Wafer Support Motion to Prevent Bubble Defects in Wet Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
In semiconductor manufacturing, air bubbles form at the interface between wafers and support structures during wet cleaning or wet etching, leading to insufficient cleaning or etching and resulting in defects.
Innovation Solution
A wafer treatment device with a treatment tank, a support group comprising multiple support portions that can independently or jointly support the wafer upright, and an action system to drive the support portions to move in conjunction, ensuring the contact surface of at least one support portion is separated from the wafer as it enters the treatment liquid.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a support structure is used to support the wafer into the treatment tank, then the wafer can be stably supported during wet cleaning or wet etching, but air bubbles are generated at the contact position between the wafer and support structure, resulting in insufficient cleaning or etching
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is divided into multiple support portions (first support portion and second support portion) that can independently support different regions of the wafer. This segmentation allows the wafer to be supported at multiple discrete points rather than along a continuous contact interface, eliminating the formation of air bubbles at contact positions while maintaining stable support during wet cleaning or wet etching processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (the action system with multiple support portions) between the wafer and the treatment tank environment. This intermediary supports the wafer in a manner that prevents direct continuous contact with the treatment liquid at the support interface, thereby preventing air bubble formation while still providing the necessary support stability.
2Reliability
If the wafer is supported in contact with the support structure during entry into treatment liquid, then the wafer can be held stable, but cleaning or etching efficiency is reduced due to air bubbles
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the support structure into multiple independent support portions, the patent enables stable wafer support while minimizing contact area with the treatment liquid. This segmentation ensures that air bubbles do not form at contact positions, thereby maintaining both support reliability and cleaning/etching efficiency without compromise.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If multiple support portions are used to support the wafer, then air bubble formation is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is segmented into multiple support portions, each capable of independently supporting the wafer. While this increases structural complexity compared to a single support element, the segmentation is achieved through a modular design where each support portion can be independently controlled by the action system, providing a practical solution to prevent air bubble formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The support portions are designed to be dynamically controllable through the action system, allowing them to move and adjust their positions independently. This dynamic capability enables the support structure to adapt to different wafer positions and treatment requirements, managing the complexity through programmable control rather than fixed mechanical complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A wafer treatment device includes a treatment tank, configured for storing a wafer treatment liquid; a support group including a plurality of support portions capable of independently or jointly supporting a wafer to be in an upright state, each support portion has a contact surface to be in contact with the wafer when supporting the wafer; an action system, separately connected to the plurality of the support portions, for driving the plurality of the support portions to move in conjunction with each other; the contact surface of at least one support portion is a state of contacting the wafer when driven by the action system; and the contact surface of the at least one support portion is in a state of being separated from the wafer in a region of intersecting with a liquid surface during being driven by the action system into the wafer treatment liquid.