Semiconductor workpiece drying apparatus

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model provides a kind of semiconductor workpiece drying device, it is related to semiconductor workpiece processing technical field.The utility model provides semiconductor workpiece drying device including tank body, with the accommodation cavity for placing flower basket, accommodation cavity is communicated with suction device;Tank cover, hinged setting in tank body and located accommodation cavity opening end, to be used to rotate to the closure of accommodation cavity;Supporting assembly, setting in tank body and located the bottom of accommodation cavity, to be used to carry the flower basket loaded with wafer;Drying assembly, it is set in tank body, for the wafer drying in flower basket;Drying assembly includes the nozzle communicated with external air source, nozzle emits dry gas towards wafer and flower basket junction place.The utility model can improve the drying effect of wafer.

Description

[0001] This utility model is a divisional application of patent application No. 2024232959209, filed on December 27, 2024, entitled "Semiconductor Workpiece Drying Apparatus". Technical Field

[0002] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor workpiece processing technology, and more specifically, to a semiconductor workpiece drying device. Background Technology

[0003] Wafer cleaning and drying is a critical step in the semiconductor manufacturing process, used to remove contaminants from the wafer surface to improve the electrical performance and reliability of the chip.

[0004] The inventors discovered that, currently, when drying wafers, a basket containing several wafers is usually placed in a drying device, and the device dries the wafers. However, the drying effect at the connection between the wafers and the basket is not good. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a semiconductor workpiece drying apparatus that can improve the drying effect of wafers.

[0006] The embodiments of this utility model can be implemented as follows: In a first aspect, this utility model provides a semiconductor workpiece drying apparatus, comprising: The trough has a receiving cavity for placing a flower basket, the receiving cavity being connected to an air extraction device; A groove cover is hinged to the groove body and located at the opening end of the receiving cavity, for rotation to close the receiving cavity; A support assembly is disposed within the groove and located at the bottom of the receiving cavity for supporting the basket containing the wafer; A drying assembly, disposed within the tank, is used to dry the wafers within the basket; The drying assembly includes a nozzle connected to an external gas source, which sprays drying gas toward the connection between the wafer and the basket.

[0007] In an optional embodiment, the nozzle includes at least a first set of nozzles and a second set of nozzles. The first set of nozzles is disposed on the tank cover and is used to output drying airflow from top to bottom. The second set of nozzles is disposed on the side wall of the tank and is used to deliver drying airflow horizontally to the connection between the wafer and the basket.

[0008] In an optional embodiment, the support assembly includes a connecting plate, a base plate, and a base. The connecting plate is disposed on the inner walls of two opposing tanks, the base plate is connected to the connecting plate, a gap is left between the base plate and the bottom wall of the tank, and the base is disposed on the base plate and used to support the flower basket.

[0009] In an optional embodiment, the support assembly further includes a first limiting member and a second limiting member, both of which are disposed on the base. The first limiting member is used to limit the flower basket in a first direction, and the second limiting member is used to limit the flower basket in a second direction, wherein the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other in the horizontal direction.

[0010] In an optional embodiment, the first limiting member includes a first limiting block disposed at both ends of the base along the first direction, and the second limiting member includes a second limiting block disposed at both ends of the base along the second direction.

[0011] In an optional embodiment, the bottom wall of the tank is provided with an outlet that communicates with the accommodating cavity, and the air extraction device communicates with the accommodating cavity through the outlet.

[0012] In an optional embodiment, the groove body is provided with a driving member connected to the groove cover, the driving member being used to drive the groove cover to rotate closer to or further away from the groove body.

[0013] In an optional embodiment, both the groove cover and the groove body are provided with detection elements, which are used to detect the position information of the groove cover to determine whether the groove cover is attached to or away from the groove body.

[0014] The beneficial effects of the semiconductor workpiece drying apparatus provided in this embodiment of the invention include: By installing a support and drying component inside the tank, a basket containing the wafer to be dried is placed on the support component, and the tank cover is driven to rotate to a closed accommodating cavity. The drying component can dry the connection between the wafer and the basket. It is equipped with several nozzles that are connected to an external air source, and all nozzles are directed towards the connection between the wafer and the basket to deliver drying gas, thereby achieving the drying of the connection between the wafer and the basket and improving the drying effect of the wafer. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this utility model and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure in this embodiment where the flower basket is placed inside the semiconductor workpiece drying device and the wafer is not lifted up; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure in this embodiment where the flower basket is placed inside the semiconductor workpiece drying device and the wafer is lifted up; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the support assembly in the semiconductor workpiece drying apparatus provided in this embodiment; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the supporting component in the semiconductor workpiece drying apparatus provided in this embodiment; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the semiconductor workpiece drying apparatus provided in this embodiment.

[0017] Icons: 100-Tank body; 110-Accommodation cavity; 120-Exhaust port; 200-Tank cover; 300-Support assembly; 310-Connecting plate; 320-Base plate; 330-Base; 340-First limiting member; 350-Second limiting member; 400-Abutting assembly; 410-Abutting surface; 420-Strip hole; 500-Driver; 600-Detection member; 700-Nozzle; 710-First group of nozzles; 720-Second group of nozzles; 800-Evacuation device. Detailed Implementation

[0018] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this utility model, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of this utility model described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0019] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0020] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0021] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that if terms such as "upper," "lower," "inner," or "outer" are used to indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship in which the utility model product is usually placed during use, they are only for the convenience of describing this utility model 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 utility model.

[0022] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be interpreted as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0023] It should be noted that, where there is no conflict, the features in the embodiments of this utility model can be combined with each other.

[0024] During semiconductor manufacturing, wafers undergo various processing steps, such as photolithography, etching, and deposition. These steps leave various contaminants on the wafer surface, including particulate impurities (such as dust and photoresist fragments), organic contaminants (photoresist, chemical reagents, etc.), and metal ions. These contaminants can lead to serious problems such as chip performance degradation and short circuits. Therefore, wafer cleaning is necessary to remove particulate impurities, organic contaminants, and eliminate metal ion contamination from the wafer surface. After cleaning, the wafer must be dried to prevent the water (or other cleaning solution) from evaporating naturally and causing dissolved impurities to redeposit on the wafer surface, forming water stains or watermarks. These water stains or watermarks may contain metal ions or other impurity particles, which can contaminate the wafer surface and result in poor wafer cleaning effectiveness.

[0025] Currently, wafer drying typically involves placing a basket containing several wafers into a drying container, where a drying assembly dries the wafer surface, allowing for the simultaneous drying of multiple wafers and improving drying efficiency. When the basket is placed in the drying apparatus, such as... Figure 1 As shown, at the contact point between the wafer and the basket, the wafer and the basket are in a close fit. The drying components often cannot completely dry the connection point between the wafer and the basket, resulting in poor drying effect of the wafer.

[0026] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this utility model provides a semiconductor workpiece drying device that, when a basket is placed in the drying device, causes the wafer inside the basket to detach from the basket, eliminating contact between the wafer and the basket, thereby facilitating the drying of the wafer surface and improving the drying effect on the wafer.

[0027] The overall structure, working principle, and technical effects of the device A provided by this utility model are described in detail below through embodiments and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0028] Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The semiconductor workpiece drying apparatus provided by this utility model is applied to semiconductor workpiece drying devices. It includes a tank 100, a tank cover 200, a support assembly 300, a drying assembly, and a supporting assembly 400. The tank 100 has a receiving cavity 110 for placing a wafer. In this embodiment, the tank 100 is configured as a hollow rectangular box with an open top. The receiving cavity 110 is connected to an external suction device 800 to extract liquid and liquid-containing gas from the receiving cavity 110. The tank cover 200 is adapted to the open end of the receiving cavity 110 of the tank 100, and the tank cover 200 is hinged to the tank 100 and located at the open end of the receiving cavity 110, so that the tank cover 200 can rotate to approach or move away from the tank 100, thereby closing or opening the receiving cavity 110. The support assembly 300 is disposed on the tank 100 and located at the bottom of the receiving cavity 110. The support assembly 300 is used to support the wafer-loaded wafer. The holding component 400 is disposed within the tank 100. When the basket is placed on the support component 300, the wafer is lifted by the holding component 400 until it detaches from the basket, and then the lifted wafer is dried by the drying component. It is understood that in this embodiment, the drying component is used to connect to an external gas source to deliver nitrogen gas into the accommodating cavity 110 for purging and drying the wafer. In other embodiments, the drying component may also be a different form of drying, such as infrared heating; the specific form and structure of the drying component are not limited here.

[0029] By setting a support component 300 and a holding component 400 inside the tank 100, a basket containing wafers to be dried is placed on the support component 300, and the tank cover 200 is driven to rotate to close the receiving cavity 110. At this time, the wafer is lifted by the holding component 400 until it is separated from the basket, so that there is no contact between the wafer and the basket. At the same time, the drying component dries the lifted wafer, thereby improving the drying effect of the wafer.

[0030] Please refer to Figure 2 To facilitate the timely removal of liquids, liquid-containing gases, or particulate impurities from the tank 100 during wafer purging and drying, an outlet 120 communicating with a receiving cavity 110 is provided on the bottom wall of the tank 100. An extraction device 800 is connected to the receiving cavity 110 through the outlet 120. During wafer purging and drying, the extraction device 800 operates continuously, continuously suctioning the contents of the tank 100.

[0031] Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3In some optional embodiments, the support assembly 300 includes a connecting plate 310, a substrate 320, and a base 330. The connecting plate 310 is mounted on the inner walls of two opposing grooves 100. The two ends of the substrate 320 are respectively located on the two connecting plates 310, and the substrate 320 is connected to the connecting plates 310. By setting the connecting plates 310 on the inner walls of the two opposing grooves 100, a gap is left between the support assembly and the bottom wall of the groove 100, which facilitates the flow of gas when the vacuum device 800 evacuates the accommodating cavity 110, thereby improving the blowing and drying effect of the wafer. The base 330 is disposed on the substrate 320 and is used to support the basket. The abutment assembly 400 is disposed on the base 330.

[0032] Furthermore, to improve gas flow within the tank 100, the substrate 320 comprises two elongated plates, distributed at both ends of the connecting plate 310. The base 330 is U-shaped, hollow inside, with the outlet 120 located directly below it. Thus, when the basket is placed on the base 330, the bottom of the basket aligns with the outlet 120, facilitating the drainage of liquid from the wafer into the tank 100.

[0033] Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 In some optional embodiments, the support component 300 further includes a first limiting member 340 and a second limiting member 350. Both the first limiting member 340 and the second limiting member 350 are disposed on the base 330. When the flower basket is placed on the base 330, the first limiting member 340 is used to limit the flower basket in a first direction, and the second limiting member 350 is used to limit the flower basket in a second direction. The first and second directions are perpendicular to each other in the horizontal direction. In this embodiment, the first and second directions are respectively aligned with the length and width directions of the groove 100. The first limiting member 340 includes a first limiting block, which is disposed at both ends of the base 330 in the first direction. The second limiting member 350 includes a second limiting block, which is disposed at both ends of the base 330 in the second direction. When the flower basket is placed on the base 330, the four sides of the flower basket abut against the first limiting block and the second limiting block respectively, thereby achieving the effect of limiting the flower basket in the horizontal direction when it is placed on the base 330.

[0034] Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3In some optional embodiments, two supporting components 400 are provided, located on opposite sides of the base 330. Each supporting component 400 has a supporting surface 410 on its top, which is inclined, thus forming a space between the two supporting components 400 for supporting the wafer. When the basket is placed on the base 330, the wafer is supported between the two supporting surfaces 410 and lifted by the supporting surfaces 410 until it detaches from the basket. By setting the supporting surface 410 as an inclined surface, the wafer is supported between the two supporting components 400, thereby providing stable support for the wafer while reducing the contact area between the supporting components 400 and the wafer, thus reducing contamination of the wafer by the supporting components. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the width of the supporting component 400 in the first direction is adapted to the width of the basket, so that when the basket is placed in the groove, all the wafers in the basket can be lifted by the supporting component 400.

[0035] Please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 In some optional embodiments, the abutment component 400 has a strip-shaped hole 420 extending vertically, and the abutment component 400 is connected to the base 330 via a connector passing through the strip-shaped hole 420. The connector can be a screw, bolt, or other connecting structure. Furthermore, by adjusting the vertical position of the abutment component 400 and fixing it with the connector, the height of the abutment component 400 can be adjusted. This allows for adjustment of the height of the abutment component 400 to accommodate wafer size errors, and also makes it suitable for wafers of different sizes, improving the compatibility and applicability of the abutment component 400.

[0036] Please refer to Figure 5 In some optional embodiments, a driving member 500 connected to a tank cover 200 is provided on the tank body 100. The driving member 500 is used to drive the tank cover 200 to rotate closer to or further away from the tank body 100. When the detection member 600 detects that the tank cover 200 is fastened to the tank body 100, the drying assembly begins to dry the wafer, and at the same time, the suction device 800 starts suction operation. In this embodiment, the driving member 500 is a cylinder, the cylinder body is hinged to the outer wall of the tank body 100, and the piston rod of the cylinder extends vertically upward and is connected to a connecting rod provided on the tank body 100.

[0037] Please refer to Figure 5 Furthermore, a detection element 600 is provided on both the slot cover 200 and the slot body 100. The detection element 600 is used to detect whether the slot cover 200 is in contact with or away from the slot body 100. In this embodiment, the detection element 600 is a magnetic induction sensor. In other embodiments, the detection element 600 can also be a photoelectric sensor, a Hall sensor, a micro switch, or other structures that can detect the opening and closing of the slot cover 200. This utility model does not limit the specific structure of the detection element 600.

[0038] In some alternative embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 This utility model also provides a semiconductor drying apparatus. The semiconductor drying apparatus provided in this embodiment includes the aforementioned tank 100, tank cover 200, support assembly 300, and drying assembly. The drying assembly includes a nozzle 700 connected to an external air source. The nozzle 700 is disposed inside the tank 100 and sprays drying gas toward the connection between the wafer and the basket for purging and drying the wafer inside the tank 100.

[0039] Please refer to Figure 1 In some optional embodiments, the nozzle 700 includes at least a first set of nozzles 710 and a second set of nozzles 720. The first set of nozzles 710 is disposed on the tank cover 200 and located on the side of the tank cover 200 facing the tank body 100. When the tank cover 200 is fastened to the tank body 100, the first set of nozzles 710 sprays a drying airflow from top to bottom to purge and dry the wafers within the tank body 100. The second set of nozzles 720 is disposed on the inner wall of the tank body 100 and sprays a drying airflow horizontally toward the wafers to purge and dry them. By providing the first set of nozzles 710 and the second set of nozzles 720, the wafers within the tank body 100 are purged and dried from multiple directions, improving the drying effect on the wafers.

[0040] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some alternative embodiments, the two embodiments described above can be combined. That is, the semiconductor workpiece drying apparatus is provided with both a holding group 400 to lift the wafer so that the wafer is separated from the basket and no longer in contact, and a first group of nozzles 710 and a second group of nozzles 720 to blow on the lifted wafer, thereby further improving the drying effect of the wafer.

[0041] In summary, the implementation principle of the semiconductor workpiece drying device provided by this utility model is as follows: by setting a support component 300 and a holding component 400 in the tank 100, when the basket is placed on the support component 300, the holding component 400 holds the wafer and lifts the wafer to detach it from the basket, so that there is no contact between the wafer and the basket, and the wafer is dried by the drying component, thereby improving the drying effect of the wafer.

[0042] The above description is only a specific embodiment of this utility model, but the protection scope of this utility model is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A semiconductor workpiece drying apparatus, characterized in that, include: The trough has a receiving cavity for placing a flower basket, the receiving cavity being connected to an air extraction device; A groove cover is hinged to the groove body and located at the opening end of the receiving cavity, for rotation to close the receiving cavity; A support assembly is disposed within the groove and located at the bottom of the receiving cavity for supporting the basket containing the wafer; A drying assembly, disposed within the tank, is used to dry the wafers within the basket; The drying assembly includes a nozzle connected to an external gas source, which sprays drying gas toward the connection between the wafer and the basket.

2. The semiconductor workpiece drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The nozzles include at least a first set of nozzles and a second set of nozzles. The first set of nozzles is disposed on the tank cover and is used to output dry airflow from top to bottom. The second set of nozzles is disposed on the side wall of the tank and is used to deliver dry airflow horizontally to the connection between the wafer and the basket.

3. The semiconductor workpiece drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support assembly includes a connecting plate, a base plate, and a base. The connecting plate is disposed on the inner walls of two opposite tanks. The base plate is connected to the connecting plate. A gap is left between the base plate and the bottom wall of the tank. The base is disposed on the base plate and is used to support the flower basket.

4. The semiconductor workpiece drying apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The support assembly further includes a first limiting member and a second limiting member, both of which are disposed on the base. The first limiting member is used to limit the flower basket in a first direction, and the second limiting member is used to limit the flower basket in a second direction, wherein the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other in the horizontal direction.

5. The semiconductor workpiece drying apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first limiting member includes a first limiting block, which is disposed at both ends of the base along the first direction. The second limiting member includes a second limiting block, which is disposed at both ends of the base along the second direction.

6. The semiconductor workpiece drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom wall of the tank has an outlet that communicates with the accommodating cavity, and the air extraction device communicates with the accommodating cavity through the outlet.

7. The semiconductor workpiece drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The groove body is provided with a driving component connected to the groove cover, and the driving component is used to drive the groove cover to rotate to be closer to or away from the groove body.

8. The semiconductor workpiece drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the groove cover and the groove body are provided with detection elements. The detection elements are used to detect the position information of the groove cover to determine whether the groove cover is attached to or away from the groove body.

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