Wafer cleaning device and chemical mechanical polishing equipment
By introducing a design that allows contacts to contact the wafer sidewalls in the wafer cleaning device, combined with a cleaning method using robotic arms and nozzles, the problem of edge residue during wafer cleaning is solved, achieving a more efficient cleaning effect and ensuring the reliability of semiconductor devices.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-03-18
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-13
AI Technical Summary
In existing technologies, organic residues are generated at the edges during wafer cleaning, which can lead to voids in subsequent etching processes and affect the reliability of semiconductor devices.
A wafer cleaning device was designed, including a cleaning chamber, a base, a contact element, and a cleaning mechanism. The contact element contacts the sidewall of the wafer, and a robotic arm drives the cleaning head to move from the center of the wafer to the edge and then to the top surface of the contact element. Combined with the nozzle spraying cleaning fluid, a comprehensive cleaning is achieved.
This effectively avoids contaminant residue on wafer edges and sidewalls, improves cleaning reliability, and ensures the smooth progress of subsequent processes.
Smart Images
Figure CN223993867U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor processing equipment technology, and in particular to a wafer cleaning device and a chemical mechanical polishing device. Background Technology
[0002] Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) involves holding a wafer in a polishing slurry environment and bringing it into contact with a polishing pad. Through the combined action of chemical and mechanical polishing, the surface of the wafer is polished and planarized. This process can achieve a more perfect surface while ensuring material removal efficiency, and can also achieve surface roughness from the nanometer level to the atomic level.
[0003] After CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) polishes the wafer, the wafer surface needs to be further cleaned within the machine to remove organic matter, derivatives, and abrasive particles from the polishing slurry. Currently, cleaning the wafer surface involves using a cleaning brush and a sponge head in sequence. Because the existing technology uses a sponge head for wafer cleaning, organic residue is left at the wafer edges during the cleaning process. When this residue is removed in the subsequent wafer etching process, it forms voids on the wafer. These voids are then filled with metal during the electrochemical plating process, potentially causing short circuits in semiconductor devices. Utility Model Content
[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a wafer cleaning device and a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) equipment, which improves the reliability of cleaning wafers after polishing and avoids the formation of voids on the surface of the wafers during subsequent etching processes.
[0005] To achieve the above objectives, in a first aspect, this utility model provides a wafer cleaning apparatus, comprising:
[0006] Cleaning chamber;
[0007] A base, located within the cleaning chamber, is used to fix the wafer and drive the wafer to rotate.
[0008] A contact element is disposed on the base, and the contact element is used to contact the sidewall of the wafer;
[0009] A cleaning mechanism is provided inside the cleaning chamber. The cleaning mechanism includes a robotic arm and a cleaning head. The robotic arm is used to control the cleaning head to clean the surface of the wafer until the cleaning head moves from the surface of the wafer to the contact.
[0010] The beneficial effects of the wafer cleaning device provided by this utility model are as follows: by setting a contact element near the base, when the wafer is fixed on the base, the sidewall of the wafer can contact the contact element. When the robotic arm moves the cleaning head from the center of the wafer to the edge of the wafer, it continues to move outward to the top surface of the contact element, completing the transition of the cleaning path. This avoids some contaminants remaining on the edge and sidewall of the wafer when the cleaning head cleans the wafer surface, thereby improving the reliability of cleaning the wafer after grinding.
[0011] In some embodiments, the contact member has a contact portion, the sidewall of which is an arc-shaped contact surface, and the arc curvature of the contact surface is the same as that of the wafer sidewall. The contact surface is used to contact the wafer sidewall. The advantage is that by setting the sidewall of the contact portion to an arc-shaped contact surface, and the arc curvature of the contact surface being the same as that of the wafer sidewall, the contact area between the contact surface and the wafer sidewall is increased.
[0012] In some embodiments, when the base clamps the wafer, the top surface height of the contact is lower than the top surface height of the wafer. The advantage of this is that by setting the top surface height of the contact to be lower than the top surface height of the wafer, it is easier for the cleaning head to move from the edge of the wafer to the contact during wafer cleaning, and because the contact surface contacts the sidewall of the wafer, the sidewall of the wafer will not be contaminated during movement.
[0013] In some embodiments, the top edge of the contact has a chamfered structure. This has the advantage of facilitating the movement of the cleaning head from the edge of the wafer to the contact.
[0014] In some embodiments, the surface roughness of the contact is between 0.1 and 3.2 μm. The advantage of this is that by setting the surface roughness of the contact in the range of 0.1–3.2 μm, the friction between the contact and the cleaning head is increased, thereby facilitating the transfer of residues on the cleaning head to the surface of the contact.
[0015] In some embodiments, the contact member further has a support portion connected to the contact portion, the diameter of the support portion being larger than the diameter of the cleaning head;
[0016] After the cleaning head has finished cleaning the surface of the wafer, the robotic arm controls the cleaning head to move to the support portion.
[0017] In some embodiments, the contact portion is a through hole formed on the contact element, the through hole is adapted to the wafer, and the inner sidewall of the through hole is the contact surface. Its advantages are: by forming a through hole on the contact element, after the inner sidewall of the through hole contacts the sidewall of the wafer, the sidewall of the wafer can be completely blocked, preventing the wafer from being contaminated during the cleaning process, and further improving the reliability of wafer cleaning.
[0018] In some embodiments, the cleaning mechanism further includes nozzles disposed on the robotic arm, the nozzles being positioned close to the cleaning head, and the nozzles being used to spray cleaning fluid onto the wafer or the contacts. The advantage is that the nozzles on the robotic arm, combined with the cleaning head, improve the cleaning effect on the wafer.
[0019] In some embodiments, the robotic arm includes a swing arm, a first driver, and a second driver;
[0020] The swing arm can swing in a plane parallel to the base;
[0021] The first driver is connected to the swing arm, and the first driver has a telescopic end that can extend and retract in a direction perpendicular to the base;
[0022] The second driver is located at the telescopic end, and the second driver has a rotating end, the axis of rotation of the rotating end being perpendicular to the base;
[0023] The cleaning head is located on the rotating end.
[0024] In a second aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus, including a machine base, a polishing device, and the aforementioned wafer cleaning device;
[0025] The machine tool has a grinding chamber and a cleaning chamber, and the grinding chamber and the cleaning chamber are connected.
[0026] The grinding device is located inside the grinding chamber and is used to grind the wafer.
[0027] The beneficial effects of the chemical mechanical polishing equipment provided by this utility model are as follows: After the wafer is polished in the polishing chamber, it can be transferred to the cleaning chamber and fixed by a robotic arm. The side wall of the contact can contact the side wall of the wafer. When the robotic arm moves the cleaning head from the center of the wafer to the edge of the wafer, it continues to move outward to the top surface of the contact, completing the transition of the cleaning path. This avoids some contaminants remaining on the edge and side wall of the wafer when the cleaning head cleans the wafer surface, thereby improving the reliability of cleaning the polished wafer. Attached Figure Description
[0028] Figure 1 This is a front view of the wafer cleaning apparatus provided in an embodiment of the present invention;
[0029] Figure 2 A top view of the wafer cleaning apparatus provided in the embodiment of this utility model;
[0030] Figure 3 Front and top views of the contact element provided in the embodiments of this utility model;
[0031] Figure 4 A top view of the contact element in another embodiment of this utility model.
[0032] Figure label:
[0033] Cleaning chamber 1, base 2, contact element 3, contact part 31, contact surface 32, chamfered structure 33, bearing part 34.
[0034] Cleaning mechanism 4, robotic arm 41, swing arm 411, first driver 412, second driver 413, cleaning head 42, nozzle 43, wafer 5. Detailed Implementation
[0035] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this utility model without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model. Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used herein should have the ordinary meaning understood by those skilled in the art to which this utility model pertains. The terms "comprising" and similar expressions used herein mean that the element or object preceding the word covers the element or object listed following the word and its equivalents, but does not exclude other elements or objects. Unless otherwise specified, the term "connection" as used herein can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection, i.e., a connection through an intermediate object.
[0036] Furthermore, it should be understood that the orientations or positional relationships indicated by terms such as "length," "width," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer" in this document are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. The terms "first" and "second" in this document are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of the invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.
[0037] After CMP (Continuous Metal Processing) polishing of wafers, the wafer surface needs further cleaning within the machine to remove organic matter, derivatives, and abrasive particles from the polishing slurry. Current technology uses a cleaning brush and a sponge head to perform this cleaning. Specifically, when using a sponge head, the cleaning path is from the center of the wafer to the edge, and finally lifted off the edge to complete the cleaning process. However, during this process, when the sponge head is lifted from the edge, some contaminants remain on the edge and sidewalls of the wafer, thus affecting the cleaning effect.
[0038] To address the problems existing in the prior art, embodiments of this utility model provide a wafer cleaning device, see reference. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the wafer cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning chamber 1, a base 2, a contact element 3, and a cleaning mechanism 4. The base 2 is disposed within the cleaning chamber 1 and is used to fix the wafer 5 and rotate it. The contact element 3 is disposed on the base 2 and is used to contact the sidewall of the wafer 5, serving to shield the sidewall of the wafer 5 and also providing a support platform. The cleaning mechanism 4 is disposed within the cleaning chamber 1 and includes a robotic arm 41 and a rotatable cleaning head 42. The cleaning head 42 is located at the end of the robotic arm 41, and the robotic arm 41 controls the cleaning head 42 to clean the surface of the wafer 5 until the cleaning head 42 moves from the surface of the wafer 5 to the contact element 3.
[0039] In this embodiment, the base 2 can fix the wafer 5 by vacuum adsorption and can be driven by a motor to rotate the wafer 5. The contact 3 has an arc-shaped structure and is installed on the base 2, so that the sidewall of the contact 3 can form a tight contact with the sidewall of the wafer 5. When cleaning the wafer 5, the robotic arm 41 can drive the cleaning head 42 to move spirally from the center of the wafer 5 to the edge. When the cleaning head 42 moves to the edge of the wafer 5, it continues to move outward to the surface of the contact 3, completing the transition of the cleaning path, thereby avoiding the residue of some contaminants on the edge and sidewall of the wafer 5 and improving the cleaning effect of the wafer 5.
[0040] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, the contact member 3 has a contact portion 31, the sidewall of the contact portion 31 is an arc-shaped contact surface 32, and the arc curvature of the contact surface 32 is the same as the arc curvature of the sidewall of the wafer 5. The contact surface 32 is used to contact the sidewall of the wafer 5.
[0041] In this embodiment, by setting the sidewall of the contact portion 31 into an arc-shaped contact surface 32, and the arc curvature of the contact surface 32 being the same as the arc curvature of the sidewall of the wafer 5, the contact area between the contact surface 32 and the sidewall of the wafer 5 is increased, thereby further improving the shielding effect on the sidewall of the wafer 5.
[0042] In other embodiments, reference is made to... Figure 4 As shown, the contact portion 31 is a through hole formed on the contact member 3, the through hole is adapted to the wafer 5, and the inner sidewall of the through hole is the contact surface 32.
[0043] In this embodiment, by opening the through hole on the contact 3 that matches the size of the wafer 5, the sidewalls of the wafer 5 can be completely blocked, preventing the wafer 5 from being contaminated during the cleaning process and further improving the reliability of cleaning the wafer 5.
[0044] It should be noted that when the base 2 clamps the wafer 5, the top surface height of the contact 3 is lower than the top surface height of the wafer 5, so as to facilitate the transfer of some residue on the cleaning head 42 from the edge of the wafer 5 to the contact 3. The height difference between the top surface height of the contact 3 and the top surface height of the wafer 5 is small and can be set according to actual conditions.
[0045] In some embodiments, the top edge of the contact member 3 has a chamfered structure 33. Specifically, the chamfered structure 33 may be a 45° chamfer.
[0046] In this embodiment, a chamfered structure 33 is provided at the top edge of the contact 3 to facilitate the control of the cleaning head 42 moving from the edge of the wafer 5 to the contact 3.
[0047] In some embodiments, the surface roughness of the top surface of the contact 3 is 0.1–3.2 μm.
[0048] In this embodiment, the top surface of the contact 3 can be sandblasted to achieve a surface roughness of 1.6 μm. It is understood that increasing the surface roughness of the contact 3 increases the friction between the contact 3 and the cleaning head 42, thereby facilitating the transfer of residues from the cleaning head 42 to the top surface of the contact 3.
[0049] refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, in some embodiments, the contact member 3 further has a support portion 34 connected to the contact portion 31, the diameter of the support portion 34 being larger than the diameter of the cleaning head 42. After the cleaning head 42 has finished cleaning the surface of the wafer 5, the robotic arm 41 controls the cleaning head 42 to move to the support portion 34.
[0050] In this embodiment, by providing a support portion 34 with a diameter larger than that of the cleaning head 42, the cleaning head 42 can be supported while also better accommodating some of the residue on the cleaning head 42.
[0051] In some embodiments, the cleaning mechanism 4 further includes a nozzle 43 disposed on the robotic arm 41, the nozzle 43 being disposed close to the cleaning head 42, the nozzle 43 being connected to an external liquid supply source via a conduit, and the nozzle 43 being used to spray cleaning fluid toward the wafer 5 or the contact 3.
[0052] In this embodiment, the nozzle 43 is located at the end of the robotic arm 41 near the cleaning head 42 and has a certain tilt angle. The nozzle 43 is used to spray cleaning fluid onto the cleaning area on the surface of the wafer 5 or the contact 3. By cooperating with the cleaning head 42, the cleaning operation is completed, thereby improving the cleaning effect on the wafer 5.
[0053] In some specific embodiments, the robotic arm 41 includes a swing arm 411, a first driver 412, and a second driver 413. The swing arm 411 can swing in a plane parallel to the base 2. The first driver 412 is connected to the swing arm 411 and has a telescopic end that can extend and retract in a direction perpendicular to the base 2. The second driver 413 is disposed on the telescopic end and has a rotating end. The axis of rotation of the rotating end is perpendicular to the base 2. The cleaning head 42 is disposed on the rotating end.
[0054] Secondly, the present invention provides a chemical mechanical grinding apparatus, combined with Figure 1-3 As shown, the chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) equipment includes a machine base, a polishing device, and the aforementioned wafer cleaning device. The machine base has a polishing chamber and a cleaning chamber 1, which are connected. The polishing device is located within the polishing chamber and is used to polish the wafer 5. After polishing, a robotic arm can transfer the wafer 5 to the cleaning chamber 1 for cleaning.
[0055] In this embodiment, after the wafer 5 is ground in the grinding chamber, it can be transferred to the cleaning chamber 1 and fixed by the robotic arm. At this time, the sidewall of the contact member 3 is in seamless contact with the sidewall of the wafer 5. The robotic arm 41 can drive the cleaning head 42 from the center of the wafer 5 to the edge of the wafer 5, and then continue to move outward to the top surface of the contact member 3 to complete the transition of the cleaning path. This avoids some contaminants remaining on the edge and sidewall of the wafer 5 when the cleaning head 42 cleans the surface of the wafer 5, thereby improving the reliability of cleaning the ground wafer 5.
[0056] The above description is merely a specific implementation of the embodiments of this application, but the protection scope of the embodiments of this application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the embodiments of this application should be covered within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of the embodiments of this application should be determined by the protection scope of the claims.
Claims
1. A wafer cleaning apparatus for cleaning the surface of a polished wafer, characterized in that, The application relates to a wafer cleaning device, which comprises: a cleaning cavity; a base arranged in the cleaning cavity, used for fixing a wafer and driving the wafer to rotate; a contact element arranged on the base, used for contacting a side wall of the wafer; a cleaning mechanism arranged in the cleaning cavity, comprising a mechanical arm and a cleaning head, wherein the mechanical arm is used for controlling the cleaning head to clean the surface of the wafer until the cleaning head moves from the surface of the wafer to the contact element.
2. The wafer cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The contact element has a contact part, the side wall of the contact part is an arc-shaped contact surface, the arc-shaped curvature of the contact surface is the same as that of the side wall of the wafer, and the contact surface is used for contacting the side wall of the wafer.
3. The wafer cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein When the base clamps the wafer, the top surface height of the contact element is lower than that of the wafer.
4. The wafer cleaning apparatus according to claim 3, wherein The top surface edge of the contact element has a chamfer structure.
5. The wafer cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein The top surface roughness of the contact element is 0.1-3.2 mu m.
6. The wafer cleaning apparatus of claim 2, wherein The contact element further has a bearing part connected with the contact part, the diameter of the bearing part is greater than that of the cleaning head. When the cleaning head finishes cleaning the surface of the wafer, the mechanical arm controls the cleaning head to move to the bearing part.
7. The wafer cleaning apparatus of claim 2, wherein The contact part is a through hole arranged on the contact element, the through hole is matched with the wafer, and the inner side wall of the through hole is the contact surface.
8. The wafer cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein The cleaning mechanism further comprises a nozzle arranged on the mechanical arm, the nozzle is arranged close to the cleaning head, and the nozzle is used for spraying cleaning liquid towards the wafer or the contact element.
9. The wafer cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein The mechanical arm comprises a swing arm, a first driver and a second driver. The swing arm can swing in a plane parallel to the base. The first driver is connected with the swing arm, the first driver has a telescopic end, and the telescopic end can be telescopically extended in a direction perpendicular to the base. The second driver is arranged on the telescopic end, and the second driver has a rotating end, the rotating shaft of the rotating end is perpendicular to the base. The cleaning head is arranged on the rotating end.
10. A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus characterized by comprising: The application further relates to a machine table, a grinding device and the wafer cleaning device. The machine table has a grinding cavity and the cleaning cavity, and the grinding cavity and the cleaning cavity are communicated. The grinding device is arranged in the grinding cavity and used for grinding a wafer.