KR20010018689A - A wafer exposure device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: An exposure apparatus for a periphery of a wafer is provided to shorten an interval of time for an exposure process, by performing an exposure regarding the periphery of the wafer while a peripheral exposure unit is moving, so that a center of the wafer does not change before and after a peripheral exposure. CONSTITUTION: A table(100) for aligning a flat zone has a wafer revolving plate on which a wafer(110) is placed, revolving and moving vertically. A plurality of side spot sensors and check sensors detect periphery and the flat zone of the wafer settled on the wafer revolving plate, installed in an upper portion of the table for aligning the flat zone. A sensor for detecting an appearance of the wafer detects a revolving center of the wafer settled on the wafer revolving plate, installed in an upper portion of the table for aligning the flat zone. A peripheral exposure unit performs an exposure regarding the periphery of the wafer settled on the wafer revolving plate, horizontally moving in an X axis regarding the table for aligning the flat zone.

Description

A wafer exposure device

The present invention relates to a wafer peripheral exposure apparatus, and more particularly to a wafer peripheral exposure apparatus that reduces the wafer flat zone alignment step performed before the wafer peripheral exposure, and improves the accuracy of the wafer peripheral exposure width during wafer peripheral exposure. .

In general, a photoresist (PR), which is a photoresist, is applied to a surface of a wafer to produce a semiconductor device, and a reticle having a pattern to form light generated from a light source such as a mercury lamp or an ultraviolet lamp on a wafer, or The photoresist PR is exposed to light by etching to a mask to be etched to form a pattern. This is called photolithography.

In such a photo process technology, when the wafer is not aligned before the entire surface exposure of the wafer, there is a problem in that the pattern is unevenly exposed during exposure.

In the process of applying photoresist (PR), which is a photoresist, to the entire surface of the wafer, and exposing and etching the photoresist, the peripheral portion of the wafer is first cleaned with a cleaning solution.

Therefore, before exposing the entire surface of the wafer, the alignment of the wafer is first performed, and the wafer peripheral exposure that exposes the wafer peripheral part is performed to minimize the generation of foreign substances on the wafer peripheral part generated in the etching process.

1 and 2 are diagrams for explaining a conventional wafer peripheral exposure apparatus that performs wafer alignment and wafer peripheral exposure. In the conventional wafer peripheral exposure apparatus, a flat zone in which wafer alignment (flat zone alignment) is performed is performed. The alignment table 10 has a rotation table 11 that is driven up and down and rotationally.

The peripheral exposure unit 19 for exposing the wafer to one side of the flat zone alignment table 10 is positioned.

The peripheral exposure unit 19 is fixed with a light generating unit 22 for generating an i-line having a wavelength range of 365 nm, and receives the light below the light generating unit 22 to receive a wafer 22. The peripheral exposure sensor 21 which sets the peripheral exposure width and the exposure amount is provided so that it can move up and down.

In addition, when the wafer 22 is positioned on the wafer rotation table 11, the first and second flat zone detection units A and B for detecting the wafer flat zone and aligning the wafers have an upper surface of the flat zone alignment table 10. Each of them is installed so that the wafer flat zone can be detected.

The first flat zone detection unit A is provided with two 0 ° check sensors 16a and 16b, a 90 ° side spot sensor 13 disposed between the two 0 ° check sensors, and a 0 ° check sensor on both sides. 0. It consists of the front spot sensors 12a and 12b.

The second flat zone detection unit B has two 90 ° check sensors 17a and 17b and a 0 ° side spot sensor 15 provided between the check sensors and 90 ° provided on both sides of the 90 ° check sensor. It consists of side spot sensors 14a and 14b.

In addition, a wafer contour detection sensor 18 for detecting the center point of the wafer 22 is located on the upper surface of the flat zone alignment table 10.

The flat zone alignment and wafer peripheral exposure of the wafer by the conventional wafer peripheral exposure apparatus having such a configuration will be described as follows.

First, the flat zone alignment of the wafer is performed when the wafer 22 is seated on the wafer rotation table 11 by a wafer transfer means (not shown), and the outline detection sensor 18 detects the center point of the wafer, and the first and second The spot sensor and the check sensor of the flat zone detection units A and B detect the flat zone of the wafer, and the wafer alignment proceeds.

When the alignment of the wafer is completed, the peripheral exposure sensor 21 is raised to measure the peripheral exposure width and the peripheral exposure amount of the wafer. The peripheral exposure start point is found and the I-line is formed in the light generation unit 22. ) Is generated to perform exposure around the wafer.

After the peripheral exposure ends, the peripheral exposure sensor 21 descends to return to its original position, and the wafer contour detection sensor 18 detects the center point of the wafer again, and the first and second flat zone detection units A and B The wafer flat zone is detected again, and the wafer is aligned.

However, in the conventional wafer peripheral exposure apparatus, the peripheral exposure sensor of the peripheral exposure unit moves only in the up and down direction to set the peripheral exposure amount. However, since the light generating unit is fixed, it is impossible to move in the left and right direction.

Therefore, the flat zone alignment table itself must be moved from side to side in order to expose by the set peripheral exposure width during wafer peripheral exposure, so that the center coordinates of the wafer rotation before the wafer peripheral exposure and the center of rotation of the wafer after the wafer peripheral exposure are different from each other. .

Therefore, since the alignment step of redetecting the flat zone and the rotation center of the wafer after the peripheral exposure is required, many steps are required for the peripheral exposure, and thus, there is a disadvantage in terms of production yield due to time loss.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a wafer alignment apparatus which reduces the time required for wafer flat zone alignment before and after the peripheral exposure, which is devised to solve the conventional problems.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a flat zone alignment table and a flat zone in which a wafer rotating plate on which a wafer is seated is mounted in a wafer peripheral exposure apparatus in which wafer peripheral exposure and wafer flat zone alignment are performed to achieve the above object. Multiple side spot sensors and check sensors installed on the top of the alignment table to detect the periphery and flat zone of the wafer seated on the wafer wafer turntable, and centers of rotation of the wafers mounted on the wafer turntable mounted on the top of the flat zone alignment table It consists of a wafer contour detection sensor for detecting a and the peripheral exposure unit for exposing the periphery of the wafer seated on the wafer rotating plate while moving left and right in the X-axis direction with respect to the flat zone alignment table.

The peripheral exposure unit includes a unit body having a cross-sectional shape of a '??' shape, a light generating unit installed at an upper end of the unit body to generate an I-line having a wavelength band of 365 nm for exposure of the wafer peripheral area; The peripheral exposure sensor is installed at the middle of the unit body and receives the I-line of the light generating unit to determine the peripheral exposure width and the peripheral exposure amount of the wafer. The peripheral exposure unit is driven by the stepping motor.

1 and 2 are views for explaining a conventional wafer peripheral exposure apparatus.

3 and 4 are views for explaining a wafer peripheral exposure apparatus according to the present invention.

■ Brief description of the main parts of the drawing ■

10,100: sort table 11,101: turn table

12,13,14,15,102,103: spot sensor 16,17,104: check sensor

18,105: appearance detection sensor 19,106: peripheral exposure unit

20,108: light generator 21,109: ambient exposure sensor

22,110 wafer 111 drive motor

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the wafer peripheral exposure apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

3 and 4 are diagrams for explaining the wafer peripheral exposure apparatus according to the present invention.

Referring to this, in the wafer peripheral exposure apparatus of the present invention, there is a wafer rotation table 101 which moves up and down and rotates on the wafer alignment table 100 where wafer alignment is performed.

In addition, a wafer contour detection sensor 105 for measuring a center point of the wafer 110 is positioned at one upper end of the wafer alignment table 100, and two 0 ° check sensors 14a are positioned at one lower end of the wafer alignment table 100. And 104b are positioned, and 0 ° front spot sensors 102a and 102b are positioned outside the 0 ° check sensor, respectively.

The 0. side spot sensor 103 is positioned on the upper left side of the wafer alignment table 100, and the peripheral exposure unit 106 for the peripheral exposure of the wafer is positioned opposite to the 0. side spot sensor 103. The upper right side of the wafer alignment table 100 is installed.

The peripheral exposure unit 106 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 4. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 107 denotes a unit body.

The peripheral exposure unit is composed of a unit body 107 having an approximate cross-sectional shape in the shape of a 'ㅌ'. The upper end portion 107-1 of the unit body has an I- having a wavelength band of 365 nm for wafer peripheral exposure. A light generating unit 108 for generating a line (i-line) is formed, and the stop unit 107-2 receives an ambient light sensor for determining an ambient exposure width and an ambient exposure amount by receiving the light of the light generating unit 108. 109 is located.

The unit body 107 of the peripheral exposure unit is provided with a stepping motor 111 so that the unit body 107 is finely disposed in the X-axis direction with respect to the wafer alignment table 100 by the stepping motor 111. Make it mobile.

The wafer alignment and wafer peripheral exposure by the wafer preliminary peripheral exposure apparatus of the present invention having the above configuration will be described as follows.

When the wafer 110 is loaded from the wafer transfer means, not shown, the rotary table 101 is raised to seat the wafer 110, and the wafer contour detection sensor 105 detects the center point of the wafer.

When the detection of the center point of the wafer is completed, the entire peripheral exposure unit 106 is moved from the edge of the wafer 110 by the peripheral exposure set width by the stepping motor 111 in the X axis direction with respect to the alignment table 100, An I-line is generated in the generator 108 to start exposure around the wafer, and the turntable 101 continuously rotates to expose all of the wafer periphery.

Here, the peripheral exposure unit 106 may be moved by the stepping motor 111 to allow fine movement, thereby finely adjusting the peripheral exposure setting width.

When the wafer peripheral exposure is completed, the peripheral exposure unit 106 is moved in the X axis direction again to the original position, and the spot sensors 102 to 103 and the check sensor 104 move the flat zone of the wafer 110. Detection is performed to align the wafer.

When the wafer flat zone alignment is completed, the wafer is transferred to the wafer stage by a transfer means (not shown), and the wafer front surface exposure process is performed.

As described above, in the wafer peripheral exposure apparatus of the present invention, the flat zone alignment table does not move to set the wafer peripheral exposure width, and the wafer center exposure is performed while the peripheral exposure unit moves so that the wafer center point is before the peripheral exposure, It does not change later, and the wafer flat zone alignment may be performed once after the peripheral exposure.

Accordingly, since the wafer peripheral exposure and wafer flat zone alignment steps are reduced, the time required for peripheral exposure and flat zone alignment is reduced, thereby shortening the overall wafer exposure process time, thereby increasing the yield of semiconductor devices.

Claims (3)

In the wafer peripheral exposure apparatus that the wafer peripheral exposure and the wafer flat zone alignment proceeds, A flat zone alignment table on which a wafer rotating plate on which the wafer is seated is formed; A plurality of side spot sensors and a check sensor installed at an upper end of the flat zone alignment table to detect the periphery and the flat zone of the wafer seated on the wafer wafer rotating plate; A wafer contour detection sensor installed at an upper end of the flat zone alignment table to sense a rotation center of the wafer seated on the wafer rotating plate; And a peripheral exposure unit configured to expose the periphery of the wafer seated on the wafer rotating plate while moving left and right in the X-axis direction with respect to the flat zone alignment table. The method according to claim 1, The peripheral exposure unit, A unit body having a cross-sectional shape of a 'ㅌ' shape; A light generating unit installed at an upper end of the unit body to generate an I-line having a wavelength band of 365 nm for exposure around a wafer; And a peripheral exposure sensor installed at the middle of the unit body and configured to receive an I-line of the light generating unit to determine the peripheral exposure width and the peripheral exposure amount of the wafer. The method according to claim 1 or 2, And the peripheral exposure unit is driven by a stepping motor.