Semiconductor process fluid delivery apparatus and semiconductor process equipment
By introducing an adjustable nozzle angle design into the spray head, and using a drive magnet and magnetic components to achieve multi-angle oscillation of the nozzle, the problem of cleaning dead angles is solved, and the cleaning effect and process accuracy are improved.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SHANGHAI INTEGRATED CIRCUIT EQUIPMENT & MATERIALS INDUSTRY INNOVATION CENTER CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-05-14
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-09
AI Technical Summary
In current semiconductor manufacturing, the fixed position and angle of the nozzle create cleaning dead zones, affecting the cleaning effect and the precision of the wet etching process.
The nozzle is designed with an adjustable nozzle angle. Through the cooperation of the drive magnet and magnetic components, the nozzle swings within the rotating seat to achieve multi-angle spraying. Precise control is achieved by combining sensors and controllers.
It achieves full-coverage cleaning of the wafer surface, improves cleaning effect and process precision, avoids cleaning dead spots, and increases equipment utilization.
Smart Images
Figure CN224343723U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor process fluid transport technology, specifically to a semiconductor process fluid transport device and semiconductor process equipment. Background Technology
[0002] In the semiconductor manufacturing industry, process fluids are the core materials supporting the entire chip production process, involving key steps such as wafer cleaning, photolithography, etching, deposition, doping, and chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). For example, a single-wafer cleaning system includes a cleaning chamber, a wafer stage placed within the cleaning chamber, and a cleaning nozzle positioned above the wafer stage. The cleaning nozzle sprays cleaning fluid onto the wafer surface to complete the wafer cleaning. Currently, the spray position and angle of the nozzle are fixed, typically spraying directly above the wafer stage. This fixed position and angle easily creates cleaning dead zones, preventing the complete and effective removal of particles from the wafer surface and consequently affecting the precision of the wet etching process.
[0003] Therefore, a cleaning device that can fully cover the wafer surface for cleaning is needed. Utility Model Content
[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide a semiconductor process fluid delivery device and semiconductor process equipment. By adjusting the nozzle angle in the nozzle, multi-angle spraying can be achieved, thereby improving the coverage area and spraying accuracy of the process fluid.
[0005] According to a first aspect of the present application, a semiconductor process fluid transport device is provided, comprising: a pipeline and a nozzle disposed at the end of the pipeline; the nozzle includes a rotating base and a nozzle disposed within the rotating base, the rotating base being provided with at least two sets of driving magnets, the nozzle being provided with a magnetic element that generates magnetic force with the driving magnets, all the driving magnets being circumferentially distributed around the nozzle, each of the driving magnets being connected to a driving power source, and when the driving power source supplies power to one set of the driving magnets, the one set of driving magnets generates a force with the magnetic element to drive the nozzle to swing within the rotating base, thereby changing the spray angle of the nozzle.
[0006] In one embodiment, each set of the drive magnets includes two magnets, and the two drive magnets are arranged symmetrically along the radial direction of the nozzle, and the two drive magnets have opposite polarities when they are in operation.
[0007] In one embodiment, the rotating base is provided with six driving magnets evenly distributed around the circumference of the nozzle, wherein two driving magnets arranged symmetrically along the radial direction of the nozzle form a group, and the driving magnets in the same group have opposite polarities when they are working.
[0008] In one embodiment, the rotating base is provided with a sensor to detect the oscillation position of the nozzle.
[0009] In one embodiment, the sensor is provided on the rotating base corresponding to each group of driving magnets.
[0010] In one embodiment, the sensor is provided on the rotating base corresponding to each of the driving magnets.
[0011] In one embodiment, the device further includes a controller for controlling the operation of the drive power supply, and the sensor is connected to the controller.
[0012] In one embodiment, the system further includes a position adjustment mechanism connected to the pipeline, the position adjustment mechanism being used to drive the nozzle to move in order to change the position of the nozzle.
[0013] According to a second aspect of the present application, a semiconductor process apparatus is provided, comprising a process chamber and a semiconductor process fluid transport device as described in any of the preceding claims, wherein a support platform for placing wafers is provided in the process chamber, and the nozzle of the semiconductor process fluid transport device is located in the process chamber.
[0014] In one embodiment, the pipeline includes multiple branches, each branch having a nozzle at its end, and all the nozzles are distributed within the process chamber and located above the support platform.
[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this application are as follows: the nozzle is equipped with multiple sets of driving magnets around the nozzle circumference. By driving each set of driving magnets to interact with the magnetic force of the magnetic component, the nozzle is driven to swing, thereby changing the nozzle's spray angle and realizing multi-angle spraying, thereby increasing the area covered by the sprayed fluid and improving the uniformity of the spray. The semiconductor process equipment of this application can not only improve the process accuracy of wafer cleaning or processing, but also clean the process cavity. By utilizing the adjustable spray angle of the nozzle, automatic cleaning without dead angles can be achieved. Attached Figure Description
[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a semiconductor process fluid transport apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment;
[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a nozzle according to an exemplary embodiment;
[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a nozzle according to another exemplary embodiment;
[0019] Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of a semiconductor process fluid transport device, as shown in another exemplary embodiment;
[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a semiconductor process apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0021] In the diagram, 1 is the cleaning equipment; 2 is the support platform; 3 is the pipeline; 31 is the branch line; 4 is the nozzle; 41 is the spray head; 42 is the rotating seat; 43 is the driving magnet; 44 is the magnetic component; 45 is the sensor; 5 is the wafer; 6 is the position adjustment mechanism; and 100 is the process chamber. Detailed Implementation
[0022] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this specification and claims shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains. Specific embodiments of this application will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, in order to provide a concise description, this specification cannot exhaustively describe all features of the actual embodiments. Without departing from the spirit and scope of this application, those skilled in the art can modify and substitute the embodiments of this application, and the resulting embodiments are also within the protection scope of this application.
[0023] In this specification, the term "fluid" is intended to be interpreted broadly, and may include gases, liquids, combinations of various gases, combinations of various liquids, combinations of one or more gases and one or more liquids, and combinations of one or more gases and / or one or more liquids and one or more solids. Similarly, it is noted that multiple different phases of a single component (e.g., gaseous and liquid phases) may coexist, and such multiphase combinations are also considered to fall within the scope of "fluid" as considered herein. Consistent with the foregoing discussion, examples of fluids may include one or more gases and / or one or more liquids, or be composed of them. Likewise, embodiments of the invention may employ various flow types. For example, the flow types of process fluids and other fluids disclosed herein may be laminar, turbulent, or transitional. In the semiconductor manufacturing field, process fluids are core materials supporting the entire chip production process, involving key steps such as wafer cleaning, photolithography, etching, deposition, doping, and chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). For example, in wafer cleaning, due to the limited space within the cleaning equipment cavity, the number and position of the nozzles installed within the cavity are limited, resulting in the inability to automatically clean the cavity space by spraying cleaning fluid through the nozzles.
[0024] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides a semiconductor process fluid transport device, such as... Figures 1 to 4As shown, it includes: a pipe 3 and a nozzle 4 located at the end of the pipe; the nozzle 4 includes a rotating base 42 and a nozzle 41 located inside the rotating base 42 and connected to the pipe 3. The rotating base 42 is provided with at least two sets of driving magnets 43, and the nozzle 41 is provided with a magnetic element 44 that generates magnetic force with the driving magnets 43. All driving magnets 43 are arranged circumferentially around the nozzle 41, and each driving magnet 43 is connected to a driving power supply (not shown). When the driving power supply supplies power to one set of driving magnets 43, one set of driving magnets 43 generates a force with the magnetic element 44 to drive the nozzle 41 to swing inside the rotating base, thereby changing the spray angle of the nozzle 41, such as... Figure 1 The dashed line in the middle indicates that nozzle 41 can be in one of its swinging postures.
[0025] The conveying device of this application utilizes magnetic levitation technology in its nozzle, achieved through a drive magnet 43 and a magnetic component 44. This allows the nozzle 41 to float within the rotating base 42. The drive magnet 43 at different positions generates magnetic force with the magnetic component 44 on the nozzle 41, enabling the nozzle 41 to oscillate and thus changing its spray angle. This application employs multiple sets of drive magnets 43 at different positions to adjust the magnetic force. This allows the conveying device to be used in semiconductor processing equipment. The nozzle can perform flexible multi-angle spraying within the semiconductor processing equipment, avoiding spray dead zones or failure to cover the surface of the wafers, thus adapting to the processing of wafers of different sizes. The magnetic levitation technology used in this application for nozzle 41 installation and positioning eliminates friction caused by mechanical rotation, preventing the generation of mechanical friction particles and improving the nozzle's lifespan.
[0026] In one embodiment, each set of drive magnets 43 includes two magnets, which are symmetrically arranged radially along the nozzle 41. The two drive magnets 43 have opposite polarities when they are working. This embodiment uses two drive magnets 43 arranged radially opposite each other. One drive magnet generates a thrust with the magnetic element 44 on the nozzle 41, and the other drive magnet generates an attraction with the magnetic element 44 on the nozzle 41, thereby further ensuring the accuracy of the oscillation angle of the nozzle 41.
[0027] Specifically, the aforementioned magnetic component 44 can be a permanent magnet. The magnetic stability of a permanent magnet improves the service life of the nozzle. The aforementioned magnetic component 44 can also be other magnetic structures, as long as they can cooperate with the drive magnet to generate a corresponding magnetic force, thereby driving the nozzle to swing within the rotating base.
[0028] The aforementioned oscillation of the nozzle within the rotating base refers to its movement deviating from the centerline of the rotating base, using the centerline as a reference. In this embodiment, the nozzle's spray angle refers to the angle between the nozzle's spray path and the centerline. Specifically, the centerline can be set perpendicular to the horizontal plane. When all driving magnets are not energized, i.e., when no magnetic force is generated with the magnetic components, the nozzle is in its initial state, and the nozzle's spray angle is 0, meaning the nozzle sprays along the centerline of the rotating base. When all driving magnets are energized, the nozzle is in a suspended state. In this embodiment, no guide design is made within the nozzle to guide the spray path; that is, the nozzle is a straight through hole, and no guide design is made to change the spray angle. In another embodiment, a guide design can be made within the nozzle, such as a guide plate or oblique hole. This can be understood as the nozzle itself having a certain preset spray angle. When the nozzle is in its initial state, i.e., when not subjected to magnetic force, the nozzle's spray angle is its preset angle.
[0029] In one implementation, see Figure 3 As shown, the rotating base 42 is provided with six driving magnets 43 evenly distributed around the nozzle 41. Two driving magnets 43 symmetrically arranged along the radial direction of the nozzle form a group, and the driving magnets in the same group 43 have opposite polarities when working. In this embodiment, by distributing the driving magnets at 60° intervals around the nozzle 41, using three driving magnets to provide thrust and three driving magnets to provide attraction, an equilateral triangle distribution is formed outside the nozzle. This allows the nozzle to swing at six different positions, enabling precise adjustment of the nozzle swing angle and further improving the uniform coverage of the nozzle spray surface.
[0030] The number and distribution of the driving magnets 43, by controlling the operation of different groups of driving magnets, allow for flexible multi-angle oscillation of the nozzle 41. For details, see... Figure 2 As shown, two sets of driving magnets 43 can be set to enable the nozzle to oscillate in four different positions, such as making the nozzle spray in four directions; see Figure 3 As shown, three sets of drive magnets 43 can be set to enable the nozzle to oscillate in six different positions; four sets of drive magnets 43 can be set to enable the nozzle to oscillate in eight different positions. For more precise angle control, the number of drive magnets 43 can be increased. This application does not limit the position or number of drive magnets; they can be evenly distributed around the circumference of the nozzle, or specific angles can be set according to specific needs.
[0031] For better control, the rotating base 42 is equipped with a sensor to detect the swing position of the nozzle 41. This sensor can be an angle sensor, which directly measures the swing angle of the nozzle within the rotating base and provides the corresponding angle value. In this embodiment, the sensor can be connected to the control system within the semiconductor process fluid delivery device, feeding back the measured angle value to the control system, which can then adjust the nozzle angle according to current process conditions or wafer size.
[0032] In one embodiment, a sensor 45 is provided on the rotating base 42 corresponding to each or each group of driving magnets 43. A sensor is provided on the rotating base corresponding to each driving magnet, see... Figure 3 As shown, when three sets of driving magnets are set, a sensor is set every 15°. This sensor can be a photoelectric sensor. The photoelectric signal is blocked or opened by the nozzle swinging into position, thereby determining whether the nozzle has swung to the position of the sensor and monitoring the change of the nozzle spray angle in real time.
[0033] In the above embodiments, a controller may also be included to control the operation of the drive power supply, and the aforementioned sensors are connected to the controller. The controller can control the drive power supply to supply power to the drive magnet, and can also control the state of the drive magnet, such as controlling the magnitude, direction, duration of current flow, and duration of de-energization. In this embodiment, the sensors can be connected to the controller, which can be the main controller of the semiconductor process fluid transport device control system, or it can be an independent controller for nozzle angle control. Each sensor feeds back its measured values to the controller, facilitating the control system to adjust the nozzle angle according to current process conditions or wafer size.
[0034] In one implementation, see Figure 1 As shown, it also includes a position adjustment mechanism 6 connected to the pipeline 3. The position adjustment mechanism 6 is used to drive the nozzle to move and change the position of the nozzle. For example, the position adjustment mechanism 6 can be a lifting mechanism, which changes the height of the nozzle by adjusting the lifting of the pipeline, thereby changing the spray range of the nozzle relative to the wafer; or, the position adjustment mechanism 6 can be a horizontal telescopic structure to realize the position of the nozzle on the horizontal plane; or, the position adjustment mechanism 6 can be a mechanism that drives the entire pipeline 3 to rotate, thereby changing the position of the nozzle in three-dimensional space. In combination with the angle setting of the nozzle 41, the multi-dimensional adjustment of the nozzle spray direction in three-dimensional space can be increased.
[0035] Specifically, the nozzle 4 in the semiconductor process fluid delivery device can be one or more. See Figure 4 As shown, multiple nozzles 4 can be connected in series in a single pipe 3, or they can be installed on independent pipes 3, meaning each nozzle does not share a single pipe 3. The positions of the nozzles 4 can be distributed at different locations within the process chamber of the semiconductor process equipment, depending on the process requirements. For example, if the semiconductor process equipment is a wafer cleaning equipment, setting multiple nozzles 4 results in better cleaning effect and higher cleaning efficiency. Specifically, when there is one nozzle 4 and one pipe 3, one end of the pipe 3 is connected to the nozzle 41 in the nozzle 4, and the other end of the pipe 3 is connected to a liquid source, which can be used to output cleaning agent to the pipe 3. Furthermore, when there are multiple nozzles 4, in one embodiment, liquid is simultaneously supplied to all nozzles 4 through the same set of main delivery pipes, thereby reducing the number of pipes, simplifying the structure, and reducing installation difficulty.
[0036] According to a second aspect of the embodiments of this application, a semiconductor process apparatus is provided, see... Figure 5 As shown, it includes a process chamber 100 and a semiconductor process fluid delivery device as described above. The process chamber 100 is equipped with a support platform 2 for placing the wafer 5, and the nozzle 4 of the semiconductor process fluid delivery device is located within the process chamber 100. In this embodiment, the nozzle 4 uses magnetic levitation technology to achieve the oscillation of the nozzle 41, as shown... Figure 5 The nozzle can spray at positions corresponding to solid or dashed lines, and the different spray paths can achieve full coverage of wafers of different sizes.
[0037] Specifically, the aforementioned process chamber 100 can be the cavity of the cleaning equipment 1, that is, the nozzle 4 in the semiconductor process fluid delivery device is set inside the cleaning chamber, which can realize the spraying of cleaning fluid. The cleaning fluid can be deionized water (DIW) or other suitable cleaning materials. In traditional cleaning equipment 1, the nozzles are all set at a fixed angle, which limits the full coverage of the cleaning fluid on the surface of wafers of different sizes and reduces the cleaning effect. However, in this embodiment, by controlling the angle of the nozzle 41 in the nozzle 4, the cleaning intensity of the particles on the wafer surface can be improved, and the etching efficiency of the subsequent etching process can be improved. In addition, due to the differences in the types and distribution of contaminants in different areas, the fixed-angle nozzles of traditional cleaning equipment 1 may not be able to adapt to complex cleaning needs, resulting in the existence of cleaning dead corners, affecting process accuracy, or requiring manual cleaning, reducing the utilization rate of the equipment. In this embodiment, it not only improves the cleaning accuracy, but also meets different cleaning needs. By combining the adjustment of the nozzle position and the change of the nozzle swing angle, automatic cleaning of the support platform 2 and the inner wall of the process chamber can be achieved, realizing cleaning without dead corners, which can replace manual cleaning, thereby improving the utilization rate of the cleaning equipment.
[0038] In one implementation, see Figure 4 As shown, the pipeline 3 in the semiconductor process fluid delivery device includes multiple branches 31, each branch 31 having a nozzle 4 at its end. All nozzles 4 are distributed within the process chamber and located above the support platform 2. The support platform 2 can be a lifting platform. Specifically, the pipeline 3 includes a main pipe and multiple branch pipes, with each nozzle 4 connected to one branch pipe, and all branch pipes connected to the main pipe. In this way, one main pipe can simultaneously deliver cleaning fluid to multiple branch pipes.
[0039] The above description of the embodiments is intended to enable those skilled in the art to understand and apply this application. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be easily made to these embodiments, and the general principles described herein can be applied to other embodiments without creative effort. Therefore, this application is not limited to the embodiments described herein, and any improvements and modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the disclosure of this application without departing from the scope and spirit of this application are within the scope of this application.
Claims
1. A semiconductor process fluid delivery apparatus, comprising: The system includes a pipeline and a nozzle located at the end of the pipeline. The nozzle includes a rotating base and a nozzle located within the rotating base. The rotating base is provided with at least two sets of driving magnets, and the nozzle is provided with a magnetic element that interacts with the driving magnets. All the driving magnets are arranged circumferentially around the nozzle. Each driving magnet is connected to a driving power source. When the driving power source supplies power to one set of driving magnets, the driving magnets interact with the magnetic element to drive the nozzle to swing within the rotating base, thereby changing the spray angle of the nozzle.
2. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein, Each set of driving magnets includes two magnets, which are arranged symmetrically along the radial direction of the nozzle, and the two magnets have opposite polarities when they are in operation.
3. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein, The rotating base is provided with six driving magnets evenly distributed around the circumference of the nozzle. Two driving magnets arranged symmetrically along the radial direction of the nozzle form a group, and the driving magnets in the same group have opposite polarities when they are working.
4. The delivery device of any of claims 1-3, wherein, The rotating base is equipped with a sensor to detect the oscillation position of the nozzle.
5. The delivery device of claim 4, wherein the at least one of the first and second arms is configured to be moved from the first position to the second position by a user. The sensor is provided on the rotating base at each of the driving magnets.
6. The delivery device of claim 5, wherein, The sensor is provided on the rotating base at each of the driving magnets.
7. The delivery device of claim 4, wherein, It also includes a controller for controlling the operation of the drive power supply, and the sensor is connected to the controller.
8. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein, It also includes a position adjustment mechanism connected to the pipeline, which is used to drive the nozzle to move in order to change the position of the nozzle.
9. A semiconductor process apparatus, characterized by, The device includes a process chamber and a semiconductor process fluid delivery device as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the process chamber is provided with a support platform for placing wafers, and the nozzle in the semiconductor process fluid delivery device is located within the process chamber.
10. The semiconductor process apparatus as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that, The pipeline includes multiple branches, each branch having a nozzle at its end. All nozzles are distributed within the process chamber and located above the support platform.