A fully automatic heating spin coating device and a developing apparatus comprising the same

Abstract

This invention provides a fully automatic heating spin coating device and a developing apparatus including the device. The device includes a base plate, on which a main shaft rotation mechanism, a top cover lifting assembly, a pin lifting assembly, and a dispensing arm assembly are mounted. A heating plate is coaxially connected to the top of the main shaft rotation mechanism. The top cover lifting assembly includes a top cover and a first lifting mechanism for driving the top cover to move up and down. A cover surrounds the heating plate, and the cover and top cover cooperate to form a sealed working chamber. The top cover also has a gas interface connecting to the internal working chamber. This fully automatic heating spin coating device, through the cooperation of the top cover and cover to form a sealed working chamber, and the gas interface on the top cover to introduce the required gas into the working chamber and perform gas purging, ensures the gas atmosphere within the working chamber and provides the necessary gas environment for the adhesive, solving the problem that existing spin coaters cannot guarantee the gas environment of the working chamber.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing equipment technology, and in particular to a fully automatic heating spin coating device and a developing device including the device. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of the semiconductor industry, spin coating technology, as one of the key process steps in wafer fabrication, directly affects product yield and production efficiency due to its degree of automation and precise control capabilities. Spin coating technology is mainly used in processes such as photoresist coating and development, where high-speed rotation causes the liquid to be evenly distributed on the wafer surface, forming a thin film of the required thickness.

[0003] In existing technologies, wafer spin coating apparatuses typically include core components such as a rotating mechanism, a lifting mechanism, and a dispensing system. For example, CN105689209A discloses a heated spin coating apparatus that heats the substrate tray by a heating plate. This not only enables the homogenization and film formation of conventional adhesives but also meets the requirements for adhesives with special temperature requirements, thereby achieving ideal film formation results.

[0004] While existing spin coaters have solved the problem of precise temperature control during the spin coat process, they lack effective management of the working environment and cannot provide the required specific gas environment for the adhesive, which directly affects the fluidity and curing properties of the adhesive. Secondly, the automation level of existing equipment is insufficient, especially in stages such as adhesive dispensing, cleaning, and wafer loading and unloading, which still require manual intervention, resulting in low production efficiency and hindering large-scale production. Furthermore, the heating system, rotating mechanism, and lifting components in existing equipment are often designed independently, lacking effective integration and making it difficult to achieve coordinated optimization and control of process parameters.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a heating spin coating device that can achieve precise temperature control, gas environment management, and fully automated operation to meet the high standards required by modern semiconductor manufacturing processes. Utility Model Content

[0006] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art described above, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a fully automatic heating spin coating device and a developing device including the device, so as to solve the problem that the prior art cannot provide the required gas environment for the spin coating process; in addition, this utility model also provides a developing device including the fully automatic heating spin coating device.

[0007] To achieve the above and other related objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution:

[0008] In a first aspect, a fully automatic heated spin coating device is provided, comprising a base plate, the base plate being provided with: a spindle rotation mechanism, the top of which is coaxially connected to a heating plate, the spindle rotation mechanism being used to drive the heating plate to rotate, and the wafer to be processed being adsorbed onto the heating plate; a top cover lifting assembly, including a top cover and a first lifting mechanism for driving the top cover to lift, the heating plate being provided with a cover around its outer periphery, the cover and the top cover forming a sealed working chamber, the top cover also being provided with a gas interface communicating with its internal working chamber; a ejector pin lifting assembly, including multiple ejector pins and a second lifting mechanism for controlling the lifting of the ejector pins, the ejector pin lifting assembly being used to lift the wafer after the spin coating operation is completed, realizing the loading and unloading of the wafer; and a dispensing arm assembly, including at least two sets of dispensing arm assemblies, respectively used for adhesive dripping and cleaning operations.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, the cover includes a chassis, a retaining ring, and a slanted baffle. The chassis is disposed below the heating plate, the retaining ring surrounds the outer periphery of the chassis, and the slanted baffle is disposed on the top inner ring of the retaining ring. An opening is formed in the middle of the slanted baffle to cooperate and connect with the upper cover.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the chassis has a through hole for the pin to pass through.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the upper cover lifting assembly further includes a cantilever, a fixed base, and a first slide rail fixing plate. The first lifting mechanism is a cylinder, which is mounted on the fixed base. The first slide rail fixing plate is vertically erected and has a vertically arranged first slide rail. The cantilever is slidably connected to the first slide rail via a slider. One end of the cantilever is connected to the output end of the cylinder, and the other end of the cantilever is connected to the upper cover.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the spindle rotation mechanism includes a motor mounting base and a first rotary motor, the first rotary motor being mounted on the motor mounting base, and the heating plate being coaxially connected to the output shaft of the first rotary motor.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the heating plate includes a surface suction cup, a sealing plate, a heater and a rotating shaft. The sealing plate is disposed below the surface suction cup, the heater is mounted on the sealing plate, and the heating plate is coaxially connected to the main shaft rotation mechanism via the rotating shaft. A rotating shaft fixing component is also provided around the rotating shaft.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the sealing plate is further provided with a heating baffle, the heating baffle surrounds the rotating shaft fixing member, and the heater is disposed on the outside of the heating baffle.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the distribution arm assembly includes a swing arm and a swing arm linkage mechanism. The swing arm linkage mechanism is used to control the rotation and lifting of the swing arm, and the swing arm is provided with a plurality of swing arm pipeline fixing blocks.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, the swing arm linkage mechanism includes a vertically erected lifting fixing plate, a lead screw motor, and a second rotary motor. The output end of the lead screw motor is connected to the rotating rod fixing seat and is used to control the lifting and lowering of the rotating rod fixing seat. The lifting fixing plate is provided with a vertically arranged second slide rail. The second rotary motor is installed below the rotating rod fixing seat and is slidably connected to the second slide rail. The output end of the second rotary motor is provided with a Z-axis rotating rod. The Z-axis rotating rod passes through the rotating rod fixing seat and is connected to the swing arm.

[0017] Secondly, a developing apparatus is provided, including a frame, on which a modular desktop is provided, and on which the aforementioned fully automatic heating spin coating device, centering device, hot plate and cold plate device, ordinary spin coating device, wafer frame box, and wafer robot are installed.

[0018] As described above, the fully automatic heating spin coating apparatus and developing equipment including the apparatus of this invention have the following beneficial effects:

[0019] 1. The fully automatic heating spin coating device provided by this utility model forms a sealed working chamber through the cooperation of the upper cover and the cover shell. A gas interface is set on the upper cover to introduce the required gas into the working chamber and to perform gas purging, thereby ensuring the gas atmosphere in the working chamber and providing the gas environment required by the adhesive. This solves the problem that existing spin coating machines cannot guarantee the gas environment of the working chamber. The upper cover is raised and lowered through the first lifting mechanism, which makes it easy to open and close the working chamber and makes it more convenient to use.

[0020] 2. This utility model achieves automatic loading and unloading of wafers by setting up a pin lifting assembly. Combined with the spindle rotation mechanism, distribution arm assembly, etc., it realizes fully automated control of the coating process, improves production efficiency, and is suitable for large-scale production and processing.

[0021] 3. This utility model is designed with a dual-distribution arm assembly, one set for adhesive dripping and the other set for cleaning operations, and is equipped with multiple independent adhesive pipelines, supporting flexible selection and quick switching, thus improving the applicability and work efficiency of the equipment.

[0022] 4. The heating plate of this utility model is reasonably designed. It uses surface suction cups to adsorb wafers and the heater provides precise temperature control to ensure the quality of the uniform coating. In addition, a heating baffle is provided around the rotating shaft to reduce the impact of heating on the rotation heat generation and extend the service life of the rotating shaft. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the appearance of the developing device disclosed in Embodiment 2 of this utility model.

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the developing device disclosed in Embodiment 2 of this utility model.

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the fully automatic heating spin coating device disclosed in Embodiment 1 of this utility model.

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the fully automatic heating spin coating device disclosed in Embodiment 1 of this utility model.

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the distribution arm assembly disclosed in Embodiment 1 of this utility model.

[0028] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the upper cover lifting mechanism disclosed in Embodiment 1 of this utility model.

[0029] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the pin lifting mechanism disclosed in Embodiment 1 of this utility model.

[0030] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the main shaft rotation mechanism disclosed in Embodiment 1 of this utility model.

[0031] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the heating plate disclosed in Embodiment 1 of this utility model.

[0032] Component designation explanation

[0033] 1. Frame; 2. Module desktop; 3. Fully automatic heating spin coating device; 31. Base plate; 32. Spindle rotation mechanism; 321. Motor mounting base; 322. First rotary motor; 33. Heating plate; 331. Surface suction cup; 332. Sealing plate; 333. Heater; 334. Rotating shaft; 335. Rotating shaft fixing component; 336. Heating baffle; 34. Top cover lifting assembly; 341. Top cover; 342. First lifting mechanism; 343. First slide rail; 344. Cantilever; 345. Gas interface; 35. Cover; 351. Chassis; 352. Retaining ring; 35 3. Inclined stop; 36. Ejector pin lifting assembly; 361. Ejector pin; 362. Second lifting mechanism; 363. Annular fixing plate; 37. Distribution arm assembly; 371. Swing arm; 372. Lifting fixing plate; 373. Screw motor; 374. Second rotary motor; 375. Rotary rod fixing seat; 376. Z-axis rotating rod; 377. Second slide rail; 378. Swing arm pipeline fixing block; 38. Waste liquid collection box; 39. Electrical control box; 4. Centering device; 5. Hot plate and cold plate device; 6. Ordinary spin coating device; 7. Wafer frame box; 8. Wafer robot; 9. Wafer. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of this utility model. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this utility model from the content disclosed in this specification. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features described herein can be combined with each other.

[0035] Example 1

[0036] Please see Figures 3-9 This embodiment provides a fully automatic heating spin coating device, including a base plate 31, on which a main shaft rotation mechanism 32, a top cover lifting assembly 34, a pin lifting assembly 36, and a distribution arm assembly 37 are provided.

[0037] The spindle rotation mechanism 32 includes a motor mounting base 321 and a first rotary motor 322, which is mounted on the motor mounting base 321. A heating plate 33 is coaxially connected to the top of the spindle rotation mechanism 32, and the heating plate 33 is coaxially connected to the output shaft of the first rotary motor 322. The spindle rotation mechanism 32 drives the heating plate 33 to rotate, and the wafer to be processed is adsorbed onto the heating plate 33. The heating plate 33 includes a surface suction cup 331, a sealing plate 332, a heater 333, and a rotating shaft 334. The sealing plate 332 is located below the surface suction cup 331, and the heater 333 is mounted on the sealing plate 332. The heating plate 33 is coaxially connected to the spindle rotation mechanism 32 via the rotating shaft 334, and a rotating shaft 334 fixing member is also provided around the rotating shaft 334. A heating baffle 336 is also provided on the sealing plate 332, surrounding the rotating shaft 334 fixing member, and the heater 333 is located outside the heating baffle 336.

[0038] The top cover lifting assembly 34 includes a top cover 341 and a first lifting mechanism 342 for driving the top cover 341 to lift. The top cover lifting assembly 34 also includes a cantilever 344, a fixed base, and a first slide rail 343 fixing plate. The first lifting mechanism 342 uses a cylinder, which is mounted on the fixed base. The first slide rail 343 fixing plate is vertically erected and has a vertically arranged first slide rail 343 on it. The cantilever 344 is slidably connected to the first slide rail 343 via a slider. One end of the cantilever 344 is connected to the output end of the cylinder, and the other end of the cantilever 344 is connected to the top cover 341. A cover 35 is provided around the heating plate 33. The cover 35 and the top cover 341 cooperate to form a sealed working chamber. The top cover 341 also has a gas interface 345 communicating with its internal working chamber. The cover 35 includes a base 351, a retaining ring 352 and a slanted baffle 353. The base 351 is located below the heating plate 33. The retaining ring 352 surrounds the outer periphery of the base 351. The slanted baffle 353 is located on the top inner ring of the retaining ring 352. An opening is formed in the middle of the slanted baffle 353 to cooperate with the upper cover 341. A through hole is provided on the base 351 for the ejector pin to pass through.

[0039] The ejector pin lifting assembly 36 includes multiple ejector pins 361 and a second lifting mechanism 362 that controls the lifting of the ejector pins 361. The ejector pin lifting assembly 36 is used to lift the wafer after the spin coating operation, enabling wafer loading and unloading. The multiple ejector pins 361 are evenly mounted on an annular fixed plate 363. The second lifting mechanism 362 is located below the annular fixed plate 363 and is used to drive the annular fixed plate 363 to lift. The second lifting mechanism 362 is selected from a lead screw motor.

[0040] The dispensing arm assembly 37 includes at least two sets of dispensing arm assemblies 37, respectively used for adhesive dispensing and cleaning operations. The dispensing arm assembly 37 includes a swing arm 371 and a swing arm 371 linkage mechanism. The swing arm 371 linkage mechanism controls the rotation and lifting of the swing arm 371. The swing arm 371 has several swing arm 371 pipeline fixing blocks. The swing arm 371 linkage mechanism includes a vertically erected lifting fixing plate 372, a lead screw motor 373, and a second rotary motor 374. The output end of the lead screw motor 373 is connected to a rotating rod fixing seat 375 and is used to control the lifting and lowering of the rotating rod fixing seat 375. The lifting fixing plate 372 has a vertically arranged second slide rail 377. The second rotary motor 374 is installed below the rotating rod fixing seat 375 and slidably connected to the second slide rail 377. The output end of the second rotary motor 374 has a Z-axis rotating rod 376, which passes through the rotating rod fixing seat 375 and connects to the swing arm 371. Below the swing arm 371 is a waste liquid collection box 38 for collecting excess adhesive.

[0041] The base plate 31 is also equipped with an electrical control box 39 and a controller for controlling the motors and cylinders in the fully automatic deheating spin coating device.

[0042] The working principle of the fully automatic heating spin coating device 3 in this embodiment is as follows:

[0043] Before the spin coating operation begins, the first lifting mechanism 342 of the top cover lifting assembly 34 drives the top cover 341 to rise, opening the working chamber. At this time, the wafer robot 8 places the wafer 9 to be processed on the heating plate 33, and the wafer 9 is adsorbed and fixed by the surface suction cups 331 on the heating plate 33. Then, the first lifting mechanism 342 drives the top cover 341 to descend, so that the top cover 341 engages with the inclined baffle 353 of the cover 35 to form a sealed working chamber.

[0044] After the working chamber is sealed, the first rotary motor 322 of the spindle rotation mechanism 32 starts working, driving the heating plate 33 to rotate. Simultaneously, the heater 333 inside the heating plate 33 begins heating, bringing the wafer to a preset temperature. At this time, a set of distribution arm assemblies 37 in the distribution arm assembly 37 moves to the working position, and the position of the swing arm 371 is controlled by the linkage mechanism of the swing arm 371, dripping the adhesive onto the rotating wafer surface. Under the high-speed rotation of the heating plate 33, the adhesive is evenly spread on the wafer surface under centrifugal force.

[0045] After the adhesive coating is completed, another set of dispensing arm assemblies 37 moves to the working position to perform a cleaning operation, removing excess adhesive from the wafer edges. After cleaning, the spindle rotation mechanism 32 stops rotating, and the first lifting mechanism 342 of the top cover lifting assembly 34 drives the top cover 341 to rise, opening the working chamber. The second lifting mechanism 362 of the ejector pin lifting assembly 36 drives the ejector pin 361 to rise. The ejector pin 361 lifts the wafer through the perforation on the chassis, making it easy for the wafer robot 8 to remove the spin-coated wafer 9.

[0046] The fully automated heating spin coating device 3 in this embodiment drives the heating plate 33 to rotate via the spindle rotation mechanism 32, simultaneously heating the wafer and improving the flowability and uniformity of the adhesive on the wafer surface. The upper cover lifting assembly 34 and the housing 35 form a sealed working chamber, preventing external environmental interference with the spin coating process. The ejector pin lifting assembly 36 enables automatic wafer loading and unloading, improving production efficiency. The dispensing arm assembly 37 ensures precise dispensing and cleaning of the adhesive, guaranteeing spin coating quality. The coordinated operation of these components achieves full automation of the wafer spin coating process, significantly improving production efficiency and product quality.

[0047] Example 2

[0048] Please see Figures 1-2 This embodiment provides a developing device, including a fully automatic heating spin coating device as described in Embodiment 1, and also includes a frame 1. The frame 1 is provided with a modular desktop 2. The modular desktop 2 is equipped with a fully automatic heating spin coating device 3, a centering device 4, a hot plate and cold plate device 5, a conventional spin coating device 6, a wafer frame box 7, and a wafer robot 8.

[0049] In this embodiment, the developing equipment integrates a fully automated heating spin coating device 3 with other functional modules, achieving fully automated wafer processing. The specific working process is as follows:

[0050] First, the wafer robot 8 removes the wafer 9 to be processed from the wafer frame cassette 7 and places it on the alignment device 4 for positioning and alignment. After alignment, the wafer robot 8 transfers the wafer 9 to the fully automated heated spin coater 3 for adhesive coating. In the fully automated heated spin coater 3, the wafer 9 undergoes processes such as heating, rotation, adhesive drop application, and cleaning to achieve uniform adhesive coating.

[0051] After coating is completed, the wafer robot 8 transfers the wafer to a hot plate device for pre-baking to cure the adhesive layer. After pre-baking, the wafer robot 8 transfers the wafer 9 to a cold plate device for cooling. After cooling, the wafer robot 8 transfers the wafer to a conventional spin coater 6 for subsequent processing, such as developing and cleaning. Finally, the wafer robot 8 places the processed wafer back into the wafer cassette 7.

[0052] Throughout the process, the various functional modules work together, with the wafer robot 8 responsible for transferring the wafer between the modules, achieving full automation of wafer processing and greatly improving production efficiency and product consistency.

[0053] In summary, the fully automatic heating spin coating device provided by this utility model forms a sealed working chamber through the cooperation of the upper cover and the housing. A gas interface is provided on the upper cover to introduce the required gas into the working chamber and to perform gas purging, thereby ensuring the gas atmosphere within the working chamber and providing the necessary gas environment for the adhesive. This solves the problem that existing spin coaters cannot guarantee the gas environment of the working chamber. The upper cover is raised and lowered via a first lifting mechanism, facilitating the opening and closing of the working chamber and making it more convenient to use. Therefore, this utility model effectively overcomes the various shortcomings of the prior art and has high industrial application value.

[0054] The terms used in this specification, such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "back", "middle" and "one", are merely for clarity of description and are not intended to limit the scope of implementation of this utility model. Any changes or adjustments to their relative relationships, without substantially altering the technical content, shall also be considered within the scope of implementation of this utility model.

[0055] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of this utility model and are not intended to limit this utility model. All equivalent modifications or alterations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed in this utility model should still be covered by the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. A fully automated heating spin coater characterized by, Includes a base plate, wherein the base plate is provided with: A spindle rotation mechanism is provided, with a heating plate coaxially connected to its top. The spindle rotation mechanism is used to drive the heating plate to rotate, and the wafer to be processed is adsorbed onto the heating plate. The upper cover lifting assembly includes an upper cover and a first lifting mechanism for driving the upper cover to lift. The heating plate is surrounded by a cover, which cooperates with the upper cover to form a sealed working chamber. The upper cover is also provided with a gas interface that communicates with its internal working chamber. The ejector pin lifting assembly includes multiple ejector pins and a second lifting mechanism for controlling the lifting of the ejector pins. The ejector pin lifting assembly is used to lift the wafer after the spin coating operation is completed, so as to realize the loading and unloading of the wafer. The dispensing arm assembly includes at least two sets of dispensing arm assemblies, one for dispensing adhesive and the other for cleaning operations.

2. The fully automated heating spin coater apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The cover includes a chassis, a retaining ring, and a slanted baffle. The chassis is located below the heating plate, the retaining ring surrounds the outer periphery of the chassis, and the slanted baffle is located on the top inner ring of the retaining ring. An opening is formed in the middle of the slanted baffle to cooperate with and connect with the upper cover.

3. The fully automated heating spin coater of claim 2, wherein, The chassis has a through hole for the pin to pass through.

4. The fully automated heating spin coater of claim 1, wherein, The upper cover lifting assembly also includes a cantilever, a fixed base, and a first slide rail fixing plate. The first lifting mechanism uses a cylinder, which is mounted on the fixed base. The first slide rail fixing plate is vertically erected and has a vertically arranged first slide rail. The cantilever is slidably connected to the first slide rail via a slider. One end of the cantilever is connected to the output end of the cylinder, and the other end of the cantilever is connected to the upper cover.

5. The fully automated heating spin coater of claim 1, wherein, The spindle rotation mechanism includes a motor mounting base and a first rotary motor. The first rotary motor is mounted on the motor mounting base, and the heating plate is coaxially connected to the output shaft of the first rotary motor.

6. The fully automated heating spin coater of claim 5, wherein, The heating plate includes a surface suction cup, a sealing plate, a heater, and a rotating shaft. The sealing plate is located below the surface suction cup, and the heater is mounted on the sealing plate. The heating plate is coaxially connected to the main shaft rotation mechanism via the rotating shaft, and a rotating shaft fixing component is also provided around the rotating shaft.

7. The fully automated heating spin coater of claim 6, wherein, The sealing plate is also provided with a heating baffle, which surrounds the rotating shaft fixing member, and the heater is located on the outside of the heating baffle.

8. The fully automated heating spin coater of claim 1, wherein, The distribution arm assembly includes a swing arm and a swing arm linkage mechanism. The swing arm linkage mechanism is used to control the rotation and lifting of the swing arm. The swing arm is provided with several swing arm pipeline fixing blocks.

9. The fully automated heating spin coater of claim 8, wherein, The swing arm linkage mechanism includes a vertically erected lifting and fixing plate, a lead screw motor, and a second rotary motor. The output end of the lead screw motor is connected to the rotating rod fixing seat and is used to control the lifting and lowering of the rotating rod fixing seat. The lifting and fixing plate is provided with a vertically arranged second slide rail. The second rotary motor is installed below the rotating rod fixing seat and is slidably connected to the second slide rail. The output end of the second rotary motor is provided with a Z-axis rotating rod. The Z-axis rotating rod passes through the rotating rod fixing seat and is connected to the swing arm.

10. A developing apparatus comprising the full-automatic heating spin coater as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, It also includes a rack, on which a modular desktop is provided, and the modular desktop is equipped with a fully automatic heating spin coating device, a centering device, a hot plate and cold plate device, a conventional spin coating device, a wafer frame box, and a wafer robot.

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