Spray curtain device

Abstract

The utility model provides a spraying curtain device, which is arranged in a cavity of a developing device, is used for spraying developing liquid to a photomask, and comprises a top cover connected with the inner side wall of the cavity; the first end of the main body is connected with the bottom end of the top cover, and a plurality of spraying holes are formed in the side wall of the main body; and the flow guide piece comprises a connecting part and a flow guide part fixedly connected with the first end of the connecting part, the connecting part is fixedly connected with the bottom end of the top cover, and the surface of the flow guide part is right opposite to the spraying hole. According to the spraying curtain device, the debugging process of the developing liquid spraying curtain shape is simplified, and meanwhile, the convenience of later maintenance work of the developing device is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and in particular to a spray curtain device used in a developing device. Background Art

[0002] In the photomask development process, the shape and stability of the developer spray curtain have a great impact on the final critical dimensions and defect control of the photomask. In order to ensure the stability of the developer spray curtain shape, it is not only necessary to maintain a continuous and stable supply of developer flow, but also the initial assembly and debugging of the spray curtain device is crucial.

[0003] In the current developing device, the spray curtain device includes a main body and a guide plate arranged on the side of the main body, the guide plate is fixed to one side of the main body by screws, and the side of the main body includes a plurality of spray holes directly opposite to the guide plate, and the spray holes are used to spray the developer. The spacing between the guide plate and the spray holes is adjusted by adjusting the tightness of the screws, thereby adjusting the shape of the developer spray curtain. The shape adjustment of the spray curtain is generally manually adjusted, and the installation experience and proficiency of the operator have a great influence on the stability of the shape of the developer spray curtain and the adjustment cycle. In addition, the guide plate needs to be repeatedly disassembled and assembled during the later maintenance, maintenance, and cleaning of the developing device, which is inconvenient to operate. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of the present application is to provide a spray curtain device to simplify the debugging process of the developer spray curtain shape and improve the convenience of the later maintenance work of the developer device.

[0005] The embodiment of the present application provides a spray curtain device, which is arranged in a chamber of a developing device and is used to spray a developing solution onto a photomask, comprising:

[0006] a top cover connected to the inner wall of the chamber;

[0007] A main body, wherein a first end of the main body is connected to a bottom end of the top cover, and a side wall of the main body is provided with a plurality of injection holes;

[0008] The flow guide member includes a connecting portion and a flow guide portion fixedly connected to a first end of the connecting portion, the connecting portion is fixedly connected to a bottom end of the top cover, and a surface of the flow guide portion is directly opposite to the injection hole.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present application, the connecting surface between the main body and the bottom end of the top cover includes a recessed portion, and the connecting portion is adapted to the recessed portion and assembled in the recessed portion.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present application, the first surface of the connecting portion is glued to the bottom end of the top cover, and the first surface of the connecting portion is level with the first end surface of the main body.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present application, the connecting portion is assembled with the recessed portion in a plug-in manner.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present application, the top cover is connected to the inner wall of the chamber via a connecting arm, and the connecting arm is configured to drive the top cover to move within the chamber.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present application, the plurality of injection holes are evenly distributed at the same level.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present application, the spray curtain device further includes a plurality of nozzles, wherein the nozzles are respectively assembled in the spray holes, and the spraying directions of the nozzles are perpendicular to the surface of the guide portion.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present application, a cross-sectional area of ​​the body gradually decreases from the first end of the body toward the second end of the body.

[0016] In some embodiments of the present application, the guide portion is configured to be inclined toward the second end of the main body.

[0017] In some embodiments of the present application, an angle between the guide portion and the first end surface of the main body is 75 to 90 degrees.

[0018] The beneficial effects of the cleaning device provided in this application include but are not limited to the following:

[0019] The spray curtain device provided by the present application connects the guide member to the top cover. When installing the top cover, the connecting part of the guide member is directly assembled into the main body, so that the installation and positioning of the guide plate can be completed while installing the top cover, reducing the dependence on manual adjustment of the guide member, greatly simplifying the installation process of the spray curtain device, and at the same time, the guide member can be disassembled together with the top cover in the later maintenance stage, without having to be disassembled separately, thereby improving the convenience of later cleaning, maintenance and maintenance of the spray curtain device. The embodiment of the present application further provides a recess on the connecting surface of the main body and the top cover, and by providing an adhesive connection between the connecting part of the guide member and the top cover, and the connecting part can be assembled in the recess by plugging and unplugging, the connection stability of the guide member and the main body is improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The following figures describe in detail the exemplary embodiments disclosed in this application. The same reference numerals represent similar structures in several views of the drawings. Those skilled in the art will understand that these embodiments are non-limiting, exemplary embodiments, and the drawings are only for the purpose of illustration and description, and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Other embodiments may also accomplish the inventive intent in this application. It should be understood that the drawings are not drawn to scale.

[0021] in:

[0022] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of a developing device;

[0023] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the side of the middle body facing the guide plate;

[0024] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a developing device according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0025] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the side of the middle body facing the guide plate;

[0026] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of another structure of a developing device according to some embodiments of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The following description provides specific application scenarios and requirements of the present application, with the purpose of enabling those skilled in the art to make and use the content in the present application. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various local modifications to the disclosed embodiments are apparent, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not limited to the embodiments shown, but to the widest scope consistent with the claims.

[0028] like Figure 1 The figure shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a developing device, the developing device includes a chamber 1, the spray curtain device is arranged in the chamber 1, and includes a top cover 3, a main body 4 and a guide plate 5, wherein the top cover 3 is connected to the inner side wall of the chamber 1 through a connecting arm 2, and the connecting arm 2 is configured to drive the top cover 3 to move in the chamber 1, the first end of the main body 4 is fixedly connected to the bottom end of the top cover 3, and the guide plate 5 is detachably connected to the side of the guide plate 5 through a connecting member 6, and the side wall of the main body 4 is provided with a plurality of spray holes (not shown in the figure) facing the surface of the guide plate, and the developer can be sprayed from the spray holes to the surface of the guide plate 5, and flow downward along the surface of the guide plate 5 to form a developer spray curtain of a set shape, and sprayed to the photomask 8, wherein the support member 7 is arranged at the bottom of the chamber 1, and can move up and down relative to the bottom of the chamber 1, thereby driving the photomask 8 to move up and down in the chamber. In the embodiment of the present application, the up and down are relative positional relationships with the bottom of the chamber as the lowest reference position.

[0029] like Figure 2 As shown, Figure 1The structural diagram of the main body 4 facing the guide plate 5 is shown in FIG. 4 . Since the guide plate 5 and the main body 4 are connected by a connecting member 6, the connecting member 6 is, for example, a screw, and a connecting hole 41 is provided on the side wall of the main body 4. The screw connects the guide plate 5 and the main body 4 through the connecting hole 41. The connecting hole 41 can be provided at the top of the main body, and the middle side wall of the main body 4 includes a plurality of injection holes 42, so that the developer is injected from the injection holes 42 toward the guide plate 5, and flows downward along the surface of the guide plate 5 to form a spray curtain. The shape and stability of the spray curtain can be adjusted by adjusting the tightness of the screw.

[0030] Since the shape and stability of the spray curtain mainly depend on the tightness of the screws manually adjusted, it requires high adjustment experience and skills of the operator. And due to the complexity of manual adjustment, it is difficult to adjust the spray pattern stability of the developer spray curtain and maintain the cleanliness of the guide plate.

[0031] Therefore, an embodiment of the present application provides a spray curtain device, which is arranged in a chamber of a developing device and is used to spray a developing solution onto a photomask, comprising: a top cover, which is connected to the inner wall of the chamber; a main body, a first end of the main body is connected to the bottom end of the top cover, and a side wall of the main body is provided with a plurality of spray holes; and a guide member, which comprises a connecting portion and a guide member fixedly connected to the first end of the connecting portion, the connecting portion is fixedly connected to the bottom end of the top cover, and a surface of the guide member is opposite to the spray hole.

[0032] The spray curtain device provided in the embodiment of the present application connects the guide member to the top cover, and completes the installation and positioning of the guide member while installing the top cover, thereby reducing the dependence on manual adjustment of the guide member and greatly simplifying the installation process of the spray curtain device. At the same time, the guide member can be disassembled together with the top cover, thereby improving the convenience of cleaning, care and maintenance of the guide plate.

[0033] The automatic cleaning device provided in the present application will be described in detail below in conjunction with the embodiments and drawings.

[0034] like Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 As shown, the spray curtain device described in the embodiment of the present application is arranged in the chamber 10 of the developing device, and is used to spray the developing solution to the photomask, and includes:

[0035] A top cover 30 is connected to the inner wall of the chamber 10 ; wherein the top cover 30 is connected to the inner wall of the chamber 10 via a connecting arm 20 , and the connecting arm 20 is configured to drive the top cover 30 to move in the chamber 10 .

[0036] The main body 40 has a first end connected to the bottom end of the top cover 30, and a side wall of the main body 40 is provided with a plurality of spray holes 402, from which the developer can be sprayed toward the surface of the guide plate 50. In some embodiments of the present application, the plurality of spray holes are evenly distributed at the same level. For example, the spray holes 402 are evenly distributed in the horizontal direction.

[0037] Among them, the connection position of the top cover 30 relative to the main body 40 and the connection method between the top cover and the main body are not limited. The top cover 30 can be connected to the top or side of the main body by means of screws, buckles, etc. During the installation stage of the spray curtain device, after the top cover is installed, the relative position relationship between the top cover and the main body is determined. Since the guide member and the top cover are fixedly connected, the position of the guide member relative to the main body and the nozzle on the main body is fixed. In this way, the position relationship between the working surface of the guide member and the nozzle is structurally guaranteed, and no manual debugging is required. The installation and debugging steps reduce the dependence on manual adjustment, which can effectively shorten the process debugging cycle and greatly simplify the process flow. At the same time, the design of the guide member being integrated with the top cover and separated from the main body is more conducive to the later maintenance and maintenance of the machine itself, and can avoid the repeated disassembly and assembly of the guide member alone, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency of the guide plate.

[0038] In some embodiments of the present application, the top cover 30 can be connected to the top of the main body 40, and the guide member 50 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the top cover 30. The fixed connection method of the guide member 50 and the top cover 30 is not limited, and threaded connection, riveting, welding, clamping, etc. can be adopted. The above methods generally need to consider the local deformation caused by the local stress generated during installation during the installation stage of the guide member 50, thereby causing installation errors. The guide member 50 can also be designed as an integral part with the top cover 30. In some embodiments, the material of the top cover 30 is plastic, and the material of the guide member 50 is glass, and the two can be fixedly connected by gluing. Gluing can provide uniform and strong bonding force. Compared with threaded connection and riveting, it will not generate local stress on the guide member 50, so it will not cause local deformation of the guide member 50, and it is easier to ensure the positioning accuracy of the guide member 50 during installation. Moreover, because the guide member 50 and the top cover 30 are designed separately, the processing difficulty is relatively low.

[0039] As an exemplary illustration, the guide member 50 and the top cover 30 can be bonded in the following manner: a first mounting surface is provided at the bottom of the top cover 30, and a second mounting surface is provided at the top of the guide member 50, and both the first mounting surface and the second mounting surface are arranged horizontally and bonded together. The bonding area between the second mounting surface and the first mounting surface extends along the arrangement direction of the nozzles, and is used to improve the connection stability of the guide member 50 along the arrangement direction of the nozzles, and prevent the guide plate from rotating in the horizontal direction. In some embodiments, the length of the bonding area along the arrangement direction of the nozzles covers the arrangement length of the nozzles, so that the guide plate is completely fixed along the arrangement direction of the nozzles, so as to further improve the connection stability of the guide plate, and avoid the two side areas of the guide plate from being slightly rotated and deformed due to the impact of the developer, thereby affecting the spray pattern of the spray curtain. In some embodiments, in addition to having a certain bonding length parallel to the arrangement direction of the nozzles, the second mounting surface also has a certain bonding width perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the nozzles, which is used to prevent the guide plate from flipping in the vertical plane due to the impact of the developer, thereby affecting the spray pattern of the spray curtain.

[0040] In some embodiments, in order to improve the processing performance, the guide member 50 includes a connecting portion 502 and a guide portion 501 fixedly connected to the first end of the connecting portion, the connecting portion 502 is fixedly connected to the bottom end of the top cover 30, and the surface of the guide portion 501 is directly opposite to the injection hole 402, which is used to provide a guide working surface. After the developer is sprayed from the injection hole 402 to the surface of the guide plate 50, it flows downward along the surface of the guide plate 50 to form a developer spray curtain of a set shape, and sprays toward the photomask 80, wherein the support member 70 is arranged at the bottom of the chamber 10, and can move up and down relative to the bottom of the chamber 10, thereby driving the photomask 80 to move up and down in the chamber.

[0041] The guide member 50 is used to guide the sprayed developer to form a liquid curtain and evenly spray it onto the upper surface of the photomask to avoid hydraulic splashing and impact caused by direct spraying of the developer, which may lead to unstable reaction between the developer and the photoresist.

[0042] In some embodiments of the present application, the first surface of the connecting portion 502 is glued to the bottom of the top cover 30 and is level with the first end surface of the main body 40. The second mounting surface is the first surface of the connecting portion 502.

[0043] In some embodiments of the present application, the guide portion 501 and the connecting portion 502 can be combined together by adhesive. The guide portion 501 is connected to the bottom of the connecting portion, and the plate surface is arranged relative to the nozzle, and the plate surface extends along the arrangement direction of the nozzle. The guide portion 501 can be made of glass material, which has the characteristics of high smoothness, high hardness, corrosion resistance, heat resistance, etc., and can play a good role in draining the developer sprayed from the nozzle, forming a liquid curtain with uniform flow rate, so as to improve the uniformity and quality of development.

[0044] In some embodiments of the present application, the connection surface between the main body and the bottom end of the top cover includes a recess, and the connecting portion 502 is adapted to the recess and assembled in the recess. In some embodiments of the present application, the connecting portion 502 is assembled with the recess in a plug-in manner.

[0045] In some embodiments of the present application, the spray curtain device further includes a plurality of nozzles, wherein the nozzles are respectively assembled in the spray holes, and the spraying directions of the nozzles are perpendicular to the surface of the guide portion.

[0046] In some embodiments of the present application, the cross-sectional area of ​​the body gradually decreases from the first end of the body to the second end of the body. In some embodiments of the present application, the guide portion is configured to be inclined toward the second end of the body. In some embodiments of the present application, the angle between the guide portion and the first end surface of the body is 75 to 90 degrees. The design can make the developer sprayed onto the guide portion flow downward along the surface of the guide portion without affecting the shape of the liquid curtain.

[0047] Reference Figure 5 In some embodiments, the guide member may further include a fixing portion 503, the fixing portion 503 being connected to a side of the connecting portion 502 close to the main body and extending toward the main body, the main body being provided with a first receiving groove (i.e., a position where the fixing portion 503 is embedded) that matches the shape of the fixing portion 503, the fixing portion 503 being inserted into the first receiving groove and connected to the main body. When installing the top cover, the fixing portion 503 may be first inserted into the first receiving groove to position the guide member, and then the top cover and the main body are fixedly connected. Such a setting can strengthen the stability of the guide plate and the main body of the spray curtain device, and the plug-in design can avoid the warping deformation caused by the installation stress generated by the guide plate during the installation process, thereby avoiding the disturbance of the developer spray pattern caused by the deformation and improving the stability of the spray pattern.

[0048] The direction in which the fixing portion 503 is inserted into the main body is not limited, and can be in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction. As an exemplary illustration, referring to the figure, the fixing portion 503 extends toward the main body in the horizontal direction, and the notch of the first receiving groove faces one side of the main body. The shape of the fixing portion 503 can be a cube, a cuboid, a cylinder, etc. The fixing portion and the connecting portion can be fixed together by bonding or welding, or an integrated design can be adopted.

[0049] In some embodiments, the fixing part 503 may be a positioning member, and a positioning hole is provided at a corresponding position on the main body, and the positioning member is respectively inserted into the corresponding positioning hole and connected to the main body. Providing the positioning member can quickly position the guide member 50 during installation, thereby improving installation efficiency.

[0050] The positioning member can be a positioning column, a positioning pin, a positioning rod, etc. A blind hole for installing the positioning member can be opened on the end surface of the connection part. The positioning member and the installation hole can be interference fit. The positioning member is installed in the blind hole by press fitting. The positioning member and the installation hole can also be threaded or glued. The two positioning members can be symmetrically arranged relative to the center point of the end surface of the connection part, which can improve the balance and stability of the connection between the guide member 50 and the main body 40.

[0051] In some embodiments, the spray curtain device is further provided with a driving device, which is connected to the connecting arm 20 and is used to drive the connecting arm 20 to drive the cover body 30 and the main body 40 to move along the upper surface of the photomask according to a set route, so that the developer spray curtain is sprayed to the entire surface of the photomask. The driving device can be a driving motor, and the spray curtain device can be a static spraying form, that is, the photomask below is stationary, and the driving device controls the nozzle to perform linear motion or rotational motion. The spray curtain device can also adopt dynamic spraying, that is, the driving device is connected to the spray curtain device and the supporting device of the photomask at the same time, and controls the coordinated movement of the spray curtain device and the photomask at the same time, for example, the spray curtain device performs linear movement scanning, and the photomask rotates slowly at the same time, so that the developer covers the entire photomask.

[0052] In some embodiments, the spray curtain device is also provided with an ultrasonic generator, which is arranged in the cover body 30. The vibrator of the ultrasonic generator is connected to the bottom of the main body 40. The ultrasonic wave is transmitted to the developer and the reaction interface between the developer and the photomask through the main body 40. The ultrasonic wave is used to improve the reaction activity, make the reaction between the developer and the photoresist more uniform, and improve the development quality. At the same time, the ultrasonic wave can produce ultrasonic cavitation phenomenon, so that the gas dissolved in the developer is cavitated and ruptured, producing a degassing effect.

[0053] The spray curtain device provided by the present application connects the guide member to the top cover. When installing the top cover, the connecting part of the guide member is directly assembled into the main body, so that the installation and positioning of the guide plate can be completed while installing the top cover, reducing the dependence on manual adjustment of the guide member, greatly simplifying the installation process of the spray curtain device, and at the same time, the guide member can be disassembled together with the top cover in the later maintenance stage, without having to be disassembled separately, thereby improving the convenience of later cleaning, maintenance and maintenance of the spray curtain device. The embodiment of the present application further provides a recess on the connecting surface of the main body and the top cover, and by providing an adhesive connection between the connecting part of the guide member and the top cover, and the connecting part can be assembled in the recess by plugging and unplugging, the connection stability of the guide member and the main body is improved.

[0054] It should be noted that different embodiments may produce different beneficial effects. In different embodiments, the beneficial effects that may be produced may be any one or a combination of the above, or any other beneficial effects that may be obtained.

[0055] The basic concepts have been described above. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, the above detailed disclosure is only for example and does not constitute a limitation of this specification. Although not explicitly stated here, those skilled in the art may make various modifications, improvements and corrections to this application. Such modifications, improvements and corrections are suggested in this specification, so such modifications, improvements and corrections still belong to the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of this application.

[0056] It should be noted that in the description of this application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "install", "connect", "connect", and "fix" 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 rotating connection or a sliding connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood in combination with specific circumstances.

[0057] In addition, when terms such as "first", "second", and "third" are used in the specification of this application to describe various features, these terms are only used to distinguish these features and cannot be understood as indicating or implying the relationship between the features, the relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of features indicated.

[0058] In addition, the present specification describes exemplary embodiments by reference to idealized exemplary cross-sectional views and / or plan views and / or stereograms. Therefore, differences from the illustrated shapes due to, for example, manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances are foreseeable. Therefore, the exemplary embodiments should not be interpreted as being limited to the shapes of the regions shown herein, but should include deviations in shapes caused by, for example, manufacturing. Therefore, the regions shown in the figures are schematic in nature, and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the actual shapes of the regions of the device nor to limit the scope of the exemplary embodiments.

[0059] At the same time, the present application uses specific words to describe the embodiments of this specification. 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 the present application 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.

[0060] Similarly, it should be noted that in order to simplify the description of the disclosure of this application and thus help understand one or more embodiments of the invention, in the above description of the embodiments of this application, multiple features are sometimes combined into one embodiment, figure 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. In fact, the features of the embodiments are less than all the features of the single embodiment disclosed above.

[0061] Finally, it should be understood that the embodiments described in this application are only used to illustrate the principles of the embodiments of the present application. Other variations may also fall within the scope of the present application. Therefore, as an example and not a limitation, the alternative configurations of the embodiments of the present application may be considered to be consistent with the teachings of the present application. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present application are not limited to the embodiments explicitly introduced and described in the present application.

Claims

1. A spray curtain device, arranged in a chamber of a developing device, for spraying a developing solution onto a photomask, characterized in that: include: a top cover connected to the inner wall of the chamber; A main body, wherein a first end of the main body is connected to a bottom end of the top cover, and a side wall of the main body is provided with a plurality of injection holes; The flow guide member includes a connecting portion and a flow guide portion fixedly connected to a first end of the connecting portion, the connecting portion is fixedly connected to a bottom end of the top cover, and a surface of the flow guide portion is directly opposite to the injection hole.

2. The spray curtain device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting surface between the main body and the bottom end of the top cover comprises a recessed portion, and the connecting portion is adapted to the recessed portion and assembled in the recessed portion.

3. The spray curtain device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first surface of the connecting portion is glued to the bottom end of the top cover, and the first surface of the connecting portion is level with the first end surface of the main body.

4. The spray curtain device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The connecting portion is assembled with the recessed portion in a plug-in manner.

5. The spray curtain device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top cover is connected to the inner wall of the chamber via a connecting arm, and the connecting arm is configured to drive the top cover to move in the chamber.

6. The spray curtain device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plurality of injection holes are evenly distributed at the same level.

7. The spray curtain device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The spray curtain device further comprises a plurality of nozzles, which are respectively mounted in the spray holes, and the spraying directions of the nozzles are perpendicular to the surface of the guide portion.

8. The spray curtain device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cross-sectional area of ​​the main body gradually decreases from the first end of the main body to the second end of the main body.

9. The spray curtain device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The guide portion is configured to be inclined toward the second end of the main body.

10. The spray curtain device according to claim 9, characterized in that: An included angle between the guide portion and the first end surface of the main body is 75 to 90 degrees.

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