Semiconductor manufacturing apparatus

Abstract

The utility model provides semiconductor manufacturing equipment, it includes frame, pastes the film subassembly, set up in the frame, be used for in wafer front surface pastes protective film, polishes subassembly, set up in the frame, be used for to pastes the wafer back surface of protective film thinning grinding, cleaning subassembly, set up in the frame, be used for pastes the wafer back surface cleaning after thinning grinding of protective film, carries component, set up in the frame, be used for between pastes the film subassembly, grinding subassembly and cleaning subassembly carries wafer, wherein, pastes the film subassembly, grinding subassembly and cleaning subassembly integration in the frame. This semiconductor manufacturing equipment realizes all -process with film process, and protective film enhances wafer mechanical strength, reduces the edge scratch, the hidden crack in carrying and processing, carries component in wafer back surface operation, avoids the front surface damage, and the fragment rate drops significantly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and specifically to a semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Wafer thinning is a key process in semiconductor manufacturing, widely used in the production of semiconductor devices such as logic chips, power devices, and MEMS devices. Traditional wafer thinning processes typically include the following steps:

[0003] Film application: Applying a protective film to the front side of the wafer to protect the device structure.

[0004] Grinding: Thinning the wafer to the target thickness.

[0005] Film removal: Remove the protective film to expose the front side of the wafer for subsequent processing.

[0006] Cleaning: Clean the back side of the wafer to remove dirt and damage caused by grinding.

[0007] However, traditional processes suffer from insufficient mechanical strength. Specifically, the thinner wafers after thinning make them more fragile due to the wear and tear layer, making them prone to edge scratches, microcracks, or fragmentation during transport, resulting in a high scrap rate.

[0008] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the background section above is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of this utility model, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Utility Model Content

[0009] In view of the problems in the prior art, the purpose of this utility model is to provide semiconductor equipment that overcomes the difficulties of the prior art and can solve the problem of high scrap rate in the wafer thinning process.

[0010] This disclosure provides a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, comprising:

[0011] frame;

[0012] A film application assembly, disposed within the rack, is used to apply a protective film to the front side of the wafer;

[0013] A grinding assembly, disposed within the frame, is used to thin and grind the back side of the wafer to which the protective film is attached;

[0014] A cleaning assembly, disposed within the rack, is used to perform back-side cleaning on the wafer after the protective film has been attached and the wafer has been thinned and ground.

[0015] A conveying assembly, disposed within the rack, is used to convey the wafer between the film-applying assembly, the grinding assembly, and the cleaning assembly; wherein the film-applying assembly, the grinding assembly, and the cleaning assembly are integrated within the rack.

[0016] In an optional configuration, the conveying assembly includes a vacuum manipulator and multiple vacuum suction cups. The vacuum manipulator includes a robotic arm body and a vacuum suction head disposed at its free end. The vacuum suction head is used to suction the back side of the wafer and transport the wafer. The multiple vacuum suction cups are respectively disposed in the film application assembly, the grinding assembly, and the cleaning assembly, and are used to fix the wafer during the corresponding processing.

[0017] In an optional embodiment, the film-applying assembly includes a film-applying device and a first wafer fixing device. The film-applying device includes a film supply module and a film pressing module, and the first wafer fixing device includes a first vacuum chuck.

[0018] In an optional embodiment, the film application assembly further includes an appearance inspection unit, which includes a camera and a light source and is located on the film exit side of the film application device to detect the quality of the wafer film application.

[0019] In an alternative embodiment, the grinding assembly includes a grinding device and a second wafer holding device, the second wafer holding device including a second vacuum chuck.

[0020] In an optional embodiment, the cleaning assembly includes a pre-grinding cleaning device, a post-grinding cleaning device, and a third wafer fixing device. The pre-grinding cleaning device and the post-grinding cleaning device each include a nozzle and a cleaning fluid supply module, and the third wafer fixing device includes a third vacuum chuck.

[0021] In an optional embodiment, the semiconductor manufacturing equipment further includes a calibration module disposed within the rack for detecting positioning marks on the wafer.

[0022] In an alternative embodiment, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus further includes a loading port assembly comprising a first loading port and a second loading port, the first loading port and the second loading port being configured together to enable wafer input and output.

[0023] In an alternative embodiment, the frame includes a support frame and partitions that divide the film application assembly, grinding assembly, and cleaning assembly into separate chambers.

[0024] In an alternative embodiment, the semiconductor manufacturing equipment further includes a control system comprising a processor and a memory, the processor being electrically connected to the film-applying assembly, the polishing assembly, the cleaning assembly, and the conveying assembly, for coordinating the operation of the film-applying assembly, the polishing assembly, the cleaning assembly, and the conveying assembly.

[0025] The semiconductor manufacturing equipment proposed in this disclosure has the following advantages:

[0026] The rack serves as the main structure, supporting the aforementioned film application assembly, grinding assembly, cleaning assembly, and conveying assembly to ensure stable process operation. The film application assembly, located within the rack, applies a protective film to the front side of the wafer, protecting it. The grinding assembly, also located within the rack, thins and grinds the back side of the wafer after film application to achieve the target thickness. The cleaning assembly, located within the rack, cleans the back side of the wafer after grinding to remove contaminants. The conveying assembly, located within the rack, transports and flips the wafers between the film application, grinding, cleaning, and conveying assemblies, ensuring process continuity.

[0027] The semiconductor manufacturing equipment of this disclosure implements a full-process film-coated process. The protective film enhances the mechanical strength of the wafer, reduces edge scratches and microcracks during transport and processing, and the transport components operate on the back side of the wafer, avoiding front-side damage and significantly reducing the breakage rate. Furthermore, the semiconductor manufacturing equipment of this embodiment adopts a three-in-one integrated architecture, with an integrated layout that shortens transport distances, reduces station changeover time, and enables efficient transport of components.

[0028] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Other features, objects, and advantages of this invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] Figure 1 A framework diagram of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus provided for an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0031] Label Explanation:

[0032] 1. Frame; 2. Film application assembly; 3. Grinding assembly; 4. Cleaning assembly; 5. Conveying assembly; 6. Calibration module; 7. Loading port assembly; 7a. First loading port; 7b. Second loading port; 11. Support frame; 12. Partition; 21. Film application device; 211. Film supply module; 212. Film pressing module; 31. Grinding device; 41. Pre-grinding cleaning device; 411. First nozzle; 412. First cleaning fluid supply module; 42. Post-grinding cleaning device; 421. Second nozzle; 422. Second cleaning fluid supply module; 51. Vacuum manipulator; 511. Manipulator body; 512. Vacuum suction head; 521. First vacuum suction cup; 522. Second vacuum suction cup; 523. Third vacuum suction cup. Detailed Implementation

[0033] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, they are provided so that this disclosure will be more comprehensive and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0034] Furthermore, the accompanying drawings are merely illustrative of this disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar parts, and therefore repeated descriptions of them will be omitted. Some block diagrams shown in the drawings are functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically or logically independent entities. These functional entities may be implemented in software, in one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits, or in different network and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0035] This disclosed embodiment effectively solves the problem of water splashing onto the grinding pad during the cleaning process by adding a dedicated cleaning component and a water-retaining ring under the dresser, while improving the cleaning efficiency of the dresser and ensuring the stability of the grinding process and product quality.

[0036] like Figure 1 As shown, the semiconductor manufacturing equipment provided in this embodiment includes:

[0037] The frame 1, film application assembly 2, grinding assembly 3, cleaning assembly 4, and conveying assembly 5 are integrated into the frame 1 to form a "three-in-one" process platform that supports the entire film application process.

[0038] The frame 1 serves as the main structure, supporting the film application assembly 2, grinding assembly 3, cleaning assembly 4, and conveying assembly 5 to ensure stable process operation. The film application assembly 2, located within the frame 1, applies a protective film to the front side of the wafer to protect it. The grinding assembly 3, also located within the frame 1, thins the back side of the wafer after film application to achieve the target thickness. The cleaning assembly 4, located within the frame 1, cleans the back side of the wafer after grinding to remove contaminants. The conveying assembly 5, located within the frame 1, transports and flips the wafer between the film application assembly 2, grinding assembly 3, cleaning assembly 4, and conveying assembly 5, ensuring process continuity.

[0039] In this embodiment, the film application assembly 2, the grinding assembly 3, the cleaning assembly 4, and the conveying assembly 5 are integrated into the frame 1, achieving a compact layout and efficient collaboration.

[0040] In this embodiment, rack 1 is located at the center of the cleanroom, housing the laminating assembly 2, grinding assembly 3, cleaning assembly 4, and conveying assembly 5, forming a modular layout. Laminating assembly 2 serves as the starting point of the process. Grinding assembly 3, located downstream of laminating assembly 2, receives the laminated wafers and grinds the back side of the wafers. Cleaning assembly 4, located downstream of grinding assembly 3, completes back-side cleaning. Conveying assembly 5 covers all workstations, connecting laminating assembly 2, grinding assembly 3, and cleaning assembly 4 to ensure smooth wafer transport. The integrated design of these components within rack 1 optimizes space utilization and shortens transport distances.

[0041] Using the semiconductor manufacturing equipment of this disclosure, with full-process film fabrication as the core, the process flow is as follows:

[0042] Wafer input: The wafer enters the semiconductor manufacturing equipment and is sent to the film application assembly 2.

[0043] Film application: Film application assembly 2 applies a protective film to the front side of the wafer to ensure device safety.

[0044] Transfer to grinding assembly 3: The transfer assembly 5 flips the coated wafer and transfers it to the grinding assembly 3.

[0045] Grinding: Grinding component 3 thins the back side of the wafer to the target thickness.

[0046] Cleaning: The conveying component 5 delivers the ground wafer to the cleaning component 4 to clean the back of the wafer and remove dirt.

[0047] Wafer output: The conveyor assembly 5 delivers the cleaned wafers out of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment to complete the processing.

[0048] The semiconductor manufacturing equipment of this embodiment implements a full-process film-coated process. The protective film enhances the mechanical strength of the wafer, reduces edge scratches and microcracks during transport and processing, and the transport component 5 operates on the back side of the wafer, avoiding front-side damage and significantly reducing the breakage rate. Furthermore, the semiconductor manufacturing equipment of this embodiment adopts a three-in-one integrated architecture, with an integrated layout that shortens the transport distance, reduces station changeover time, and ensures efficient transport of the transport components.

[0049] In this embodiment, the conveying assembly 5 includes a vacuum manipulator 51 and multiple vacuum suction cups, such as a first vacuum suction cup 521, a second vacuum suction cup 522, and a third vacuum suction cup 523. The vacuum manipulator 51 includes a robotic arm body 511 and a vacuum suction head 512 disposed at its free end. The vacuum suction head 512 is used to suction the back side of the wafer and transport the wafer. The multiple vacuum suction cups are respectively disposed in the film application assembly 2, the grinding assembly 3, and the cleaning assembly 4, and are used to fix the wafer during the corresponding processing.

[0050] In this embodiment, the vacuum robot 51 can be fixed to the top guide rail of the frame, covering workstations such as film application, grinding, and cleaning. The vacuum robot 51 can be a six-axis robot, capable of instantly rotating the wafer.

[0051] During operation, the vacuum robot 51 uses the vacuum suction head 512 to pick up the back side of the wafer, flips the wafer so that the back side is facing up, and transports it along the guide rail or through operations such as extension, rotation, etc. At each station, a corresponding vacuum suction cup fixes the wafer.

[0052] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the film application assembly 2 includes a film application device 21 and a first wafer fixing device. For example, the first wafer fixing device includes a first vacuum suction cup 521, and the film application device 21 includes a film supply module 211 and a film pressing module 212.

[0053] The film-applying assembly 2 serves as the starting point of the process and is located close to the working area of ​​the conveying assembly 5. During operation, when the wafer is transferred to the film-applying station, the first vacuum chuck 521 fixes the wafer (face up), the film supply module 211 delivers the protective film to the film-applying station, and the film pressing module 212 presses it together to form a uniform protective film on the wafer.

[0054] In this embodiment, the film-applying assembly 2 further includes an appearance inspection unit (not shown in the figure). The appearance inspection unit may include a camera and a light source, and is disposed on the film-exit side of the film-applying device 21 for detecting the quality of wafer film application. After film application, the wafer with the protective film facing upwards is illuminated by the light source, and the camera captures images to analyze the bubble rate and uniformity. If the quality is unsatisfactory, feedback is provided to adjust the film-pressing parameters.

[0055] In this embodiment, the camera can be a CMOS camera or a CCD camera, and the light source can be a laser light source or an LED ring light.

[0056] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the wafer after being coated is flipped by the conveying component 5 and transferred to the cleaning component 4. Optionally, the cleaning component 4 includes a pre-grinding cleaning device 41, a post-grinding cleaning device 42, and a third wafer fixing device. For example, the third wafer fixing device includes a third vacuum chuck 523, the pre-grinding cleaning device 41 includes a first nozzle 411 and a first cleaning fluid supply module 412, and the post-grinding cleaning device 42 includes a second nozzle 421 and a second cleaning fluid supply module 422.

[0057] In this embodiment, the pre-grinding cleaning device 41 is located downstream of the film-applying assembly 2. After film application, the transfer assembly 5 transfers the wafer (back side facing up) to the pre-grinding cleaning device 41, where a third vacuum suction cup 523 secures the wafer. The pre-grinding cleaning device 41 cleans the back side of the wafer. Specifically, the rotating first nozzle 411 efficiently removes dirt, while the first cleaning fluid supply module 412 sprays cleaning fluid to clean the back side of the wafer. The cleaned wafer is then transferred to the grinding assembly 3.

[0058] In this embodiment, the polishing assembly 3 includes a polishing device 31 and a second wafer fixing device. Exemplarily, the second wafer fixing device includes a second vacuum chuck 522. The polishing assembly 3 is located downstream of the film-applying assembly 2, and specifically downstream of the pre-polishing cleaning device 41, close to the working range of the conveying assembly 5.

[0059] In this embodiment, the second vacuum chuck 522 fixes the wafer, and the polishing wheel of the polishing device 31 polishes the back side of the wafer to reduce it to the target thickness. During this process, the temperature is controlled by spraying coolant.

[0060] In this embodiment, the grinding device 31 can be a chemical mechanical polishing device, and the second vacuum chuck 522 can be an electrostatic chuck, a mechanical clamping device, or an adhesive fixing device.

[0061] In this embodiment, the polished wafer is transferred to a post-polishing cleaning device 42, which cleans the back side of the polished wafer to remove polishing slurry and damaged layers, followed by nitrogen purging and drying. Then, a vacuum robot 51 transports the wafer to the output port.

[0062] In this embodiment, the pre-grinding cleaning device 41 and the post-grinding cleaning device 42 can employ ultrasonic cleaning or high-pressure water jet cleaning.

[0063] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the semiconductor manufacturing equipment further includes a calibration module 6, which is disposed within the rack 1 and is used to detect wafer positioning marks. The calibration module 6 detects wafer positioning marks (such as flat / notch) and includes optical sensors (such as a CCD camera or laser sensor), a rotating platform (such as a servo motor), and a control unit. The calibration module 6 is located at the front end of the rack 1, near the first loading port 7a.

[0064] The vacuum robot 51 at the first loading port 7a delivers the wafer to the rotating platform. Sensors scan the flat or notch, the control unit calculates the deviation, and the rotating platform is calibrated. <110> or <100> Direction. Vacuum robotic arm 51 then transports the material to film application assembly 2.

[0065] In an alternative implementation, the sensor may be an infrared sensor or a mechanical probe. The rotating platform may be a stepper motor or a pneumatic rotary table.

[0066] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the semiconductor manufacturing equipment further includes a loading port assembly 7, which includes a first loading port 7a and a second loading port 7b. The first loading port 7a and the second loading port 7b are configured together to realize the input and output of the wafer, supporting the same-in and same-out or same-in and different-out transmission modes of the wafer.

[0067] The first loading port 7a includes a sheet box LPA, and the second loading port 7b includes a sheet box LPB. LPA is located on the left front end of the frame 1, and LPB is located on the right front end of the frame 1. Both loading ports are connected to the working range of the conveying assembly 5.

[0068] During operation, the LPA performs wafer input, and the vacuum robot 51 delivers it to the calibration module 6. After processing, the vacuum robot 51 returns the wafer to the LPA. The LPB can be used in a same-in, different-out mode to perform wafer input or output.

[0069] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the frame 1 includes a support frame 11 and a partition 12, which divides the film application assembly 2, the grinding assembly 3 and the cleaning assembly 4 into independent chambers.

[0070] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the semiconductor manufacturing equipment further includes a control system (not shown in the figure), which includes a processor and a memory. The processor is electrically connected to the film application assembly 2, the polishing assembly 3, the cleaning assembly 4, and the conveying assembly 5, and is used to coordinate the operation of the film application assembly 2, the polishing assembly 3, the cleaning assembly 4, and the conveying assembly 5.

[0071] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the utility models disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, characterized in that, include: Rack (1); A film-applying assembly (2) is disposed within the frame (1) and is used to apply a protective film to the front side of the wafer; A grinding assembly (3) is disposed in the frame (1) and is used to perform thinning grinding on the back side of the wafer to which the protective film is attached; A cleaning assembly (4) is disposed in the frame (1) and is used to perform back-side cleaning on the wafer after the protective film is attached and the wafer is thinned and ground. A conveying assembly (5) is disposed within the frame (1) for conveying the wafer between the film application assembly (2), the grinding assembly (3), and the cleaning assembly (4); The film application assembly (2), the grinding assembly (3) and the cleaning assembly (4) are integrated into the frame (1).

2. The semiconductor manufacturing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conveying assembly (5) includes a vacuum manipulator (51) and multiple vacuum suction cups. The vacuum manipulator (51) includes a robotic arm body (511) and a vacuum suction head (512) disposed at its free end. The vacuum suction head (512) is used to suction the back of the wafer and transport the wafer. The multiple vacuum suction cups are respectively disposed in the film application assembly (2), the grinding assembly (3) and the cleaning assembly (4) for fixing the wafer during the corresponding processing.

3. The semiconductor manufacturing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The film-applying assembly (2) includes a film-applying device (21) and a first wafer fixing device. The film-applying device (21) includes a film supply module (211) and a film pressing module (212). The first wafer fixing device includes a first vacuum chuck (521).

4. The semiconductor manufacturing equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The film application assembly (2) also includes an appearance inspection unit, which includes a camera and a light source and is located on the film exit side of the film application device (21) for detecting the quality of wafer film application.

5. The semiconductor manufacturing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The grinding assembly (3) includes a grinding device (31) and a second wafer fixing device, the second wafer fixing device including a second vacuum chuck (522).

6. The semiconductor manufacturing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cleaning assembly (4) includes a pre-grinding cleaning device (41), a post-grinding cleaning device (42), and a third wafer fixing device. The pre-grinding cleaning device (41) and the post-grinding cleaning device (42) each include a nozzle (411, 421) and a cleaning fluid supply module (412, 422). The third wafer fixing device includes a third vacuum chuck (523).

7. The semiconductor manufacturing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The semiconductor manufacturing equipment also includes a calibration module (6), which is disposed in the rack (1) and is used to detect the positioning marks of the wafer.

8. The semiconductor manufacturing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a loading port assembly (7) comprising a first loading port (7a) and a second loading port (7b), which are configured together to enable wafer input and output.

9. The semiconductor manufacturing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The frame (1) includes a support frame (11) and a partition (12), which divides the film application assembly (2), the grinding assembly (3) and the cleaning assembly (4) into independent chambers.

10. The semiconductor manufacturing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The semiconductor manufacturing equipment also includes a control system, which includes a processor and a memory. The processor is electrically connected to the film application assembly (2), the grinding assembly (3), the cleaning assembly (4), and the conveying assembly (5) and is used to coordinate the operation of the film application assembly (2), the grinding assembly (3), the cleaning assembly (4), and the conveying assembly (5).

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