A wafer drying apparatus and wafer cleaning equipment

Abstract

This invention provides a wafer drying apparatus and a wafer cleaning device. The wafer drying apparatus includes a drying tank with two opposing sidewalls; a guide rail extending along the top of the sidewalls; a movable stage slidably mounted on the guide rail; and a drying mechanism disposed within the drying tank. The drying mechanism includes at least two sets of drying air knives and multiple drying tubes, with the drying tubes positioned on the side of the drying air knives facing the wafer. By using the drying mechanism to blow away moisture from the gaps between wafers before wafer stripping, the problem of water adsorption on the wafers is solved, allowing for accurate stripping of individual wafers during wafer stripping.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] In semiconductor wafer cleaning processes, wafer cleaning is a core step in ensuring chip performance and yield. Hot air debinding and cleaning machines, as key equipment for wafer separation in this process, directly impact production efficiency and product quality due to their operational stability. In the current process flow, after completing core cleaning steps such as etching residue removal and particle purification in the cleaning tank, the wafers are directly transferred to the stripping unit by a robotic arm. Subsequently, relying on the high-temperature airflow of the hot air debinding system and the directional blowing of auxiliary air knives, the stripping arm completes the separation of the wafers from the ingots.

[0003] However, because the wafers are not specially dried before being transferred from the cleaning tank to the stripping section, water stains remain between the wafers, causing adjacent wafers to stick together tightly and adhere to each other. This makes it easy for the stripping arm to strip multiple wafers at once during operation, resulting in a higher product scrap rate, a decrease in equipment uptime, and the possibility of collisions between the robotic arm and the wafer cassette, damaging critical components such as the robotic arm or ejector pins.

[0004] In existing technologies, the problem of multiple wafers being peeled off due to water stains between wafers in hot air degumming cleaning machines is mostly addressed by optimizing parameters in the peeling stage, such as adjusting the peeling air knife angle and controlling the hot air temperature, but there is a lack of effective pre-drying or pre-separation methods. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of the problems existing in the semiconductor wafer cleaning process in the prior art, this application provides a wafer drying apparatus and a wafer cleaning equipment. After the wafer is cleaned in the cleaning tank, it is dried by the wafer drying apparatus and then placed in the wafer stripping device for wafer glass separation, which can accurately control the separation of wafers.

[0006] To achieve the above and other related objectives, this utility model provides a wafer drying apparatus, comprising:

[0007] A drying tank, the drying tank comprising two opposing sidewalls;

[0008] A guide rail is disposed at the top of the sidewall, along the extension direction of the sidewall;

[0009] The mobile platform is slidably mounted on the guide rail;

[0010] A drying mechanism is disposed within the drying tank. The drying mechanism includes at least two sets of drying air knives and multiple drying tubes, with the drying tubes disposed on the side of the drying air knives facing the wafer.

[0011] Optionally, it also includes:

[0012] A cylinder is mounted on the movable platform and connected to the drying mechanism;

[0013] A motor, mounted on the guide rail, is used to drive the moving platform to move.

[0014] Optionally, one end of the drying air knife is connected to the movable platform, and the other end is located in the drying tank, with multiple drying tubes arranged side by side along the extension direction of the drying air knife.

[0015] Optionally, the distance between two adjacent drying tubes located on the same drying air knife is equal.

[0016] Optionally, the air inlet of the drying tube is connected to the drying air knife, the air outlet of the drying tube points to the wafer, and the distance between the air outlets of the plurality of drying tubes and the wafer is equal.

[0017] Optionally, the side of the plurality of drying tubes facing the wafer is formed in an arc shape.

[0018] Optionally, the drying tube is arranged perpendicular to the drying air knife.

[0019] Optionally, the direction along the extension of the sidewall is defined as the X direction, and the direction along the width of the sidewall and perpendicular to the X direction is defined as the Y direction. The moving platform drives the drying mechanism to move along the X direction, and the cylinder drives the drying mechanism to move along the Y direction.

[0020] Optionally, it also includes:

[0021] Two oppositely arranged side plates, the side plates being connected to the sidewall.

[0022] Ribs are provided on the side of the sidewall away from the drying tank.

[0023] Optionally, it includes:

[0024] A wafer cleaning machine is used to clean the wafers.

[0025] A wafer drying apparatus, including the aforementioned wafer drying apparatus;

[0026] A wafer stripping device is used to strip the wafer.

[0027] As described above, the wafer drying apparatus and wafer cleaning equipment provided by this utility model have at least the following beneficial technical effects:

[0028] The wafer drying device described in this application solves the problem of wafers adhering to water stains and requiring the simultaneous peeling of multiple wafers. By setting up a drying mechanism to blow away moisture between wafers before peeling, the wafers are physically separated before entering the peeling process. The peeling arm can reliably peel off individual wafers, reducing the risk of wafer breakage and scratches leading to scrap. Secondly, the design of the drying air knife close to the wafer surface, combined with the moving stage driving the drying mechanism to perform scanning motion along the X-axis, fully covers the wafer stacking area. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 This is a wafer drying apparatus provided by the present invention.

[0030] Figure 2 The diagram shows the connection structure between the drying mechanism and the guide rail.

[0031] Figure Labels

[0032] 00. Wafer; 10. Sidewall; 11. Side plate; 12. Rib; 20. Guide rail; 30. Moving stage; 31. Support plate; 32. Connecting plate; 40. Drying mechanism; 41. Drying air knife; 42. Drying tube; 50. Cylinder; 60. Motor. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The following specific examples 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. This utility model can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of this utility model.

[0034] It should be noted that the illustrations provided in this embodiment are only schematic representations of the basic concept of this utility model. Although the illustrations only show components related to this utility model and are not drawn according to the actual number, shape and size of the components, the shape, quantity, positional relationship and proportion of each component can be arbitrarily changed under the premise of realizing the technical solution of this utility model, and the layout of the components may also be more complex.

[0035] Example 1

[0036] This embodiment provides a wafer drying apparatus, such as... Figure 1As shown, the wafer drying apparatus of this embodiment includes a drying tank for drying wafer 00. The drying tank includes two opposing sidewalls 10; a guide rail 20 is disposed on the top of the sidewall 10 along the extension direction of the sidewall 10; a movable stage 30 is slidably disposed on the guide rail 20; and a drying mechanism 40 is disposed in the drying tank. The drying mechanism 40 includes at least two sets of drying air knives 41 and a plurality of drying tubes 42. The drying tubes 42 are disposed on the side of the drying air knives 41 facing the wafer 00.

[0037] Specifically, the wafer drying apparatus further includes side plates 11, comprising two oppositely arranged side plates 11 connected to the side wall 10, the side wall 10 and the side plates 11 forming a drying tank. Specifically, the side wall 10 and the side plates 11 are fixed by welding or bolting. Generally, the drying tank is rectangular or elliptical in plan view; in this embodiment, the drying tank is rectangular. The side wall 10 and the side plates 11 forming the drying tank effectively prevent leakage of drying airflow and improve drying efficiency. Specifically, the side wall 10 has a certain thickness, and the side wall 10 and the side plates 11 are made of alloy or other materials. The side plates 11 are connected to the side wall 10 by welding or bolting. Optionally, the wafer drying apparatus further includes ribs 12, which are disposed on the side of the side wall 10 away from the drying tank. Specifically, the ribs 12 are arranged along the height direction of the sidewall 10, and the ribs 12 are evenly distributed on the side of the sidewall 10 away from the drying tank. They are used to support the sidewall 10, enhance the deformation resistance of the sidewall 10, and ensure the installation flatness of the guide rail 20. The interval between two adjacent ribs 12 is 3 to 5 cm.

[0038] like Figure 1 As shown, the extension direction along the sidewall 10 is defined as the X direction, the width direction of the sidewall 10 perpendicular to the X direction is defined as the Y direction, and the depth direction of the drying tank is defined as the Z direction. The guide rail 20 is positioned at the top of the sidewall 10 along its extension direction, i.e., the X direction. Specifically, the length of the guide rail 20 matches the longitudinal dimension of the drying tank, i.e., the dimension of the sidewall 10. In this embodiment, the length of the guide rail 20 is equal to the length of the sidewall 10 along the X direction, ensuring sufficient travel for subsequent components.

[0039] Generally, the guide rail 20 is fixed to the top surface of the side wall 10 by means of bolt fixing, adhesive bonding, etc. For example... Figure 2The diagram shows the connection structure of the drying mechanism and the guide rail. In this embodiment, along the Z-direction, symmetrical strip-shaped grooves are formed from top to bottom on both sides of the top edge of the guide rail 20. The two sides of the movable platform 30 are installed in the grooves of the guide rail 20. The limiting effect of the grooves achieves precise positioning and prevents the guide rail from shifting laterally during operation. The movable platform 30 adopts a frame structure with an overall inverted U-shaped snap-fit ​​structure, and is slidably mounted on the guide rail 20. Specifically, in this embodiment, the movable platform 30 includes two opposing support plates 31 and a connecting plate 32 connecting the top of the support plates 31. The support plates 31 and the connecting plate 32 are vertically connected to form an integrated inverted U-shaped structure. The U-shaped groove of the movable platform 30 is inverted and snapped onto the guide rail 20. The inner sidewall of the groove is clearance-fitted with the outer sidewall of the guide rail 20, allowing the movable platform 30 to slide freely along the length direction (X-direction) of the guide rail 20. At the same time, the vertical limiting effect of the support plates 31 prevents the movable platform 30 from vertically detaching during sliding.

[0040] Optionally, sensors are installed on the mobile stage 30 to monitor the position of the mobile stage 30 in real time, ensuring precise control of the motion.

[0041] like Figure 2As shown, the wafer drying apparatus includes a drying mechanism 40, which is disposed within a drying tank. The top of the drying mechanism 40 is connected to a movable stage 30, and its position is adjusted as the movable stage 30 moves. In this embodiment, the drying mechanism 40 includes multiple sets of drying air knives 41, each set of drying air knives 41 having multiple drying tubes 42. In this embodiment, the drying mechanism 40 includes two sets of drying air knives 41 arranged opposite each other. The drying air knives 41 are disposed on both sides of the wafer 00. The drying air knives 41 have a long strip structure, with one end connected to a cylinder 50 and the other end located within the drying tank. Each drying air knive 41 has multiple drying tubes 42 on the side closest to the wafer 00. Specifically, in this embodiment, the drying air knives 41 are arranged along the Z-axis. Generally, 13-17 drying tubes 42 are disposed on one drying air knive 41; in this embodiment, 15 drying tubes 42 are disposed on one drying air knive 41. Specifically, multiple drying tubes 42 are arranged side-by-side along the length of the drying air knife 41. Specifically, in this embodiment, the distance between two adjacent drying tubes 42 on the same drying air knife 41 is equal. Generally, the distance between two adjacent drying tubes 42 is between 8-12 mm. Specifically, in this embodiment, the distance between two adjacent drying tubes 42 is 10 mm. Each drying tube 42 includes an air inlet and an air outlet. The air inlet of the drying tube 42 is connected to the drying air knife 41, and the air outlet of the drying tube 42 points towards the surface of the wafer 00. The distance between the air outlets of multiple drying tubes 42 and the wafer 00 is equal. Generally, the distance between the air outlets of the drying tubes 42 and the wafer 00 is between 4-6 mm. In this embodiment, the distance between the air outlets of the drying tubes 42 and the wafer 00 is 5 mm.

[0042] In this embodiment, the drying tube 41 is arranged perpendicularly to the drying air knife 41. Optionally, the drying tube 42 is located at... Figure 1 The angle within the XY plane shown is adjustable, ranging from 0° to 30°, to adapt to different surface shapes and drying requirements of wafers 00. In this embodiment, the air outlet of the drying tube 42 faces the surface of the wafer 00, and multiple drying tubes 42 form an arc shape on the side facing the wafer 00, with the radius of the arc shape formed by the drying tubes 42 being larger than the radius of the wafer 00. This allows the drying tubes 42 to perform a surrounding drying of the wafer 00, directing the airflow delivered by the drying tubes towards the surface of the wafer 00 and the gaps between adjacent wafers, removing water stains from the wafer 00. When the moving stage 30 slides along the X direction (the extension direction of the sidewall 10) of the guide rail 20, it can simultaneously drive the drying mechanism 40 to translate along the X direction, ensuring that the drying tubes 42 can cover the entire length of the wafer 00.

[0043] Optionally, a gas source for providing drying gas can be connected to the top of the drying air knife 41. Optionally, the gas source can be connected to the bottom of the drying air knife 41. Optionally, a regulating valve can be provided on the gas source to control the gas flow rate.

[0044] Specifically, such as Figure 2 As shown, the wafer drying apparatus in this embodiment is further equipped with a cylinder 50, which is located on the top of the movable stage 30 and optionally fixed to the top of the movable stage 30 by bolts. The piston rod of the cylinder 50 is connected to the drying air knife 41 of the drying mechanism 40 via an adapter. The cylinder 50 compresses air, allowing the drying mechanism 40 to move along the Y direction, adjusting the distance between the drying tube 42 and the wafer 00.

[0045] The wafer 00 to be dried is a sheet structure formed after dicing. Multiple wafers are stacked along the thickness direction to form a stack, and the thickness extension direction of the stack is parallel to that of the wafer 00. Figure 1 The X direction is consistent as shown. During assembly, the entire wafer stack is placed inside the drying tank, ensuring that the thickness direction of the wafer stack is aligned with the corresponding direction of the air knife in the drying mechanism, thus ensuring that the drying airflow can accurately act on the gaps between adjacent wafers. Wafer 00 is placed into or removed from the drying tank, and the piston rods of cylinders 50 are pushed to both sides of the drying tank, thereby driving the two sets of opposing drying air knives 41 to move synchronously to both sides along the Y direction, expanding the space on both sides of the wafer. After wafer 00 is placed in the designated position, the piston rods of cylinders 50 automatically spring back to their original position, and the drying air knives 41 retract towards the center along the Y direction, bringing the drying tube 42 close to the wafer surface, ensuring that the drying airflow can accurately act on the water-stained area.

[0046] Secondly, during the process of the moving stage 30 driving the drying mechanism 40 to move along the guide rail 20 in the X direction, the cylinder 50 assists the drying mechanism to achieve smooth sliding through its built-in buffer structure and stable output characteristics, avoiding positional displacement between the drying tube 42 and the wafer 00 due to the impact of movement, thus ensuring the stability of the drying process.

[0047] Optionally, the wafer drying apparatus in this embodiment also includes a motor 60, which is mounted on the guide rail 20 and is used to drive the moving platform to move. Generally, the motor 60 includes a stepper motor, a servo motor, etc. In this embodiment, the motor 60 is a servo motor, which controls the movement and positioning accuracy within ±0.1mm.

[0048] Optionally, the wafer drying apparatus in this embodiment further includes a wafer fixing device for fixing the wafer 00 inside the wafer drying apparatus. Optionally, a robotic arm can be used to directly move the wafer 00 into the wafer drying apparatus, reducing manual intervention.

[0049] Example 2

[0050] The wafer cleaning equipment provided in this embodiment includes a wafer cleaning machine for cleaning wafers; a wafer drying device for drying the cleaned wafers; and a wafer stripping device for stripping the dried wafers and separating them into single wafers.

[0051] A wafer cleaning machine pre-processes wafers and includes a cleaning tank, a spray system, and a circulating filter. After cleaning, the wafers are transferred to a wafer drying unit by a robotic arm or conveyor to remove residual water stains between the wafers. The wafer drying unit includes the wafer drying unit described in Embodiment 1. Specifically, the wafer drying unit includes a drying tank with two opposing sidewalls; a guide rail, extending along the sidewalls and disposed on the top of the sidewalls; a movable stage, slidably disposed on the guide rail; and a drying mechanism disposed within the drying tank, with its top end connected to the movable stage. A wafer stripping device receives the dried wafer stack and separates the wafers.

[0052] Wafer cleaning equipment fundamentally solves the problem of peeling multiple wafers at once due to water stains adhering between wafers. It uses a drying air knife to precisely and synchronously blow away moisture between wafers before peeling, completely removing water and eliminating water adsorption between wafers.

[0053] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of this utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of this utility model. Any person skilled in the art can modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of this utility model. Therefore, 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 wafer drying apparatus for drying wafers, characterized in that, include: A drying tank, the drying tank comprising two opposing sidewalls; A guide rail is disposed at the top of the sidewall, along the extension direction of the sidewall; The mobile platform is slidably mounted on the guide rail; A drying mechanism is disposed within the drying tank. The drying mechanism includes at least two sets of drying air knives and multiple drying tubes, with the drying tubes disposed on the side of the drying air knives facing the wafer.

2. The wafer drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A cylinder is mounted on the movable platform and connected to the drying mechanism; A motor, mounted on the guide rail, is used to drive the moving platform to move.

3. The wafer drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, One end of the drying air knife is connected to the movable platform, and the other end is located in the drying tank. Multiple drying tubes are arranged side by side along the extension direction of the drying air knife.

4. The wafer drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, Located on the same drying air knife, the distance between two adjacent drying tubes is equal.

5. The wafer drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air inlet of the drying tube is connected to the drying air knife, and the air outlet of the drying tube points to the wafer. The distance between the air outlets of the plurality of drying tubes and the wafer is equal.

6. The wafer drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multiple drying tubes form an arc shape on the side facing the wafer.

7. The wafer drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drying tube is arranged perpendicularly to the drying air knife.

8. The wafer drying apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The direction extending along the sidewall is defined as the X direction, and the direction along the width of the sidewall and perpendicular to the X direction is defined as the Y direction. The moving platform drives the drying mechanism to move along the X direction, and the cylinder drives the drying mechanism to move along the Y direction.

9. The wafer drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Two oppositely arranged side plates, the side plates being connected to the sidewall. Ribs are provided on the side of the sidewall away from the drying tank.

10. A wafer cleaning device, characterized in that, include: A wafer cleaning machine is used to clean the wafers. A wafer drying apparatus, comprising the wafer drying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9; A wafer stripping device is used to strip the wafer.

Images