CN117250829A - Photoresist bubble removing device, system and method - Google Patents
Photoresist bubble removing device, system and method Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CN117250829A CN117250829A CN202311186933.XA CN202311186933A CN117250829A CN 117250829 A CN117250829 A CN 117250829A CN 202311186933 A CN202311186933 A CN 202311186933A CN 117250829 A CN117250829 A CN 117250829A
- Authority
- CN
- China
- Prior art keywords
- photoresist
- bubble
- bubbles
- pipeline
- bubble removal
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Pending
Links
- 229920002120 photoresistant polymer Polymers 0.000 title claims abstract description 374
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 48
- 238000001514 detection method Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 16
- 238000005507 spraying Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 11
- 238000003860 storage Methods 0.000 claims description 15
- 239000012528 membrane Substances 0.000 claims description 11
- 238000001914 filtration Methods 0.000 claims description 10
- 238000004064 recycling Methods 0.000 claims description 10
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 claims description 6
- 238000004891 communication Methods 0.000 claims description 4
- 230000009471 action Effects 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000007599 discharging Methods 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000006073 displacement reaction Methods 0.000 claims description 3
- 230000008569 process Effects 0.000 abstract description 24
- 238000000576 coating method Methods 0.000 abstract description 6
- 238000007796 conventional method Methods 0.000 abstract description 5
- XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silicon Chemical compound [Si] XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 55
- 229910052710 silicon Inorganic materials 0.000 description 55
- 239000010703 silicon Substances 0.000 description 55
- 238000011161 development Methods 0.000 description 28
- 238000001312 dry etching Methods 0.000 description 8
- 230000003287 optical effect Effects 0.000 description 8
- 238000004528 spin coating Methods 0.000 description 7
- 230000000052 comparative effect Effects 0.000 description 6
- 238000000265 homogenisation Methods 0.000 description 6
- WGTYBPLFGIVFAS-UHFFFAOYSA-M tetramethylammonium hydroxide Chemical compound [OH-].C[N+](C)(C)C WGTYBPLFGIVFAS-UHFFFAOYSA-M 0.000 description 6
- 238000000206 photolithography Methods 0.000 description 5
- 239000004065 semiconductor Substances 0.000 description 5
- -1 Polyethylene Polymers 0.000 description 4
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 4
- 238000001035 drying Methods 0.000 description 4
- 239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 description 4
- FFUAGWLWBBFQJT-UHFFFAOYSA-N hexamethyldisilazane Chemical compound C[Si](C)(C)N[Si](C)(C)C FFUAGWLWBBFQJT-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- 229920001343 polytetrafluoroethylene Polymers 0.000 description 4
- 239000004810 polytetrafluoroethylene Substances 0.000 description 4
- 239000012495 reaction gas Substances 0.000 description 4
- 238000001259 photo etching Methods 0.000 description 3
- IJGRMHOSHXDMSA-UHFFFAOYSA-N Atomic nitrogen Chemical compound N#N IJGRMHOSHXDMSA-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 239000004698 Polyethylene Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000004743 Polypropylene Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000004433 Thermoplastic polyurethane Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229920001971 elastomer Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000002904 solvent Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229920002803 thermoplastic polyurethane Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 238000010521 absorption reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000013459 approach Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000009286 beneficial effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000006243 chemical reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000011248 coating agent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000000295 complement effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 150000001875 compounds Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 238000002508 contact lithography Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000011109 contamination Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000001816 cooling Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000000354 decomposition reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000007547 defect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000008367 deionised water Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910021641 deionized water Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 238000007865 diluting Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000806 elastomer Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920000295 expanded polytetrafluoroethylene Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000003292 glue Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000002452 interceptive effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000014759 maintenance of location Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 1
- QSHDDOUJBYECFT-UHFFFAOYSA-N mercury Chemical compound [Hg] QSHDDOUJBYECFT-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052753 mercury Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229910052757 nitrogen Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 230000035515 penetration Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000006552 photochemical reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229920000573 polyethylene Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229920001155 polypropylene Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 238000002360 preparation method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000012545 processing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000011160 research Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000012795 verification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000002699 waste material Substances 0.000 description 1
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Chemical compound O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
- G03F—PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR
- G03F7/00—Photomechanical, e.g. photolithographic, production of textured or patterned surfaces, e.g. printing surfaces; Materials therefor, e.g. comprising photoresists; Apparatus specially adapted therefor
- G03F7/16—Coating processes; Apparatus therefor
- G03F7/168—Finishing the coated layer, e.g. drying, baking, soaking
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
- G03F—PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR
- G03F7/00—Photomechanical, e.g. photolithographic, production of textured or patterned surfaces, e.g. printing surfaces; Materials therefor, e.g. comprising photoresists; Apparatus specially adapted therefor
- G03F7/16—Coating processes; Apparatus therefor
- G03F7/162—Coating on a rotating support, e.g. using a whirler or a spinner
Landscapes
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Photosensitive Polymer And Photoresist Processing (AREA)
Abstract
The application provides a photoresist bubble removal device, a photoresist bubble removal system and a photoresist bubble removal method. The photoresist bubble removing device comprises a photoresist sprayer, a bubble detecting sensor and a bubble remover, wherein the photoresist sprayer is used for spraying photoresist on the surface of a carrier. The bubble detection sensor is used for acquiring the position of the bubble in the photoresist. The bubble remover is used for removing bubbles in the photoresist. After the photoresist is sprayed on the surface of the carrier, the position of the bubble in the photoresist is determined by the bubble detection sensor, and then the bubble generated on the surface of the photoresist is removed by the bubble remover, so that the influence of the bubble on the quality of the photoresist film in the photoresist coating process can be avoided, and compared with a conventional method, the photoresist removing reworking is not required on a wafer with the bubble generated on the surface after the photoresist is dropped, and the efficiency and the yield of the photoresist process are improved.
Description
Technical Field
The application relates to the technical field of semiconductor manufacturing, in particular to a photoresist bubble removal device, a photoresist bubble removal system and a photoresist bubble removal method.
Background
Photoresist is the core of the photoetching process, the performance of which determines the precision degree and the yield of finished products, and the photoetching process is a key process for manufacturing semiconductor devices, so that the photoresist has a crucial position in the semiconductor device processing industry. Photoresist is generally coated on the surface of a wafer through a spin coating process, and a certain volume of photoresist is firstly required to be sprayed on the center of the wafer, but bubbles are often found on the surface of the photoresist after the photoresist is sprayed, and the uniformity of the thickness of the photoresist film is poor due to the existence of the bubbles. The thickness variation of the photoresist affects the exposure dose and development rate, making it difficult to control the photolithography process. Therefore, the wafer with bubbles in the photoresist needs to be reworked, which seriously affects the yield of the photolithography process.
Disclosure of Invention
Aiming at the defects of the related art, the application provides a photoresist bubble removing device, a photoresist bubble removing system and a photoresist bubble removing method, which are used for solving the problem that the photoresist sprayed by the photoetching process in the related art has bubbles.
The application provides a photoresist bubble removing device, which comprises a photoresist sprayer, a bubble detecting sensor and a bubble remover, wherein the photoresist sprayer is used for spraying photoresist and forming photoresist; the bubble detection sensor is used for acquiring the position of a bubble in the photoresist; the bubble remover is used for removing bubbles in the photoresist.
After the photoresist is sprayed on the surface of the carrier, the photoresist bubble removing device provided by the embodiment determines the position of the bubble in the photoresist through the bubble detecting sensor, and then the bubble generated on the surface of the photoresist is removed through the bubble remover, so that the influence of the bubble on the quality of a photoresist film in the photoresist coating process can be avoided, and compared with a conventional method, the photoresist removing reworking is not required on a wafer with the bubble generated on the surface after the photoresist is dropped, and the efficiency and the yield of the photoresist process are improved.
In some embodiments, the bubble remover comprises a bubble removing pipe, a negative pressure pump and a photoresist recycling container, wherein one end of the bubble removing pipe is used for contacting with bubbles in the photoresist, and the other end is used for discharging the photoresist with the bubbles. And one end of the negative pressure pump is connected with one end, far away from the photoresist, of the bubble removal pipeline, and the negative pressure pump is used for sucking the photoresist with bubbles. And the photoresist recycling container is connected with one end of the negative pressure pump, which is far away from the bubble removing pipeline, and is used for recycling the photoresist with bubbles.
In some embodiments, the bubble remover comprises a bubble removing pipe and a negative pressure pump, wherein a filtering membrane is arranged in the bubble removing pipe, the filtering membrane allows gas to pass through and does not allow liquid to pass through, one end of the bubble removing pipe is used for contacting with bubbles in the photoresist, and the other end of the bubble removing pipe is used for removing the bubbles in the photoresist; one end of the negative pressure pump is connected with one end of the bubble removal pipeline, which is far away from the photoresist and is used for contacting the photoresist, and the other end of the negative pressure pump is communicated with the external environment and is used for removing bubbles in the photoresist.
In some embodiments, a photoresist sprayer includes a nozzle, a photoresist supply line, and a hydraulic pump; wherein the nozzle is used for spraying photoresist; one end of the photoresist supply pipeline is communicated with the nozzle and is used for transporting photoresist; one end of the hydraulic pump is connected with one end of the photoresist supply pipeline far away from the nozzle and is used for controlling the flow and the flow speed of the photoresist; and the photoresist storage container is connected with one end of the hydraulic pump, which is far away from the photoresist supply pipeline, and is used for storing photoresist.
In some embodiments, the photoresist stripper further comprises: a bubble filter. The bubble filter is arranged between any two of the nozzle, the photoresist supply pipeline, the hydraulic pump and the photoresist storage container and is used for filtering bubbles in the photoresist supply pipeline and/or the photoresist storage container.
In some embodiments, the bubble detection sensor includes an image sensor, an infrared sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor.
In some embodiments, the photoresist bubble removal apparatus further comprises a clamping structure. The clamping structure is connected with the control unit and used for controlling the displacement and the action of the photoresist sprayer, the bubble detection sensor and the bubble remover.
The application also provides a photoresist bubble removal system, which comprises the photoresist bubble removal device and the control unit. The photoresist bubble removal device is in communication connection with the control unit.
The application also provides a photoresist bubble removal method, which comprises the following steps:
spraying quantitative photoresist on the surface of the carrier;
acquiring the existence state and the position of bubbles in the photoresist;
and eliminating bubbles in the photoresist.
The photoresist bubble removal method in the embodiment can avoid the influence of bubbles on the quality of a photoresist film in the photoresist coating process, and compared with the conventional method, the photoresist bubble removal method does not need to remove photoresist from a wafer with bubbles on the surface after photoresist dripping, thereby improving the efficiency and yield of the photoresist process.
In some embodiments, the method further comprises the following steps after removing the bubbles in the photoresist:
acquiring the existence state and the position of the air bubble in the photoresist, and judging whether the air bubble exists in the photoresist;
if the bubbles still exist, continuing to remove the bubbles in the photoresist, and if the bubbles do not exist, ending.
Additional aspects and advantages of the application will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the application.
Drawings
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the application and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the application.
Fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a photoresist bubble removal device according to an embodiment of the present application;
FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of another photoresist bubble removal apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of another photoresist bubble removal apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIGS. 4 a-4 d are schematic views illustrating the structure of each step of a photoresist bubble removal system and method according to an embodiment of the present application;
fig. 5a to fig. 8b are schematic diagrams of verification results corresponding to a bubble removal method used by the photoresist bubble removal device according to the embodiment of the present application.
Wherein: 100-photoresist sprayer; 110-nozzles; 120-photoresist supply line; 130-a hydraulic pump; 140-photoresist storage container; 150-a bubble filter; 200-a bubble detection sensor; 300-bubble remover; 310-bubble removal tubing; 311-filtering membrane; 320-negative pressure pump; 330-a photoresist recycling container; 400-clamping structure; 500-a control unit; 10-photoresist; 20-air bubbles; 30-wafer; 40-stage.
Detailed Description
Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the accompanying drawings, the same numbers in different drawings refer to the same or similar elements, unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatus and methods consistent with some aspects of the present application as detailed in the accompanying claims.
The terminology used in the present application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present application. As used in this application and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term "and/or" as used herein refers to and encompasses any or all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
The research shows that photoresist is widely applied to the semiconductor preparation process, in the semiconductor process, the photoresist is generally coated on the surface of a wafer through a spin coating process, a certain volume of photoresist is firstly required to be sprayed on the center of the wafer, but bubbles are often found on the surface of the photoresist after the photoresist is sprayed, and the existence of the bubbles can lead to the photoresist filmThe thickness uniformity is deteriorated. The thickness variation of the photoresist affects the exposure dose and development rate, making it difficult to control the photolithography process. Therefore, the wafer with bubbles in the photoresist needs to be reworked, which seriously affects the yield of the photolithography process. The reason why the photoresist generates bubbles is mainly as follows: 1. the photoresist bottle is swayed or moved to generate bubbles before spin coating; 2. the photoresist taken out of the refrigerator is not heated to room temperature and then the bottle cap is opened to introduce bubbles; 3. introducing bubbles when diluting the photoresist; 4. bubble generation is caused by temperature and humidity changes of the clean room; 5. the pressure difference in the pipeline is large and bubbles are generated due to the fact that the glue dropping speed is too high; 6. decomposition of photoactive compounds in liquid photoresists to yield N 2 And (5) air bubbles. In addition, the bubbles generated by the photoresist can exist in a photoresist pipeline of the photoresist homogenizer, and the existence of the bubbles in the photoresist pipeline can influence the photoresist dropping amount of the photoresist homogenizer, so that the quality of the photoresist film is influenced.
The photoresist bubble removal device, system and method provided by the application aim to solve the technical problems in the related art.
The photoresist bubble removal device, system and method in the embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The features of the embodiments described below can be supplemented or combined with one another without conflict.
The application provides a photoresist bubble removing device, as shown in fig. 1-3, comprising a photoresist sprayer 100, a bubble detecting sensor 200 and a bubble remover 300, wherein the photoresist sprayer 100 is used for spraying photoresist and forming photoresist 10; the bubble detection sensor 200 is used for acquiring the position of the bubble 20 in the photoresist 10; the bubble remover 300 is used to remove bubbles 20 in the photoresist 10.
After the photoresist 10 is sprayed on the surface of the carrier, the position of the bubble 20 in the photoresist 10 is determined by the bubble detection sensor 200, and then the bubble 20 generated on the surface of the photoresist 10 is removed by the bubble remover 300, so that the influence of the bubble 20 on the quality of the photoresist film in the photoresist coating process can be avoided, and compared with the conventional method, the photoresist removing reworking of the wafer 30 with the bubble 20 generated on the surface after the photoresist is dropped is not required, and the efficiency and the yield of the photoresist process are improved.
In some embodiments, the carrier is a wafer 30. It should be noted that the carrier may be any of various structures manufactured by using a photolithography process, and those skilled in the art may set the carrier according to the specific situation, and is not limited thereto.
In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 1, the bubble remover 300 includes a bubble removing pipe 310, a negative pressure pump 320, and a photoresist recycling container 330, wherein one end of the bubble removing pipe 310 is used to contact with the bubbles 20 in the photoresist 10, and the other end is used to discharge the photoresist with the bubbles 20. A negative pressure pump 320, one end of which is connected to an end of the bubble removal pipe 310 remote from the end for contacting the photoresist 10, for sucking the photoresist with bubbles 20. And a photoresist recycling container 330 connected to an end of the negative pressure pump 320 remote from the bubble removal pipe 310 for recycling the photoresist with bubbles 20.
The negative pressure pump 320 is communicated in the bubble remover 300 in this embodiment, so that pressure can be generated in the bubble removing pipe 310 by the negative pressure pump 320, when one end of the bubble removing pipe 310 is aligned to the bubble 20, photoresist with the bubble 20 in the photoresist 10 can be removed, and then the photoresist with the bubble 20 is recycled, thereby eliminating the bubble 20 in the photoresist 10, saving cost and avoiding resource waste.
In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 2, the bubble remover 300 includes a bubble removing pipe 310 and a negative pressure pump 320, wherein a filtering membrane 311 is provided in the bubble removing pipe 310, the filtering membrane 311 allows gas to pass through and does not allow liquid to pass through, one end of the bubble removing pipe 310 is used for contacting with bubbles 20 in the photoresist 10, and the other end is used for removing the bubbles 20 in the photoresist 10; one end of the negative pressure pump 320 is connected to an end of the bubble removal pipe 310 remote from the contact with the photoresist 10, and the other end is communicated with the external environment, for removing bubbles 20 from the photoresist 10.
In this embodiment, in order to improve the retention utilization rate of the photoresist spraying amount, a mode of setting a waterproof and breathable film in the bubble removal pipeline 310 is adopted, when the bubble removal pipeline 310 is aligned to the bubble 20 in the photoresist 10 for absorption, the photoresist is prevented from being sucked away, and only the bubble 20 is sucked away, so that the photoresist spraying amount cannot be lost, and meanwhile, a recycling device is not required to be arranged, so that the utilization rate, the photoresist coating yield and the equipment cost of the photoresist are improved.
In some embodiments, the waterproof and breathable membrane is made of TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer rubber), PE (Polyethylene), PP (polypropylene), PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) or e-PTFE (expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene). Illustratively, the waterproof breathable membrane is made of polytetrafluoroethylene.
In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 1-3, a needle is disposed at the end of the bubble removal conduit 310 that is in contact with the bubbles 20 in the photoresist 10, which is more advantageous for rapid penetration into the photoresist to remove the bubbles 20.
In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 1-3, a photoresist sprayer 100 includes a nozzle 110, a photoresist supply line 120, and a hydraulic pump 130; wherein the nozzle 110 is used for spraying photoresist; one end of the photoresist supply pipe 120 communicates with the nozzle 110 for transporting photoresist; one end of the hydraulic pump 130 is connected to one end of the photoresist supply pipe 120, which is remote from the nozzle 110, for controlling the flow rate and flow velocity of the photoresist; the photoresist storage container 140 is connected to an end of the hydraulic pump 130 remote from the photoresist supply line 120 for storing photoresist.
The photoresist sprayer 100 in this embodiment is specifically provided with a nozzle 110 for spraying photoresist, the nozzle 110 is communicated with a hydraulic pump 130, the hydraulic pump 130 can control the flow rate and the flow velocity of the photoresist sprayed by the nozzle 110, and parameters corresponding to the flow rate and the flow velocity can be set according to actual conditions.
In some embodiments, the photoresist storage container 140 is an AZ5214E photoresist tank or an AZ12XT-20PL photoresist tank.
In some embodiments, the end surface of the bubble removal tube 310 at the end for contact with the photoresist 10 has an inner diameter smaller than the caliber of the nozzle opening of the nozzle 110.
In some embodiments, the orifice of the nozzle 110 has a bore of 1-2 mm. Illustratively, the orifice is 1.5mm in diameter.
In some embodiments, the end surface of the bubble removal tube 310 at the end for contact with the photoresist 10 has an inner diameter of 0.3 to 0.6mm. Illustratively, the bubble removal tube 310 is provided with a needle at the end contacting the photoresist 10, and the inner diameter of the end face of the needle is 0.4mm.
In some embodiments, the photoresist stripper 100 further comprises: a bubble filter 150. A bubble filter 150 is provided between any two of the nozzle 110, the photoresist supply line 120, the hydraulic pump 130, and the photoresist storage vessel 140, for filtering bubbles 20 in the photoresist supply line 120 and/or the photoresist storage vessel 140. Illustratively, as shown in fig. 3, the bubble filter 150 is disposed between the photoresist supply line 120 and the hydraulic pump 130, and one skilled in the art can flexibly vary according to the actual situation, not limited thereto.
In this embodiment, the bubble filter 150 is added to the photoresist sprayer 100, so that the photoresist bubbles 20 generated in the photoresist storage container 140 can be filtered in advance before photoresist is sprayed, and the number of bubbles 20 possibly formed on the surface of the photoresist 10 formed after photoresist is dropped is reduced, thereby further improving the bubble removal efficiency.
In some embodiments, a membrane is provided within the bubble filter 150 for absorbing bubbles 20, the membrane allowing liquid to pass but not gas.
In some embodiments, the bubble detection sensor 200 includes an image sensor, an infrared sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor. Specifically, the bubble detection sensor 200 in the present embodiment is an image sensor. The bubble detection sensor 200 is illustratively a CCD camera or a CMOS image sensor.
In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 1-3, the photoresist bubble removal apparatus further comprises a clamping structure 400. The clamping structure 400 is connected to the control unit 500 for controlling the displacement and operation of the photoresist stripper 100, the bubble detecting sensor 200 and the bubble remover 300.
In some embodiments, a distance measuring sensor (not shown) is also connected to the bubble remover 300, and the moving speed and height of the bubble removing pipe 310 can be controlled by measuring the distance between the bubble removing pipe 310 and the bubble 20 through the distance measuring sensor.
In some embodiments, the clamping structure 400 is a mobile arm that can control and set the position and height of the photoresist stripper 100, the bubble detecting sensor 200, and the bubble remover 300.
Specifically, when the clamping structure 400 fixes the photoresist 100, the bubble detecting sensor 200, and the bubble remover 300 to be positioned at the same horizontal plane, the distance between the nozzle 110 of the photoresist 100 and the photoresist 10 is smaller than the distance between the bubble remover 300 and the photoresist 10, so as to ensure that the nozzle 110 of the photoresist 100 does not contact the surface of the photoresist 10 when the bubble 20 is removed by the bubble remover 300, thereby avoiding contamination. Meanwhile, the bubble detection sensor 200 may acquire the existence state and position information of the bubbles 20 on the surface of the photoresist 10.
In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 1-3, the photoresist bubble removing apparatus is further provided with a carrier 40 for accommodating the wafer 30, and photoresist is sprayed on the surface of the wafer 30 to form the photoresist 10. Illustratively, the carrier 40 is a vacuum chuck for securing the position of the wafer 30.
The speed and time at which the vacuum chuck rotates the wafer 30 at a high speed may be set according to the required film thickness of the photoresist 10.
Based on the same inventive concept, as shown in fig. 4a to 4d, the present application also provides a photoresist bubble removal system including the photoresist bubble removal apparatus and the control unit 500 mentioned in the foregoing embodiments. The photoresist bubble removal apparatus is in communication with the control unit 500.
In some embodiments, the photoresist bubble removal apparatus is electrically connected to the control unit 500.
Illustratively, in the photoresist bubble removing apparatus, the hydraulic pump 130, the bubble detecting sensor 200, the negative pressure pump 320 and the clamping structure 400 in the photoresist stripper 100, respectively, are connected with the control unit 500 to realize the overall operation of the photoresist bubble removing apparatus.
Based on the same inventive concept, as shown in fig. 4a to 4d, the present application further provides a photoresist bubble removal method, which includes the following steps:
step 100: as shown in fig. 4a, a fixed amount of photoresist 10 is ejected on the surface of a carrier;
step 200: as shown in fig. 4b, the existence state and the position of the bubble 20 in the photoresist 10 are acquired;
step 300: as shown in fig. 4c, the bubbles 20 in the photoresist 10 are removed.
The photoresist bubble removal method in this embodiment can avoid the influence of the bubbles 20 on the quality of the photoresist film in the photoresist coating process, and compared with the conventional method, the photoresist bubble removal method does not need to remove the photoresist from the wafer 30 with the bubbles 20 generated on the surface after the photoresist is dropped, thereby improving the efficiency and yield of the photoresist process.
In some embodiments, the carrier is a wafer 30.
In some embodiments, the photoresist provided in this embodiment is specifically based on the photoresist bubble removal device provided in the previous embodiment.
In some embodiments, the following steps are further included after step 300:
step 400: acquiring the existence state and the position of the bubble 20 in the photoresist 10, and judging whether the bubble 20 exists in the photoresist 10;
step 500: if the bubbles 20 still exist, the bubbles 20 in the photoresist 10 are continuously removed, and if the bubbles 20 do not exist, the process is ended.
In this embodiment, steps 400 to 500 are added, and the photoresist 10 after removing the bubbles 20 can be further inspected to avoid the situation that the bubbles 20 are not removed.
In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 4d, step 300 further comprises the following steps:
step 400': spin coating, soft baking, and exposure and development.
In order to further verify the beneficial effects of the technical solution provided in the present application, the present application further provides specific embodiments and comparison, for example, the following:
example 1
Device conditions: as shown in fig. 4a to 4d, a holding structure 400 in the photoresist bubble removing apparatus in this embodiment uses a moving arm, the moving arm holds a photoresist sprayer 100, the length of a nozzle 110 of the photoresist sprayer 100 is 30mm, the caliber of a nozzle 110 opening is 1.5mm, and the photoresist storage container 140 is connected with the photoresist supply pipe 120, and in this embodiment, an AZ5214E photoresist tank is selected as the photoresist storage container 140. The movable arm is clamped with a bubble remover 300, one end of a bubble removing pipeline 310 of the bubble remover 300, which faces the photoresist, is provided with a needle head, the length of the needle head is 35mm, the inner diameter of the needle head is 0.4mm, the bubble removing pipeline 310 is connected with a negative pressure pump 320, and a filtering membrane 311 is arranged in the bubble removing pipeline 310 and only allows gas to pass through, but not liquid to pass through. The moving arm also holds a bubble detection sensor 200, specifically a CCD camera in this embodiment.
Pretreatment: prior to the actual dispensing, 14 inch wafer 30, i.e., bare silicon wafer, was subjected to a 150 ℃ HMDS (hexamethyldisilazane) oven pretreatment to increase the adhesion of the wafer to the photoresist. The silicon wafer is placed on a vacuum chuck (a carrier 40) of the photoresist bubble removal device after being cooled to room temperature on a cold plate, the silicon wafer is positioned to ensure that the silicon wafer is positioned at the right center of the vacuum chuck, and the vacuum condition of the vacuum chuck is opened to fix the silicon wafer.
Step 100: a photoresist is formed. Specifically, as shown in fig. 4a, the movement of the moving arm is controlled to make the photoresist nozzle 110 located right above the center of the silicon wafer, the photoresist nozzle 110 is 9mm away from the surface of the wafer 30, AZ5214E photoresist begins to be dropped, the dosage of the photoresist is 1.5-2.5 mL, in this embodiment, 2mL is preferred, and the silicon wafer remains stationary during the photoresist dropping process.
Step 200: and acquiring the existence state and the position of the bubble in the photoresist. Specifically, as shown in fig. 4b, the CCD camera on the moving arm starts to rapidly capture the photoresist bubbles at the local positions on the surface of the silicon wafer, marks the sites, and stores the coordinates of the bubbles.
Step 300: and eliminating bubbles in the photoresist. Specifically, as shown in fig. 4c, according to the stored bubble coordinates, the drying needle on the moving arm moves to the position right above the bubble, the drying needle is controlled to quickly descend at a speed of 1mm/s, when the needle approaches the bubble, the drying needle slowly descends to contact the bubble at a speed of 0.2mm/s, a vacuum pipeline valve connected with the drying needle is opened, and the bubble on the surface of the photoresist is sucked away through negative pressure.
Step 400': spin coating, soft baking, and exposure and development. As shown in fig. 4d, the specific steps are as follows:
(1) The vacuum chuck of the photoresist bubble removing device drives the silicon wafer to rotate at high speed. In the step, the rotation is performed in two steps, in the first step, the silicon wafer is rotated at a lower speed, the rotation speed can be 300-700 r/min, 500r/min is preferable in the embodiment, the rotation time is 2-4 s, 3s is preferable in the embodiment, and the photoresist in the center of the wafer 30 is helped to diffuse to the whole surface of the wafer 30; and secondly, the silicon wafer is rotated at a high speed, the rotating speed can be 3900-4100 r/min, 4000r/min is preferable in the embodiment, the rotating time is 30-40 s, 35s is preferable in the embodiment, and the final film thickness of the obtained photoresist is about 1.4um.
(2) After the spin coating is completed, the wafer 30 is soft baked on a hot plate to evaporate a part of the solvent in the photoresist, so as to avoid the solvent interfering with the exposure process, and the soft baking temperature can be set to 90-95 ℃, in this embodiment, the baking time is preferably 90 ℃, and the baking time is 2 minutes.
(3) And (3) cooling the silicon wafer to room temperature on a cold plate, and exposing the silicon wafer on a contact lithography machine by using a mask. The photoresist corresponding to the light-transmitting part of the mask plate can be changed from insoluble developing solution to soluble developing solution after being exposed, and the developing solution can dissolve the photoresist. After the photoresist corresponding to the opaque part of the mask is exposed, the developing solution is kept insoluble, and the photoresist can be remained on the silicon wafer. The exposure light source is a mercury lamp, and the exposure dose can be set to 65-80 mJ/cm 2 In this embodiment, it is preferably 70mJ/cm 2 . After the exposure, the pattern was developed by chemical decomposition of the unpolymerized photoresist, a solution of tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) with a concentration of 2.38% was selected as the developer for 40-50 s, preferably 45s in this example, and the wafer surface was immediately rinsed with deionized water after removal from the developer to stop the development reaction, and finally the wafer was blow-dried with a nitrogen gun.
The photoresist pattern on the surface of the silicon wafer observed by an optical microscope after development is shown in fig. 5a, wherein 1 corresponds to the area where the photoresist on the surface of the silicon wafer after development is dissolved, and 2 corresponds to the area where the photoresist on the surface of the silicon wafer after development is reserved. Because the influence of photoresist bubbles is avoided, the photoresist film thickness consistency after photoresist homogenization is good, and the patterns and lines after exposure and development are complete. And (3) carrying out dry etching on the silicon wafer after development, removing photoresist on the surface of the silicon wafer after the dry etching is finished, and observing the surface condition of the silicon wafer by an optical microscope, as shown in fig. 5b, wherein 3 corresponds to a region of the silicon wafer, which is not protected by the photoresist, and 4 corresponds to a region of the silicon wafer, which is not protected by the photoresist. The surface of the silicon wafer with the photoresist position is well protected, the silicon wafer is not etched by the reaction gas, and the silicon wafer with the position without photoresist protection is etched to a certain depth according to the requirement.
Example 2
The steps of the bubble removal method in this example are the same as in example 1, except that the following process conditions are mainly used:
1. device conditions the photoresist storage vessel 140 of example 2 employs an AZ12XT-20PL photoresist tank.
2. The photoresist in step 100 was AZ12XT-20PL photoresist, and the photoresist was used in an amount of 4.5mL.
3. The rotation speed of the low-speed rotation in the first step of spin coating in the step 400' is 750r/min, and the rotation time is 10s. The time of high-speed rotation in the second step is 40s, and the final film thickness of the obtained photoresist is about 6.5um. The temperature of the soft bake was 110℃and the bake time was 150 seconds. The exposure dose is 180mJ/cm 2 . After the exposure is finished, the post-exposure baking is carried out, the photochemical reaction in the photoresist is amplified, the temperature of the post-exposure baking is 90 ℃, and the time is 60 seconds. Development time was 60s, and was performed in two steps, each immersed in TMAH developer for 30s.
The photoresist on the surface of the silicon wafer observed by an optical microscope after development in the example 2 is shown in fig. 6a, and the area 2 corresponds to the photoresist reserved on the surface of the silicon wafer after development, and the photoresist uniformity after photoresist homogenization is good due to no influence of photoresist bubbles, and no obvious bubble mark exists after development. And after development, carrying out dry etching on the silicon wafer, removing photoresist on the surface of the silicon wafer after the dry etching is finished, observing the surface condition of the silicon wafer through an optical microscope, wherein 4 corresponds to the region of the silicon wafer, which is not etched, with photoresist protection, and the surface of the silicon wafer with the photoresist position is well protected and is not etched by the reaction gas.
Comparative example 1
The process parameters in this comparative example are the same as in example 1, except that steps 200 and 300 are omitted.
Comparative example 1 the photoresist pattern on the surface of the silicon wafer observed with an optical microscope after development is shown in fig. 7a, wherein 1 corresponds to the region where the photoresist on the surface of the silicon wafer after development is dissolved, 2 corresponds to the region where the photoresist on the surface of the silicon wafer after development remains, and 5 corresponds to the bubble trace of the photoresist on the surface of the silicon wafer after development. Since the photoresist bubbles are not removed, the photoresist has obvious bubble marks after photoresist homogenization, and obvious bubble marks remain at undissolved photoresist after development. And (3) carrying out dry etching on the silicon wafer after development, removing photoresist on the surface of the silicon wafer after the dry etching is finished, and observing the surface condition of the silicon wafer by an optical microscope, as shown in fig. 7b, wherein 3 corresponds to a region of the silicon wafer, which is not protected by photoresist, 4 corresponds to a region of the silicon wafer, which is not protected by photoresist, and 6 corresponds to a region of the silicon wafer, which is protected by photoresist but is etched, due to photoresist bubbles. The photoresist bubble exists, so that the consistency of the photoresist film after photoresist homogenization is poor, the photoresist cannot well protect the silicon wafer due to the existence of photoresist bubble marks after development, the silicon wafer at the position corresponding to the bubble marks is etched by the reaction gas, and the silicon wafer at the position without photoresist protection is etched to a certain depth according to the requirement.
Comparative example 2
The process parameters in this comparative example are the same as in example 2, except that steps 200 and 300 are omitted.
Comparative example 2 the photoresist on the surface of the silicon wafer after development and observation by an optical microscope is shown in fig. 8a, wherein 2 corresponds to the region where the photoresist on the surface of the silicon wafer after development remains and 5 corresponds to the bubble trace existing in the photoresist on the surface after development of the silicon wafer. Because photoresist bubbles are not removed, the viscosity of the photoresist is higher, the influence range of bubbles is larger during photoresist homogenization, a section of obvious bubble trace can be formed, and the bubble trace still exists after development. And (3) carrying out dry etching on the silicon wafer after development, removing photoresist on the surface of the silicon wafer after the dry etching is finished, and observing the surface condition of the silicon wafer by an optical microscope, as shown in fig. 8b, wherein 4 corresponds to a region of the silicon wafer which is protected by photoresist and is not etched, and 6 corresponds to a region of the silicon wafer which is protected by photoresist and is etched due to photoresist bubbles. The existence of the photoresist bubbles causes poor consistency of the photoresist film after photoresist homogenization, the photoresist cannot well protect the silicon wafer due to the existence of photoresist bubble marks after development, and the silicon wafer at the position corresponding to the bubble marks is obviously etched by the reaction gas.
The above embodiments of the present application may be complementary to each other without conflict.
Those of skill in the art will appreciate that the various operations, methods, steps in the flow, actions, schemes, and alternatives discussed in the present application may be alternated, altered, combined, or eliminated. Further, other steps, means, or steps in a process having various operations, methods, or procedures discussed in this application may be alternated, altered, rearranged, split, combined, or eliminated. Further, steps, measures, schemes in the related art having various operations, methods, flows disclosed in the present application may also be alternated, altered, rearranged, decomposed, combined, or deleted.
In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the drawings, merely to facilitate description of the present application and simplify the description, and do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a specific orientation, be configured and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the present application.
The terms "first," "second," and the like, are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defining "a first" or "a second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more such feature. In the description of the present application, unless otherwise indicated, the meaning of "a plurality" is two or more.
In the description of the present application, it should be noted that, unless explicitly specified and limited otherwise, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" are to be construed broadly, and may be either fixedly connected, detachably connected, or integrally connected, for example; can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and can be communication between two elements. The specific meaning of the terms in this application will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art in a specific context.
In the description of the present specification, a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.
The foregoing is only a partial embodiment of the present application and it should be noted that, for a person skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present application, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered as the protection scope of the present application.
Claims (10)
1. A photoresist bubble removal apparatus, comprising:
a photoresist sprayer for spraying photoresist on the surface of the carrier;
the bubble detection sensor is used for acquiring the position of the bubble in the photoresist;
and the bubble remover is used for removing bubbles in the photoresist.
2. The photoresist bubble removal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bubble remover comprises:
one end of the bubble removing pipeline is used for contacting with bubbles in the photoresist, and the other end of the bubble removing pipeline is used for discharging the photoresist with the bubbles;
one end of the negative pressure pump is connected with one end, far away from the photoresist, of the bubble removing pipeline and is used for sucking the photoresist with bubbles;
and the photoresist recycling container is connected with one end of the negative pressure pump, which is far away from the bubble removing pipeline, and is used for recycling the photoresist with bubbles.
3. The photoresist bubble removal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bubble remover comprises:
the bubble removing pipeline is internally provided with a filtering membrane which allows gas to pass through and does not allow liquid to pass through, one end of the bubble removing pipeline is used for contacting with bubbles in the photoresist, and the other end of the bubble removing pipeline is used for discharging the bubbles in the photoresist;
and one end of the negative pressure pump is connected with one end, far away from the photoresist, of the bubble removal pipeline, and the other end of the negative pressure pump is communicated with the external environment and is used for removing bubbles in the photoresist.
4. The photoresist bubble removal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the photoresist sprayer comprises:
a nozzle for ejecting photoresist;
a photoresist supply pipe, one end of which is communicated with the nozzle and used for transporting photoresist;
one end of the hydraulic pump is connected with one end of the photoresist supply pipeline far away from the nozzle and is used for controlling the flow and the flow speed of the photoresist;
and the photoresist storage container is connected with one end of the hydraulic pump, which is far away from the photoresist supply pipeline, and is used for storing photoresist.
5. The photoresist bubble removal apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the photoresist sprayer further comprises: a bubble filter;
the bubble filter is arranged between any two of the nozzle, the photoresist supply pipeline, the hydraulic pump and the photoresist storage container and is used for filtering bubbles in the photoresist supply pipeline and/or the photoresist storage container.
6. The photoresist bubble removal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bubble detection sensor comprises an image sensor, an infrared sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor.
7. The photoresist bubble removal apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a clamping structure;
the clamping structure is connected with the control unit and used for controlling the displacement and the action of the photoresist sprayer, the bubble detection sensor and the bubble remover.
8. A photoresist bubble removal system comprising a photoresist bubble removal apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7 and a control unit;
the photoresist bubble removal device is in communication connection with the control unit.
9. A photoresist de-bubbling method, comprising:
spraying quantitative photoresist on the surface of the carrier;
acquiring the existence state and the position of bubbles in the photoresist;
and eliminating bubbles in the photoresist.
10. The photoresist de-bubbling method of claim 9, further comprising, after said removing of bubbles within said photoresist:
acquiring the existence state and the position of the air bubble in the photoresist, and judging whether the air bubble exists in the photoresist;
if the bubbles still exist, continuing to remove the bubbles in the photoresist, and if the bubbles do not exist, ending.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN202311186933.XA CN117250829A (en) | 2023-09-14 | 2023-09-14 | Photoresist bubble removing device, system and method |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN202311186933.XA CN117250829A (en) | 2023-09-14 | 2023-09-14 | Photoresist bubble removing device, system and method |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CN117250829A true CN117250829A (en) | 2023-12-19 |
Family
ID=89136153
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN202311186933.XA Pending CN117250829A (en) | 2023-09-14 | 2023-09-14 | Photoresist bubble removing device, system and method |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CN (1) | CN117250829A (en) |
-
2023
- 2023-09-14 CN CN202311186933.XA patent/CN117250829A/en active Pending
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| US6090205A (en) | Apparatus for processing substrate | |
| US7891365B2 (en) | Nozzle cleaning apparatus, nozzle cleaning method, and a computer-readable storage medium storing nozzle cleaning program | |
| US7752999B2 (en) | Wet processing system, wet processing method and storage medium | |
| US8037890B2 (en) | Substrate cleaning device and substrate cleaning method | |
| US8033244B2 (en) | Substrate processing system | |
| US20150086923A1 (en) | Substrate processing method | |
| US7742146B2 (en) | Coating and developing method, coating and developing system and storage medium | |
| KR100733994B1 (en) | Immersion photolithography with megasonic rinse | |
| US8147153B2 (en) | Rinsing method, developing method, developing system and computer-read storage medium | |
| US8387630B2 (en) | Protective film removing device, mixed chemical solution recovering method and program storage medium | |
| US8084194B2 (en) | Substrate edge treatment for coater/developer | |
| CN1985357A (en) | Substrate heating equipment and substrate heating method | |
| EP0851301B1 (en) | Developing liquid supplying device | |
| CN107785292B (en) | Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method | |
| JP2001110712A (en) | Equipment and method for eliminating coating film | |
| CN117250829A (en) | Photoresist bubble removing device, system and method | |
| US6857543B2 (en) | Low volume dispense unit and method of using | |
| TWI747094B (en) | Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method | |
| US11141758B2 (en) | Film forming method, storage medium, and film forming system | |
| JPH11233406A (en) | Method and device for substrate processing | |
| JP3964475B2 (en) | Substrate processing method and apparatus | |
| KR20120096406A (en) | Organic development processing apparatus and organic development processing method | |
| JP2009094398A (en) | Applying/developing apparatus and method and storage medium | |
| JP2005093953A (en) | Edge exposure system and substrate processing equipment having the same | |
| JP2024035712A (en) | Two-fluid discharge device, substrate processing device and two-fluid nozzle control method |
Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| PB01 | Publication | ||
| PB01 | Publication | ||
| SE01 | Entry into force of request for substantive examination | ||
| SE01 | Entry into force of request for substantive examination |