Degumming machine

Abstract

A photoresist removing machine comprises a photoresist removing chamber used for accommodating a wafer with photoresist; a first pipeline; the pressure gauge is connected with the photoresist removing chamber through the first pipeline and is used for measuring a pressure value in the photoresist removing chamber; wherein the first pipeline is parallel to the horizontal plane. According to the invention, water vapor can be prevented from remaining in the first pipeline, so that the possibility of faults of the photoresist removing machine is reduced, and the yield of wafers is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and in particular to a degumming machine. Background Art

[0002] In the semiconductor wafer manufacturing process, photoresist, as a masking material, plays a key role in pattern replication and transfer in the semiconductor processing technology. However, once the etching process or other related processes are completed, the photoresist's mission is completed and it must be completely removed. This removal process is called stripping.

[0003] Stripping processes can be categorized as wet and dry, depending on the etching method. Wet stripping involves dissolving the photoresist in an organic solvent. This process has drawbacks such as long stripping cycles, complex operations, and the potential introduction of inorganic impurities. Dry stripping involves oxidizing the photoresist in an oxygen atmosphere generated by a plasma stripper, producing CO, CO₂, H₂O, and other volatile oxides, which are then removed by a vacuum pump.

[0004] In the prior art, the stripping chamber of a plasma stripper is connected to a pressure gauge via a pipe to measure the pressure inside the chamber. However, because at least a portion of the pipe is perpendicular to the horizontal plane, generated water vapor remains in the pipe under the influence of gravity and is difficult to be extracted by a vacuum pump. This can easily cause the plasma stripper to malfunction and even lead to wafer scrapping.

[0005] In view of the existence of the above technical problems, the present application provides a new glue removal machine to at least partially solve the above problems. Utility Model Content

[0006] The Summary of the Utility Model introduces a series of simplified concepts that will be further described in the Detailed Description of the Implementation Method. The Summary of the Utility Model of this application is not intended to limit the key features and essential technical features of the claimed technical solution, nor is it intended to determine the scope of protection of the claimed technical solution.

[0007] In response to the current problems, the present application provides a degumming machine, which includes:

[0008] a stripping chamber for accommodating wafers with photoresist;

[0009] First pipeline;

[0010] A pressure gauge connected to the debonding chamber through the first pipeline, and used to measure the pressure value in the debonding chamber;

[0011] Wherein, the first pipeline is arranged parallel to the horizontal plane.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present application, a main pipe is further provided parallel to the horizontal plane, the main pipe is provided on the outer wall of the degumming chamber and is connected to the degumming chamber, and the first pipe is connected to the degumming chamber through the main pipe.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present application, a second pipeline and a flow meter are further included. The second pipeline is arranged parallel to the horizontal plane, and the flow meter is connected to the main pipeline through the second pipeline.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present application, a third pipeline and a switch valve are further included. The third pipeline is perpendicular to the main pipeline and is located above the main pipeline. The switch valve is connected to the main pipeline through the third pipeline.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present application, the measurement range of the pressure gauge is 0 to 100 torr.

[0016] In some embodiments of the present application, a gas supply line connected to the debonding chamber is further included to supply reaction gas into the debonding chamber.

[0017] In some embodiments of the present application, an ionization component is further included, which is used to generate an electromagnetic field to excite the reaction gas to form plasma.

[0018] In some embodiments of the present application, the reaction gas includes oxygen.

[0019] In some embodiments of the present application, a vacuum pump connected to the debonding chamber is further included to evacuate the debonding chamber.

[0020] In some embodiments of the present application, a transfer component is further included for taking and placing wafers into the debonding chamber.

[0021] According to the degumming machine of the embodiment of the present application, it is possible to prevent water vapor from remaining in the first pipe, thereby reducing the possibility of failure of the degumming machine and improving the yield of the wafer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The following drawings of the present application are used as part of the present application for understanding the present application. The drawings show embodiments of the present application and their descriptions, which are used to explain the principle of the present application.

[0023] Figure 1 A partial structural diagram of a degumming machine in related art is shown.

[0024] Figure 2 A partial structural diagram of a degumming machine according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] In the following description, a large number of specific details are provided to provide a more thorough understanding of the present application. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present application can be implemented without one or more of these details. In other examples, some technical features well known in the art are not described in order to avoid confusion with the present application.

[0026] It should be understood that the present application can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to make the disclosure thorough and complete and to fully convey the scope of the present application to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, the dimensions and relative sizes of layers and regions may be exaggerated for clarity. Like reference numerals throughout represent like elements.

[0027] It should be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being "on," "adjacent to," "connected to," or "coupled to" another element or layer, it may be directly on, adjacent to, connected to, or coupled to the other element or layer, or there may be intervening elements or layers. Conversely, when an element is referred to as being "directly on," "directly adjacent to," "directly connected to," or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers. It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used to describe various elements, components, regions, layers, and / or parts, these elements, components, regions, layers, and / or parts should not be limited by these terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, or part from another element, component, region, layer, or part. Therefore, without departing from the teachings of the present application, the first element, component, region, layer, or part discussed below may be represented as a second element, component, region, layer, or part.

[0028] Spatially relative terms such as "under," "beneath," "below," "under," "above," "above," etc., may be used herein for convenience of description to describe the relationship of one element or feature shown in the figures to other elements or features. It should be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use and operation in addition to the orientations shown in the figures. For example, if the device in the drawings is flipped, then the elements or features described as "under" or "beneath" or "beneath" the other elements will be oriented as "over" the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary terms "under" and "under" may include both the upper and lower orientations. The device may be oriented otherwise (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations) and the spatial descriptors used herein are interpreted accordingly.

[0029] The purpose of the terms used herein is only to describe specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the present application. When used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms "comprising" and / or "including", when used in this specification, determine the presence of the features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or groups. When used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of the relevant listed items.

[0030] In related technologies, such as Figure 1 As shown, the plasma stripper chamber 110 is connected to a pressure gauge 122 via a pipe 121 to measure the pressure within the chamber 110. However, because at least a portion of the pipe 121 is perpendicular to the horizontal plane, generated water vapor remains in the pipe 121 under the action of gravity and is difficult to be extracted by a vacuum pump. This can easily cause the plasma stripper to malfunction, resulting in a high probability of downtime, short uptime, and a high leakage rate, which can even lead to wafer scrapping.

[0031] In order to solve at least one of the above-mentioned technical problems, the present application provides a degumming machine, which includes: a degumming chamber for accommodating wafers with photoresist; a first pipeline; a pressure gauge, which is connected to the degumming chamber through the first pipeline and is used to measure the pressure value in the degumming chamber; wherein the first pipeline is arranged parallel to the horizontal plane.

[0032] According to the degumming machine of the present application, by setting the first pipeline parallel to the horizontal plane, the water vapor in the first pipeline can be quickly extracted under the action of the vacuum pump, thereby avoiding the water vapor from remaining in the first pipeline, thereby reducing the possibility of failure of the degumming machine and improving the yield of the wafer.

[0033] In order to thoroughly understand the present application, detailed steps and structures will be provided in the following description to illustrate the technical solution proposed by the present application. The preferred embodiments of the present application are described in detail below. However, in addition to these detailed descriptions, the present application may also have other implementation methods.

[0034] Reference below Figure 2 A debonding machine according to one embodiment of the present application is described. The debonding machine includes a debonding chamber 210 for accommodating wafers coated with photoresist; a first pipeline 231; and a pressure gauge 232 connected to the debonding chamber 210 via the first pipeline 231 for measuring the pressure within the debonding chamber 210. The first pipeline 231 is arranged parallel to a horizontal plane.

[0035] In this embodiment, the degumming machine can generate O in the degumming chamber 210 through a dry degumming process. 2- 、O2 + , O - , O + , oxygen atoms, ozone and other active plasmas, the plasma undergoes an oxidation reaction with the photoresist on the wafer in the stripping chamber 210 to generate CO, CO2, H2O and other volatile oxides, which are pumped away by the vacuum pump, thereby removing the photoresist on the wafer.

[0036] When pressure gauge 232 is used to measure the pressure within the stripping chamber 210, moisture generated during the dry stripping process will enter the first pipe 231. However, because the first pipe 231 is arranged parallel to the horizontal plane, even if moisture enters, it can be quickly pumped out by the vacuum pump. This prevents moisture from remaining in the first pipe 231, thereby reducing the possibility of malfunction and downtime of the stripper, improving its uptime, reducing the stripper's leakage rate, and improving wafer yield.

[0037] In some embodiments, a vacuum pump connected to the debonding chamber 210 may be further included to evacuate the debonding chamber 210 .

[0038] In addition to removing CO, CO2, H2O and other volatile oxides generated by the dry stripping process in the stripping chamber 210 as described above, the vacuum pump can also remove residual gas in the stripping chamber 210 to maintain the stripping chamber 210 in a vacuum state before supplying the reaction gas to the stripping chamber 210 through the gas supply line as described below.

[0039] As the vacuum pump evacuates the adhesive stripping chamber 210, the pressure gauge 232 monitors the pressure within the chamber in real time. This precise measurement allows the operator to intuitively understand changes in the pressure within the chamber 210. For example, during the evacuation of the adhesive stripping chamber 210, the pressure gauge 232 displays the value of the pressure gradually decreasing as the evacuation proceeds. This helps the operator determine whether the required vacuum level has been achieved.

[0040] Furthermore, improper pressure control during vacuuming can damage the adhesive stripping chamber 210 or even lead to safety accidents. The pressure gauge 232 can serve as an early warning. For example, during vacuuming of the adhesive stripping chamber 210, if the walls of the adhesive stripping chamber 210 cannot withstand excessively low pressure and are at risk of rupture, the pressure gauge 232 can detect the abnormal drop in pressure and promptly issue an alarm, prompting the operator to take measures, such as stopping vacuuming or slowly reducing the vacuum level, to avoid damage caused by a rupture of the adhesive stripping chamber 210.

[0041] In some embodiments, a gas supply pipe connected to the de-gluing chamber 210 can be further included to supply reaction gas into the de-gluing chamber 210.

[0042] One end of the gas supply pipe can be connected to a gas source, and the other end can be connected to the de-gluing chamber 210. In this way, the gas source can deliver reaction gas into the de-gluing chamber 210 through the gas supply pipe. It is worth mentioning that before delivering reaction gas into the de-gluing chamber 210, the residual gas in the de-gluing chamber 210 can be first pumped away by a vacuum pump to keep the de-gluing chamber 210 in a vacuum state, so as to avoid the pollution of the residual gas to the reaction gas and ensure the purity of the reaction gas.

[0043] In addition, during the supply of reaction gas into the de-gluing chamber 210, the pressure value in the de-gluing chamber 210 can be measured in real time by means of a pressure gauge 232, so as to realize accurate control of the gas supply. For example, a target pressure of the gas supply can be preset, and when the value displayed by the pressure gauge 232 reaches the preset pressure value, the gas supply can be stopped in time, so as to effectively avoid the over-supply of gas.

[0044] In some embodiments, the supplied reaction gas can include oxygen or any other suitable gas, which is not limited.

[0045] In some embodiments, an ionization component can be further included to generate an electromagnetic field to excite the reaction gas to form plasma.

[0046] Taking the reaction gas including oxygen as an example, after the wafer with photoresist is placed into the de-gluing chamber 210, the de-gluing chamber 210 can be first pumped to vacuum, and then the reaction gas is supplied into the de-gluing chamber 210 through the gas supply pipe. In the electromagnetic field generated by the ionization component, the oxygen is ionized into O2 - , O2 + , O - , O + , oxygen atom, ozone and other active plasma. The plasma reacts with the photoresist on the wafer in the de-gluing chamber 210 to generate CO, CO2, H2O and other volatile oxides, which are pumped away by the vacuum pump, so as to remove the photoresist on the wafer.

[0047] In some embodiments, the ionization component can include a radio frequency power source or any other suitable element capable of generating a high-frequency electromagnetic field, which is not limited.

[0048] In some embodiments, a transmission component can be further included to take and place wafers into the de-gluing chamber 210.

[0049] Wherein, the transmission assembly can be implemented as a mechanical arm, a transmission belt or a combination thereof, and other any suitable transmission devices, which are not limited to this. Through the transmission assembly, a wafer with photoresist can be placed in the stripping chamber 210, and the wafer that has been stripped can be taken out from the stripping chamber 210.

[0050] In some embodiments, the first pipeline 231 may or may not have bends on the horizontal plane, and this is not limited.

[0051] In some embodiments, the first end of the first pipeline 231 is directly connected to the pressure gauge 232 , and the second end of the first pipeline 231 can be directly connected to the debonding chamber 210 or indirectly connected to the debonding chamber 210 .

[0052] For example, the second end of the first pipe 231 is indirectly connected to the debonding chamber 210. Figure 2 As shown, it may also include a main line 220 arranged parallel to the horizontal plane, the main line 220 is arranged on the outer wall of the debonding chamber 210 and communicated with the debonding chamber 210 , and the first pipeline 231 is connected to the debonding chamber 210 through the main line 220 .

[0053] It should be noted that when the first pipe 231 is indirectly connected to the stripping chamber 210 via the main pipe 220, water vapor generated during the dry stripping process will also enter the main pipe 220. If the main pipe 220 is arranged perpendicular to the horizontal plane, the water vapor will remain in the main pipe 220 due to gravity and will be difficult to be extracted by the vacuum pump. This also creates the risk of causing the plasma stripper to malfunction and even resulting in the scrapping of wafers.

[0054] Therefore, in this embodiment, the main pipe 220 is arranged parallel to the horizontal plane. In this case, the water vapor in the main pipe 220 can be quickly pumped out by the vacuum pump. This prevents water vapor from remaining in the main pipe 220, thereby reducing the probability of the debonding machine malfunctioning and improving the wafer yield.

[0055] The measurement range of the pressure gauge 232 may be 0 torr to 100 torr or any other suitable range. For example, the maximum measurement value of the pressure gauge 232 may be 50 torr, 60 torr, 70 torr, 80 torr, 90 torr, 100 torr, etc., which is not limited thereto.

[0056] In addition, by setting up the main line 220, more components can be connected based on the layout and characteristics of the main line 220. These components each have unique functions. When they are connected to the main line 220, they work together to achieve more diverse functions.

[0057] In one example, if Figure 2As shown, a second pipeline and a flow meter 241 may also be included. The second pipeline is arranged parallel to the horizontal plane, and the flow meter 241 is connected to the main pipeline 220 through the second pipeline.

[0058] The first end of the second pipeline is connected to a flow meter 241, and the second end of the second pipeline is connected to the main pipeline 220. While the vacuum pump is evacuating the debonding chamber 210 or while the gas supply pipeline is supplying reactant gas to the debonding chamber 210, the flow meter 241 can monitor the gas flow within the debonding chamber 210, allowing operators to promptly detect abnormal changes in the flow rate. For example, a sudden drop in flow rate may indicate a leak or gas supply failure; an excessively high flow rate may indicate a safety hazard, such as excessive pressure in the debonding chamber 210.

[0059] Furthermore, when the second conduit is indirectly connected to the stripping chamber 210 via the main conduit 220, moisture generated during the dry stripping process can also enter the second conduit. If the second conduit is positioned perpendicular to the horizontal plane, the moisture will remain within the second conduit due to gravity and will be difficult to remove by the vacuum pump. This poses a risk of causing the plasma stripper to malfunction and even resulting in wafer failure.

[0060] Therefore, in this embodiment, the second pipe is arranged parallel to the horizontal plane. In this case, the water vapor in the second pipe can also be quickly pumped out by the vacuum pump. This prevents water vapor from remaining in the main pipe 220, thereby reducing the probability of the debonding machine malfunctioning and improving the wafer yield.

[0061] In one example, if Figure 2 As shown, a third pipeline and a switch valve 251 may also be included. The third pipeline is perpendicular to the main pipeline 220 and is located above the main pipeline 220. The switch valve 251 is connected to the main pipeline 220 through the third pipeline.

[0062] Among them, the first end of the third pipeline is connected to the switch valve 251, and the second end of the third pipeline is connected to the main pipeline 220. The switch valve 251 can be closed while the vacuum pump is evacuating the degumming chamber 210 or supplying reaction gas to the degumming chamber 210 through the gas supply pipeline; in some cases, the switch valve 251 can be opened to connect the degumming chamber 210 with the outside atmosphere.

[0063] It should be noted that when the third pipe is indirectly connected to the stripping chamber 210 via the main pipe 220, although moisture generated during the dry stripping process will enter the third pipe, because the third pipe is perpendicular to and above the main pipe 220, the moisture in the third pipe can flow into the main pipe 220 under the action of gravity and the vacuum pump and be quickly pumped out. This prevents moisture from remaining in the third pipe, thereby reducing the chance of stripping machine failure and improving wafer yield.

[0064] In some embodiments, the main pipeline 220, the first pipeline 231, and the second pipeline can be configured as a tee, with one port of the tee connected to the debonding chamber 210, and the other two ports connected to the pressure gauge 232 and the flow meter 241, respectively. The tee can also be connected to a third pipeline, which is then connected to the on-off valve 251.

[0065]

[0066]

[0067] The above table shows the leakage rate (Leak rate) of the plasma degumming machine in the related art and the improved degumming machine of the present application within a set time period. It can be seen from the table that, whether under a test time (Season) of 10 minutes, 30 minutes or 60 minutes, the leakage rate of the improved degumming machine of the present application is significantly lower than the leakage rate of the plasma degumming machine in the related art. Moreover, under a test time (Season) of 10 minutes and 30 minutes, the leakage rate of the plasma degumming machine in the related art does not meet the specification (Spec) requirements, that is, the leakage rate is ≤10 (mt / min), while the leakage rate of the improved degumming machine of the present application meets the specification (Spec) requirements, that is, the leakage rate is ≤10 (mt / min), whether under a test time (Season) of 10 minutes, 30 minutes or 60 minutes.

[0068] To sum up, according to the degumming machine of the embodiment of the present application, the gas is sprayed out by the gas spray gun to purge the second end of the nebulizer, so that the pollutants remaining in the nebulizer can enter the sample liquid in the sample container through the sample tube under the action of the gas purge, thereby achieving effective removal of the pollutants remaining in the nebulizer, avoiding their interference with subsequent test results, and ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the test data.

[0069] Although example embodiments have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the above example embodiments are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application. Various changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present application. All such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present application as required by the appended claims.

[0070] Similarly, it should be understood that in order to streamline the present application and aid in understanding one or more of the various application aspects, in the description of the exemplary embodiments of the present application, the various features of the present application are sometimes grouped together into a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof. However, this approach of the present application should not be interpreted as reflecting the intention that the claimed application requires more features than those explicitly recited in each claim. More precisely, as reflected in the corresponding claims, the point of the application is that the corresponding technical problem can be solved with fewer features than all the features of a single disclosed embodiment. Therefore, the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into the detailed description, with each claim itself serving as a separate embodiment of the present application.

[0071] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that although some embodiments described herein include certain features included in other embodiments but not other features, combinations of features from different embodiments are intended to be within the scope of this application and to form different embodiments. For example, in the claims, any of the claimed embodiments may be used in any combination.

[0072] It should be noted that the above embodiments are illustrative rather than limiting of the present application, and that those skilled in the art may devise alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses should not be construed as limiting the claims. The use of the words first, second, and third, etc., does not denote any order. These words may be interpreted as designations.

Claims

1. A degumming machine, characterized in that: The degumming machine comprises: a stripping chamber for accommodating wafers with photoresist; First pipeline; A pressure gauge connected to the debonding chamber through the first pipeline, and used to measure the pressure value in the debonding chamber; Wherein, the first pipeline is arranged parallel to the horizontal plane.

2. The degumming machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a main pipe arranged parallel to the horizontal plane, the main pipe is arranged on the outer wall of the degumming chamber and communicated with the degumming chamber, and the first pipeline is connected to the degumming chamber through the main pipe.

3. The degumming machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: It also includes a second pipeline and a flow meter, the second pipeline is arranged parallel to the horizontal plane, and the flow meter is connected to the main pipeline through the second pipeline.

4. The degumming machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: It also includes a third pipeline and a switch valve. The third pipeline is perpendicular to the main pipeline and is located above the main pipeline. The switch valve is connected to the main pipeline through the third pipeline.

5. The degumming machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The measuring range of the pressure gauge is 0 to 100 torr.

6. The degumming machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a gas supply pipeline connected to the debonding chamber, which is used to supply reaction gas into the debonding chamber.

7. The degumming machine according to claim 6, characterized in that: The device also includes an ionization component for generating an electromagnetic field to excite the reaction gas to form plasma.

8. The degumming machine according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: The reaction gas includes oxygen.

9. The adhesive remover according to claim 1, wherein: It also includes a vacuum pump connected to the debonding chamber, which is used to evacuate the debonding chamber.

10. The adhesive remover according to claim 1, wherein: It also includes a transmission component for taking and placing wafers into the debonding chamber.

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