Wafer drying apparatus

Abstract

The utility model discloses a wafer drying device, it includes machine body, FFU filter, dehydration mechanism and air injection mechanism, FFU filter is installed on the machine body, and emits heat source to the machine body, dehydration mechanism is installed in the machine body, and is used for receiving and fixed wafer, and the dehydration treatment is carried out to the upper surface and the lower surface of wafer, air injection mechanism is installed in the machine body, and is used for the upper surface injection gas of wafer, realizes the drying, dehydration and cleaning operation of wafer in a device, and these operations can be synchronized, improve the cleaning efficiency of wafer, improve the execution efficiency of technological process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor equipment, and in particular to a wafer drying device. Background Technology

[0002] A wafer is a silicon wafer used to fabricate silicon semiconductor circuits; its raw material is silicon. High-purity polycrystalline silicon is dissolved, doped with silicon crystal seeds, and then slowly pulled out to form a cylindrical single-crystal silicon ingot. After grinding, polishing, and slicing, the silicon ingot forms a silicon wafer. As semiconductor feature sizes shrink and processing and measurement equipment becomes more advanced, new data characteristics have emerged in wafer processing. Simultaneously, the reduction in feature size increases the impact of airborne particles on the quality and reliability of the processed wafer, and with improved cleanliness, the particle count also exhibits new data characteristics.

[0003] After liquid cleaning, wafers need to be dried and cleaned of water stains, chemical stains, etc. Existing equipment can only perform a single operation, such as a single wafer drying function or a single dehydration and spin-drying wafer function. When a series of wafer cleaning processes are required, multiple devices need to be configured to perform them, which is costly and takes up a lot of space. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to address the technical problems existing in the background art by proposing a wafer drying device.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned technical objectives, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows:

[0006] A wafer drying apparatus is provided for drying wafers. The wafer drying apparatus includes a body, an FFU filter, a dehydration mechanism, and an air jetting mechanism. The FFU filter is mounted on the body and is used to filter the air inside the body. The dehydration mechanism is installed inside the body and is used to receive and fix the wafer, and to dehydrate the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer. The air jetting mechanism is installed inside the body and is used to spray gas onto the upper surface of the wafer.

[0007] Preferably, the machine body includes a mounting platform and a cover covering the mounting platform. The cover has an opening on the side away from the mounting platform. The FFU filter is mounted on the cover and placed at the opening. The dehydration mechanism and the jetting mechanism are both mounted on the mounting platform and placed inside the cover.

[0008] Preferably, the wafer drying apparatus further includes at least one door assembly, and the housing is provided with at least one transport window that connects to the inside of the housing. The door assembly is mounted on the mounting platform and is used to open and close the transport window. The door assembly includes a first lifting member and a baffle. The baffle is mounted on the output end of the first lifting member. Under the drive of the first lifting member, the baffle opens or closes the transport window.

[0009] Preferably, the dehydration mechanism includes a spindle, a first drive unit, a first tube, a bracket, and multiple clamping components. The spindle has an internal hollow structure and is mounted on a mounting platform. The first drive unit is mounted on the mounting platform. The first tube is rotatably mounted inside the spindle. The first end of the first tube is drivenly connected to the first drive unit, and the second end of the first tube extends out of the spindle and away from the mounting platform. The bracket is mounted on the second end of the first tube. Multiple clamping components are respectively fixed to the bracket for clamping wafers. Under the drive of the first drive unit, the first tube rotates within the spindle to drive the wafers clamped by the clamping components to rotate.

[0010] Preferably, the dehydration mechanism further includes a second tube built into the first tube, the first end of the second tube extending out of the first end of the first tube and fixed on the mounting platform, the second end of the second tube extending out of the second end of the first tube and provided with a nozzle structure, the spraying direction of the nozzle structure facing the lower surface of the wafer.

[0011] Preferably, the support is provided with a flow guide plate and a cover plate. The flow guide plate has an umbrella-shaped structure. A first hole is opened in the middle of the flow guide plate, which is directly opposite the nozzle structure. The cover plate is set at the edge of the flow guide plate to enclose the flow guide plate. Multiple second holes are provided at the edge of the flow guide plate.

[0012] Preferably, a waterproof cover is provided on the bracket, which covers the end of the main shaft away from the mounting table.

[0013] Preferably, a water inlet groove is provided at the end of the spindle away from the mounting platform, and the side wall of the waterproof cover extends into the water inlet groove.

[0014] Preferably, the mounting platform is provided with a drain hole, and the spindle is provided with a water inlet pipe that connects to the water inlet groove, and the water inlet pipe is connected to the drain hole.

[0015] Preferably, the jetting mechanism includes a second drive member, a rotating rod, an arm, and a nozzle. The second drive member is mounted on a mounting platform, the rotating rod is fixedly connected to the output end of the second drive member, the arm is fixed to the end of the rotating rod and forms an L-shape with the rotating rod, and the nozzle is fixed to the end of the arm away from the rotating rod to spray gas for cleaning the wafer.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the utility model has the following beneficial technical effects: it includes a body, an FFU filter, a dehydration mechanism, and an air jet mechanism; the FFU filter is installed on the body and is used to filter the air inside the body; the dehydration mechanism is installed inside the body and is used to receive and fix the wafer, and to dehydrate the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer; the air jet mechanism is installed inside the body and is used to spray gas onto the upper surface of the wafer, realizing the drying, dehydration, and cleaning operations of the wafer in one device, and these operations can be performed simultaneously, improving the wafer cleaning efficiency and the execution efficiency of the process flow. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0018] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a top view of the release mechanism placed on the mounting platform in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Sectional view of section AA;

[0022] Figure 6 This is an exploded view of the release mechanism in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0023] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the jet mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Icon labels:

[0025] 100 Body, 101 Mounting platform, 1011 Drain hole, 1012 Water pipe, 102 Cover, 1021 Transport window;

[0026] 200 FFU filter;

[0027] 300 Dehydration mechanism, 301 main shaft, 3011 water inlet channel, 302 first driving component, 303 first pipe, 304 bracket, 3041 diversion plate, 3042 cover plate, 3043 first hole, 3044 second hole, 3045 waterproof cover, 305 clamping component, 306 second pipe, 307 nozzle structure;

[0028] 400 Jet mechanism, 401 Second drive unit, 402 Rotary rod, 403 Boom, 404 Nozzle;

[0029] 500 door assembly, 501 first lifting component, 502 baffle. Detailed Implementation

[0030] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in these embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0031] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships, are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or assembly 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 utility model. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include one or more features. In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0032] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a link, or a specific connection; 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; and they can refer to the connection within two groups. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0033] The specific embodiments of this utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0034] like Figures 1-7 As shown, this utility model proposes a wafer drying device, including a body 100, an FFU filter 200, a dehydration mechanism 300, and an air jet mechanism 400; the FFU filter 200 is mounted on the body 100 and is used to filter the air inside the body 100; the dehydration mechanism 300 is installed inside the body 100 and is used to receive and fix the wafer, and to dehydrate the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer; the air jet mechanism 400 is installed inside the body 100 and is used to spray gas onto the upper surface of the wafer.

[0035] It should be noted that, in the specific implementation of this wafer drying device, the wafer is transported to the machine body 100 by an external robotic arm or automated transport equipment, and is received and fixed by the dehydration mechanism 300. It should be noted that the machine body 100 is equipped with multiple identification sensors. Some of these sensors are used to identify whether the wafer has entered the machine body 100 and is placed at the dehydration mechanism 300, and others are used to identify the drying temperature of the machine body 100. When the wafer is confirmed to be placed on the dehydration mechanism 300 and fixed, the FFU filter 200, the dehydration mechanism 300, and the jetting mechanism 400 are activated simultaneously. The dehydration mechanism 300 is used to dehydrate the surface of the wafer. Specifically, the operation includes high-speed rotation of the wafer, which uses centrifugal force to remove water stains adhering to the wafer surface. The jetting mechanism 400 sprays dry and clean gas onto the surface of the high-speed rotating wafer, which increases the evaporation rate of water stains on the wafer surface and blows away some particles that may be present on the wafer surface, thereby improving the cleanliness of the wafer.

[0036] In one embodiment of this application, the body 100 includes a mounting platform 101 and a cover 102 covering the mounting platform 101. The cover 102 has an opening on the side away from the mounting platform 101. An FFU filter 200 is mounted on the cover 102 and placed at the opening. A dehydration mechanism 300 and a jetting mechanism 400 are both mounted on the mounting platform 101 and placed inside the cover 102.

[0037] In one embodiment of this application, the wafer drying apparatus further includes at least one door assembly 500. The housing 102 is provided with at least one transport window 1021 that connects to the inside of the housing 102. The door assembly 500 is mounted on the mounting platform 101 and is used to open and close the transport window 1021. The door assembly 500 includes a first lifting member 501 and a baffle 502. The baffle 502 is mounted on the output end of the first lifting member 501. Under the drive of the first lifting member 501, the baffle 502 opens or closes the transport window 1021.

[0038] It should be noted that the housing 102 is provided with two transport windows 1021. These two transport windows 1021 are respectively located on two adjacent side walls of the housing 102. These two transport windows 1021 serve as the window for receiving wafers and the window for outputting wafers, respectively. In actual application, the wafer is input into the housing 102 through one transport window 1021. After the wafer has completed the cleaning process, the wafer is output out of the housing 102 through the other transport window 1021. It should be noted that the wafer transport operation is realized by a robotic arm or automated equipment with wafer transport function outside the equipment. Moreover, the input and output of the wafer do not interfere with each other. By adjusting the transport speed, it can be ensured that the next wafer is input at the same time as the wafer is output, thereby improving the wafer transport efficiency and thus improving the wafer cleaning efficiency.

[0039] In one embodiment of this application, the dehydration mechanism 300 includes a spindle 301, a first drive member 302, a first tube 303, a bracket 304, and a plurality of clamping members 305. The spindle 301 is hollowed out and mounted on a mounting platform 101. The first drive member 302 is mounted on the mounting platform 101. The first tube 303 is rotatably mounted inside the spindle 301. The first end of the first tube 303 is driven to connect with the first drive member 302. The second end of the first tube 303 extends out of the spindle 301 and extends away from the mounting platform 101. The bracket 304 is mounted on the second end of the first tube 303. The plurality of clamping members 305 are respectively fixed to the bracket 304 for clamping wafers. Under the drive of the first drive member 302, the first tube 303 rotates within the spindle 301 to drive the wafers clamped by the clamping members 305 to rotate.

[0040] It should be noted that the clamping component 305 adopts the substrate holding device with application number 201510772413.6, which will not be elaborated on here, please refer to the appendix. Figure 5 When the wafer enters the machine body 100, it is transferred to the dehydration mechanism 300 and held and fixed by multiple clamping members 305. Under the drive of the first driving member 302, the first tube 303 rotates, which can be regarded as a rotating shaft structure, and drives the support 304 and the multiple clamping members 305 thereon to rotate. The wafer also rotates. During the rotation, the water stains on the wafer are thrown off the wafer surface due to centrifugal force, thus achieving the drying of the wafer surface. In this embodiment, the driving connection between the first driving member 302 and the first tube 303 includes, but is not limited to, the transmission connection of the toothed transmission belt.

[0041] In one embodiment of this application, the dehydration mechanism 300 further includes a second tube 306 built into the first tube 303. The first end of the second tube 306 extends out of the first end of the first tube 303 and is fixed on the mounting platform 101. The second end of the second tube 306 extends out of the second end of the first tube 303 and is provided with a nozzle structure 307. The spraying direction of the nozzle structure 307 faces the lower surface of the wafer.

[0042] It should be noted that the mounting platform 101 also includes a fixing bracket fixed to the lower surface of the mounting platform 101, and the drive structure of the dehydration mechanism 300 is located below the mounting platform 101 and fixed to the lower surface of the mounting platform 101 by the fixing bracket. The drive structure mentioned here includes the first drive member 32 and the first end of the first pipe 303 driven and connected to the first drive member 32, see Appendix. Figure 5The mounting stage 101 has a hole that is connected to the spindle 301. Therefore, when the first tube 303 is installed in the spindle 301, its end extends out of the hole and connects to the first drive member 32. The first tube 303 is also a hollow structure. The first end of the second tube 306 extends out of the first end of the first tube 303 and passes through the hole to be fixedly connected to the mounting bracket. Therefore, the second tube 306 and the nozzle structure 307 thereon are not affected by the drive of the first drive member 32 and are fixed structures. The nozzle structure 307 may include a single-hole spray structure or a multi-hole spray structure. The second tube 306 may have an air pipe connected to the nozzle structure 307 to deliver gas for cleaning the lower surface of the wafer.

[0043] In one embodiment of this application, a guide plate 3041 and a cover plate 3042 are provided on the support 304. The guide plate 3041 has an umbrella-shaped structure. A first hole 3043 is opened in the middle of the guide plate 3041, which is directly opposite to the nozzle structure 307. The cover plate 3042 is disposed at the edge of the guide plate 3041 to enclose the guide plate 3041. A plurality of second holes 3044 are provided at the edge of the guide plate 3041.

[0044] It should be noted that after the water stains on the wafer are flung off, they will drip onto the guide plate 3041 and splash onto the cover plate 3042. The bracket 304 is fixedly connected to the first tube 303, so the entire bracket 304 will rotate under the drive of the first drive member 32. The water stains dripping onto the guide plate 3041 and splashing onto the cover plate 3042 will approach the junction of the guide plate 3041 and the cover plate 3042 due to centrifugal force. The multiple second holes 3044 at the edge of the guide plate 3041, that is, at the junction of the guide plate 3041 and the cover plate 3042, will flow along the inner wall of the cover plate 3042 and through each second hole 3044 onto the mounting stage 101.

[0045] In one embodiment of this application, a waterproof cover 3045 is provided on the bracket 304, and the waterproof cover 3045 covers the end of the main shaft 301 away from the mounting table 101.

[0046] It should be noted that (see attached document) Figure 5 Water stains on the wafer may flow from the first hole 3043 onto the support 304 and drip down the support 304 onto the spindle 301 and the assembly gaps on the spindle 301. These gaps, such as the first tube 303 extending into the end of the spindle 301, are caught by the outer wall of the waterproof cover 3045, which then directs the water stains away from the spindle 301 to the assembly gaps.

[0047] In one embodiment of this application, a water inlet trough 3011 is provided at the end of the spindle 301 away from the mounting platform 101, and the side wall of the waterproof cover 3045 extends into the water inlet trough 3011.

[0048] In one embodiment of this application, the mounting platform 101 is provided with a drain hole 1011, and the spindle 301 is provided with a water pipe 1012 that connects to the water inlet 3011, and the water pipe 1012 is connected to the drain hole 1011.

[0049] It should be noted that water stains may also flow from the junction of the nozzle structure 307 and the bracket 304 onto the outer wall of the first pipe 303 and the outer wall of the main shaft. Since the waterproof cover 3045 covers part of the aforementioned structure (see attached diagram), Figure 5 Therefore, when the first tube 303 rotates, the water stains on it will splash onto the inner wall of the waterproof cover 3045, and the water stains here will drip onto the lower part of the main shaft 301. Since the main shaft 301 is fixed, these water stains are easy to remain, affecting the cleanliness of this wafer drying device. Therefore, a water inlet trough 3011 is provided on the main shaft 301. The side wall of the waterproof cover 3045 extends into the water inlet trough 3011. The water inlet trough 3011 is used to receive the water stains dripping from the waterproof cover 3045, and also to receive the water stains dripping from the first tube 303 placed inside the waterproof cover 3045. The water stains remaining in the water inlet trough 1012 are discharged from the drain hole 1011 along the water inlet pipe 1012.

[0050] It should be noted that the mounting platform 101 is also equipped with a recessed drain outlet to drain any remaining water that falls onto the mounting platform 101.

[0051] In one embodiment of this application, the jetting mechanism 400 includes a second drive member 401, a rotating rod 402, an arm 403, and a nozzle 404. The second drive member 401 is mounted on the mounting platform 101. The rotating rod 402 is fixedly connected to the output end of the second drive member 401. The arm 403 is fixed to the end of the rotating rod 402 and forms an L-shape with the rotating rod 402. The nozzle 404 is fixed to the end of the arm 403 away from the rotating rod 402 to spray gas for cleaning wafers.

[0052] The above description provides one or more embodiments in conjunction with specific content, but it is not intended that the specific implementation of this utility model is limited to these descriptions. Any methods or structures that are similar to or identical to those of this utility model, or any technical deductions or substitutions made based on the concept of this utility model, should be considered within the scope of protection of this utility model.

Claims

1. A wafer drying apparatus for drying wafers, characterized in that, include: Body (100); An FFU filter (200) is installed on the body (100) and is used to filter the air inside the body (100); A dehydration mechanism (300) is installed inside the body (100) and is used to receive and fix the wafer, and to dehydrate the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer. A jetting mechanism (400) is installed inside the housing (100) and is used to jet gas onto the upper surface of the wafer.

2. The wafer drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The body (100) includes a mounting platform (101) and a cover (102) covering the mounting platform (101). The cover (102) has an opening on the side away from the mounting platform (101). The FFU filter (200) is mounted on the cover (102) and placed at the opening. The dehydration mechanism (300) and the jetting mechanism (400) are both mounted on the mounting platform (101) and placed inside the cover (102).

3. The wafer drying apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes at least one door assembly (500), the housing (102) is provided with at least one transport window (1021) that connects to the inside of the housing (102), the door assembly (500) is mounted on the mounting platform (101) and is used to open and close the transport window (1021), the door assembly (500) includes a first lifting member (501) and a baffle (502), the baffle (502) is mounted on the output end of the first lifting member (501), and under the drive of the first lifting member (501), the baffle (502) opens or closes the transport window (1021).

4. The wafer drying apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The dehydration mechanism (300) includes: The main spindle (301) has an internal hollowed-out design and is mounted on the mounting platform (101); The first driving component (302) is mounted on the mounting platform (101); The first tube (303) is rotatably mounted inside the main shaft (301). The first end of the first tube (303) is driven to be connected to the first drive member (302). The second end of the first tube (303) extends out of the main shaft (301) and extends away from the mounting table (101). A bracket (304) is installed on the second end of the first tube (303); Multiple clamping elements (305) are respectively fixed to the support (304) for use in clamping the wafer; Driven by the first driving member (302), the first tube (303) rotates within the spindle (301) to drive the wafer held by each of the clamping members (305) to rotate.

5. A wafer drying apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The dehydration mechanism (300) further includes a second tube (306) built into the first tube (303). The first end of the second tube (306) extends out of the first end of the first tube (303) and is fixed on the mounting platform (101). The second end of the second tube (306) extends out of the second end of the first tube (303) and is provided with a nozzle structure (307). The spraying direction of the nozzle structure (307) faces the lower surface of the wafer.

6. The wafer drying apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The support (304) is provided with a flow guide plate (3041) and a cover plate (3042). The flow guide plate (3041) has an umbrella-shaped structure. A first hole (3043) is opened in the middle of the flow guide plate (3041) facing the nozzle structure (307). The cover plate (3042) is located at the edge of the flow guide plate (3041) to enclose the flow guide plate (3041). A plurality of second holes (3044) are provided at the edge of the flow guide plate (3041).

7. A wafer drying apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, A waterproof cover (3045) is provided on the bracket (304), which covers the end of the spindle (301) away from the mounting table (101).

8. A wafer drying apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, A water inlet groove (3011) is provided at one end of the main shaft (301) away from the mounting platform (101), and the side wall of the waterproof cover (3045) extends into the water inlet groove (3011).

9. A wafer drying apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that, The mounting platform (101) is provided with a drain hole (1011), and the main shaft (301) is provided with a water pipe (1012) that connects to the water inlet groove (3011). The water pipe (1012) is connected to the drain hole (1011).

10. A wafer drying apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The jet mechanism (400) includes: The second drive unit (401) is mounted on the mounting platform (101); The rotating rod (402) is fixedly connected to the output end of the second driving member (401); The boom (403) is fixed to the end of the rotating rod (402) and has an L-shaped structure with the rotating rod (402); A nozzle (404) is fixed to the end of the arm (403) away from the rotating rod (402) to spray gas for cleaning the wafer.

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