Nozzle assembly for drying wafer surfaces
By designing the nozzle assembly with an upper and lower layout for coordinated airflow, the problems of droplet splashing and watermarks caused by nitrogen purging were solved, achieving traceless and uniform drying of the wafer surface.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SEMICON WET ADVANCED TECH CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-06-30
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-26
AI Technical Summary
In existing technologies, when nitrogen is used to directly purge the wafer surface, the cleaning fluid tends to climb along the wafer surface under tension, forming large-scale water stains. The impact of high-speed airflow can easily cause droplet splashing, affecting the drying effect and forming watermarks that are difficult to clean.
Design a nozzle assembly that employs a first airflow and a second airflow arranged vertically. The first airflow blows vertically toward the wafer surface to form a drying air curtain, while the second airflow drives the droplets downward at an angle. Through the coordinated action of the lifting and lowering motion of the nozzle holder, the wafer surface is completely dried.
It effectively avoids droplet splashing, achieves traceless drying of wafer surfaces, improves drying efficiency and uniformity, and prevents watermark formation.
Smart Images
Figure CN224415648U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of semiconductor processing, and specifically relates to a nozzle assembly for drying wafer surfaces. Background Technology
[0002] In the semiconductor industry, after the wet wafer process, it is usually necessary to clean and dry the residual chemical agents on the wafer surface to ensure that the chemical agents on the wafer surface are cleaned and the number of particles meets the requirements of subsequent processes after drying.
[0003] Currently, the traditional cleaning process is: (1) soaking; (2) drying. In this process, the wafer is loaded onto a carrier and the carrier is immersed in a cleaning tank containing cleaning fluid to complete the soaking. During the drying process, as the cleaning fluid in the cleaning tank is discharged, the liquid level in the cleaning tank drops to gradually expose the wafer surface. High-purity nitrogen is used to blow the exposed part of the wafer surface to dry it.
[0004] However, in actual production, when nitrogen is used to directly blow up the wafer surface, the cleaning fluid tends to climb up the wafer surface under tension and form a large area of water stains. Furthermore, the impact of high-speed airflow on the wafer surface can easily cause droplets to splash, causing the dried areas to re-adhere to water droplets, affecting the drying effect. Moreover, watermarks are easily formed after drying, which are very difficult to clean. Summary of the Invention
[0005] The technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a brand-new nozzle assembly for drying wafer surfaces.
[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows:
[0007] A nozzle assembly for drying wafer surfaces is provided. The nozzle assembly includes a nozzle base with a first air hole and a second air hole, an air supply component connected to the nozzle base and used to supply airflow for drying, and a power unit that drives the nozzle base to move up and down. The first air hole and the second air hole are arranged vertically. The airflow for drying passes through the nozzle base and is ejected from the first air hole and the second air hole respectively to form a first airflow and a second airflow. As the nozzle base moves from top to bottom, the second airflow blows obliquely downward toward the wafer surface and drives the liquid droplets on the wafer surface to flow downward. The first airflow blows vertically toward the wafer surface and disperses to form an airflow curtain on the wafer surface.
[0008] Preferably, the first and second vents extend horizontally. This ensures that the first and second gas flows can cover the wafer laterally without uneven coverage or inconsistent gas plane heights.
[0009] Specifically, in the orthographic projection on the wafer surface, the wafer protrudes from both ends of the first and second pores, respectively.
[0010] Preferably, the extension directions of the first and second pores are parallel to the wafer surface. This ensures a uniform distribution of the airflow blowing onto the wafer surface in the horizontal direction, precisely controlling the flow direction of droplets on the wafer surface and ensuring uniform drying.
[0011] Preferably, the direction of the second airflow is obliquely downward and the angle formed between it and the horizontal plane is 55° to 85°.
[0012] Preferably, the nozzle holder contains an air intake chamber connected to the air supply component, and a first sub-chamber and a second sub-chamber arranged vertically on one side of the air intake chamber and respectively connected to it. The first and second sub-chambers respectively form the first and second air holes from the side away from the air intake chamber. After the airflow enters the air intake chamber, it is split into the first and second sub-chambers to form a first airflow and a second airflow. Here, splitting the airflow within the same chamber to form the first and second airflows not only simplifies the structure and achieves a compact design, but also facilitates stable control of the airflow output.
[0013] Specifically, the intake chamber has a first air inlet and a second air inlet that are respectively connected to the first and second sub-chambers. The first air inlet and the first air hole are offset vertically, and the second air inlet and the second air hole are also offset vertically. This ensures that the first and second airflows after splitting form a stable injection pressure in their respective sub-chambers, thereby ensuring a stable output of the first and second airflows.
[0014] Preferably, the volume of the first cavity is larger than the volume of the second cavity. Here, the difference in volume between the first and second cavities creates a difference in the flow rates of the first and second airflows. That is, the flow rate of the first airflow is lower than the flow rate of the second airflow. The higher-velocity second airflow drives the droplets downward, while the slower-velocity first airflow dries any remaining small amount of water stains on the wafer surface, thus preventing the water stains from spreading and forming watermarks due to excessively high first airflow velocity.
[0015] Preferably, there are two nozzle holders arranged symmetrically, and the two nozzle holders are sealed together from their corresponding ends by a connecting module. An airflow channel is formed within the connecting module, and the air supply component is connected to the connecting module. The wafer is inserted from top to bottom into the space enclosed by the nozzle holders and the connecting module. Here, the wafer is loaded onto a carrier, and when one wafer is loaded on each side of the carrier, the two nozzle holders enable simultaneous drying of the two wafers, improving drying efficiency.
[0016] In addition, the wafer is mounted on a carrier; the connecting modules at both ends are U-shaped, and the inner wall of the connecting modules is provided with multiple guide rollers that form rolling contact with the carrier.
[0017] Due to the implementation of the above technical solution, this utility model has the following advantages compared with the prior art:
[0018] In existing technologies, when nitrogen is used to directly clean the wafer surface, the cleaning fluid tends to climb along the wafer surface under tension, forming large water stains. Furthermore, the impact of high-speed airflow on the wafer surface can cause droplets to splash, resulting in water droplets re-adhering to already dried areas, affecting the drying effect. Moreover, watermarks are easily formed after drying, making them very difficult to clean. This application, however, redesigns the structure of the nozzle assembly for wafer surface drying, cleverly solving the shortcomings and defects of the existing technology. With this nozzle assembly, based on the cooperation of the first and second airflows arranged vertically, the nozzle holder moves from top to bottom. The second airflow, blowing obliquely downwards towards the wafer surface, drives the cleaning fluid droplets on the wafer surface to flow downwards and be discharged from the wafer surface. Then, the first airflow blows vertically towards the wafer surface and disperses them to form a drying air curtain on the wafer surface, achieving complete drying of the wafer surface. Therefore, compared with the prior art, this utility model uses the up-and-down movement of the nozzle seat to gradually drive the droplets on the wafer surface downwards and dry them through the cooperation of the first and second airflows, effectively avoiding droplet splashing and achieving traceless drying of the wafer surface. Attached Figure Description
[0019] Figure 1 This is a front view schematic diagram of the nozzle assembly for drying wafer surfaces according to this utility model (partially omitted);
[0020] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A top-down view;
[0021] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged cross-sectional view along the central AA direction;
[0022] Figure 4 for Figure 1 Enlarged schematic diagram of the nozzle seat structure;
[0023] Wherein: 1, nozzle base; q0, air inlet chamber; q1, first sub-chamber; q2, second sub-chamber; k1, first air hole; k2, second air hole; k3, first through hole; k4, second through hole; K, connecting module; K0, guide roller;
[0024] 2. Gas supply components; 20. Gas pipes;
[0025] 3. Power unit;
[0026] J, carrier; Y, wafer. Detailed Implementation
[0027] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.
[0028] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this application 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 this application.
[0029] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.
[0030] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," 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 communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.
[0031] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.
[0032] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.
[0033] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the nozzle assembly for drying the wafer surface in this embodiment is used to dry the surface of a vertically placed wafer Y, and includes a nozzle holder 1, an air supply component 2, and a power unit 3.
[0034] Specifically, there are two nozzle holders 1 arranged symmetrically, and the two nozzle holders 1 are sealed together from their corresponding ends by a connecting module K. An airflow channel is formed within the connecting module K. The air supply component 2 is connected to the connecting module K and is used to supply the drying airflow. The wafer Y is inserted from top to bottom into the space enclosed by the nozzle holders 1 and the connecting module K. In this embodiment, the wafer Y is loaded onto a carrier J. When one wafer Y is loaded on each of the front and back sides of the carrier J, the two nozzle holders achieve simultaneous drying of the two wafers, improving drying efficiency.
[0035] Meanwhile, the connecting modules K at both ends are U-shaped, and the inner wall of the connecting module K is provided with multiple guide rollers K0 that form rolling contact with the carrier J.
[0036] The structure of one of the nozzle holders 1 will be explained below, and the other will also be clear.
[0037] In this example, the nozzle holder 1 has a first vent k1 and a second vent k2, which are arranged vertically. The air-drying airflow passes through the nozzle holder 1 and is ejected from the first vent k1 and the second vent k2 respectively to form a first airflow and a second airflow. The first airflow is perpendicular to the wafer surface along the flow direction formed by the first vent k1, and the second airflow is inclined vertically along the flow direction formed by the second vent k2 and forms an angle of 55° to 85° with the horizontal plane. The size of this angle is determined according to the actual wafer size and the distance between the nozzle holder and the wafer surface, and can be flexibly adjusted.
[0038] In some specific embodiments, the nozzle holder 1 has an air intake chamber q0 connected to the air supply component 31 via a connecting module K, and a first sub-chamber q1 and a second sub-chamber q2 arranged vertically on one side of the air intake chamber q0 and respectively connected to the air intake chamber q0. After the airflow enters the air intake chamber q0, it is split into the first sub-chamber q1 and the second sub-chamber q2 to form a first airflow and a second airflow. Here, splitting the airflow based on the same cavity to form the first and second airflows not only simplifies the structure and achieves a compact structure, but also facilitates stable control of the airflow output.
[0039] The intake chamber q0 has a first through hole k3 and a second through hole k4 that communicate with the first sub-chamber q1 and the second sub-chamber q2, respectively. The first sub-chamber q1 and the second sub-chamber q2 have corresponding first air holes k1 and k2 formed on the side away from the intake chamber q0. The first through hole k3 and the first air hole k1 are offset vertically, and the second through hole k4 and the second air hole k2 are also offset vertically. This ensures that the first and second airflows after splitting form stable injection pressures within their respective sub-chambers, thus ensuring stable output of the first and second airflows.
[0040] Simultaneously, the first vent k1 and the second vent k2 extend horizontally and are parallel to the wafer surface. In the orthographic projection on the wafer surface, the two ends of the first vent k1 and the second vent k2 emerge from the wafer. Here, it is ensured that the first and second airflows can cover the wafer horizontally without uneven coverage or inconsistent gas plane heights. At the same time, it is ensured that the airflow blowing onto the wafer surface in the horizontal direction is uniformly distributed to precisely control the flow direction of droplets on the wafer surface and ensure uniform drying.
[0041] To further facilitate implementation, the volume of the first cavity q1 is larger than that of the second cavity q2 (the two are flush from the sidewalls, with the height of the first cavity q1 being greater than the height of the second cavity q2), and the velocity of the first airflow ejected from the first cavity q1 is less than the velocity of the second airflow ejected from the second cavity q2. Here, the velocity difference between the first and second airflows is created based on the volume difference between the first and second cavities; that is, the velocity of the first airflow is less than the velocity of the second airflow. The higher velocity of the second airflow drives the droplets downwards, while the slower velocity of the first airflow dries any remaining small amount of water stains on the wafer surface, thus preventing the water stains from spreading and forming watermarks due to excessively high first airflow velocity.
[0042] In this example, the gas supply component 2 includes a gas pipe 20 connected to any connection module K and a gas source connected to the gas pipe 20.
[0043] In this example, the power unit 3 is used to drive the nozzle holder 1 to move up and down. As the nozzle holder 1 moves from top to bottom, the second airflow blows obliquely downward toward the wafer surface and drives the liquid droplets on the wafer surface to flow downward. The first airflow blows vertically toward the wafer surface and disperses to form a drying air curtain on the wafer surface.
[0044] In some specific embodiments, the power unit 3 adopts a vertically extending telescopic rod, and there are at least two telescopic rods connected to the connecting modules K at both ends of the nozzle seat 1.
[0045] In summary, by adopting this nozzle assembly, based on the cooperation of the first and second airflows arranged vertically, the nozzle holder moves from top to bottom, and the second airflow blown obliquely downward toward the wafer surface drives the cleaning droplets on the wafer surface to flow downward to be discharged from the wafer surface. Then, the first airflow blows vertically toward the wafer surface and disperses it to form a drying air curtain on the wafer surface, thereby achieving complete drying of the wafer surface. Therefore, compared with the prior art, this utility model has several advantages. First, by moving the nozzle seat up and down, the liquid droplets on the wafer surface are driven downwards and dried gradually through the cooperation of the first and second airflows, effectively avoiding droplet splashing and achieving traceless drying of the wafer surface. Second, by splitting the flow within the same cavity to form the first and second airflows, the structure is simplified and made more compact, while also facilitating stable control of the airflow output. Third, the first and second airflows are ensured to cover the wafer horizontally without uneven coverage or inconsistent gas plane heights, while ensuring uniform distribution of the airflow blowing onto the wafer surface in the horizontal direction, thus precisely controlling the flow direction of the droplets on the wafer surface and ensuring uniform drying. Fourth, the flow rate of the first airflow is lower than that of the second airflow. The higher-velocity second airflow drives the droplets downwards, while the slower-velocity first airflow dries any remaining small amount of water stains on the wafer surface, thus preventing the water stains from spreading and forming watermarks due to excessive flow rate of the first airflow.
[0046] The present utility model has been described in detail above, with the aim of enabling those skilled in the art to understand its contents and implement it. However, this description should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present utility model. All equivalent changes or modifications made in accordance with the spirit and essence of the present utility model should be included within the scope of protection of the present utility model.
Claims
1. A nozzle assembly for drying wafer surfaces, characterized in that, The nozzle assembly includes a nozzle seat opposite to the wafer surface and having a first air hole and a second air hole formed thereon, an air supply component connected to the nozzle seat and used to supply airflow for drying, and a power unit that drives the nozzle seat to move up and down. The first air hole and the second air hole are arranged vertically, and the airflow for drying passes through the nozzle seat and is ejected from the first air hole and the second air hole respectively to form a first airflow and a second airflow. As the nozzle seat moves from top to bottom, the second airflow blows obliquely downward toward the wafer surface and drives the liquid droplets on the wafer surface to flow downward. The first airflow blows vertically toward the wafer surface and disperses to form an air curtain for drying on the wafer surface.
2. The nozzle assembly for wafer surface drying according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first vent and the second vent are respectively arranged to extend in the horizontal direction.
3. The nozzle assembly for wafer surface drying according to claim 2, characterized in that, In the orthographic projection on the surface of the wafer, the first and second pores protrude from the wafer at their respective ends.
4. The nozzle assembly for wafer surface drying according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first and second pores extend in directions parallel to the wafer surface.
5. The nozzle assembly for wafer surface drying according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second airflow flows obliquely downwards, and the angle between it and the horizontal plane is 55° to 85°.
6. The nozzle assembly for wafer surface drying according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The nozzle seat has an air intake chamber connected to the air supply component, and a first sub-chamber and a second sub-chamber arranged vertically on one side of the air intake chamber and connected to the air intake chamber respectively. The first sub-chamber and the second sub-chamber respectively form the first air hole and the second air hole from the side away from the air intake chamber. After the air-dried airflow enters the air intake chamber, it is split into the first sub-chamber and the second sub-chamber to form the first airflow and the second airflow.
7. The nozzle assembly for wafer surface drying according to claim 6, characterized in that, The air intake chamber has a first air inlet and a second air inlet that are respectively connected to the first sub-chamber and the second sub-chamber, wherein the first air inlet and the first air hole are staggered vertically, and the second air inlet and the second air hole are staggered vertically.
8. The nozzle assembly for wafer surface drying according to claim 6, characterized in that, The volume of the first compartment is greater than the volume of the second compartment.
9. The nozzle assembly for wafer surface drying according to claim 1, characterized in that, There are two nozzle holders arranged symmetrically, and the two nozzle holders are sealed together from their corresponding ends by a connecting module. An airflow channel is formed in the connecting module. The air supply component is connected to the connecting module. The wafer is inserted from top to bottom into the space enclosed by the nozzle holder and the connecting module.
10. The nozzle assembly for wafer surface drying according to claim 9, characterized in that, The wafer is mounted on a carrier; the connecting modules at both ends are U-shaped, and the inner wall of the connecting modules is provided with multiple guide rollers that form rolling contact with the carrier.