CN114446861A

CN114446861A - Wafer etching machine

Info

Publication number: CN114446861A
Application number: CN202011196271.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 冯傳彰; 刘茂林; 吴庭宇
Original assignee: Scientech Corp
Current assignee: Scientech Corp
Priority date: 2020-10-30
Filing date: 2020-10-30
Publication date: 2022-05-06

Abstract

The invention provides a wafer etching machine for etching a single wafer, which comprises an outer tank, an etching tank, a carrier, a rotary motor, a lifting mechanism, a main pipeline and a drainage pipeline. The etching groove is arranged in the outer groove. The carrier has a bracket for carrying the wafer, the bracket being suspended above the etch bath. The rotary motor is connected with the carrier and can drive the carrier to rotate. The lifting mechanism is coupled with at least one of the carrier and the outer tank to drive the bracket and the etching tank to relatively lift so as to move the wafer into and out of the etching tank by the bracket. The main pipeline is communicated with the etching tank to inject a working fluid into the etching tank. The drainage pipeline is communicated with the outer tank to drain the working fluid overflowing from the etching tank into the outer tank.

Description

Wafer etching machine

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a wafer etching machine, and more particularly, to a wafer etching machine for etching a single wafer.

Background

The trend of the present wafer etching process is gradually moving toward the single wafer processing direction, so as to meet the requirement of product diversity. The existing single wafer etching machine uses a method of spraying etching solution on the surface of the wafer to perform etching, and the retention time of the etching solution on the edge of the wafer is too short, which results in poor etching yield of the edge of the wafer. In order to solve the above problems, the conventional solution is to stack wafers and pre-dip the wafers so that the surfaces of the wafers are fully contacted with the etching solution, and then move the wafers into an etching machine for etching. However, this method requires moving the wet wafer, and the splashing etching solution is difficult to control. Furthermore, batch pre-dip procedures also lose the advantages of single wafer etching.

In view of the above, the present inventors have made extensive studies and studies to solve the above problems in combination with the application of the above prior art, and as a result, the present inventors have improved the present invention.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention provides a wafer etching machine for etching a single wafer.

The invention provides a wafer etching machine, which is used for etching a single wafer and comprises an outer tank, an etching tank, a carrier, a rotary motor, a lifting mechanism, a main pipeline and a drainage pipeline. The etching groove is arranged in the outer groove. The carrier has a bracket for carrying the wafer, the bracket being suspended above the etch bath. The rotary motor is connected with the carrier and can drive the carrier to rotate. The lifting mechanism is coupled with at least one of the carrier and the outer tank to drive the bracket and the etching tank to relatively lift so as to enable the bracket to move the wafer into and out of the etching tank. The main pipeline is communicated with the etching tank to inject a working fluid into the etching tank. The drainage pipeline is communicated with the outer tank to drain the working fluid overflowing from the etching tank into the outer tank.

The carrier of the wafer etching machine of the invention is provided with a rotating seat, the rotating seat is positioned below the outer groove, the bracket is connected with the rotating seat, and the rotating motor is linked with the rotating seat. The rotary seat is barrel-shaped, and the main pipeline and the drainage pipeline are accommodated in the rotary seat. A support is connected below the outer groove and penetrates through the rotating seat. The pillar is a hollow rod body, and the main pipeline is arranged in the pillar in a penetrating mode. A through hole is opened on the side of the pillar, and the drainage pipeline penetrates into the pillar through the through hole.

The wafer etching machine of the invention has the advantages that the rotating motor and the carrier can be borne on the lifting mechanism. The support post passes through the lifting mechanism.

The support of the wafer etching machine of the invention can be connected with a lifting mechanism.

The outer tank and the etching tank of the wafer etching machine are integrally formed.

The wafer etching machine of the invention further comprises a washing nozzle which is arranged at one side of the etching tank and is obliquely arranged towards the etching tank.

The wafer etching machine of the invention uses the carrier which can be lifted and rotated to immerse the wafer into the etching tank filled with the working fluid for etching. Therefore, the working fluid can completely cover the surface of the wafer, so that the etching quality is uniform and stable.

The invention is described in detail below with reference to the drawings and specific examples, but the invention is not limited thereto.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a top view of a wafer etching machine according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the wafer etching machine of FIG. 1 taken along the 2-2 line.

FIGS. 3 to 5 are schematic views illustrating the operation of the wafer etching machine according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6 and 7 are schematic diagrams illustrating variations of the wafer etcher of the present invention.

Wherein, the reference numbers:

10: wafer

20 working fluid

30, cleaning solution

100 outer groove

200 etching bath

300 carrier

310 rotating base

320 bracket

410 rotating motor

420a/420b lifting mechanism

421a/421b telescopic rod

422a/422b carrier

510 main pipeline

520 drainage pipeline

530/540 flushing nozzle

600 support

601, through hole

Detailed Description

The invention will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings, which are provided for illustration purposes and the like:

referring to fig. 1 and 2, a preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a wafer etching machine for etching a single wafer 10, which includes an outer tank 100, an etch bath 200, a carrier 300, a rotation motor 410, at least one lift mechanism 420a/420b, a main pipe 510, and a drain pipe 520.

The etch bath 200 is disposed inside the outer bath 100. in the present embodiment, the outer bath 100 and the etch bath 200 are preferably integrally formed. A support 600 is coupled to a lower portion of the outer tub 100 to support the outer tub 100.

In the present embodiment, the carrier 300 preferably has a rotating base 310 and a bracket 320. The rotary base 310 is barrel-shaped, and the rotary base 310 is located below the outer tank 100; the carrier 320 is connected to the spin stand 310, the carrier 320 is preferably claw-shaped and can be used to carry the wafer 10, and the carrier 320 is suspended above the etch bath 200. In the embodiment, the bracket 320 preferably extends from the rotating base 310, but when the distance between the bracket 320 and the rotating base 310 is larger, a bracket may be additionally arranged between the bracket 320 and the rotating base 310.

The rotation motor 410 is connected to the carrier 300 and can drive the carrier 300 to rotate. Specifically, the rotation motor 410 is coupled to the rotation base 310, and may directly engage with the rotation base 310 or indirectly engage with the rotation base 310 via a reduction gear set.

The lifting mechanism 420a/420b is coupled to at least one of the carrier 300 and the outer chamber 100 to drive the carrier 320 and the etch chamber 200 to move up and down relative to each other, so that the carrier 320 moves the wafer 10 into and out of the etch chamber 200. In the present embodiment, the wafer etching machine of the invention preferably includes two sets of lifting mechanisms 420a/420b, and each of the lifting mechanisms 420a/420b includes at least one vertically disposed telescopic rod 421a/421b, and the telescopic rods 421a/421b may be power elements such as electric cylinders (linear actuators), hydraulic cylinders, etc., but the invention is not limited thereto. Each lifting mechanism 420a/420b may further comprise a carrying platform 422a/422b connected to the telescopic rod 421a/421b for carrying other components, as required.

The main pipeline 510 is communicated with the etching bath 200 to inject a working fluid 20 into the etching bath 200, and the working fluid 20 overflows into the outer bath 100 after filling the etching bath 200; the drain line 520 is connected to the outer tank 100 to drain the working fluid 20 overflowing from the etch bath 200 into the outer tank 100. In the present embodiment, the working fluid 20 is an etching solution, and the etching solution is used for different coatings on the wafer 10, so the present invention is not limited to the type of the working fluid 20.

In the present embodiment, the main pipe 510 and the drain pipe 520 are accommodated in the rotary base 310. Specifically, the support column 600 preferably passes through the rotary base 310 and is not separated from the rotary base 310, and the support column 600 is fixedly disposed while the rotary base 310 is rotatably disposed. The rotation motor 410 can thus drive the carrier 300 to rotate relative to the fixed outer chamber 100 and etch chamber 200. The pillar 600 is a hollow rod, the main pipe 510 is inserted into the pillar 600, penetrates through the outer tank 100 and the etching tank 200, and is connected to the center of the inner bottom surface of the etching tank 200, and the inner bottom surface of the etching tank 200 forms a concave conical surface and the main pipe 510 is connected to the tip of the conical surface to facilitate water drainage. The side of the pillar 600 is formed with a through hole 601, and the drain pipe 520 is inserted into the pillar 600 through the through hole 601.

In the present embodiment, the carrier 300 and the support 600 are connected to different lifting mechanisms 420a/420b, respectively. One of the lifting mechanisms 420a carries the carrier 300 and can drive the carrier 300 to lift, and the other lifting mechanism 420b connected to the support 600 can drive the outer chamber 100 and the etch chamber 200 to lift, thereby lifting the support 320 and the etch chamber 200 relatively to move the wafer 10 into and out of the etch chamber 200.

Specifically, the rotary motor 410 and the carrier 300 are carried on the corresponding lifting mechanism 420a to be driven by the lifting mechanism 420a to be lifted, and the rotary base 310 is rotatably connected to the lifting mechanism 420 a. The supporting column 600 passes through the lifting mechanism 420a and is connected to another lifting mechanism 420b to be driven to lift. Therefore, the two sets of lifting mechanisms 420a/420b can respectively drive the carrier 300 and the etching chamber 200 to move up and down relatively, so that the carrier 320 moves the wafer 10 into and out of the etching chamber 200.

FIGS. 2 to 4 are cross-sectional views of the wafer etching machine of FIG. 1 taken along the 2-2 line according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to fig. 2, in the wafer etching machine of the present invention, the carrier 320 is located above and outside the etching chamber 200, so that the wafer 10 is horizontally placed in the carrier 320.

Referring to fig. 3, the wafer 10 is then moved into the etch chamber 200 by the carrier 320. The working fluid 20 is continuously injected into the etch bath 200 through the main line 510 to submerge the wafer 10 in the etch bath 200. The etching bath 200 overflows into the outer bath 100 through the rim of the etching bath 200 and is further recycled to the main line 510 through the drain line 520 or discharged after recycling treatment. The carrier 300 is rotated by the rotation motor 410 to rotate the wafer 10 by the carrier 320 so that the surface of the wafer 10 can be etched moderately.

Referring to fig. 4, after the etching process is completed, the wafer 10 is moved out of the etching chamber 200 by the carrier 320. The remaining working fluid 20 in the etch bath 200 is exhausted from the etch bath 200 through the main line 510.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the wafer etching machine of FIG. 1 taken along the line 5-5.

Referring to FIG. 5, the wafer etching machine of the present invention further includes a rinsing nozzle 530 for spraying the cleaning solution 30, wherein the rinsing nozzle 530 is disposed at one side of the etching chamber 200 and is inclined upward toward the etching chamber 200. The rinsing nozzle 530 sprays the cleaning solution 30 onto the wafer 10 to remove the residual working fluid 20 on the wafer 10. The cleaning fluid 30 may be water or other volatile solution. The wafer 10 may be rinsed while the carrier 300 is rotated by the rotation motor 410 such that the wafer 10 is rotated by the carrier 320 to positively rinse the wafer 10 from each direction. The used cleaning solution 30 flows into the etch bath 200 and is discharged from the etch bath 200 through the main line 510. In addition, another rinse nozzle 540 may be provided above the carrier 320, which is movable to move above the wafer to cooperate with rinsing the top surface of the wafer 10 during rinsing.

The foregoing embodiment shows one configuration of the lifting mechanism 420a/420b, but the invention is not limited thereto. The lifting mechanisms 420a/420b are used to drive the carriage 320 to move up and down relative to the etch chamber 200, and several other possible configurations are further described below in this example.

Referring to fig. 6, the wafer etcher may be provided with a single elevating mechanism 420b only connected to the support 600, and the elevating mechanism 420b can drive the outer bath 100 and the etching bath 200 to move up and down relative to the carrier 300 fixed in the vertical direction, so as to move the wafer 10 into and out of the etching bath 200.

Referring to fig. 7, the wafer etcher may be provided with a single elevating mechanism 420a and the rotation motor 410 and the carrier 300 are supported on the elevating mechanism 420a to be capable of being driven to be elevated by the elevating mechanism 420a, and the spin base 310 is rotatably coupled to the elevating mechanism 420 a. The support 600 passes through the above-mentioned elevating mechanism and is separated from and fixedly disposed with the elevating mechanism. The lifting mechanism 420a can respectively drive the carrier 300 to relatively lift with respect to the fixed etch bath 200 so as to move the wafer 10 into and out of the etch bath 200 by the carrier 320.

The wafer etching machine of the present invention uses a lifting and rotating carrier 300 to dip a wafer 10 into an etching tank 200 filled with a working fluid 20 for etching. Therefore, the working fluid 20 can completely cover the surface of the wafer 10, and the etching quality is uniform and stable. Furthermore, the wafer etching machine of the present invention facilitates the management and control of the supply, recovery and discharge of the working fluid 20 and the cleaning fluid 30 by the arrangement of the outer tank 100, the main pipe 510 and the drain pipe 520.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it should be understood that various changes and modifications can be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A wafer etcher for etching a single wafer, the wafer etcher comprising:

an outer tank;

an etching tank disposed in the outer tank;

a carrier having a carrier for carrying the wafer, the carrier being suspended above the etch bath;

a rotary motor connected to the carrier and capable of driving the carrier to rotate;

a lifting mechanism linking with at least one of the carrier and the outer tank to drive the bracket and the etching tank to relatively lift so as to move the wafer into and out of the etching tank by the bracket;

a main pipeline, which is communicated with the etching tank to inject a working fluid into the etching tank; and

a water discharge pipeline connected to the outer tank for discharging the working fluid overflowing from the etching tank into the outer tank.

2. The wafer etcher of claim 1 wherein the carrier has a rotating base located below the outer tub, the bracket is connected to the rotating base and the rotation motor is coupled to the rotating base.

3. The wafer etching machine of claim 2, wherein the rotary base is barrel-shaped, and the main pipe and the drain pipe are accommodated in the rotary base.

4. The wafer etching machine of claim 2, wherein a support is connected below the outer tank and passes through the rotating base.

5. The wafer etching machine of claim 4, wherein the support is a hollow rod, and the main pipe is inserted into the support.

6. The wafer etching machine of claim 5, wherein a port is formed in a side surface of the support, and the drain line penetrates the support through the port.

7. The wafer etching machine of claim 4, wherein the rotation motor and the carrier are carried on the lift mechanism.

8. The wafer etcher of claim 7 wherein the support passes through the lift mechanism.

9. The wafer etching machine of claim 4, wherein the support is coupled to the lift mechanism.

10. The wafer etcher of claim 1, wherein the outer tank is integral with the etch tank.

11. The wafer etcher as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a rinse nozzle disposed at one side of the etch bath and disposed obliquely facing into the etch bath.