Semiconductor cleaning device and use method therefor

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of semiconductor production apparatuses. Disclosed are a semiconductor cleaning device and a use method therefor. The semiconductor cleaning device comprises a generation module, a cleaning module and a recovery module, wherein the generation module is used for generating supercritical carbon dioxide, the cleaning module is used for cleaning a semiconductor, and the recovery module is in communication with the cleaning module and is used for recovering the carbon dioxide after cleaning and reusing same. The cleaning module comprises a hollow cleaning chamber, wherein a cleaning stage is provided in the cleaning chamber, and the cleaning stage is rotationally connected in the cleaning chamber, the axis of rotation being vertical; a limiting plate is provided on the peripheral side of the top of the cleaning stage, and the inner wall of the limiting plate is configured to abut against the outer periphery of a wafer; and a lifting and suction assembly is provided in the cleaning stage, and the lifting and suction assembly is used for suctioning and fixing the bottom surface of the wafer, and lifting the top of the wafer after the wafer is cleaned, so as to facilitate the replacement of the wafer. The present application has the effect of cleaning a wafer without contamination.

Description

A semiconductor cleaning apparatus and its usage method Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and in particular to a semiconductor cleaning apparatus and its method of use. Background Technology

[0002] Cleaning is a crucial step in semiconductor manufacturing. During the process, wafers can become contaminated with impurities such as particles, metals, organic matter, and native oxide layers. These contaminants can affect the performance, reliability, and even yield of semiconductor devices.

[0003] Currently, common cleaning methods include wet cleaning and dry cleaning. Wet cleaning uses chemical solvents and water, which has a good cleaning effect, but it has problems such as high water consumption and environmental pollution from chemical solvents; while dry cleaning mostly relies on physical means such as plasma, which has complex equipment and high cost. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the issues of environmental pollution and high costs associated with conventional wafer cleaning methods, this application provides a semiconductor cleaning apparatus and its usage method.

[0005] On the one hand, this application provides a semiconductor cleaning apparatus, which adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] A semiconductor cleaning apparatus includes a generation module, a cleaning module, and a recovery module. The generation module generates supercritical carbon dioxide and sends the supercritical carbon dioxide into the cleaning module. The cleaning module is used to clean the semiconductor. The recovery module is connected to the cleaning module and is used to recover the cleaned carbon dioxide for reuse.

[0007] The cleaning module includes a hollow cleaning chamber, in which a cleaning platform is installed. The cleaning platform is rotatably connected to the cleaning chamber, and its rotation axis is vertical. A limiting plate is provided on the periphery of the top of the cleaning platform. The inner wall of the limiting plate is used to abut against the outer periphery of the wafer. A lifting adsorption assembly is provided inside the cleaning platform. The lifting adsorption assembly is used to adsorb and fix the bottom surface of the wafer, and lifts the wafer after cleaning to facilitate wafer replacement.

[0008] By adopting the above technical solution, semiconductors such as wafers are placed on the cleaning stage in the cleaning chamber. Then, the generation module generates supercritical carbon dioxide and introduces it into the cleaning module to thoroughly clean the wafer surface. The limiting plate on the cleaning stage effectively prevents the wafer from falling during cleaning. At the same time, the lifting adsorption component can adsorb and fix the bottom surface of the wafer, further stabilizing the wafer on the cleaning stage. After the wafer is cleaned, the lifting adsorption component can lift the wafer to facilitate removal and replacement. The recovery module is connected to the cleaning module, allowing the cleaned carbon dioxide to be cooled and depressurized in the recovery module, releasing contaminants from the carbon dioxide. The separated carbon dioxide can be recycled and reused, effectively reducing cleaning costs.

[0009] Optionally, the lifting and adsorption assembly includes multiple vertical lifting rods, which are spaced apart and hollow inside. One end of each lifting rod is connected to an adsorption nozzle, and all adsorption nozzles are located at the same horizontal position. The top of each adsorption nozzle extends out of the cleaning table. One end of each lifting rod is connected to an air suction device, which is used to extract air from inside the lifting rod to create a negative pressure inside the lifting rod.

[0010] By adopting the above technical solution, multiple spaced lifting rods can be used to support the wafer. The lifting rods are hollow inside, with an adsorption nozzle connected to one end of the top and an air suction device connected to the bottom. The air suction device can extract the air inside the lifting rod, thereby creating a negative pressure inside the lifting rod, which allows the adsorption nozzle to firmly adsorb and fix the wafer, further fixing the position of the wafer.

[0011] Optionally, a lifting plate is provided at the bottom of the lifting rod. The lifting plate is vertically slidably connected to the inside of the cleaning table. A driving component for lifting and lowering is provided at the bottom of the lifting plate. Interconnected air channels are opened inside the lifting plate. One end of the air channel is connected to each lifting rod, and the other end is connected to the suction component.

[0012] By adopting the above technical solution, when it is necessary to replace the wafer, the drive unit can lift all the lifting rods by raising the lifting plate, thereby lifting the wafer, making it convenient for the staff to take out and replace the wafer. At the same time, the lifting plate has interconnected air guide channels, so that all the lifting rods can pass through the air guide channels and finally connect to the suction device, so that a single suction device can connect to all the lifting rods.

[0013] Optionally, the cleaning chamber is equipped with a temperature control component, which includes heating and cooling coils arranged around the cleaning table to regulate the temperature inside the cleaning chamber. The cleaning chamber is also equipped with a temperature sensor.

[0014] By adopting the above technical solution, the cleaning chamber is equipped with temperature control components and temperature sensors. The heating and cooling coils surrounding the cleaning platform can regulate the temperature inside the cleaning chamber, thereby precisely controlling the temperature inside the cleaning chamber, further optimizing the cleaning effect of supercritical carbon dioxide, and improving cleaning efficiency and quality.

[0015] Optionally, the cleaning chamber is equipped with an ultrasonic vibration component, which is installed on the inner wall of the cleaning chamber to generate ultrasonic waves during the wafer cleaning process.

[0016] By adopting the above technical solution, the ultrasonic vibration device can generate ultrasonic waves during the cleaning process. By utilizing the cavitation effect and micro-jet effect of ultrasonic waves, the cleaning effect of supercritical carbon dioxide on semiconductor surfaces can be further enhanced.

[0017] Optionally, the recovery module includes a separation chamber, the inlet of which is connected to the outlet of a cleaning chamber, and the outlet of the separation chamber is also connected to a circulation pipe, the outlet of which is connected to the inlet of the cleaning chamber. By depressurizing the separation chamber, pollutants in carbon dioxide are separated and released.

[0018] By adopting the above technical solution, the carbon dioxide that has been cleaned on the wafer surface can be cooled and depressurized in the separation chamber, thereby effectively separating and releasing pollutants from the carbon dioxide. This not only ensures the purity of the recovered carbon dioxide, but also achieves waste reduction and resource utilization, effectively reducing production costs.

[0019] Optionally, the separation chamber is provided with a cleaning component, which includes a first cleaning brush that is placed vertically against the interior of the separation chamber and a second cleaning brush that contacts the bottom wall of the separation chamber. A rotating rod is rotatably connected to the separation chamber, and both the first and second cleaning brushes are connected to the rotating rod so as to remove residues from the inner wall and the bottom wall respectively.

[0020] By adopting the above technical solution, the cleaning component includes a first cleaning brush that is placed vertically close to the interior of the separation chamber and a second cleaning brush that is in contact with the bottom wall of the separation chamber. Both the first and second cleaning brushes are connected to a rotating rod, which can drive the first and second cleaning brushes to rotate in the separation chamber, thereby removing residues from the inner and bottom walls of the separation chamber.

[0021] Optionally, the generation module is provided with a heating element, which is a microwave heating device or a laser heating device.

[0022] By adopting the above technical solution, the heating element in the supercritical carbon dioxide generation module can be replaced with different heating methods such as microwave heating device or laser heating device to adapt to different cleaning needs and process conditions.

[0023] On the other hand, this application provides a method of using a semiconductor cleaning apparatus to clean a wafer using the semiconductor cleaning apparatus as described above, including the following steps:

[0024] S1: Place the semiconductor to be cleaned on the cleaning table in the cleaning chamber and fix it in place by the lifting adsorption assembly;

[0025] S1: Start the generation module to produce supercritical carbon dioxide;

[0026] S1: Supercritical carbon dioxide is introduced into the cleaning chamber to clean the semiconductor surface;

[0027] S1: The carbon dioxide after cleaning is recovered through the recovery module and reused.

[0028] By adopting the above technical solution, supercritical carbon dioxide can be used to effectively clean the wafer surface, significantly improving the wafer cleaning quality. At the same time, the carbon dioxide used to clean the wafer can be recycled in the recycling module, allowing the recycled carbon dioxide to be reused and effectively saving production costs.

[0029] In summary, this application includes at least one of the following beneficial effects:

[0030] 1. By using supercritical carbon dioxide to clean the wafer surface, the wafer cleaning quality can be significantly improved, the contamination caused by chemical reagent cleaning can be avoided, and the cost of wafer cleaning can also be effectively reduced.

[0031] 2. By installing a lifting adsorption component inside the cleaning station, the stability of the wafer placement can be further improved, and the wafer handling can also be facilitated.

[0032] 3. By using a first and second rotatable cleaning brush installed in the separation chamber of the recycling module, residual dirt on the inner wall of the separation chamber can be scraped off by the cleaning brush, thus maintaining the cleanliness of the separation chamber. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the cleaning device shown in Embodiment 1 of this application;

[0034] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the cleaning table shown in Embodiment 1 of this application;

[0035] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the separation chamber shown in Embodiment 1 of this application.

[0036] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Generation module; 11. Supercritical carbon dioxide generation device; 12. Heating device; 13. Pressurizing device; 2. Cleaning module; 21. Cleaning chamber; 22. Conveying pipe; 23. Cleaning table; 231. Rotating assembly; 232. Limiting plate; 233. Lifting rod; 234. Adsorption nozzle; 235. Lifting plate; 236. Driving component; 237. Air guide channel; 238. Air intake component; 24. Heating and cooling coil; 25. Temperature control unit; 26. Ultrasonic vibration assembly; 3. Recovery module; 31. Separation chamber; 32. Recovery pipe; 33. Circulation pipe; 34. First cleaning brush; 35. Second cleaning brush; 36. Rotating rod; 4. Worktable; 5. Wafer. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The present application will be further described in detail below with reference to Figures 1-3.

[0038] Example 1:

[0039] Embodiment 1 of this application discloses a semiconductor cleaning apparatus. Referring to Figure 1, the semiconductor cleaning apparatus includes a generation module 1, a cleaning module 2, and a recovery module 3. The generation module 1 includes a supercritical carbon dioxide generation device 11, which can be externally connected to a steel cylinder containing liquid carbon dioxide to provide or replenish the required carbon dioxide to the generation module 1. The supercritical carbon dioxide generation device 11 also integrates a heating device 12 and a pressurizing device 13. After the liquid carbon dioxide in the steel cylinder is introduced, it is heated and pressurized in the supercritical carbon dioxide generation device 11, so that the carbon dioxide can quickly reach a supercritical state. The generation module 1, cleaning module 2, and recovery module 3 can all be placed on a workbench 4.

[0040] The heating device 12 in the supercritical carbon dioxide generating device 11 can be a microwave heating device or a laser heating device. The microwave heating device and the laser heating device can be interchanged, so that different heating methods can be used in the supercritical carbon dioxide generating module 1 as needed to adapt to different cleaning requirements and process conditions.

[0041] The cleaning module 2 includes a hollow cleaning chamber 21, in which the wafer 5 to be cleaned is placed. The cleaning chamber 21 is connected to the supercritical carbon dioxide generator 11 via a delivery pipe 22. Supercritical carbon dioxide, after being heated and pressurized, enters the cleaning chamber 21 through the delivery pipe 22. A nozzle is installed at one end of the delivery pipe 22 inside the cleaning chamber 21, which can accelerate the supercritical carbon dioxide to be blown toward the surface of the wafer 5, thereby using supercritical carbon dioxide to clean the fine dirt on the surface of the wafer 5.

[0042] Referring to Figure 1, a heating and cooling coil 24 is installed inside the cleaning chamber 21, which surrounds the cleaning table 23. At the same time, a temperature control unit 25 connected to the heating and cooling coil 24 is fixed at the bottom of the workbench 4. A temperature sensor is also installed inside the cleaning chamber 21. The temperature control unit 25 can detect the real-time temperature inside the cleaning chamber 21 and can adjust the temperature inside the cleaning chamber 21 through the heating and cooling coil 24, thereby accurately controlling the temperature inside the cleaning chamber 21, further optimizing the cleaning effect of supercritical carbon dioxide, and improving cleaning efficiency and quality.

[0043] An ultrasonic vibration component 26 is installed inside the cleaning chamber 21. The ultrasonic vibration component 26 is installed on the inner wall of the cleaning chamber 21 and can generate ultrasonic waves during the cleaning process of wafer 5. By utilizing the cavitation effect and micro-jet effect of ultrasonic waves, the cleaning effect of supercritical carbon dioxide on the semiconductor surface is further enhanced.

[0044] The recycling module 3 includes a hollow separation chamber 31. The separation chamber 31 is connected to the cleaning chamber 21 through a recycling pipe 32. After the wafer 5 is cleaned, the carbon dioxide enters the separation chamber 31 through the recycling pipe 32 for recycling, which facilitates the recycling of carbon dioxide and effectively saves production costs.

[0045] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a cleaning platform 23 is provided inside the cleaning chamber 21. The cleaning platform 23 is rotatably connected to the cleaning chamber 21, and the axis of rotation is vertical. A rotating component 231 can be provided at the bottom of the cleaning platform 23. The rotating component 231 can be a small servo motor. The output shaft of the motor is coaxially fixed with the bottom of the cleaning platform 23. The cleaning platform 23 is driven by the motor to rotate continuously when cleaning the wafer 5, so that the surface of the wafer 5 can come into more full contact with the carbon dioxide in the supercritical state, thereby improving the cleaning effect of the wafer 5.

[0046] A limiting plate 232 is fixed to the periphery of the top of the cleaning table 23. The inner wall of the limiting plate 232 abuts against the outer periphery of the wafer 5, effectively preventing the wafer 5 from falling during cleaning. Multiple vertical lifting rods 233 are installed inside the cleaning table 23, spaced apart and all hollow inside. One end of each lifting rod 233 is connected to an adsorption nozzle 234. All adsorption nozzles 234 are located at the same horizontal position, and the top of each adsorption nozzle 234 can extend outside the cleaning table 23 to support the wafer 5.

[0047] A lifting plate 235 is fixed to one end of the bottom of the lifting rod 233. All lifting rods 233 are fixed to the lifting plate 235. The lifting plate 235 is vertically slidably connected to the inside of the cleaning table 23. A driving component 236, which can be an electric cylinder, is fixed to the bottom of the lifting plate 235. Interconnected air channels 237 are opened inside the lifting plate 235. One end of the air channel 237 is connected to each lifting rod 233, and the other end is connected to the suction component 238. The suction component 238 can be an air pump. The suction component 238 is used to extract air from inside the lifting rods 233 so as to create negative pressure inside the lifting rods 233.

[0048] Semiconductors, such as wafers 5, are placed on cleaning station 23 within cleaning chamber 21. Supercritical carbon dioxide is then generated by generation module 1 and introduced into cleaning module 2 to thoroughly clean the surface of wafer 5. A limiting plate 232 on cleaning station 23, along with suction nozzles 234 on lifting rods 233, can adsorb and fix the bottom surface of wafer 5, further stabilizing it on cleaning station 23. When wafer 5 needs to be replaced, drive unit 236 can lift all lifting rods 233 by raising lifting plate 235, thereby lifting wafer 5 for easy removal and replacement by personnel. Simultaneously, lifting plate 235 has interconnected air channels 237, allowing all lifting rods 233 to pass through these channels and ultimately connect to suction unit 238, enabling a single suction unit 238 to connect with all lifting rods 233.

[0049] Referring to Figures 1 and 3, the recovery module 3 includes a separation chamber 31. The inlet of the separation chamber 31 is connected to the outlet of the cleaning chamber 21 via a recovery pipe 32. The outlet of the separation chamber 31 is also connected to a circulation pipe 33, and the outlet of the circulation pipe 33 is connected to the inlet of the cleaning chamber 21. The carbon dioxide that has been cleaned on the surface of the wafer 5 can be cooled and depressurized in the separation chamber 31, thereby effectively separating and releasing pollutants from the carbon dioxide. This not only ensures the purity of the recovered carbon dioxide but also achieves waste reduction and resource utilization, effectively reducing production costs.

[0050] Furthermore, a cleaning assembly is installed inside the separation chamber 31. This assembly includes a first cleaning brush 34 placed vertically against the interior of the separation chamber 31, and a second cleaning brush 35 in contact with the bottom wall of the separation chamber 31. A rotating rod 36 is rotatably connected inside the separation chamber 31, and is placed vertically. Both the first and second cleaning brushes 34 and 35 are fixedly connected to the rotating rod 36. This allows for the removal of residues from the inner and bottom walls, respectively. Rotation of the rotating rod 36 drives the first and second cleaning brushes 34 and 35 to rotate within the separation chamber 31, thereby removing residues from both the inner and bottom walls. The rotating rod 36 can be driven automatically by a motor or rotated manually.

[0051] The implementation principle of a semiconductor cleaning device in Embodiment 1 of this application is as follows: a supercritical carbon dioxide generating device 11 generates supercritical carbon dioxide and introduces it into the cleaning chamber 21 to thoroughly clean the surface of the wafer 5. During the cleaning of the wafer 5, the adsorption nozzle 234 can reinforce the fixation of the wafer 5. After the wafer 5 is cleaned, the lifting rod 233 can lift the wafer 5 to facilitate the removal or replacement of the wafer 5. At the same time, the carbon dioxide enters the separation chamber 31 for recycling. The recycled carbon dioxide re-enters the cleaning chamber 21 for reuse.

[0052] Example 2:

[0053] Embodiment 2 of this application discloses a method of using a semiconductor cleaning apparatus to clean a wafer 5 using the semiconductor cleaning apparatus as described in Embodiment 1, specifically including the following steps:

[0054] S1: Place the semiconductor to be cleaned on the cleaning table 23 of the cleaning chamber 21, activate the suction device 238 to create negative pressure inside the lifting rod 233, and fix the bottom of the wafer 5 by the suction nozzle 234;

[0055] S1: Start generation module 1 to produce supercritical carbon dioxide;

[0056] S1: Supercritical carbon dioxide is introduced into cleaning chamber 21 to clean the surface of wafer 5.

[0057] S1: The carbon dioxide after cleaning is recovered through the recovery module 3 and reused.

[0058] The above are all preferred embodiments of this application, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, all equivalent changes made in accordance with the structure, shape and principle of this application should be covered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A semiconductor cleaning apparatus characterized by comprising: It includes a generation module (1), a cleaning module (2) and a recovery module (3), wherein the generation module (1) is used to generate supercritical carbon dioxide and send the supercritical carbon dioxide into the cleaning module (2), the cleaning module (2) is used to clean the semiconductor, and the recovery module (3) is connected to the cleaning module (2) and is used to recover the cleaned carbon dioxide and reuse it. The cleaning module (2) includes a hollow cleaning chamber (21), and a cleaning platform (23) is provided inside the cleaning chamber (21). The cleaning platform (23) is rotatably connected inside the cleaning chamber (21), and the axis of rotation is vertical. A limiting plate (232) is provided on the periphery of the top of the cleaning platform (23). The inner wall of the limiting plate (232) is used to abut against the outer periphery of the wafer (5). A lifting adsorption assembly is provided inside the cleaning platform (23). The lifting adsorption assembly is used to adsorb and fix the bottom surface of the wafer (5), and lift the wafer (5) after cleaning is completed, so as to facilitate the replacement of the wafer (5).

2. The semiconductor cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The lifting and adsorption assembly includes multiple vertical lifting rods (233), which are spaced apart and hollow inside. One end of each lifting rod (233) is connected to an adsorption nozzle (234), and all adsorption nozzles (234) are located at the same horizontal position. The top of each adsorption nozzle (234) extends out of the cleaning table (23). One end of each lifting rod (233) is connected to an air suction device (238), which is used to extract air from inside the lifting rod (233) to create a negative pressure inside the lifting rod (233).

3. The semiconductor cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: The bottom of the lifting rod (233) is provided with a lifting plate (235), which is vertically slidably connected to the inside of the cleaning table (23). The bottom of the lifting plate (235) is provided with a driving component (236) for driving the lifting. The lifting plate (235) is provided with interconnected air channels (237). One end of the air channel (237) is connected to each lifting rod (233), and the other end is connected to the suction component (238).

4. The semiconductor cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The cleaning chamber (21) is equipped with a temperature control component, which includes heating and cooling coils (24) arranged around the cleaning table (23) to regulate the temperature inside the cleaning chamber (21). The cleaning chamber (21) is also equipped with a temperature sensor.

5. The semiconductor cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The cleaning chamber (21) is equipped with an ultrasonic vibration component (26), which is installed on the inner wall of the cleaning chamber (21) and is used to generate ultrasonic waves during the cleaning process of the wafer (5).

6. The semiconductor cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The recovery module (3) includes a separation chamber (31), the inlet of which is connected to the outlet of the cleaning chamber (21), and the outlet of the separation chamber (31) is also connected to a circulation pipe (33), the outlet of which is connected to the inlet of the cleaning chamber (21). By depressurizing the separation chamber (31), pollutants in carbon dioxide are separated and released.

7. The semiconductor cleaning apparatus according to claim 6, wherein: The separation chamber (31) is equipped with a cleaning assembly, which includes a first cleaning brush (34) placed vertically close to the inside of the separation chamber (31) and a second cleaning brush (35) in contact with the bottom wall of the separation chamber (31). A rotating rod (36) is rotatably connected inside the separation chamber (31). The first cleaning brush (34) and the second cleaning brush (35) are both connected to the rotating rod (36) so as to remove the residues on the inner wall and the bottom wall respectively.

8. The semiconductor cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The generation module (1) is equipped with a heating element, which is a microwave heating device or a laser heating device.

9. A method of using a semiconductor cleaning apparatus, the method comprising: Cleaning a wafer using the semiconductor cleaning apparatus as described in any one of claims 1-8 includes the following steps: S1: Place the semiconductor to be cleaned on the cleaning table (23) of the cleaning chamber (21) and fix it by the lifting adsorption assembly; S1: Start the generation module (1) to generate supercritical carbon dioxide; S1: Supercritical carbon dioxide is introduced into the cleaning chamber (21) to clean the semiconductor surface; S1: The carbon dioxide after cleaning is recovered through the recycling module (3) and reused.

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