Glue spraying system and gluing machine
By improving the design of the adhesive spraying system, the photoresist was recycled, solving the problem of photoresist waste in the coating machine, reducing production costs and improving production efficiency and product quality.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SUZHOU LOONGSPEED SEMICON TECH CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-07-16
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-21
AI Technical Summary
Existing coating machines waste a lot of photoresist during the bubble removal process, resulting in high production costs and low production efficiency. Traditional bubble removal solutions are ineffective.
The adhesive spraying system includes a first container, a second container, an adhesive pump, a filter, a switching valve, and a pipeline connector. The second pipeline connector is designed to connect to the third pipeline. During the debubbling process, the photoresist can be returned to the second container for reuse. The filter is placed before the adhesive pump to reduce the failure rate.
It significantly reduces photoresist waste, lowers production costs, improves debubbling effect and product quality, has low modification costs, reduces the number of pipeline bubble abnormalities, and lowers the product defect rate.
Smart Images
Figure CN224525021U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to adhesive application technology, and more particularly to an adhesive spraying system and adhesive applicator. Background Technology
[0002] Photoresist coaters are crucial equipment in semiconductor manufacturing processes, used to coat wafer surfaces with photoresist. They are used very frequently and in large quantities. When photoresist contains air bubbles, it affects the spray volume and pattern, thus impacting the uniformity of the photoresist thickness on the wafer surface and consequently affecting chip quality. Therefore, routine maintenance and troubleshooting of photoresist coaters often involve removing air bubbles from the photoresist lines. This process results in a significant amount of photoresist being discharged as waste liquid, leading to substantial waste. Photoresist is very expensive, contributing to high production costs.
[0003] In addition, in traditional degassing solutions, bubbles can only move along the pipeline, which involves a long distance, resulting in long degassing time and poor results, further reducing production efficiency. Summary of the Invention
[0004] To address one of the aforementioned technical deficiencies, this application provides a glue spraying system and a glue applicator.
[0005] According to a first aspect of the embodiments of this application, a glue spraying system is provided, comprising:
[0006] The first container used to hold photoresist;
[0007] A second container for holding photoresist is connected to the first container via a first conduit to receive the photoresist from the first container; the second container is connected to the nozzle via a second conduit, which is equipped with a photoresist pump and a first switching valve.
[0008] The second pipeline is also equipped with a first pipeline connector. The first and second interfaces of the first pipeline connector are respectively connected to the second pipeline, and the third interface of the first pipeline connector is connected to the second container through the third pipeline. The first pipeline connector is located between the glue pump and the first switch valve.
[0009] The adhesive spraying system described above also includes a filter, which is installed on the second pipeline.
[0010] In the adhesive spraying system described above, the filter is located between the adhesive pump and the second container.
[0011] As described above, in the glue spraying system, the second switching valve is located on the third pipeline.
[0012] In the glue spraying system described above, the first switching valve is located between the first pipe joint and the nozzle.
[0013] The adhesive spraying system described above further includes: a second pipe connector; the first interface of the second pipe connector is connected to the first pipe, the second interface is connected to the second container, and the third interface is connected to the third pipe.
[0014] The adhesive spraying system described above also includes a detection valve, which is located on the third pipeline.
[0015] According to a second aspect of the embodiments of this application, a glue applicator is provided, comprising: a glue spraying system as described above.
[0016] The technical solution provided in this application embodiment employs a first container for holding photoresist and a second container for containing photoresist. The first container is connected to the second container via a first pipeline to receive the photoresist from the first container. The second container is connected to the nozzle via a second pipeline, which is equipped with a photoresist pump and a first switching valve. The second pipeline is also equipped with a first pipeline connector, whose first and second interfaces are respectively connected to the second pipeline, and whose third interface is connected to the second container via a third pipeline. The first pipeline connector is located between the photoresist pump and the first switching valve. During the debubbling process, the photoresist returns to the second container along the third pipeline and can be reused, thereby reducing photoresist waste and lowering production costs. Attached Figure Description
[0017] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:
[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the adhesive spraying system provided in the embodiments of this application;
[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the principle of the glue spraying system in the traditional solution;
[0020] Figure 3 A diagram showing the comparison of defoaming costs before and after the modification of the adhesive spraying system;
[0021] Figure 4 A comparative diagram showing the number of abnormal air bubbles in the pipeline before and after the glue spraying system modification;
[0022] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing the comparison of product quality before and after the modification of the glue spraying system.
[0023] Figure label:
[0024] 1 - First container; 2 - Second container;
[0025] 31-First pipeline; 32-Second pipeline; 33-Third pipeline;
[0026] 4-Spray nozzle; 5-Glue pump;
[0027] 61-First switching valve; 62-Second switching valve;
[0028] 71-First pipe joint; 72-Second pipe joint;
[0029] 8-Filter. Detailed Implementation
[0030] To make the technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the exemplary embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not an exhaustive list of all embodiments. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other.
[0031] This embodiment provides a photoresist spraying system that can be applied in a photoresist coating machine to spray photoresist onto a wafer. Then, by rotating the wafer at high speed, the photoresist is uniformly coated on the wafer surface.
[0032] like Figure 1 As shown, the photoresist spraying system provided in this embodiment includes: a first container 1 and a second container 2. The first container 1 is used to hold photoresist and serves as a source of photoresist supply, providing photoresist to the nozzle of the coating machine. Specifically, the first container 1 can be a photoresist bottle. During use, a gas that does not react with the photoresist is injected into the bottle to increase the pressure inside, causing the photoresist to flow out under pressure.
[0033] The second container 2 is used to hold photoresist and is connected to the first container 1 through the first pipe 31. The photoresist flowing out of the first container 1 enters the second container 2 through the first pipe 31. The second container 2 is specifically a photoresist container, and its top is connected to the first pipe 31.
[0034] The second container 2 is connected to the nozzle 4 via a second conduit 32. The photoresist in the second container 2 reaches the nozzle 4 via the second conduit 32 and is sprayed from the nozzle 4 onto the wafer.
[0035] The second pipeline 32 is equipped with a photoresist pump 5, which provides power to make the photoresist flow along the second pipeline 32 when it is working.
[0036] The second conduit 32 is also equipped with a first switching valve 61, which controls the flow of photoresist in the second conduit 32. When the first switching valve 61 is open, the photoresist can reach the nozzle 4 through the second conduit 32.
[0037] In addition, the second pipeline 32 is also provided with a first pipeline connector 71, which is located between the adhesive pump 5 and the first switching valve 61. The first pipeline connector 71 has at least three interfaces. Taking three interfaces as an example, the first interface and the second interface of the first pipeline connector 71 are respectively connected to the second pipeline 32 so that the photoresist can still flow along the second pipeline 32 after passing through the first pipeline connector 71.
[0038] The third interface of the first pipe connector 71 is connected to the second container 2 through the third pipe 33, so that the photoresist can also enter the third pipe 33 through the third interface of the first pipe connector 71, and then enter the second container 2 for recycling along the third pipe 33. The second switch valve 62 on the third pipe 33 is used to control the opening and closing of the third pipe 33.
[0039] Furthermore, a filter 8 is also used, which is installed on the second pipeline 32, to filter the photoresist and remove impurities.
[0040] At the start of the coating process, the coating arm of the coating machine moves the nozzle to the coating position. Then, the first switch valve 61 is opened, starting the adhesive pump 5. The photoresist in the second container 2 flows along the second pipeline and is evenly sprayed onto the wafer surface from the nozzle. After coating is completed, the wafer rotates at high speed, causing the photoresist to flow under centrifugal force and be evenly coated on the wafer surface.
[0041] During the photoresist coating process, the photoresist needs to pass through the second container 2, filter 8, photoresist pump 5, and second pipeline 32 sequentially to reach the wafer surface. Over time or due to maintenance, these components may experience malfunctions, such as a faulty photoresist pump 5, a bend or contamination in a section of the second pipeline 32, or a clogged filter 8. These abnormalities directly affect the amount of photoresist sprayed, resulting in uneven photoresist thickness on the wafer surface and impacting product quality. Addressing these abnormalities during maintenance requires extensive de-bubbling operations.
[0042] like Figure 2 As shown, in the traditional method, the photoresist sequentially passes through the second container 2, filter 8, and discharging via the adhesive pump 5. The first step, degassing the second container 2, only requires visually confirming that it is full. The second step, filtering via the filter 8, requires removing air bubbles to the vent end until no air bubbles are visually visible. The third step, at the adhesive pump end, removes air bubbles from before and within the pump. This is the most critical step in the entire degassing process, the most difficult to remove completely, and the step that wastes the most usable photoresist. Even though the photoresist has already been filtered cleanly in this process, the amount wasted is significant, resulting in substantial waste of raw materials and increased production costs.
[0043] The solution provided in this embodiment closes the first switch valve 61 and opens the second switch valve 62 when bubble removal is required, allowing the photoresist in the second pipeline 32 to enter the third pipeline 33 through the first pipeline connector 71 and flow back to the second container 2. Thus, the photoresist that should have been removed during the bubble removal process returns to the second container 2 for collection and reuse, greatly reducing waste and significantly lowering costs.
[0044] The technical solution provided in this embodiment employs a first container for holding photoresist and a second container for containing photoresist. The first container is connected to the second container via a first pipeline to receive the photoresist from the first container. The second container is connected to the nozzle via a second pipeline, which is equipped with a photoresist pump and a first switching valve. The second pipeline is also equipped with a first pipeline connector, whose first and second interfaces are respectively connected to the second pipeline, and whose third interface is connected to the second container via a third pipeline. The first pipeline connector is located between the photoresist pump and the first switching valve. During the debubbling process, the photoresist returns to the second container along the third pipeline and can be reused, thereby reducing photoresist waste and lowering production costs.
[0045] Furthermore, the above-mentioned technical solution allows for repeated defoaming actions, thereby improving the defoaming effect and product quality.
[0046] Based on the above technical solution, the filter 8 is placed between the glue pump 5 and the second container 2 so that the filtered photoresist passes through the glue pump 5, which can further reduce the failure rate of the glue pump 5.
[0047] The aforementioned first switching valve 61 is located between the first pipe joint 71 and the nozzle 4, enabling control over both the working process and the defoaming process. Furthermore, placing the first switching valve 61 at this location eliminates the need for a separate switching valve between the first pipe joint 71 and the glue pump 5, reducing the number of components and lowering maintenance difficulty and cost.
[0048] Furthermore, a second conduit connector 72 is employed, having at least three interfaces. This embodiment uses three interfaces as an example: the first interface is connected to the first conduit 31, the second interface is connected to the second container 2, and the third interface is connected to the third conduit 33. The second conduit connector 72 allows both the photoresist in the first container 1 and the photoresist in the third conduit 33 to enter the second container 2, eliminating the need for openings in the second container 2 to accommodate the connection of the third conduit 33. This reduces the difficulty and cost of modification and improves modification efficiency.
[0049] Furthermore, a check valve is also used, which is installed on the third pipeline 33. The check valve can prevent the photoresist from flowing backward in the third pipeline 33.
[0050] Furthermore, a flow sensor can be installed on the third pipeline 33 to monitor the amount of photoresist sprayed. The flow sensor can send detection data to the corresponding controller, and the controller will send the processing results to the display for display, so as to realize real-time monitoring of the amount of photoresist sprayed and alarm for abnormal functions.
[0051] The first switching valve 61 can be a solenoid valve or a manual valve, and the second switching valve 62 can be a solenoid valve or a manual valve.
[0052] Based on the above technical solutions, this embodiment also provides a glue applicator, including the glue spraying system provided in any of the above-described contents. The glue applicator provided in this embodiment has the same technical effects as the glue spraying system described above.
[0053] The technical solution provided in this embodiment is suitable for new systems and can also be used to modify existing systems. The modification is simple and low-cost, requiring only the addition of a first pipe connector between the adhesive pump and the nozzle, a second pipe connector between the second container and the first pipe, and then the connection of a third pipe. This solution significantly reduces photoresist waste, thereby lowering production costs and improving product quality.
[0054] like Figure 3 As shown, before the glue spraying system was modified, the annual cost of defoaming for a single system was around 40,000 yuan, while the cost of defoaming after the modification was around 5,000 yuan, which is only 1 / 8 of the cost before the modification.
[0055] like Figure 4 As shown, before the glue spraying system was modified, the number of times an abnormality of air bubbles occurred in the pipeline of a single system was about 36 times per year. After the modification, the number of times an abnormality of air bubbles occurred in the pipeline was about 12 times, which is only 1 / 3 of the number before the modification.
[0056] like Figure 5 As shown, before the glue spraying system was modified, the number of wafers with abnormal crystal surfaces was about 320 for a production capacity of 100,000 wafers. After the modification, the number of wafers with abnormal crystal surfaces was about 160, which was only half of the number before the modification.
[0057] through Figures 3 to 5 It can be seen that the modified adhesive spraying system has significant improvements in reducing defoaming costs, reducing the number of abnormal air bubbles in the pipeline, and reducing the number of products with abnormal crystal surfaces.
[0058] Furthermore, the defoaming operation of the modified adhesive spraying system is relatively simple, requiring only the operation of the first switch valve, the second switch valve, and the switch valve on the first pipeline. It also reduces the number of machine processing operations, including the time engineers spend checking for machine malfunctions and the number of times the machine needs to be re-processed after malfunctions are resolved.
[0059] 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", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and 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.
[0060] 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 one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.
[0061] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," 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, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between them; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication between two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.
[0062] Although preferred embodiments of this application have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments as well as all changes and modifications falling within the scope of this application.
[0063] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Therefore, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include such modifications and variations.
Claims
1. A spray adhesive system, characterized in that, include: The first container used to hold photoresist; A second container for containing photoresist is connected to the first container via a first conduit to receive the photoresist from the first container; The second container is connected to the nozzle via a second pipeline, which is equipped with a glue pump and a first switching valve. The second pipeline is also equipped with a first pipeline connector. The first and second interfaces of the first pipeline connector are respectively connected to the second pipeline, and the third interface of the first pipeline connector is connected to the second container through the third pipeline. The first pipeline connector is located between the glue pump and the first switch valve.
2. The adhesive spraying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A filter is installed on the second pipeline.
3. The adhesive spraying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The filter is located between the glue pump and the second container.
4. The adhesive spraying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second switching valve is installed on the third pipeline.
5. The adhesive spraying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first switching valve is located between the first pipeline joint and the nozzle.
6. The adhesive spraying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Second pipe joint; The first interface of the second pipe connector is connected to the first pipe, the second interface is connected to the second container, and the third interface is connected to the third pipe.
7. The adhesive spraying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The detection valve is installed on the third pipeline.
8. A glue applicator, characterized in that, include: The adhesive spraying system as described in any one of claims 1-7.