cleaning or other operations. This will affect the adsorption effect between the wafer and the electrostatic adsorption plate, causing the wafer to tilt, affecting the consistency of the wafer, and causing downtime alarms, affecting the entire product preparation process.

[0007] Based on this, how to reduce the particles on the back of the wafer, improve the adsorption effect between the wafer and the electrostatic adsorption plate, and improve the consistency of the wafer have become technical problems that technical personnel in this field need to solve. Utility Model Content

[0008] The utility model aims to provide a positioning device and an etching machine to solve the problem in the prior art that particles exist on the back of the wafer, causing the wafer to be unable to be completely adsorbed on the electrostatic adsorption plate, affecting the consistency of the wafer and reducing the wafer yield.

[0009] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the utility model provides a positioning device, including: a carrier, a tray and an air outlet component;

[0010] The tray is located on the carrier and protrudes outward in a direction away from the carrier, and the tray is used to carry the wafer;

[0011] The gas outlet component includes a gas outlet channel, which is arranged inside the carrier and forms a gas outlet hole on the surface of the carrier where the tray is provided. The gas outlet channel is used for gas circulation, and the gas is ejected outward from the gas outlet hole to purge the back area of ​​the wafer.

[0012] Optionally, the carrier is provided with an annular purge area on the surface of the tray, and the air outlet is arranged in the annular purge area.

[0013] Optionally, the diameter of the wafer is greater than the diameter of the tray, and the annular purge zone includes: an area formed by subtracting the projection of the tray on the stage from the projection of the wafer on the stage.

[0014] Optionally, a plurality of the air outlet holes are provided on the carrier, and the plurality of the air outlet holes are evenly distributed in the annular purge area.

[0015] Optionally, a plurality of the air outlet holes are provided on the carrier, the apertures of the plurality of the air outlet holes are equal, and the distances between the plurality of the air outlet holes and the center of the wafer in the radial direction of the wafer are unequal.

[0016] Optionally, a plurality of the air outlet holes are provided on the carrier, the apertures of the plurality of air outlet holes are different, and the distances between the plurality of air outlet holes and the center of the wafer in the radial direction of the wafer are different.

[0017] Optionally, the gas outlet assembly further includes a gas supply device, which is located inside or outside the carrier, and the gas supply device is connected to the gas outlet channel for providing the gas to the inside of the gas outlet channel.

[0018] Optionally, the gas outlet assembly further includes a driving device, which is located inside the gas outlet channel and is used to drive the gas to flow in the gas outlet channel and be ejected from the gas outlet hole.

[0019] Optionally, the wafer is adsorbed on the tray, and the tray can rotate around an axis to drive the wafer to rotate.

[0020] In order to achieve the above object, the utility model also provides an etching machine, comprising: a plurality of reaction chambers and the positioning device as described above;

[0021] The wafer enters different reaction chambers according to a predetermined trajectory through the positioning device. An electrostatic adsorption disk is provided in any reaction chamber. The wafer is adsorbed on the electrostatic adsorption disk after entering the reaction chamber.

[0022] Compared with the existing etching machine, the positioning device and etching machine provided by the present application have the following advantages:

[0023] The positioning device provided by the present application adds a gas outlet component and arranges the gas outlet holes on the surface of the carrier with a tray, so that before the wafer is positioned and transported to the reaction chamber, the gas ejected from the gas outlet holes can be used to purge the back region of the wafer, thereby reducing the residual particles in the back region of the wafer, so that after the wafer enters the reaction chamber, it can be completely adsorbed on the electrostatic adsorption plate, ensuring that the wafer can be evenly cooled, improving the consistency of the wafer and the product yield; at the same time, the cleaning work of the back region can be completed during the positioning and transportation process, without the need for manual cleaning by the operator, simplifying the operation steps and improving the production efficiency;

[0024] Furthermore, the wafer is adsorbed on the tray, and the tray can rotate around the axis to drive the wafer to rotate, thereby ensuring the position stability of the wafer during the tray rotation and gas purge process, and avoiding unnecessary defects in the wafer; at the same time, the tray drives the wafer to rotate, so that the gas can be blown to the back area of ​​the wafer as much as possible, ensuring the cleanliness of the back area. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 It is a working schematic diagram of an etching machine in the prior art;

[0026] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the cooling process of the wafer by the reaction chamber of the etching machine in the prior art;

[0027] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of a wafer in the prior art that cannot be completely adsorbed on the electrostatic adsorption plate due to the presence of particles;

[0028] Figure 4 A top view of the structure of a first positioning device provided in an embodiment of the utility model;

[0029] Figure 5 A structural cross-sectional view of a first positioning device provided in an embodiment of the utility model;

[0030] Figure 6 A top view of the structure of a second positioning device provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0031] Figure 7 A top view of the structure of a third positioning device provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0032] Figure 8 A top view of the structure of the fourth positioning device provided for this practical rest embodiment;

[0033] The description of each reference numeral is as follows:

[0034] 10-carrier; 101-air outlet; 102-annular purge area;

[0035] 20-tray; 30-wafer;

[0036] 40 - wafer box; 41 - positioning groove; 42 - reaction chamber; 43 - electrostatic adsorption plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] In order to make the purpose, advantages and features of the utility model clearer, the utility model is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that the drawings are all in a very simplified form and are not drawn to scale, and are only used to conveniently and clearly assist in explaining the purpose of the embodiments of the utility model. In addition, the structure shown in the drawings is often a part of the actual structure. In particular, the emphasis of each drawing is different, and sometimes different scales are used.

[0038] As used in this specification, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include plural objects, the term "or" is generally used to include the meaning of "and / or", the term "several" is generally used to include the meaning of "at least one", and the term "at least two" is generally used to include the meaning of "two or more". In addition, the terms "first", "second" and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first", "second" and "third" may explicitly or implicitly include one or at least two of the features, "one end" and "the other end" and "the proximal end" and "the distal end" generally refer to two corresponding parts, which include not only the endpoints, and the terms "installed", "connected" and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral body; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. In addition, as used in this specification, an element disposed on another element generally only indicates that there is a connection, coupling, cooperation or transmission relationship between the two elements, and the connection, coupling, cooperation or transmission between the two elements may be direct or indirect through an intermediate element, and it cannot be understood as indicating or implying the spatial position relationship between the two elements, that is, one element may be in any orientation such as inside, outside, above, below or on one side of another element, unless the content clearly indicates otherwise. The terms "upper", "lower", "top" and "bottom" are generally relative position relationships arranged in the direction of gravity; the terms "vertical, vertical direction" generally refer to the direction of gravity, which is generally perpendicular to the ground, and "horizontal, horizontal plane direction" generally refers to the direction parallel to the ground; for ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this specification can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0039] The utility model aims to provide a positioning device and an etching machine to solve the problem in the prior art that particles exist on the back of the wafer, causing the wafer to be unable to be completely adsorbed on the electrostatic adsorption plate, affecting the consistency of the wafer and reducing the wafer yield.

[0040] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3 As can be understood by those skilled in the art, before the wafer 30 enters the different reaction chambers 42 of the etching machine, it needs to be separated from the wafer box 40 and then enter the positioning device. The positioning device realizes positioning through the positioning groove 41 and sends the wafer 30 into the corresponding reaction chamber 42 through the tray for subsequent cooling operations. Figure 2As shown, after the wafer 30 enters the reaction chamber 42, it is adsorbed on the electrostatic adsorption plate 43 and cooled by spraying helium. Once there are particles remaining in the back area of ​​the wafer 30 (i.e., the back of the wafer 30, the non-working surface of the wafer 30), the wafer 30 will Figure 3 As shown, the wafer 30 cannot be completely adsorbed on the electrostatic adsorption plate 43, and the cooling operation performed at this time cannot ensure the temperature uniformity of the wafer 30, resulting in a decrease in the quality of the wafer 30. Based on this, the present embodiment provides a positioning device and an etching machine, by arranging an air outlet on the carrier of the positioning device, spraying gas through the air outlet to purge the back region of the wafer, reducing the residual particles in the back region of the wafer, improving the consistency of the wafer, and thus improving the product yield.

[0041] Please refer to Figures 4 to 5 The utility model provides a positioning device, including: a carrier 10, a tray 20 and an exhaust assembly (not shown in the figure); the tray 20 is located on the carrier 10 and protrudes outward in a direction away from the carrier 10, and the tray 20 is used to carry the wafer 30; the exhaust assembly includes an exhaust channel (not shown in the figure), the exhaust channel is arranged inside the carrier 10, and an exhaust hole 101 is formed on the surface of the carrier 10 where the tray 20 is provided, the exhaust channel is used for gas circulation, and the gas is ejected outward from the exhaust hole 101 to purge the back region of the wafer 30. It should be noted that in Figures 4 to 5 In the illustrated example, the carrier 10 is a rectangular parallelepiped component, the tray 20 is a cylindrical component, and the tray 20 protrudes outward in a direction away from the carrier 10, so that there is a gap between the wafer 30 and the carrier 10, which can further reduce the contact area between the carrier 10 and the wafer 30, and reduce the probability of residues forming in the back region of the wafer 30 during transportation; at the same time, the gas ejected from the gas outlet 101 can purge the back region of the wafer 30, reducing the residual particles in the back region of the wafer 30. In this embodiment, the gas is a pure gas, which can be pure nitrogen or pure air.

[0042] With such configuration, by adding a gas outlet component and arranging the gas outlet hole 101 on the surface of the carrier 10 with the tray 20, the wafer 30 can be positioned and transferred to the reaction chamber 42. The gas ejected from the gas outlet hole 101 can be used to purge the back region of the wafer 30, thereby reducing the residual particulate matter in the back region of the wafer 30, so that the wafer 30 can be completely adsorbed on the electrostatic adsorption plate 43 after entering the reaction chamber 42, ensuring that the wafer 30 can be evenly cooled, improving the consistency of the wafer 30 and the product yield; at the same time, the cleaning of the back region can be completed during the positioning and transfer process, without the need for manual cleaning by the operator, simplifying the operating steps and improving production efficiency.

[0043] Please continue to refer to Figure 4, the surface of the carrier 10 provided with the tray 20 has an annular purge area 102, and the air outlet 101 is arranged in the annular purge area 102. As an optional embodiment, the diameter of the wafer 30 is larger than the diameter of the tray 20, and the annular purge area 102 includes: the area formed by removing the projection of the tray 20 on the carrier 10 from the projection of the wafer 30 on the carrier 10. It should be noted that in Figure 4 In the illustrated example, there are three air outlets 101, and the sizes and shapes of the three air outlets 101 are completely consistent, and they are evenly distributed in the annular purge area 102. The distances between the three air outlets 101 and the center of the wafer 30 in the radial direction of the wafer 30 are equal (it can be the distance between the center of the air outlet 101 and the center of the wafer 30), that is, the three air outlets 101 are arranged on the same circumference. The operator can set the positions of the air outlets 101 according to the positional relationship of the surface residues of the wafer 30 obtained from multiple tests, that is, the three air outlets 101 are set at the positions where there are more surface residues on the wafer 30, thereby improving the cleaning degree of the back region of the wafer 30, so that it can be completely adsorbed on the electrostatic adsorption disk 43 in the reaction chamber 42. In this embodiment, the annular purge area is the area formed by removing the projection of the tray 20 on the stage 10 from the projection of the wafer 30 on the stage 10. In other embodiments, the purge zone may also be an area determined based on the positional relationship of the surface residues of the wafer 30, and it may also be an area of ​​other shapes, such as a rectangle, triangle, trapezoid or other irregular shapes. Those skilled in the art may set it according to actual conditions, and this embodiment does not limit this.

[0044] Please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 6 , a plurality of air outlet holes 101 are provided on the carrier 10, and the plurality of air outlet holes 101 are evenly distributed in the annular purge area 102. It should be noted that Figure 4 In the illustrated example, three air outlet holes 101 are provided on the carrier 10. The three air outlet holes 101 have the same aperture and are evenly distributed on the same circumference. Figure 6 In the illustrated example, four gas outlet holes 101 are provided on the carrier 10, and the apertures of the four gas outlet holes 101 are equal and evenly distributed on the same circumference. In other embodiments, a larger number of gas outlet holes 101 may be provided on the carrier 10, and the apertures of the gas outlet holes 101 may be equal or different. The gas outlet holes 101 with different apertures allow the operator to more flexibly and reasonably configure the positions of the gas outlet holes 101 and the flow rate of the gas ejected from each gas outlet hole 101 based on the distribution of the surface residues of the wafer 30.

[0045] Please refer to Figure 7, a plurality of air outlet holes 101 are provided on the carrier 10, the apertures of the plurality of air outlet holes 101 are equal, and the distances between the plurality of air outlet holes 101 and the center of the wafer 30 in the radial direction of the wafer 30 are not equal. Figure 7 In the illustrated example, three air outlet holes 101 are provided on the carrier 10, and the apertures of the three air outlet holes 101 are equal, but the distances between the air outlet holes 101 and the center of the wafer 30 in the radial direction of the wafer 30 are different, so that the gas ejected from the air outlet holes 101 can cover the entire back region of the wafer 30, and can not only blow away the residual particles that are close to the center of the wafer 30, but also blow away the residual particles that are far from the center of the wafer 30, thereby further improving the cleanliness of the back region of the wafer 30.

[0046] Please refer to Figure 8 , a plurality of air outlet holes 101 are provided on the carrier 10, the apertures of the plurality of air outlet holes 101 are different, and the distances between the plurality of air outlet holes 101 and the center of the wafer 30 in the radial direction of the wafer 30 are different. Figure 8 In the illustrated example, three air outlet holes 101 are provided on the carrier 10, and the apertures of the three air outlet holes 101 are different, and the distances between each air outlet hole 101 and the center of the wafer 30 in the radial direction of the wafer 30 are different. With such a setting, the operator can set more air outlet holes 101 for positions where particulate matter residues are more likely to appear based on the distribution of particulate matter residues collected from multiple tests, and can also increase the aperture of the air outlet holes 101, thereby increasing the gas flow rate, thereby reducing the particulate matter residue in the back area of ​​the wafer 30, so that the wafer 30 can be completely adsorbed on the electrostatic adsorption plate 43.

[0047] As an alternative embodiment, the gas outlet assembly further includes a gas supply device (not shown in the figure), which is located inside or outside the carrier 10, and the gas supply device is connected to the gas outlet channel, and is used to provide gas to the inside of the gas outlet channel. Further, the gas outlet assembly further includes a driving device (not shown in the figure), which is located inside the gas outlet channel, and is used to drive the gas to circulate in the gas outlet channel and spray out at the gas outlet hole 101. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the gas supply device can be a helium storage tank or an air storage tank, and is equipped with a valve, and the flow of pure helium or pure air in the gas outlet channel is controlled by opening or closing the valve; the driving device can be a pump body, and an air flow is formed in the gas outlet channel through the pump body, so that it is sprayed outward at the gas outlet hole 101, and the back area of ​​the wafer 30 is purged. In other embodiments, the gas supply device and the driving device can also be other components with the same function, and this embodiment is not limited to this.

[0048] In an optional embodiment, the wafer 30 is adsorbed on the tray 20, and the tray 20 can rotate around the axis to drive the wafer 30 to rotate. In this embodiment, the tray 20 can be an adsorption plate with an adsorption function, which can be electrostatic adsorption or adsorption by pressure difference. Such a configuration ensures the position stability of the wafer 30 during the rotation of the tray 20 and the gas purge process, avoiding unnecessary defects of the wafer 30; at the same time, the tray 20 drives the wafer 30 to rotate, so that the gas can be blown to the back area of ​​the wafer 30 as much as possible, ensuring the cleanliness of the back area. In another embodiment, affected by the gravity of the wafer 30 itself, when the thrust formed by the blown gas reaches a state of balance with the gravity of the wafer 30, the tray 20 may not have the adsorption function.

[0049] In another embodiment, reference may be made to Figures 1 to 3 The utility model also provides an etching machine, including: a plurality of reaction chambers 42 and the positioning device as described above; the wafer 30 enters different reaction chambers 42 according to a predetermined trajectory through the positioning device, and an electrostatic adsorption disk 43 is provided in any reaction chamber 42, and the wafer 30 is adsorbed on the electrostatic adsorption disk 43 after entering the reaction chamber 42. With such a configuration, by using the above-mentioned positioning device, the back region of the wafer 30 can be purged during the positioning and transportation process, thereby reducing the amount of residual particles, so that the wafer 30 can be completely adsorbed on the electrostatic adsorption disk 43 after entering the reaction chamber 42, thereby improving the consistency of the wafer 30, thereby further improving the product yield.

[0050] In summary, in the positioning device and etching machine provided in the embodiments of the utility model, the positioning device includes: a carrier, a tray and an exhaust assembly; the tray is located on the carrier and protrudes outward in a direction away from the carrier, and the tray is used to carry the wafer; the exhaust assembly includes an exhaust channel, the exhaust channel is arranged inside the carrier, and an exhaust hole is formed on the surface of the carrier where the tray is provided, the exhaust channel is used for gas circulation, and the gas is ejected outward from the exhaust hole to purge the back area of ​​the wafer.

[0051] With such configuration, by adding a gas outlet component and arranging the gas outlet holes on the surface of the carrier with the tray, the back region of the wafer can be purged by the gas ejected from the gas outlet holes before the wafer is positioned and transported to the reaction chamber, thereby reducing the residual particles in the back region of the wafer, so that the wafer can be completely adsorbed on the electrostatic adsorption plate after entering the reaction chamber, ensuring that the wafer can be evenly cooled, improving the consistency of the wafer and the product yield; at the same time, the cleaning work of the back region can be completed during the positioning and transportation process, without the need for manual cleaning by the operator, simplifying the operation steps and improving the production efficiency;

[0052] Furthermore, the wafer is adsorbed on the tray, and the tray can rotate around the axis to drive the wafer to rotate, thereby ensuring the position stability of the wafer during the tray rotation and gas purge process, and avoiding unnecessary defects in the wafer; at the same time, the tray drives the wafer to rotate, so that the gas can be blown to the back area of ​​the wafer as much as possible, ensuring the cleanliness of the back area.

[0053] The above description is only a description of the preferred embodiment of the utility model, and is not any limitation on the scope of the utility model. Any changes and modifications made by ordinary technicians in the field of the utility model based on the above disclosure shall fall within the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A positioning device, characterized in that: include: Carrier, tray and air outlet assembly; The tray is located on the carrier and protrudes outward in a direction away from the carrier, and the tray is used to carry the wafer; The gas outlet component includes a gas outlet channel, which is arranged inside the carrier and forms a gas outlet hole on the surface of the carrier where the tray is provided. The gas outlet channel is used for gas circulation, and the gas is ejected outward from the gas outlet hole to purge the back area of ​​the wafer.

2. The positioning device according to claim 1, characterized in that The surface of the carrier provided with the tray is provided with an annular purge area, and the air outlet is arranged in the annular purge area.

3. The positioning device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The diameter of the wafer is greater than the diameter of the tray, and the annular purge zone includes: an area formed by subtracting the projection of the tray on the stage from the projection of the wafer on the stage.

4. The positioning device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The carrier is provided with a plurality of the air outlet holes, and the plurality of the air outlet holes are evenly distributed in the annular purge area.

5. The positioning device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The carrier is provided with a plurality of the air outlet holes, the apertures of the plurality of the air outlet holes are equal, and the distances between the plurality of the air outlet holes and the center of the wafer in the radial direction of the wafer are not equal.

6. The positioning device according to claim 2, characterized in that: A plurality of the air outlet holes are arranged on the carrier, the apertures of the plurality of the air outlet holes are different, and the distances between the plurality of the air outlet holes and the center of the wafer in the radial direction of the wafer are different.

7. The positioning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gas outlet assembly further includes a gas supply device, which is located inside or outside the carrier, and is connected to the gas outlet channel for providing the gas to the inside of the gas outlet channel.

8. The positioning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gas outlet assembly further includes a driving device, which is located inside the gas outlet channel and is used to drive the gas to flow in the gas outlet channel and be ejected from the gas outlet hole.

9. The positioning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wafer is adsorbed on the tray, and the tray can rotate around an axis to drive the wafer to rotate.

10. An etching machine, characterized in that: comprising a plurality of reaction chambers and a positioning device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9; The wafer enters different reaction chambers according to a predetermined trajectory through the positioning device. An electrostatic adsorption disk is provided in any reaction chamber. The wafer is adsorbed on the electrostatic adsorption disk after entering the reaction chamber.

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