Liquid supply system and single wafer processing apparatus

Abstract

The utility model provides a liquid supply system and single wafer processing equipment. The liquid supply system comprises a single-fluid nozzle and a two-fluid nozzle. The single fluid nozzle is configured to provide a high temperature process liquid to a wafer. And the two-fluid nozzle is adjacent to the single-fluid nozzle and is used for providing mixed fluid consisting of gas and the high-temperature process liquid for the wafer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of semiconductor equipment, and in particular to a liquid supply system and single wafer processing equipment. Background Art

[0002] In semiconductor processing, photoresist is a key material for defining fine structure patterns. After the electroplating or etching process, the photoresist must be completely removed to ensure the smooth progress of subsequent processes. In some cases, the photoresist removal process requires the use of high-temperature photoresist removal liquid to improve removal efficiency. However, when a two-fluid nozzle is used for spraying, since room temperature nitrogen (N2) is used to atomize the photoresist removal liquid, this will cause the temperature of the photoresist removal liquid to drop rapidly. This rapid cooling phenomenon has an adverse effect on the photoresist removal effect, which may result in photoresist residue or incomplete removal, thereby reducing the effect and stability of the entire process.

[0003] In view of this, it is necessary to provide a liquid supply system and a single wafer processing equipment to solve the above technical problems. Utility Model Content

[0004] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, the purpose of the present application is to provide a liquid supply system and a single wafer processing equipment, which can maintain the optimal operating temperature of the photoresist removal liquid to ensure that the photoresist can be removed efficiently and thoroughly.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a liquid supply system, comprising: a single-fluid nozzle configured to provide high-temperature process liquid to a wafer; and a two-fluid nozzle, adjacent to the single-fluid nozzle, configured to provide a mixed fluid consisting of gas and the high-temperature process liquid to the wafer.

[0006] In some embodiments, the high-temperature process liquid includes a high-temperature photoresist stripping liquid.

[0007] In some embodiments, the liquid supply system further includes a shield disposed around the single-fluid nozzle and the two-fluid nozzle.

[0008] In some embodiments, the liquid supply system further includes a first heater disposed on the mask.

[0009] In some embodiments, the liquid supply system also includes: a liquid supply device, connected to the single-fluid nozzle and the two-fluid nozzle, for providing the high-temperature process liquid; and a gas supply device, connected to the two-fluid nozzle, for providing the gas, wherein the gas supply device includes a second heater for heating the gas in the gas supply device.

[0010] Second aspect, the present application also provides a single-wafer processing apparatus, comprising: a susceptor rotatable about an axis and configured to carry a wafer thereon; a liquid supply system disposed above the susceptor, including: a single-fluid nozzle configured to supply a high-temperature process liquid to the wafer; and a two-fluid nozzle adjacent to the single-fluid nozzle and configured to supply a mixed fluid composed of a gas and the high-temperature process liquid to the wafer; and a moving device connected to the single-fluid nozzle and the two-fluid nozzle for controlling the single-fluid nozzle and the two-fluid nozzle to move together above the susceptor.

[0011] In some embodiments, the high-temperature process liquid includes a high-temperature photoresist-removing liquid.

[0012] In some embodiments, the liquid supply system further includes a mask disposed around the single-fluid nozzle and the two-fluid nozzle.

[0013] In some embodiments, the liquid supply system further includes a first heater disposed on the mask.

[0014] In some embodiments, the liquid supply system further includes: a liquid supply device connected to the single-fluid nozzle and the two-fluid nozzle for supplying the high-temperature process liquid; and a gas supply device connected to the two-fluid nozzle for supplying the gas, wherein the gas supply device includes a second heater for heating the gas in the gas supply device.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present application provides a liquid supply system and a single-wafer processing apparatus, which effectively achieve stable control of the liquid temperature in the process through the coordinated operation of two nozzles. On the one hand, the two-fluid nozzle provides an atomized mixed fluid, generating a mechanical assisting force through the gas atomization effect, which helps to improve the photoresist removal efficiency. On the other hand, the single-fluid nozzle stably outputs the high-temperature photoresist-removing liquid, ensuring that the liquid remains within the optimal temperature range and fully exerting its chemical activity. This design not only ensures the chemical reaction ability of the photoresist-removing liquid, thereby effectively decomposing and dissolving the photoresist, but also improves the removal speed and accuracy through the assistance of mechanical force. Finally, this dual effect greatly improves the overall effect and accuracy of the process, meets various requirements in the high-precision semiconductor manufacturing process, and ensures the stability and reliability of the process. Description of the Drawings

[0016] The following, in conjunction with the drawings, through a detailed description of the specific embodiments of the present application, will make the technical solutions and other beneficial effects of the present application obvious.

[0017] Figure 1 Schematic diagram showing a single-wafer processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0018] Figure 2 Partial schematic view of the liquid supply system according to the first embodiment of the present application.

[0019] Figure 3 Partial schematic view of the liquid supply system according to the second embodiment of the present application. Detailed implementation manners

[0020] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present application without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

[0021] Please refer to Figure 1 , which shows a schematic view of a single-wafer processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application. The single-wafer processing apparatus 10 is used to perform various processes on wafers, such as wet etching or removing photoresist, particles, etc. on the wafer surface. The single-wafer processing apparatus 10 includes a carrier stage 11, a liquid supply system, and a moving device 16, wherein the liquid supply system at least includes a two-fluid nozzle 12, a single-fluid nozzle 13, a liquid supply device 14, and a gas supply device 15.

[0022] As Figure 1 shown, the carrier stage 11 is used to carry the wafer 2 thereon, and its design can be selected to rotate around an axis, and can use vacuum suction or clamping and other methods to keep the wafer 2 stable, not limited thereto.

[0023] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , wherein Figure 2 shows a partial schematic view of the liquid supply system according to the first embodiment of the present application. The two-fluid nozzle 12 and the single-fluid nozzle 13 in the liquid supply system are designed to be arranged adjacent to each other and can move above the carrier stage 11. The liquid supply device 14 is connected to the two-fluid nozzle 12 and the single-fluid nozzle 13, and the gas supply device 15 is connected to the two-fluid nozzle 12. Specifically, the two-fluid nozzle 12 includes a first inlet 121 and a second inlet 122. The first inlet 121 and the second inlet 122 are respectively connected to the liquid supply device 14 and the gas supply device 15 through corresponding pipelines, wherein the liquid supply device 14 is used to provide high-temperature process liquid, and the gas supply device 15 is responsible for providing gas, so as to realize the mixed spraying of liquid and gas. In addition, the single-fluid nozzle 13 is only connected to the liquid supply device 14 and is used to separately transport high-temperature process liquid and directly spray it on the wafer 2.

[0024] In addition, it should be understood that in some embodiments, the liquid supply system may adopt a design with two independent liquid supply devices. Both of these liquid supply devices provide the same type of high-temperature process liquid, but are respectively connected to the two-fluid nozzle 12 and the single-fluid nozzle 13, which can better distribute liquid resources and improve the stability and reliability of the overall system. The independent liquid supply devices not only help ensure the continuity of liquid supply but also enable more flexible adjustment under specific operating conditions.

[0025] In this application, the main function of the single-fluid nozzle 13 is to directly spray the high-temperature process liquid onto the wafer 2, ensuring that the liquid covers the wafer surface at a stable flow rate and temperature to meet the process requirements. Furthermore, the two-fluid nozzle 12 is responsible for supplying a mixed fluid to the wafer 2, which consists of a gas and the high-temperature process liquid. The gas supplied by the gas supply device 15 and the liquid supplied by the liquid supply device 14 are mixed inside the two-fluid nozzle 12 to form an atomized jet. This design can effectively adjust the spraying range and flow rate, thereby achieving a more delicate and uniform spraying effect, which is suitable for specific semiconductor process requirements.

[0026] During the specific operation process, the two-fluid nozzle 12 and the single-fluid nozzle 13 can work together according to the process requirements. For example, in the photoresist removal process, these two nozzles work together to effectively remove the photoresist material attached to the wafer 2. At this time, the liquid supplied by the liquid supply device 14 is a high-temperature photoresist-removing liquid, which is suitable for the requirements of photoresist removal. Specifically, the temperature of the high-temperature photoresist-removing liquid usually needs to exceed a certain temperature threshold to ensure that it has sufficient chemical reaction ability. For example, the temperature threshold can be set to 70 degrees Celsius or higher. In actual operation, maintaining the high temperature of the liquid is crucial for the photoresist removal effect because too low a temperature may result in insufficient liquid activity, thereby reducing the photoresist removal efficiency.

[0027] In the photoresist removal process, the function of the two-fluid nozzle 12 is to output an atomized mixed fluid, which is composed of a gas and a high-temperature photoresist removal liquid. The atomized mixed fluid not only has the chemical activity required for photoresist removal but also can generate additional mechanical impact force, effectively assisting in the removal of photoresist. This dual effect of chemical and mechanical actions makes the atomized mixed fluid more efficient in dealing with photoresist. On the one hand, the chemical properties ensure that the mixed fluid can react sufficiently with the photoresist, decomposing and dissolving its structure; on the other hand, the tiny droplets after atomization generate tiny physical impacts on the surface of the photoresist under the drive of the gas, and this mechanical force further accelerates the peeling and removal process of the photoresist. However, inside the two-fluid nozzle 12, when the high-temperature photoresist removal liquid is mixed with the gas, affected by the gas temperature and the external environment, the temperature of the photoresist removal liquid will drop sharply. This temperature reduction will seriously affect the photoresist removal effect because the photoresist removal liquid cannot fully exert its removal ability at low temperatures. To solve this problem, a single-fluid nozzle 13 is introduced into the liquid supply system of the present application, which is used to stably output the high-temperature photoresist removal liquid to ensure that the photoresist removal liquid applied to the wafer surface can maintain a high temperature state. This design helps to avoid the reduction of photoresist removal efficiency caused by temperature drop. The high-temperature liquid flow of the single-fluid nozzle 13 can continuously supplement the heat on the wafer surface, maintaining the optimal operating temperature of the photoresist removal liquid, thereby ensuring a more stable and effective photoresist removal effect. Such a dual-nozzle system can not only provide mechanical impact force to efficiently remove photoresist but also keep the temperature of the photoresist removal liquid in the process stable, thus improving the efficiency and precision of the overall photoresist removal process and being applicable to various high-precision semiconductor process environments.

[0028] As Figure 1 shown, the mobile device 16 is connected to the two-fluid nozzle 12 and the single-fluid nozzle 13 of the liquid supply system to control the movement of the two-fluid nozzle 12 and the single-fluid nozzle 13 above the carrier 11. Specifically, the mobile device 16 consists of a rotary lifting column 161 and a long arm 162. The two-fluid nozzle 12 and the single-fluid nozzle 13 are fixed to one end of the long arm 162, and the other end of the long arm 162 is connected to the rotary lifting column 161. The rotary lifting column 161 is located outside the carrier 11 and keeps a certain distance from the carrier 11. When the rotary lifting column 161 rotates, the long arm 162 will drive the two-fluid nozzle 12 and the single-fluid nozzle 13 to move along the horizontal plane. For example, the mobile device 16 can move the two-fluid nozzle 12 and the single-fluid nozzle 13 from the standby position to directly above the carrier 11, so as to spray the corresponding process liquid along the default path above the wafer 2.

[0029] In some embodiments, the rotary lifting column 161 is respectively connected to a rotary driving part and a lifting driving part. The rotary driving part and the lifting driving part can be two independent driving devices (such as motors) that respectively control the rotary and lifting movements; alternatively, the two driving parts can be integrated into one driving device and connected to the rotary lifting column 161. Through the power of the rotary driving part, the rotary lifting column 161 can rotate around a rotating shaft, thereby driving the long arm 162 to achieve the movement of the two-fluid nozzle 12 and the single-fluid nozzle 13 along a specified path on the horizontal plane. At the same time, the lifting driving part can control the lifting of the rotary lifting column 161 in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane, thereby adjusting the heights of the two-fluid nozzle 12 and the single-fluid nozzle 13 to ensure that they can spray liquids at different heights to meet the requirements of different processes. Such a design provides flexible and precise spraying control, enabling spraying at multiple angles and multiple heights according to process requirements, thereby improving the operation efficiency and accuracy.

[0030] It should be understood that in the present application, the single-wafer processing device 10 may further include a host computer, which is communicatively connected to each component of the single-wafer processing device 10. The host computer includes a processor and a memory that are electrically connected. It should be understood that the host computer may further include one or more of the following components: a circuit board, a power supply circuit, etc. The processor and the memory are disposed on the circuit board. The memory is configured to store executable program codes. The processor runs the programs corresponding to these executable program codes by reading the executable program codes stored in the memory to perform various operations of the single-wafer processing device 10 of the present application.

[0031] In this embodiment, the processor is generally configured to control the overall operation of the host computer. The processor may include one or more processors to execute instructions and thereby perform actions in all or part of the steps in the operation of the above single-wafer processing device 10. In addition, the processor may include one or more modules that facilitate the interaction between the processor and other components. For example, the processor may include a communication module to facilitate the interaction between the communication component and the processor. The memory is configured to store various types of data to support the operation of the host computer. Examples of such data include instructions for any application or method operating on the host computer. The memory can be implemented using any type of volatile or non-volatile memory device or a combination thereof. The power supply circuit supplies power to various components of the host computer. The power supply circuit may include a power management system, one or more power supplies, and any other components associated with the generation, management, and distribution of power for the host computer. In an exemplary embodiment, the host computer can be implemented by an independent terminal device or electronic components such as a controller or a microcontroller integrated in the single-wafer processing device 10.

[0032] Please refer to Figure 3, which shows a partial schematic diagram of the liquid supply system according to the second embodiment of the present application. The liquid supply system of the second embodiment is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment, and the difference between the two is that: the liquid supply system of the second embodiment further includes a mask 17 and a first heater 171. The mask 17 is disposed around the two-fluid nozzle 12 and the single-fluid nozzle 13 to form a semi-closed space. The mask 17 can not only prevent excessive liquid splashing but also regulate the temperature. Specifically, the design of the mask 17 helps to maintain the temperature of the photoresist-removing liquid in the nozzle area and avoid the temperature of the photoresist-removing liquid deviating from the range required by the process due to external temperature fluctuations or air flow disturbances.

[0033] As Figure 3 shown, the first heater 171 is disposed on the mask 17. Optionally, the first heater 171 is electrically connected to the main body of the single-wafer processing equipment for dynamic adjustment according to specific process requirements. It can not only stabilize the temperature of the photoresist-removing liquid but also fine-tune the temperature according to different process stages to further optimize the photoresist removal effect. In this embodiment, by the combined use of the mask 17 and the first heater 171, it can effectively prevent the liquid from rapidly cooling during the spraying process, ensure that the photoresist-removing liquid always remains within the optimal temperature range set by the process parameters, and thus improve the stability and reliability of the process.

[0034] In some embodiments, when performing the photoresist removal process, in order to avoid excessive temperature drop caused by the mixing of high-temperature photoresist-removing liquid and gas in the two-fluid nozzle 12, a second heater can be added to the gas supply device. Optionally, the second heater is electrically connected to the main body of the single-wafer processing equipment for dynamic adjustment according to specific process requirements. The second heater is used to heat the gas in the gas supply device to maintain the temperature of the gas and avoid excessive temperature reduction of the mixed liquid, which affects the photoresist removal effect.

[0035] In summary, through the collaborative work of the two nozzles, the present application effectively realizes the stable control of the liquid temperature in the process. On the one hand, the two-fluid nozzle provides an atomized mixed fluid, generating a mechanical auxiliary force through the gas atomization effect, which helps to improve the photoresist removal efficiency. On the other hand, the single-fluid nozzle stably outputs high-temperature photoresist-removing liquid, ensuring that the liquid remains within the optimal temperature range and fully exerting its chemical activity. This design not only ensures the chemical reaction ability of the photoresist-removing liquid to effectively decompose and dissolve the photoresist but also improves the removal speed and accuracy through the assistance of mechanical force. Ultimately, this dual effect significantly enhances the overall effect and accuracy of the process, meets various requirements in the high-precision semiconductor manufacturing process, and ensures the stability and reliability of the process.

[0036] The above has introduced in detail a liquid supply system and a single-wafer processing apparatus provided by the embodiments of the present application. Specific embodiments are used herein to elaborate on the principle and implementation manner of the present application. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the technical solution and its core idea of the present application. Those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements on some of the technical features. These modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A liquid supply system, characterized in that, Comprising: A single-fluid nozzle configured to supply a high-temperature process liquid to a wafer; And A two-fluid nozzle adjacent to the single-fluid nozzle and configured to supply a mixed fluid composed of a gas and the high-temperature process liquid to the wafer.

2. The liquid supply system according to claim 1, wherein The high-temperature process liquid includes a high-temperature photoresist-removing liquid.

3. The liquid supply system according to claim 1, wherein, The liquid supply system further includes a mask disposed circumferentially outside the single-fluid nozzle and the two-fluid nozzle.

4. The liquid supply system according to claim 3, wherein The liquid supply system further includes a first heater disposed on the mask.

5. The liquid supply system according to claim 1, wherein, The liquid supply system further comprises: A liquid supply device connected to the single-fluid nozzle and the two-fluid nozzle for supplying the high-temperature process liquid; and A gas supply device connected to the two-fluid nozzle for supplying the gas, wherein the gas supply device includes a second heater for heating the gas within the gas supply device.

6. A single-wafer processing apparatus, characterized in that, Comprising: A carrier table rotatable about an axis and configured to carry a wafer thereon; A liquid supply system disposed above the carrier table and including: A single-fluid nozzle configured to supply a high-temperature process liquid to the wafer; and A two-fluid nozzle adjacent to the single-fluid nozzle and configured to supply a mixed fluid composed of a gas and the high-temperature process liquid to the wafer; and A moving device connected to the single-fluid nozzle and the two-fluid nozzle for controlling the single-fluid nozzle and the two-fluid nozzle to move together above the carrier table.

7. The single-wafer processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein The high-temperature process liquid includes a high-temperature photoresist-removing liquid.

8. The single-wafer processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, The liquid supply system further includes a mask disposed circumferentially outside the single-fluid nozzle and the two-fluid nozzle.

9. The single-wafer processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein, The liquid supply system further includes a first heater disposed on the mask.

10. The single-wafer processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, The liquid supply system further comprises: A liquid supply device connected to the single-fluid nozzle and the two-fluid nozzle for supplying the high-temperature process liquid; and A gas supply device connected to the two-fluid nozzle for supplying the gas, wherein the gas supply device includes a second heater for heating the gas within the gas supply device.

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