Wet chemical etching equipment

Abstract

The utility model provides wet chemical etching equipment which is coupled with a liquid supply device and comprises a first pipeline, a second pipeline, a first valve, a second valve and a third valve, and the first pipeline is coupled between the liquid supply device and a circulation area of the wet chemical etching equipment; the first valve is arranged in the first pipeline and is configured to control liquid to flow to the second pipeline and / or the second valve; the second valve is arranged below the first valve, a preset distance is kept between the first valve and the second valve, and the second valve is configured to control liquid flowing to the circulation area; the second pipeline is coupled between the first valve and a liquid treatment device; and the third valve is arranged in the second pipeline and is configured to control the flow of the liquid flowing to the liquid treatment device. By adopting the scheme, the probability that the cleaning liquid pollutes the circulation area of the wet chemical etching equipment can be reduced, so that the yield of semiconductor devices can be improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the technical field of semiconductor device manufacturing, and in particular, to a wet chemical etching device. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the technical field of semiconductor device manufacturing, a wet chemical etching process is widely used.

[0003] However, in the cleaning process of the existing wet chemical etching device, the cleaning liquid is usually discharged through a circulating pipeline, which can pollute the circulating pipeline and affect the process of semiconductor devices. CONTENT OF THE INVENTION

[0004] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a wet chemical etching device, which can reduce the probability of cleaning liquid polluting the circulating area of the wet chemical etching device, thereby improving the yield of semiconductor devices.

[0005] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a wet chemical etching device coupled with a liquid supply device, comprising: a first pipeline, a second pipeline, a first valve, a second valve and a third valve, wherein:

[0006] The first pipeline is coupled between the liquid supply device and the circulating area of the wet chemical etching device.

[0007] The first valve is arranged in the first pipeline and is configured to control the flow of liquid to the second pipeline and / or the second valve.

[0008] The second valve is arranged below the first valve and maintains a predetermined distance between the first valve and the second valve, and is configured to control the liquid flowing to the circulating area.

[0009] The second pipeline is coupled between the first valve and a liquid treatment device.

[0010] The third valve is arranged in the second pipeline and is configured to control the flow rate of liquid flowing to the liquid treatment device.

[0011] Optionally, the distance between the first valve and the second valve is 0.

[0012] The first surface of the first valve is in seamless contact with the first surface of the second valve.

[0013] Optionally, the first valve comprises a first discharge port, a second discharge port and a third discharge port, the first discharge port is configured as an inlet, and the second discharge port and the third discharge port are configured as outlets.

[0014] The first discharge port and the second discharge port constitute a first discharge channel, and the first discharge port and the third discharge port constitute a second discharge channel.

[0015] When the first discharge channel is open, liquid flows to the second pipeline, and when the second discharge channel is open, liquid flows to the second valve.

[0016] Optionally, the first pipeline, the second pipeline, the first valve, the second valve, and the third valve are made of PFA material.

[0017] Optionally, the first valve comprises a three-way valve.

[0018] Optionally, the third valve comprises a regulating valve.

[0019] Optionally, the first valve, the second valve, and the third valve comprise any one of the following:

[0020] a solenoid valve;

[0021] a pneumatic valve;

[0022] a manual valve.

[0023] Optionally, the liquid supply device is provided with a liquid supply information display assembly; the wet chemical etching equipment further comprises:

[0024] a controller, which is communicatively coupled to the first pipeline and the second pipeline, respectively;

[0025] The controller is adapted to respond to liquid supply information of the liquid supply information display assembly and control the opening and closing of the first valve and the second valve in the first pipeline and the third valve in the second pipeline to switch working conditions according to the liquid supply information.

[0026] Optionally, in response to the liquid supply information being first information, the controller controls the first discharge channel of the first valve to be open, controls the second valve to be closed, and controls the third valve to be open.

[0027] In response to the liquid supply information being second information, the controller controls the second discharge channel of the first valve to be open, controls the second valve to be open, and controls the third valve to be closed.

[0028] The wet chemical etching device provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure has the following advantages. On the one hand, by setting the first valve in the first pipeline, the liquid flow to the second pipeline or the second valve is controlled, and by the second valve, the liquid flow to the circulation area of the wet chemical etching device is controlled. The first valve and the second valve form a double liquid control mechanism, which can reduce the probability that the cleaning liquid provided by the liquid supply device pollutes the circulation area of the wet chemical etching device, thereby improving the yield of semiconductor devices. On the other hand, by setting the second valve below the first valve and maintaining a predetermined distance between the first valve and the second valve, the liquid remaining in the first pipeline can be reduced, thereby further reducing the probability that the cleaning liquid provided by the liquid supply device pollutes the circulation area of the wet chemical etching device. In addition, by setting the third valve in the second pipeline, the flow rate of the liquid flowing to the liquid treatment device can be controlled, thereby reducing the consumption of cleaning liquid in the cleaning process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0029] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure or the prior art, the drawings needed in the embodiments or the prior art description will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only embodiments of the present disclosure, and those skilled in the art can also obtain other drawings according to the provided drawings without creative labor.

[0030] Figure 1 An example diagram of a wet chemical etching device consistent with some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0031] Figure 2 An example diagram of a three-way valve consistent with some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0032] Figure 3 An example diagram of another wet chemical etching device consistent with some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0033] Figure 4 An example diagram of yet another wet chemical etching device consistent with some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] In order to make the above objectives, features and advantages of the present disclosure more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, a number of specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure can be practiced in many different ways other than those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure, so the present disclosure is not limited to the specific implementation disclosed below.

[0035] As described in the background, the existing wet chemical etching equipment usually discharges cleaning liquid through the circulation pipeline, which pollutes the circulation pipeline and affects the process of semiconductor devices.

[0036] To solve the above problems, the present disclosure provides a wet chemical etching equipment. On the one hand, by setting the first valve in the first pipeline, the liquid flow to the second pipeline or the second valve is controlled, and by the second valve, the liquid flowing to the circulation area of the wet chemical etching equipment is controlled. The first valve and the second valve form a double liquid control mechanism, which can reduce the probability of the cleaning liquid provided by the liquid supply device polluting the circulation area of the wet chemical etching equipment, thereby improving the yield of semiconductor devices. On the other hand, by setting the second valve below the first valve and maintaining a predetermined distance between the first valve and the second valve, the liquid remaining in the first pipeline can be reduced, thereby further reducing the probability of the cleaning liquid provided by the liquid supply device polluting the circulation area of the wet chemical etching equipment. In addition, by setting the third valve in the second pipeline, the flow rate of the liquid flowing to the liquid treatment device can be controlled, which can reduce the consumption of cleaning liquid in the cleaning process.

[0037] In order for those skilled in the art to better understand and implement the embodiments of the present disclosure, the embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0038] First, the present disclosure provides a wet chemical etching equipment, referring to Figure 1 the example diagram of a wet chemical etching equipment consistent with some embodiments of the present disclosure, the wet chemical etching equipment T is coupled with the liquid supply device EX1, which can include a first pipeline T1, a second pipeline T2, a first valve T11, a second valve T12 and a third valve T21, wherein:

[0039] The first pipeline T1 is coupled between the liquid supply device EX1 and the circulation area T3 of the wet chemical etching equipment.

[0040] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the circulation area refers to the pipeline system area used for transporting and circulating chemical etching liquid during the wet chemical etching process.

[0041] The first valve T11 is arranged in the first pipeline T1 and is configured to control the liquid flow to the second pipeline T2 and / or the second valve T12.

[0042] The second valve T12 is arranged below the first valve T11, and a predetermined distance is maintained between the first valve T11 and the second valve T12, which is configured to control the liquid flowing to the circulation area T3.

[0043] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, controlling the liquid flowing to the circulation area refers to controlling the liquid to flow to the circulation area or controlling the liquid not to flow to the circulation area.

[0044] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the distance between the first valve and the second valve can be 0.

[0045] For example, for any type of first valve and second valve, the distance between the first valve and the second valve being 0 can mean that there is at least one contact point between the first valve and the second valve.

[0046] With the above embodiments, by setting the distance between the first valve and the second valve to 0, the probability of liquid remaining between the first valve and the second valve can be reduced, so that the liquid remaining in the first pipeline can be reduced, thereby reducing the probability that the cleaning liquid provided by the liquid supply device pollutes the circulation area of the wet chemical etching equipment.

[0047] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first surface of the first valve and the first surface of the second valve can be in seamless contact.

[0048] For example, by customizing the first valve and the second valve with specific shapes and structures, the first surface of the first valve and the first surface of the second valve can be in seamless contact.

[0049] With the above embodiments, the probability of liquid remaining between the first valve and the second valve can be maximally reduced, so that the liquid remaining in the first pipeline can be further reduced, thereby further reducing the probability that the cleaning liquid provided by the liquid supply device pollutes the circulation area of the wet chemical etching equipment.

[0050] The second pipeline T2 is coupled between the first valve T11 and a liquid treatment device EX2.

[0051] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the liquid treatment device can change the chemical properties of the pollutants in the liquid by chemical reduction reaction.

[0052] For example, the PH value range of the liquid can be adjusted by adding an appropriate amount of neutralizing agent.

[0053] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the liquid treatment device can remove suspended solids and precipitates in the liquid by filtration, sedimentation, etc.

[0054] The third valve T21 is arranged in the second pipeline T2 and is configured to control the flow rate of the liquid flowing to the liquid treatment device EX2.

[0055] It can be understood that, Figure 1The positional relationship between the components of the wet chemical etching apparatus shown is only illustrative and does not limit the present application. In addition, in some embodiments of the present application, the liquid supply device and the liquid treatment device can be arranged inside the wet chemical etching apparatus.

[0056] With the above embodiments, on the one hand, by arranging the first valve in the first pipeline, the liquid flow to the second pipeline or the second valve is controlled, and by arranging the second valve, the liquid flow to the circulation area is controlled. The first valve and the second valve form a double liquid control mechanism, which can reduce the probability of the cleaning liquid provided by the liquid supply device polluting the circulation area of the wet chemical etching apparatus, thereby improving the yield of semiconductor devices. On the other hand, by arranging the second valve below the first valve and maintaining a predetermined distance between the first valve and the second valve, the liquid remaining in the first pipeline can be reduced, thereby further reducing the probability of the cleaning liquid provided by the liquid supply device polluting the circulation area of the wet chemical etching apparatus. In addition, by arranging the third valve in the second pipeline, the flow rate of the liquid flowing to the liquid treatment device can be controlled, thereby reducing the consumption of cleaning liquid in the cleaning process.

[0057] In some embodiments of the present application, the first valve can include a first discharge port, a second discharge port, and a third discharge port, the first discharge port is configured as an inlet, and the second discharge port and the third discharge port are configured as outlets, wherein the first discharge port and the second discharge port constitute a first discharge channel, and the first discharge port and the third discharge port constitute a second discharge channel. When the first discharge channel is turned on, the liquid flows to the second pipeline, and when the second discharge channel is turned on, the liquid flows to the second valve.

[0058] In some embodiments of the present application, the first valve can include a three-way valve. Referring to Figure 2 The example diagram of a three-way valve shown is consistent with some embodiments of the present application. The three-way valve can include a first discharge port I, a second discharge port II, and a third discharge port III, the first discharge port I is configured as an inlet, and the second discharge port II and the third discharge port III are configured as outlets, wherein the first discharge port I and the second discharge port II constitute a first discharge channel CH1, and the first discharge port I and the third discharge port III constitute a second discharge channel CH2. When the first discharge channel CH1 is turned on, the liquid flows to the second pipeline T2, and when the second discharge channel CH2 is turned on, the liquid flows to the second valve T12.

[0059] In some embodiments of the present application, the first pipeline and the second pipeline can be made of PFA material.

[0060] The perfluoroalkoxy (PFA) material is a high-performance fluoroplastic. In the above embodiment, on the one hand, the PFA material has high purity, which can reduce the probability of contaminating the chemical liquid used for wet chemical etching; on the other hand, the PFA material can resist the corrosion of various chemical media such as strong acid, strong base and organic solvent, and can maintain the stability and functionality of the first pipeline and the second pipeline for a long time. In addition, the inner wall of the first pipeline and the second pipeline made of the PFA material is smooth and not easy to adhere to the chemical liquid used for wet chemical etching, so that the cleaning of the first pipeline and the second pipeline becomes simple and efficient.

[0061] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first valve, the second valve and the third valve can be made of PFA material.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the valve made of PFA material has excellent sealing effect, which can not only reduce the probability of liquid leakage, but also improve the accuracy of liquid control.

[0063] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the third valve can include a regulating valve.

[0064] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the regulating valve can adjust the flow rate of the liquid flowing to the liquid treatment device.

[0065] For example, the flow rate of the liquid flowing to the liquid treatment device can be reduced per unit time by the regulating valve, and the consumption of cleaning liquid in the cleaning process can be reduced.

[0066] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the regulating valve can adjust the flow rate of the liquid flowing to the liquid treatment device.

[0067] For example, in the case that the total cleaning time of the cleaning process is unchanged, the flow rate of the liquid flowing to the liquid treatment device can be reduced by the regulating valve, and the consumption of cleaning liquid in the cleaning process can be reduced.

[0068] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first valve, the second valve and the third valve can include solenoid valves.

[0069] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first valve, the second valve and the third valve can include pneumatic valves.

[0070] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first valve, the second valve and the third valve can include manual valves.

[0071] It can be understood that the above embodiments are only illustrative, and the embodiments of the present disclosure do not specifically limit the first valve, the second valve and the third valve. The first valve, the second valve and the third valve can be the same valve or different valves. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first valve can include a solenoid valve, the second valve can include a pneumatic valve, and the third valve can include a manual valve.

[0072] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to Figure 3 Another example diagram of a wet chemical etching device consistent with some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 4. The wet chemical etching device T can further include:

[0073] A controller T4 is communicatively coupled to the first pipeline T1 and the second pipeline T2, respectively.

[0074] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the controller can include at least one of an integrated circuit having a processing function, or a processor, etc. For example, the processor can be a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, or a field programmable gate array (FPGA), etc.

[0075] The liquid supply device EX1 is provided with a liquid supply information display assembly (not shown).

[0076] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the liquid supply information display assembly can include an indicator light.

[0077] For example, when the liquid provided by the liquid supply device is a chemical liquid for wet chemical etching, the indicator light is red, and when the liquid provided by the liquid supply device is a cleaning liquid for a cleaning process, the indicator light is green.

[0078] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the liquid supply information display assembly can include an LED display screen.

[0079] For example, when the liquid provided by the liquid supply device is a chemical liquid for wet chemical etching, the LED display screen displays information such as the name or composition of the chemical liquid, and when the liquid provided by the liquid supply device is a cleaning liquid for a cleaning process, the LED display screen displays information such as the name or composition of the cleaning liquid.

[0080] The controller T4 is adapted to respond to the liquid supply information of the liquid supply information display assembly and control the opening and closing of the first valve T11 and the second valve T12 in the first pipeline T1 and the third valve T21 in the second pipeline T2 to switch the working conditions according to the liquid supply information.

[0081] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the controller can read the liquid supply information of the liquid supply information display component, for example, directly reading the liquid supply information of the liquid supply information display component; and can also indirectly obtain the liquid supply information of the liquid supply information display component via other appropriate components.

[0082] In response to the liquid supply information being the first information, the controller controls the first discharge channel of the first valve to be open, controls the second valve to be closed, and controls the third valve to be open; in response to the liquid supply information being the second information, the controller controls the second discharge channel of the first valve to be open, controls the second valve to be open, and controls the third valve to be closed.

[0083] For example, when the liquid provided by the liquid supply device is a cleaning liquid used in a cleaning process, the controller responds to the liquid supply information being the first information, which can include information such as the name or composition of the cleaning liquid; when the liquid provided by the liquid supply device is a chemical liquid used in wet chemical etching, the controller responds to the liquid supply information being the second information, which can include information such as the name or composition of the chemical liquid.

[0084] The cleaning process of the wet chemical etching equipment according to the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below through a specific example.

[0085] Referring to Figure 4 Referring to FIG. 1, which shows an example of another wet chemical etching equipment according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the wet chemical etching equipment T includes a first pipeline T1, a second pipeline T2, a first valve T11, a second valve T12, and a third valve T21. The first pipeline T1 is coupled between a liquid supply device EX1 and a circulation area T3 of the wet chemical etching equipment T, the first valve T11 is arranged in the first pipeline T1, the second valve T12 is arranged below the first valve T11, and the first surface of the first valve T11 is in seamless contact with the first surface of the second valve T12, the second pipeline T2 is coupled between the first valve T11 and a liquid treatment device EX2, and the third valve T21 is arranged in the second pipeline T2.

[0086] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first valve T11 can include a three-way valve, which can include a first discharge port I, a second discharge port II, and a third discharge port III, the first discharge port I is configured as an inlet, and the second discharge port II and the third discharge port III are configured as outlets, wherein the first discharge port I and the second discharge port II constitute a first discharge channel CH1, and the first discharge port I and the third discharge port III constitute a second discharge channel CH2.

[0087] When the cleaning process is performed, the liquid supply device EX1 supplies cleaning liquid for the cleaning process, the first discharge channel CH1 of the three-way valve is open, the second discharge channel CH2 of the three-way valve is closed, the second valve T12 is closed, and the third valve T21 is open. In this embodiment, the cleaning liquid flows to the second pipeline through the open first discharge channel and finally enters the liquid treatment device. At the same time, the second discharge channel is closed, and the cleaning liquid cannot enter the circulation area. As can be seen from the above, the cleaning liquid will not flow through the circulation area during the entire cleaning process. In addition, the closed second valve and the closed second discharge channel form a double liquid control mechanism, which can further reduce the probability of the cleaning liquid provided by the liquid supply device entering the circulation area.

[0088] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, since the first surface of the first valve T11 is in seamless contact with the first surface of the second valve T12, the cleaning liquid will not be left between the first valve and the second valve.

[0089] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the third valve reduces the flow of liquid flowing to the liquid treatment device per unit time to reduce the consumption of cleaning liquid in the cleaning process.

[0090] When the wet chemical etching process is performed, the liquid supply device EX1 supplies chemical liquid for wet chemical etching, the first discharge channel CH1 of the three-way valve is closed, the second discharge channel CH2 of the three-way valve is open, the second valve T12 is open, and the third valve T21 is closed. In this embodiment, the chemical liquid flows to the circulation area through the open second discharge channel and the open second valve.

[0091] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, since the first surface of the first valve T11 is in seamless contact with the first surface of the second valve T12, the chemical liquid will not be left between the first valve and the second valve.

[0092] In the present disclosure, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, ordinal words such as "first", "second", "third", etc. are only used to distinguish the description of the associated objects, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying the relative importance or order between the associated objects.

[0093] The terms "or", "and / or" in the present disclosure are used to describe the relationship between associated objects, which means non-exclusive inclusion. For example, "A and / or B" and "A or B" can both include: "A alone", "B alone", or "A and B", where "A" and "B" can include a single object or multiple objects. For another example, "A, B, and / or C", "A, B, or C", and "A, B, and C" can all include: "A alone", "B alone", "C alone", "A and B", "A and C", "B and C", or "A, B, and C", where "A", "B", and "C" can include a single object or multiple objects. In addition, " / " in the present disclosure is used to represent the relationship between the associated objects "or". The meanings of "at least one of A or B" and "one or more of A and B" in the present disclosure are the same as the meaning of "A or B" above, and the meanings of "one or more of A, B, and C" and "at least one of A, B, or C" are the same as the meaning of "A, B, or C" above. The meaning of "one or more of A, B, and C" is the same as the meaning of "A, B, or C" above.

[0094] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment is focused on, and the parts not described or recorded in detail in a certain embodiment can be referred to the relevant description of other embodiments. In addition, the above embodiments can be freely combined according to needs. Although the embodiments of the present disclosure are disclosed as above, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A wet chemical etching device, characterized in that: Coupled with the liquid supply device, comprising: a first pipeline, a second pipeline, a first valve, a second valve and a third valve, wherein: The first pipeline is coupled between the liquid supply device and the circulation area of ​​the wet chemical etching equipment; The first valve is disposed in the first pipeline and is configured to control the flow of liquid to the second pipeline and / or the second valve; The second valve is disposed below the first valve with a preset distance between the first valve and the second valve, and is configured to control the flow of liquid to the circulation area; The second pipeline is coupled between the first valve and the liquid processing device; The third valve is disposed in the second pipeline and is configured to control the flow of liquid flowing to the liquid processing device.

2. The wet chemical etching apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that The distance between the first valve and the second valve is 0.

3. The wet chemical etching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The first surface of the first valve is in seamless contact with the first surface of the second valve.

4. The wet chemical etching apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The first valve includes a first discharge port, a second discharge port, and a third discharge port, the first discharge port is configured as an inlet, and the second discharge port and the third discharge port are configured as outlets; The first discharge port and the second discharge port constitute a first discharge channel, and the first discharge port and the third discharge port constitute a second discharge channel; When the first discharge channel is open, the liquid flows to the second pipeline, and when the second discharge channel is open, the liquid flows to the second valve.

5. The wet chemical etching apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first pipeline, the second pipeline, the first valve, the second valve and the third valve are made of PFA material.

6. The wet chemical etching apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first valve includes: a three-way valve.

7. The wet chemical etching apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that: The third valve includes: a regulating valve.

8. The wet chemical etching apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first valve, the second valve, and the third valve include any one of the following: Solenoid valve; Pneumatic valves; Manual valve.

9. The wet chemical etching apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that: The liquid supply device is provided with a liquid supply information display component; The wet chemical etching equipment also includes: a controller, communicatively coupled to the first pipeline and the second pipeline respectively; The controller is adapted to respond to the liquid supply information of the liquid supply information display component and, based on the liquid supply information, control the opening and closing of the first valve, the second valve in the first pipeline, and the third valve in the second pipeline to switch the working conditions.

10. The wet chemical etching apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that: In response to the liquid supply information being the first information, the controller controls the first discharge passage of the first valve to be open, controls the second valve to be closed, and controls the third valve to be open; In response to the liquid supply information being the second information, the controller controls the second exhaust passage of the first valve to be connected, controls the second valve to be opened, and controls the third valve to be closed.

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