Nanoimprint wafer cooling device
By designing a nanoimprint wafer cooling device, precise positioning and uniform cooling of the wafer are achieved using cooling plates, ejector pins, and positioning wedges. This solves the problem of existing devices being unable to accurately cool the wafer, and improves the quality and efficiency of the nanoimprint process.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NANCHANG GUANGLAN SEMICON CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-05-21
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-05
AI Technical Summary
Existing wafer cooling devices lack positioning mechanisms, which cannot meet the precision requirements of the wafer cooling process, resulting in high-temperature wafers not being cooled quickly and evenly, affecting subsequent processes.
A nanoimprint wafer cooling device was designed, including a cooling plate, ejector pins, positioning wedges, and heat insulation rings. The ejector pin driving device achieves precise positioning and uniform cooling of the wafer, and the temperature is precisely controlled by combining coolant circulation and temperature sensors.
This achieved wafer cooling temperature uniformity within ±2℃, meeting process requirements, improving the quality and efficiency of nanoimprinting, and ensuring the accuracy and stability of subsequent processing.
Smart Images
Figure CN224205585U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to a nanoimprint wafer cooling device. Background Technology
[0002] In nanoimprint lithography, after the wafer (made of silicon or glass) is coated with adhesive, it needs to be placed in a hot plate for heating to evaporate the thinner in the adhesive, leaving a viscous adhesive layer. This adhesive layer becomes very thin after coating, ranging from tens of nanometers to several micrometers, depending on the viscosity of the adhesive and the speed of the motor during coating. After evaporation by heating in the hot plate, the wafer temperature is very high, around 100°C. The high temperature of the wafer cannot be directly used for the next process; it must be rapidly cooled to 18-25°C before subsequent processes can be performed, otherwise, the components to be processed will be damaged.
[0003] Existing wafer cooling devices, such as cold trays, lack positioning mechanisms and cannot meet the precision requirements of the wafer cooling process. Utility Model Content
[0004] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention proposes a nanoimprint wafer cooling device.
[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of this utility model is as follows:
[0006] This utility model discloses a nanoimprint wafer cooling device, comprising: a base plate, a heat insulation ring, a cooling plate, a pin lifting plate, a plurality of pins, a pin driving device, and a plurality of positioning inclined blocks.
[0007] The cooling plate is mounted on the base plate via a heat-insulating ring and is used to cool the wafer;
[0008] Each ejector pin passes through the cooling plate, its fixed end is fixedly connected to the ejector pin lifting plate, and its free end is used to carry the wafer. The ejector pin lifting plate is connected to the ejector pin drive device, which is used to drive the ejector pin to extend or retract from the cooling plate.
[0009] Positioning wedges are installed on the cooling surface of the cooling plate, and several positioning wedges form a wafer positioning area for guiding and positioning the wafer placed on the cooling plate.
[0010] This utility model discloses a nanoimprint wafer cooling device, which has the following beneficial effects:
[0011] First, this invention utilizes a cooling plate to cool the wafer, ensuring that the wafer cooling temperature uniformity is within ±2℃, meeting process requirements, and improving the overall quality and efficiency of the nanoimprinting process.
[0012] Secondly, this utility model uses a positioning wedge block to automatically correct the positional deviation of the wafer, meeting the precision requirements of the cooling process and providing accuracy assurance for subsequent wafer processing.
[0013] Third, this utility model uses a heat insulation pad ring placed between the base plate and the cooling plate to reduce heat transfer.
[0014] Based on the above technical solution, the following improvements can be made:
[0015] As a preferred embodiment, the guide surface of the positioning block is provided with stepped inclined surfaces of different tilt angles to achieve coarse and fine guidance of the wafer.
[0016] By adopting the above-mentioned preferred scheme, the impact force between the wafer and the inclined plane is reduced in stages, avoiding rebound or displacement caused by a single large-angle guidance.
[0017] As a preferred embodiment, a sealed cavity is provided on the cooling plate, along with an inlet and an outlet communicating with the sealed cavity. The sealed cavity is used to hold the coolant, and the inlet and outlet are used for the inflow and outflow of the coolant, respectively, to achieve cooling circulation.
[0018] The preferred solution described above utilizes coolant for cooling, resulting in excellent cooling uniformity.
[0019] As a preferred embodiment, the nanoimprint wafer cooling device also includes a temperature sensor for detecting the real-time temperature of the coolant.
[0020] By adopting the above-mentioned preferred scheme, the cooling temperature of the wafer can be precisely controlled.
[0021] As a preferred embodiment, the nanoimprint wafer cooling device further includes a wafer inspection sensor, which is positioned toward the wafer positioning area and is used to detect the in-situ status of the wafer.
[0022] Using the preferred solution described above, the wafer inspection sensor can detect the wafer's in-situ status in real time, preventing the robotic arm from grabbing empty wafers or colliding with them.
[0023] As a preferred embodiment, the ejector pin passes through a through hole in the base plate, and a linear guide sleeve is installed at the through hole in the base plate. The linear guide sleeve slides with the ejector pin to limit the lifting trajectory of the ejector pin.
[0024] Using the above-mentioned preferred solution, the linear guide sleeve ensures that the ejector pin moves vertically without wobbling, thus preventing wafer slippage.
[0025] As a preferred embodiment, a cap is provided at the free end of the ejector pin, which is used to contact the wafer without damaging the wafer.
[0026] By adopting the above-mentioned preferred scheme, the top cap avoids contact damage and reduces the wafer breakage rate.
[0027] As a preferred embodiment, each cap has an array of micropores, and the micropores on the cap are connected to the blowing mechanism through the air passage inside the corresponding ejector pin.
[0028] Using the above-mentioned preferred scheme, the micro-hole array on the top cap works in conjunction with the air blowing mechanism. The airflow blown out by the micro-holes forms a uniform air cushion between the top cap and the wafer, transforming the traditional rigid contact support into a flexible air-floating support. Attached Figure Description
[0029] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this utility model and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the nanoimprint wafer cooling device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.
[0031] Figure 2 A side view of the nanoimprint wafer cooling device provided in an embodiment of this utility model.
[0032] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the cooling surface of the cooling plate provided in an embodiment of the present invention.
[0033] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Top view of the structure shown.
[0034] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the nanoimprint wafer cooling device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.
[0035] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the positioning wedge provided in an embodiment of the present invention.
[0036] Figure 7 This is a top view of the top cap provided in an embodiment of the present utility model.
[0037] Wherein: 1-base plate, 2-heat insulation gasket ring, 3-cooling plate, 31-sealed cavity, 32-liquid inlet, 33-liquid outlet, 4-ejector lifting plate, 5-ejector, 6-positioning inclined block, 61-coarse guide section, 62-fine guide section, 7-wafer detection sensor, 8-wafer, 9-sensor fixing plate, 10-linear guide sleeve, 11-top cap, 111-micro-hole array.
[0038] a-Wafer positioning region. Detailed Implementation
[0039] The preferred embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0040] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.
[0041] Furthermore, the expression "includes" is an "open-ended" expression, which only means that the corresponding component exists and should not be interpreted as excluding additional components.
[0042] To achieve the purpose of this utility model, some embodiments of a nanoimprint wafer cooling device, such as Figure 1-5 As shown, the nanoimprint wafer cooling device includes: a base plate 1, a heat insulation ring 2, a cooling plate 3, a ejector pin lifting plate 4, three ejector pins 5, an ejector pin driving device (not shown in the figure), three positioning inclined blocks 6, a temperature sensor (not shown in the figure), and a wafer detection sensor 7.
[0043] The cooling plate 3 is mounted on the base plate 1 via the heat insulation ring 2 and is used to cool the wafer 8.
[0044] Three ejector pins 5 pass through different positions of the cooling plate 3, and the fixed end of each ejector pin 5 is fixedly connected to the ejector pin lifting plate 4. Its free end is used to support the wafer 8. The ejector pin lifting plate 4 is connected to the ejector pin driving device, which is used to drive the ejector pins 5 to extend or retract from the cooling plate 3. The ejector pin driving device can be, but is not limited to, an electric cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, etc.
[0045] It is worth noting that in this embodiment, each ejector pin 5 is connected to the ejector pin lifting plate 4 by a fine thread, and the height of each ejector pin 5 can be adjusted independently.
[0046] Positioning wedges 6 are installed on the cooling surface of the cooling plate 3, and several positioning wedges 6 form a wafer positioning area a that is 0.2-0.3 mm larger than one side of the wafer 8, which is used to guide and position the wafer 8 placed on the cooling plate 3.
[0047] The cooling plate 3 is provided with a sealed cavity 31 and an inlet 32 and an outlet 33 communicating with the sealed cavity 31. The sealed cavity 31 is used to hold coolant (such as water), and the inlet 32 and outlet 33 are used for the inflow and outflow of coolant, respectively, to achieve cooling circulation. This utility model utilizes coolant to achieve cooling, resulting in excellent cooling uniformity. In this embodiment, the cooling plate 3 is composed of two plates welded together.
[0048] Temperature sensors are used to detect the real-time temperature of the coolant, accurately controlling the cooling temperature of wafer 8.
[0049] The wafer inspection sensor 7 is positioned facing the wafer positioning area and is mounted on the sensor mounting plate 9 to detect the in-situ status of the wafer 8.
[0050] The wafer inspection sensor 7 can be, but is not limited to, a reflective sensor, to detect the on-site status of the wafer 8 in real time, preventing the robot arm from grabbing empty wafers or colliding with them.
[0051] The ejector pin 5 passes through a through hole in the base plate 1, and a linear guide sleeve 10 is installed at the through hole in the base plate 1. The linear guide sleeve 10 slides with the ejector pin 5 to limit the lifting trajectory of the ejector pin 5. The linear guide sleeve 10 ensures that the ejector pin 5 lifts and lowers vertically without wobbling, preventing the wafer 8 from slipping. 。
[0052] Furthermore, a cap 11 is provided at the free end of the ejector pin 5. The cap 11 is used to contact the wafer 8 without damaging the wafer 8. The cap 11 may be made of PEEK material, but is not limited to, to avoid contact damage and reduce the wafer 8 breakage rate.
[0053] The workflow of this utility model is as follows:
[0054] 1) Cooling plate 3 carries the coolant and enables coolant circulation.
[0055] 2) The ejector pin drive device drives three ejector pins 5 to lift up and receive the wafer 8 from the robotic arm.
[0056] 3) The robotic arm retracts, the ejector drive device drives the three ejector pins 5 to descend, and the positioning wedge 6 guides the wafer 8 to the wafer positioning area to correct the positional deviation of the wafer 8.
[0057] Using the nanoimprint wafer cooling device of this invention, the temperature of the cooling plate 3 is controlled at 20-25℃, the cooling temperature of the wafer 8 is 18-30℃, and the uniformity is ±2℃.
[0058] This utility model discloses a nanoimprint wafer cooling device, which has the following beneficial effects:
[0059] First, this utility model utilizes the cooling plate 3 to cool the wafer 8, ensuring that the cooling temperature uniformity of the wafer 8 is within ±2℃, meeting the process requirements, and improving the overall quality and efficiency of the nanoimprinting process.
[0060] Secondly, this utility model uses a positioning wedge block 6 to automatically correct the positional deviation of the wafer 8, meeting the precision requirements of the cooling process and providing accuracy assurance for the subsequent processing of the wafer 8.
[0061] Third, this utility model uses a heat insulation ring 2 placed between the base plate 1 and the cooling plate 3 to reduce heat transfer.
[0062] To further optimize the implementation effect of this utility model, in some other embodiments, the remaining technical features are the same, the difference being that, for example... Figure 6 As shown, the guide surface of the positioning block 6 is provided with stepped inclined surfaces with different tilt angles, which are used to achieve coarse and fine guidance of the wafer 8.
[0063] Specifically, a multi-level stepped slope is added to the guide surface of the positioning ramp 6, which is divided into a coarse guide section 61 (large tilt angle, such as 60°) and a fine guide section 62 (small tilt angle, such as 45°). When the wafer 8 descends, the coarse guide section 61 quickly closes the positional deviation, and the fine guide section 62 gradually fine-tunes to the target area.
[0064] By adopting the above-mentioned preferred scheme, the impact force between wafer 8 and the inclined plane is reduced in stages, avoiding rebound or displacement caused by a single large-angle guidance.
[0065] To further optimize the implementation effect of this utility model, in some other embodiments, the remaining technical features are the same, the difference being that, for example... Figure 7 As shown, each cap 11 has a micropore array 111 distributed on it, and the micropores on the cap 11 are connected to the blowing mechanism through the air passage inside the corresponding pin 5.
[0066] Using the above-mentioned preferred scheme, the micro-hole array 111 on the top cap 11 cooperates with the air blowing mechanism, and the airflow blown out by the micro-holes forms a uniform air cushion between the top cap 11 and the wafer 8, transforming the traditional rigid contact support into a flexible air-floating support.
[0067] Furthermore, the micro-hole array 111 on the top cap 11, in conjunction with the air blowing mechanism, can assist the wafer 8 in rapid demolding and improve the stability of picking and placing. When the ejector pin 5 descends and causes the wafer 8 to fall into the positioning area, the micro-hole air blowing can counteract the electrostatic adsorption force or residual stickiness between the wafer 8 and the top cap 11, causing the wafer 8 to quickly and smoothly detach from the top cap 11.
[0068] Furthermore, airflow-assisted positioning improves alignment accuracy. The positioning wedge 6, in conjunction with the directional airflow blown out by the micro-hole, can perform secondary position calibration on the wafer 8: the airflow forms a micro-push force at the edge of the wafer 8, causing it to slide along the guide surface of the positioning wedge 6 to the precise position, compensating for the initial position deviation when the robot places the wafer, ensuring the positional accuracy of the wafer 8, and laying the foundation for the subsequent pattern alignment of nanoimprinting.
[0069] Furthermore, it accelerates local heat dissipation and optimizes cooling uniformity. The low-temperature airflow blown out by the micro-holes (such as airflow at 20-25℃ matching the temperature of cooling plate 3) can directly act on the back side of wafer 8, enhancing the heat conduction efficiency of the contact area of top cap 11. Compared to relying solely on heat dissipation through conduction by cooling plate 3, forced airflow convection can reduce local hot spots on wafer 8 (such as heat dissipation blind spots near the contact point of top cap 11). Combined with the temperature uniformity (±2℃) of the water-cooled plate, it further improves the cooling consistency of the entire wafer 8, avoiding uneven thickness or stress cracking of the adhesive layer due to temperature differences.
[0070] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "coaxial", "bottom", "one end", "top", "middle", "other end", "upper", "side", "top", "inner", "front", "center", "both ends", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model 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. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.
[0071] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation", "setting", "connection", "fixing", "screw connection", etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal connection of two components or the interaction between two components. Unless otherwise explicitly limited, those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.
[0072] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of this utility model. Those skilled in the art should understand that this utility model is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of this utility model. Various changes and modifications may be made to this utility model without departing from its spirit and scope. All such changes and modifications fall within the scope of protection of this utility model as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
Claims
1. A nanoimprint wafer cooling device, characterized in that, include: Base plate, heat insulation ring, cooling plate, ejector pin lifting plate, several ejector pins, ejector pin driving device and several positioning inclined blocks; The cooling plate is mounted on the base plate via a heat-insulating ring and is used to cool the wafer; Each of the ejector pins passes through the cooling plate, its fixed end is fixedly connected to the ejector pin lifting plate, its free end is used to carry the wafer, and the ejector pin lifting plate is connected to the ejector pin driving device, which is used to drive the ejector pin to extend or retract from the cooling plate. The positioning wedges are installed on the cooling surface of the cooling plate, and a plurality of the positioning wedges form a wafer positioning area for guiding and positioning the wafer placed on the cooling plate.
2. The nanoimprint wafer cooling device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide surface of the positioning block is provided with stepped inclined surfaces with different tilt angles to achieve coarse and fine guidance of the wafer.
3. The nanoimprint wafer cooling device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling plate is provided with a sealed cavity and an inlet and an outlet communicating with the sealed cavity. The sealed cavity is used to hold the coolant, and the inlet and outlet are used for the inflow and outflow of the coolant, respectively, to realize the cooling cycle.
4. The nanoimprint wafer cooling device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The nanoimprint wafer cooling device further includes a temperature sensor for detecting the real-time temperature of the coolant.
5. The nanoimprint wafer cooling device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The nanoimprint wafer cooling device further includes a wafer inspection sensor, which is positioned toward the wafer positioning area and is used to detect the wafer's in-situ status.
6. The nanoimprint wafer cooling device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ejector pin passes through a through hole in the base plate, and a linear guide sleeve is installed at the through hole in the base plate. The linear guide sleeve slides with the ejector pin to limit the lifting trajectory of the ejector pin.
7. The nanoimprint wafer cooling device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A cap is provided at the free end of the ejector pin, the cap being used to contact the wafer without damaging the wafer.
8. The nanoimprint wafer cooling apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, Each cap has an array of micropores, and the micropores on the cap are connected to the blowing mechanism through the air passage inside the corresponding pin.