TW202122162A - Apparatus and method for cleaning semiconductor wafers - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and apparatuses for cleaning semiconductor wafers. Thereinto, a method comprises transferring one or more wafers to at least one first tank containing cleaning chemical, one or more second tanks containing cleaning liquid successively for implementing batch cleaning process; taking the one or more wafers out of the cleaning liquid in the one or more second tanks and transferring the one or more wafers to one or more single wafer cleaning modules for implementing single wafer cleaning and drying processes; wherein control and keep a certain thickness of liquid film on the one or more wafers from the moment of the one or more wafers out of the cleaning chemical in the at least one first tank till the one or more wafers are immersed in the cleaning liquid of the one or more second tanks, and/or from the moment of the one or more wafers out of the cleaning liquid in the one or more second tanks till the one or more wafers are transferred to the one or more single wafer cleaning modules.

Description

Device and method for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafer

The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing, and more specifically, to a device and method for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers.

In the manufacturing process of integrated circuits, the wet cleaning process is very important to obtain high-quality integrated circuits. After the dry etching process, the silicon wafer needs to be cleaned to remove the remaining photoresist, organic matter and thin film materials attached to the surface of the silicon wafer during the dry etching process. The chemical liquids used to clean silicon wafers mainly include: for example, SC1, BOE, and SPM solution mixed with sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide. Among them, the temperature of the SPM solution may be higher than 80°C, and the high-temperature SPM solution can be used to remove residual photoresist and organic matter. Generally speaking, there are two methods for cleaning silicon wafers, one is trough cleaning, and the other is single wafer cleaning.

Trough cleaning can clean multiple wafers at a time. The tank cleaning device includes: a mechanical transmission device and multiple cleaning tanks. Multiple silicon wafers can be cleaned at the same time in one cleaning tank, so the efficiency of tank cleaning is very high. In addition, since the chemical liquid in the cleaning tank is circulated, the chemical liquid can be reused, Reduce the cost of tank cleaning, especially for high-temperature chemical liquids, such as SPM solution at 120°C. Due to the high price of high-temperature SPM solutions, the use of tank cleaning can reduce cleaning costs. However, as the line width of integrated circuits continues to shrink, the shortcomings of slot cleaning are increasingly exposed. In the tank cleaning process, the silicon wafers are placed vertically in the cleaning tank, which can easily lead to cross-contamination between the silicon wafers. In particular, if one of the silicon wafers in one of the cleaning tanks has metal or organic contaminants, then All silicon wafers cleaned in the same cleaning tank will be contaminated. After the cleaning is completed, the silicon wafer is taken out vertically from the cleaning tank. At this time, if the chemical solution in the cleaning tank contains some tiny organic pollutants or particles, these tiny organic pollutants or particles will follow the chemical solution. Adhere to the surface of the silicon wafer. Once the silicon wafer is dried, these tiny organic pollutants or particles on the silicon wafer will be difficult to remove.

Single wafer cleaning can only clean one wafer at a time. The single-chip cleaning device includes: a mechanical transmission device and multiple independent single-chip cleaning modules. The drying and cleaning process of a wafer is completed in a single wafer cleaning module. After cleaning a silicon wafer, the chemical liquid in the single-chip cleaning module is discharged, and new chemical liquid is supplied to the single-chip cleaning module for cleaning another silicon wafer, effectively avoiding cross-contamination. Single-chip cleaning can effectively remove particles and film materials, and avoid metal ion pollution. However, single-chip cleaning has certain limitations in the use of high-temperature chemical liquids, such as SPM solutions with a temperature higher than 130°C. Because high-temperature chemical liquids are difficult to recycle, a large amount of SPM solution is required. In addition, single-chip cleaning is more suitable for cleaning the front side of silicon wafers, and there are certain difficulties and challenges in cleaning the backside of silicon wafers. In some cases, single-chip cleaning takes a long time to clean the silicon wafers, resulting in low yields.

Both tank cleaning and single chip cleaning have their own advantages and disadvantages. Only using trough cleaning or single-chip cleaning can not achieve the best cleaning effect, nor can it meet the needs of modern technology. Therefore, the idea of combining trough cleaning and single-chip cleaning is proposed. However, a big challenge in combining tank cleaning and single chip cleaning is that it is difficult to control the amount of silicon wafers in the tank cleaning solution during the period when the silicon wafers are removed from the cleaning solution in the cleaning tank and transferred to the single chip cleaning module. Particles and contaminants prevent it from adhering to the silicon wafer. During this period, if particles and contaminants adhere to the surface of the silicon wafer, it will be difficult to remove these particles and contaminants in a single-chip cleaning module.

Therefore, the present invention provides a device and method for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers is provided. The method includes: sequentially transporting one or more silicon wafers to at least one first tank containing a chemical solution and one or more second tanks containing a cleaning solution for tank cleaning; Multiple silicon wafers are taken out of the cleaning solution in the one or more second tanks and the one or more silicon wafers are transferred to one or more single-chip cleaning modules for cleaning and drying of the single wafer Process; wherein, the moment the one or more silicon wafers are taken out of the chemical solution in the at least one first tank until the one or more silicon wafers are immersed in the cleaning solution in the one or more second tanks And/or the moment the one or more silicon wafers are taken out of the cleaning solution in the one or more second tanks until the one or more silicon wafers are transferred to the one or more silicon wafers In the wafer cleaning module, a certain thickness of liquid film is controlled and maintained on the one or more wafers.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers is provided. The method includes: transporting one or more silicon wafers to at least one tank containing a cleaning solution for tank cleaning; taking the one or more silicon wafers out of the cleaning solution in the at least one tank and transporting To one or more single-chip cleaning modules to perform a single-chip cleaning and drying process; wherein, the moment the one or more silicon wafers are taken out of the cleaning solution in the at least one tank until the one Or multiple silicon wafers are transferred to the one or more single-chip cleaning modules, and a certain thickness of liquid film is controlled and maintained on the one or more silicon wafers.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a device for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers is provided. The device includes: at least one first tank containing a chemical liquid and configured to perform a tank cleaning process; one or more second tanks containing a cleaning liquid and configured to perform a tank cleaning process; one or more A single-chip cleaning module is configured to perform the cleaning and drying process of a single wafer; multiple robots are configured to transport one or more wafers; the controller is configured to control the multiple robots to One or more silicon wafers are sequentially transported into the at least one first tank and the one or more second tanks, and then transferred to the one or more single-chip cleaning modules; wherein, the controller is configured In order to remove the one or more silicon wafers from the chemical solution in the at least one first tank until the one or more silicon wafers are immersed in the cleaning solution in the one or more second tanks, And/or the moment the one or more silicon wafers are taken out of the cleaning solution in the one or more second tanks until the one or more wafers Multiple silicon wafers are transferred to the one or more single-chip cleaning modules, and a certain thickness of liquid film is maintained on the one or more silicon wafers.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a device for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers is provided. The device includes: a plurality of loading ports; at least one first tank containing a chemical liquid and configured to perform a tank-type cleaning process; one or more second tanks containing a cleaning liquid and configured to perform a tank-type cleaning Process; one or more single-chip cleaning modules are configured to perform a single-chip cleaning and drying process; wherein, the plurality of load ports are arranged horizontally, the at least one first groove and the one or more second The two grooves are arranged longitudinally on one side, and the one or more single-chip cleaning modules are arranged longitudinally on the other side and located opposite to the at least one first groove and the one or more second grooves.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a device for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers is provided. The device includes: at least one tank containing a cleaning solution and configured to perform a tank-type cleaning process; one or more single-chip cleaning modules configured to perform a single-chip cleaning and drying process; one or more A manipulator is configured to transfer one or more silicon wafers to the at least one slot and the one or more single-chip cleaning modules; the controller is configured to control the one or more manipulators; wherein , The controller is configured to remove the one or more wafers from the cleaning solution in the at least one tank until the one or more wafers are transferred to the one or more single wafer cleaning molds In the group, a certain thickness of liquid film is maintained on the one or more silicon wafers.

102: silicon wafer

104: Liquid film

106: particles

201: first slot

202: silicon wafer

203: The first nozzle

204: Liquid Film

205: The second nozzle

207: second slot

208: The third nozzle

502: Support base

504: Liquid Film

506: Craft Manipulator

508: fourth nozzle

510: Single-chip cleaning module

602: support seat

604: Liquid Film

606: Craft Manipulator

608: fourth nozzle

610: Single-chip cleaning module

701: first slot

702: Wafer

704: Liquid Film

707: second slot

802: silicon wafer

804: Liquid Film

806: particle

902: silicon wafer

904: Liquid Film

1000: Device for cleaning semiconductor wafers

1010: load port

1020: Front end manipulator

1030: The first turning device

1031: Base

1032: support frame

1033: shaft

1034: The first drive device

1035: Silicon wafer holding device

1036: Rotation axis

1037: second drive device

1038: Lifting device

1040: cleaning tank

1050: first slot

1060: second slot

1070: The second turning device

1071: receiving cavity

1072: Silicon wafer holder

1073: first drive mechanism

1074: support seat

1075: support rod

1076: second drive mechanism

1077: Windows

1078: door

1079: Third Drive Mechanism

1080: Craft Manipulator

1090: Single-chip cleaning module

1100: buffer room

1200: Chemical liquid supply system

1300: Power Control System

1301: silicon wafer box

1302: silicon wafer

1501: Clamping arm

1502: Clamping groove

1503: Nozzle device

1504: slit nozzle

1505: Liquid inlet

1900: cleaning fluid

By describing the exemplary embodiments of the present invention in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, the above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent. In the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the same reference numerals generally represent the same Components.

Figure 1A reveals that a thin liquid film may cause particles to adhere to the surface of the silicon wafer.

Figure 1B reveals that the thick liquid film keeps the particles away from the surface of the silicon wafer.

Figures 2A to 2F show that according to an embodiment of the present invention, the silicon wafer comes out of the liquid in the first tank until the silicon wafer is completely taken out of the first tank, and a certain thickness is controlled and maintained on the silicon wafer. Schematic of the liquid film.

Figures 3A to 3E show that according to an embodiment of the present invention, from the moment the silicon wafer is rotated above the second tank until the silicon wafer is completely immersed in the liquid in the second tank, a certain thickness is controlled and maintained on the silicon wafer Schematic of the liquid film.

4A to 4D show that according to an embodiment of the present invention, the silicon wafer comes out of the liquid in the second tank until the silicon wafer is completely taken out of the second tank, and a certain thickness is controlled and maintained on the silicon wafer. Schematic of the liquid film.

FIGS. 5A to 5H show that according to an embodiment of the present invention, the wafer is transferred to the second turning device until the wafer is transferred to the single-chip cleaning module and the liquid is sprayed onto the silicon wafer in the single-chip cleaning module , A schematic diagram of controlling and maintaining a certain thickness of liquid film on a silicon wafer.

6A to 6J show another embodiment of the present invention, from silicon The wafer is transferred to the second turning device until the wafer is transferred to the single-chip cleaning module and the liquid is sprayed onto the silicon wafer in the single-chip cleaning module, and a schematic diagram of controlling and maintaining a certain thickness of liquid film on the silicon wafer.

7A to 7B show schematic diagrams of controlling and maintaining a certain thickness of liquid film on the silicon wafer when the silicon wafer is taken out from the first tank until the silicon wafer is placed in the second tank according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 8A reveals that when the thickness of the liquid film on the silicon wafer is greater than the diameter of the particles of interest according to the present invention, the particles of interest may not adhere to the surface of the silicon wafer. Figs. 8B and 8C reveal that according to the present invention, if When the thickness of the liquid film on the silicon wafer is equal to or smaller than the diameter of the particles of interest, these particles of interest may adhere to the surface of the silicon wafer.

FIGS. 9A to 9C show schematic diagrams of three liquid film modes formed on the silicon wafer by controlling the time when the wafer is tilted, the angle of the wafer tilt, and the acceleration of the manipulator when transferring the wafer.

Fig. 10 discloses a top view of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 11 discloses a perspective view of the cleaning device shown in Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 shows another perspective view of the cleaning device shown in Fig. 10.

Figure 13 shows a schematic diagram of the front-end robot taking silicon wafers from the wafer box.

14A to 14D show schematic diagrams of the turning process of the silicon wafer placed in the first turning device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 15 shows a perspective view of a clamping arm of a second silicon wafer transport robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 16 discloses a cross-sectional view of the gripping arm of the second manipulator shown in Figure 15 Figure.

Fig. 17 discloses a perspective view of a second turning device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 discloses a cross-sectional view of the second turning device shown in FIG. 17.

FIG. 19 shows a schematic diagram of the second manipulator placing two silicon wafers on the support base of the second turning device according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the liquid is always sprayed on the two silicon wafers.

Fig. 20 is a cross-sectional view of Fig. 19.

FIG. 21 shows a schematic diagram of two silicon wafers being held by the wafer holder of the second turning device and separated from the supporting seat of the second turning device according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the liquid is always sprayed on the two silicon wafers .

Figure 22 shows a schematic diagram of stopping spraying liquid on two silicon wafers and turning the two silicon wafers from a vertical plane to a horizontal plane; Figure 23 shows the second turning device that turns the two silicon wafers from a horizontal plane to an inclined plane Figure 24 shows a schematic diagram of the second turning device to turn two silicon wafers from an inclined plane to a horizontal plane.

Figure 25 shows a schematic diagram of the process manipulator taking out two silicon wafers from the second turning device.

FIG. 26 shows a schematic diagram of a second manipulator placing a piece of silicon wafer on the support base of the second turning device according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the liquid is sprayed on the piece of silicon wafer all the time.

FIG. 27 shows a schematic diagram of a silicon wafer held by the wafer holder of the second turning device and separated from the support base of the second turning device according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the liquid is always sprayed on the wafer.

FIG. 28 shows a schematic diagram of the second turning device turning a piece of silicon wafer from a vertical surface to an inclined surface, wherein the liquid is always sprayed on the piece of silicon wafer.

Fig. 29 shows a schematic diagram of the second turning device turning a piece of silicon wafer from an inclined surface to a horizontal plane, wherein the liquid is always sprayed on the piece of silicon wafer.

30A to 30C show schematic diagrams of another method for controlling and maintaining a certain thickness of a liquid film on a silicon wafer by controlling a manipulator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In order to give full play to the biggest advantages of tank cleaning and single chip cleaning, the biggest challenge in the process of combining tank cleaning and single chip cleaning is: remove the cleaning solution from the tank cleaning after the silicon wafer has performed the tank cleaning. How to control and keep particles and contaminants from adhering to the surface of the silicon wafer from the moment until it is transferred to the single-chip cleaning module and the cleaning liquid is sprayed onto the silicon wafer to perform the single-chip wafer cleaning. In this process, if particles or contaminants adhere to the silicon wafer, it is difficult to remove them during subsequent single-chip cleaning, which will greatly affect the yield and quality of the product.

As shown in FIG. 1A according to the present invention, after the silicon wafer 102 is taken out of the liquid, a thin liquid film 104 is maintained on the silicon wafer 102. Because the liquid film 104 is too thin, the particles 106 are forced to adhere to the silicon wafer 102, and it is difficult to remove the particles 106 in the subsequent cleaning process. In contrast, referring to FIG. 1B, after the silicon wafer 102 is taken out of the liquid, a thick liquid film 104 remains on the silicon wafer 102. Because the liquid film 104 is thick, the particles 106 are far away from the surface of the silicon wafer 102. Therefore, the adhesion of particles 106 to the surface of silicon wafer 102 is greatly reduced On the possibility.

Referring to FIGS. 2 to 6, the schematic diagrams of the silicon wafers being transferred from the first tank to the second tank and then to the single-chip cleaning module are disclosed.

With reference to FIGS. 2A to 2F, it is disclosed that according to an embodiment of the present invention, the silicon wafer comes out of the liquid in the first tank until it is completely taken out from the first tank. In this process, the silicon wafer The surface controls and maintains a certain thickness of liquid film. As shown in FIG. 2A, after the silicon wafer 202 is tank-cleaned in the first tank 201 containing a liquid, such as SPM solution, the liquid supply device is moved to a position above the first tank 201. The liquid supply device includes a first spray head 203 and a second spray head 205. Then take out the silicon wafer 202 from the first tank 201. As shown in FIG. 2B, before the silicon wafer 202 comes out of the liquid in the first tank 201, the first spray head 203 is turned on to spray the same liquid as that in the first tank 201. Such as SPM solution. Since the first spray head 203 has been opened to spray the liquid, when the silicon wafer 202 comes out of the liquid in the first tank 201, the first spray head 203 sprays the liquid to the silicon wafer 202 to maintain a certain thickness on the silicon wafer 202. Liquid film, as shown in Figure 2C. Since the liquid film on the silicon wafer 202 becomes thinner when the silicon wafer 202 comes out of the liquid in the first tank 201, the first spray head 203 is configured to remove the silicon wafer 202 from the liquid in the first tank 201. At the moment it comes out, liquid is sprayed to the silicon wafer 202 to maintain a certain thickness of liquid film on the silicon wafer 202. Here, the first spray head 203 spraying liquid to the silicon wafer 202 can be delayed until the silicon wafer 202 partly or completely comes out of the liquid in the first tank 201. As long as the thickness of the liquid film on the silicon wafer 202 is higher than a certain value, this will It will be described in detail in FIGS. 8A to 8C. The first spray head 203 continues to spray liquid on the silicon wafer 202 until the silicon wafer 202 is finished. All are taken out from the first slot 201, as shown in FIG. 2D. Then, the silicon wafer 202 is rotated from the vertical surface to the inclined surface, and the liquid supply device also rotates along with it. As shown in FIG. 2E, the first spray head 203 continuously sprays liquid to the silicon wafer 202. The silicon wafer 202 rotates from the inclined plane to the horizontal plane, and the liquid supply device also rotates accordingly. After the silicon wafer 202 has turned to a horizontal surface, the first spray head 203 is closed, and the spraying of liquid to the silicon wafer 202 is stopped. As shown in FIG. 2F, a liquid film 204 with a certain thickness is formed on the silicon wafer 202. The process of the silicon wafer 202 rotating from the vertical plane to the horizontal plane may be a continuous process with a certain rotation speed. The faster the rotation speed, the thicker the liquid film 204 on the silicon wafer 202 is. However, the maximum thickness of the liquid film on the silicon wafer is determined by the surface tension of the liquid film on the silicon wafer. Optionally, the silicon wafer 202 rotates to an inclined surface, and there is a pause before the silicon wafer 202 rotates to a horizontal surface, so as to control the thickness of the liquid film 204 on the silicon wafer 202. The longer the pause time, the thinner the liquid film 204 on the silicon wafer 202 is. It is better to maintain an appropriate thickness of the liquid film on the silicon wafer 202, and the reason will be explained in detail in FIGS. 9A to 9C.

Referring to FIGS. 3A to 3E, the silicon wafer 202 with a certain thickness of the liquid film 204 is transported horizontally to a position above the second tank 207 for tank cleaning. The second tank 207 contains liquid, such as deionized water. , The liquid supply device also moves to a position above the second tank 207. Then, the silicon wafer 202 is turned from the horizontal plane to the inclined plane, and finally to the vertical plane. The process of rotation can be continuous. As shown in Figures 3B to 3C, in order to maintain a certain thickness of liquid film on the silicon wafer, from the moment the silicon wafer 202 rotates, the second nozzle 205 is turned on to spray liquid to the silicon wafer 202. The liquid sprayed by the second nozzle 205 It is the same as the liquid in the second tank 207, such as deionized water. As shown in Fig. 3D, the second spray head 205 continues to spray liquid on the silicon wafer 202, and the silicon wafer 202 is put in In the second slot 207. As shown in FIG. 3E, after the silicon wafer 202 has been completely immersed in the liquid in the second tank 207, the second spray head 205 is closed to stop spraying the liquid. In another embodiment, after the silicon wafer 202 with a certain thickness of the liquid film 204 is transported horizontally to a position above the second groove 207, the silicon wafer 202 is rotated from the horizontal plane to the vertical surface, and then is placed in the second groove 207 Without opening the second nozzle 205.

Referring to FIGS. 4A to 4D, when the silicon wafer 202 is processed in the second groove 207, the third spray head 208 moves to a position above the second groove 207, as shown in FIG. 4A. Then, the silicon wafer 202 is taken out of the second groove 207. As shown in FIG. 4B, before the silicon wafer 202 comes out of the liquid in the second tank 207, the third spray head 208 is opened to spray liquid, such as deionized water. As shown in FIG. 4C, because the third spray head 208 has been opened to spray liquid, the moment the silicon wafer 202 comes out of the liquid in the second tank 207, the third spray head 208 sprays the liquid to the silicon wafer 202 so that the silicon wafer 202 is sprayed with liquid. A certain thickness of liquid film is maintained on 202. Since the silicon wafer 202 comes out of the liquid in the second tank 207, the liquid film on the silicon wafer 202 will become thinner, so the third spray head 208 is configured to remove the silicon wafer 202 from the liquid in the second tank 207. The moment it comes out, spray liquid on the silicon wafer 202 to keep a certain thickness of liquid film on the silicon wafer 202. As shown in FIG. 4D, the third spray head 208 continues to spray liquid on the silicon wafer 202, and the silicon wafer 202 is completely taken out from the second tank 207.

Referring to FIGS. 5A to 5H, the silicon wafer 202 is transferred to the support base 502 of the turning device and the silicon wafer 202 is held by the support base 502. During this process, the third spray head 208 continues to spray liquid onto the silicon wafer 202, as shown in FIGS. 5A to 5B. Then the support base 502 is lowered, and the turning device The wafer holder holds the wafer. The support base 502 continues to descend and separates from the silicon wafer 202. As shown in FIG. 5C, the third spray head 208 continuously sprays liquid to the silicon wafer 202. As shown in FIG. 5D, the turning device makes the silicon wafer 202 turn from a vertical surface to an inclined surface and the third spray head 208 continuously sprays liquid on the silicon wafer 202. As shown in FIG. 5E, the third spray head 208 stops spraying liquid to the silicon wafer 202 and is removed. As shown in FIG. 5F, the turning device turns the silicon wafer 202 from an inclined surface to a horizontal plane and maintains a liquid film 504 with the largest thickness on the silicon wafer 202. In order to control the thickness of the liquid film 504 on the silicon wafer 202, the silicon wafer 202 rotates to an inclined surface, and there is a pause before the silicon wafer 202 rotates to a horizontal surface. The thickness of the liquid film 504 on the silicon wafer 202 is determined by the pause time. The longer the pause time, the thinner the thickness of the liquid film 504 on the silicon wafer 202 is. As shown in FIGS. 5G to 5H, the process robot 506 removes the silicon wafer 202 from the turning device and transfers the silicon wafer 202 to the single-chip cleaning module 510. By controlling the transmission acceleration of the process manipulator 506, a certain thickness of the liquid film 504 can be maintained on the silicon wafer 202. The transport acceleration of the process manipulator 506 can be controlled to ensure that the thickness of the liquid film 504 around the silicon wafer 202 is not greater than the maximum thickness of the liquid film maintained by the surface tension of the liquid. Therefore, during the process manipulator 506 transfers the silicon wafer 202, the liquid on the silicon wafer 202 will not fall from the periphery of the silicon wafer 202, and a certain thickness of the liquid film 504 can be maintained on the silicon wafer 202 to reduce the liquid film 504. The possibility of particles attaching to the surface of the silicon wafer 202. These will be explained in detail in FIGS. 8A to 8C.

After the silicon wafer 202 is transferred to the single-chip cleaning module 510, the fourth spray head 508 sprays liquid to the silicon wafer 202 before the silicon wafer 202 rotates in the single-chip cleaning module 510 to maintain a certain thickness of liquid film on the silicon wafer 202 504. In the single-chip cleaning module 510, the silicon wafer 202 is subjected to a single-chip cleaning and drying process.

Referring to FIGS. 6A to 6J, another embodiment of the present invention is disclosed in which the silicon wafer 202 is transferred to the support base 602 of the turning device and the silicon wafer 202 is held by the support base 602. As shown in FIGS. 6A to 6B, during this process, the third spray head 208 continuously sprays liquid to the silicon wafer 202. Then the support base 602 is lowered, and the silicon wafer is held by the wafer holder of the turning device. The support base 602 continues to descend and separates from the silicon wafer 202. As shown in FIG. 6C, the third spray head 208 continuously sprays liquid to the silicon wafer 202. As shown in FIG. 6D, the turning device makes the silicon wafer 202 turn from the vertical surface to the inclined surface and the third spray head 208 continuously sprays liquid to the silicon wafer 202. As shown in FIG. 6E, the turning device turns the silicon wafer 202 from an inclined surface to a horizontal plane, and at the same time, the third spray head 208 continues to spray liquid to the silicon wafer 202, so that a liquid film 604 of a certain thickness is formed on the silicon wafer 202. The process of turning the silicon wafer 202 from the vertical plane to the horizontal plane can be a continuous process. As shown in FIG. 6F, the third spraying 208 then stops spraying the liquid to the silicon wafer 202 and is removed. As shown in FIG. 6G, the turning device turns the silicon wafer 202 from a horizontal plane to an inclined surface, and there is a pause at the inclined surface to control the thickness of the liquid film 604 on the silicon wafer 202. The control of the tilt angle and the pause time can make the liquid film 604 neither too thin to cause particles to adhere to the silicon wafer 202, nor too thick to cause the liquid on the silicon wafer 202 to drop during the transfer of the silicon wafer 202. drop. As shown in FIG. 6H, the turning device turns the silicon wafer 202 from an inclined surface to a horizontal surface. As shown in FIGS. 6I to 6J, the process manipulator 606 removes the silicon wafer 202 from the turning device and transfers it to the single-chip cleaning module 610. By controlling the transmission acceleration of the process manipulator 606 A liquid film 604 of a certain thickness can be maintained on the silicon wafer 202. The transmission acceleration of the process manipulator 606 can be controlled to ensure that the thickness of the liquid film 604 around the silicon wafer 202 is not greater than the maximum thickness of the liquid film that can be maintained by the surface tension of the liquid. Therefore, during the process manipulator 606 transfers the silicon wafer 202, the liquid on the silicon wafer 202 will not fall from the periphery of the silicon wafer 202, and a certain thickness of the liquid film 604 can be maintained on the silicon wafer 202 to reduce the liquid film 604. The possibility that the particles adhere to the surface of the silicon wafer 202.

After the silicon wafer 202 is transferred to the single-chip cleaning module 610, the fourth spray head 608 sprays liquid to the silicon wafer 202 before the silicon wafer 202 rotates in the single-chip cleaning module 610 to maintain a certain thickness of liquid film on the silicon wafer 202 604. In the single-chip cleaning module 610, a single-chip cleaning and drying process is performed on the silicon wafer 202.

Referring to FIGS. 7A to 7B, another embodiment of controlling and maintaining a certain thickness of the liquid film on the silicon wafer according to the present invention is disclosed. As shown in FIG. 7A, when the silicon wafer 702 is cleaned in the first tank 701 containing a liquid such as SPM solution, the silicon wafer 702 is taken out of the first tank 701 and the silicon wafer 702 is turned from the vertical surface to The horizontal plane maintains a certain thickness of liquid film 704 on the silicon wafer 702. Then, the silicon wafer 702 with a certain thickness of the liquid film 704 is transferred to the second tank 707 containing a liquid such as deionized water for tank cleaning. The silicon wafer 702 is turned from the horizontal plane to the vertical plane and placed vertically into the second tank 707 for tank cleaning.

In all the above embodiments, although only a silicon wafer, a first tank, a second tank and a single-chip cleaning module are shown to describe the mechanism of the present invention to control and maintain a certain thickness of liquid film on the silicon wafer , It should be recognized that Multiple silicon wafers can be processed. The number of silicon wafers, the number of first grooves, the number of second grooves, and the number of single-chip cleaning modules can be determined according to different process requirements.

Referring to FIGS. 8A to 8C, the relationship between the thickness of the liquid film on the silicon wafer and the particle size is revealed. The thickness of the liquid film on the silicon wafer is related to the diameter of the largest particle. In order to prevent particles from adhering to the silicon wafer, the thickness of the liquid film on the silicon wafer must not be less than the diameter of the largest particle. After satisfying this relationship, the largest particles are likely to be suspended in the liquid film, and the chance of attaching to the silicon wafer will be reduced. Since the largest particles may be suspended in the liquid film, other particles smaller than the largest particles are easier to suspend in the liquid film, further reducing the possibility of particles attaching to the silicon wafer. FIG. 8A reveals that the thickness of the liquid film 804 on the silicon wafer 802 is greater than the diameter of the largest particle 806 in the liquid film 804. FIG. 8B reveals that the thickness of the liquid film 804 on the silicon wafer 802 is equal to the diameter of the largest particle 806 in the liquid film 804. FIG. 8C reveals that the thickness of the liquid film 804 on the silicon wafer 802 is smaller than the diameter of the largest particle 806 in the liquid film 804. Therefore, under the conditions of FIG. 8B and FIG. 8C, the largest particle 806 will contact the surface of the silicon wafer 802, and the chance of the largest particle 806 adhering to the surface of the silicon wafer 802 will be very high, which is not ideal.

The thickness of the liquid film on the silicon wafer is related to the transfer rate when the robot transfers the silicon wafer. As shown in FIG. 9A, the thickness of the liquid film 904 on the silicon wafer 902 is relatively thick. When the manipulator transfers a silicon wafer 902 with a thick liquid film 904, if the transfer acceleration of the manipulator is large, the liquid film 904 may rush to the periphery of the silicon wafer 902, making the thickness of the liquid film 904 around the silicon wafer 902 Increase, as shown in Figure 9C. If the thickness of the liquid film 904 around the silicon wafer 902 is greater than The maximum thickness of the liquid film that can be maintained by the surface tension of the liquid. Then, during the process of transferring the silicon wafer 902 by the robot, the liquid on the silicon wafer will drip from the periphery of the silicon wafer 902. As shown in FIG. 9B, the thickness of the liquid film 904 on the silicon wafer 902 is relatively thin. Therefore, during the transport of the silicon wafer 902 by the robot, as long as the thickness of the liquid film 904 around the silicon wafer 902 is not greater than the liquid surface tension that can be maintained by the liquid The maximum thickness of the film, the transmission acceleration of the manipulator can be very large. Therefore, during the transfer of the silicon wafer 902 by the robot, the liquid on the silicon wafer will not drip from the periphery of the silicon wafer 902, and a certain thickness of the liquid film 904 can be maintained on the silicon wafer 902 to reduce the adhesion of particles in the liquid film 904. Possibility on the surface of silicon wafer 902.

In some embodiments, the second groove may not be used. The silicon wafer is trough-cleaned in the first tank, and then the silicon wafer is taken out from the first trough and transferred to the single-chip cleaning module for the single-chip cleaning and drying process. The contents disclosed in Figure 2 and Figures 5 to 9 are also applicable to this, so that the silicon chip is controlled and maintained on the silicon chip from the moment the silicon chip comes out of the liquid in the first tank until it is transferred to the single chip cleaning module. A certain thickness of liquid film.

Referring to FIGS. 10 to 12, an apparatus for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers according to an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. The device 1000 includes: a plurality of loading ports 1010, a front end robot 1020, a first turning device 1030, a first wafer transfer robot, a cleaning tank 1040, at least one first tank 1050, and one or more second tanks 1060 , The second silicon wafer transfer manipulator, the second turning device 1070, the process manipulator 1080, one or more single-chip cleaning modules 1090, the buffer chamber 1100, the chemical liquid supply system 1200, the power control system 1300 and the controller. The controller is used to control multiple manipulators.

In one embodiment, a plurality of load ports 1010 are arranged side by side at one end of the device 1000. To clarify the layout of the device 1000 of the present invention, the multiple load ports 1010 can be considered to be arranged horizontally. The cleaning tank 1040, at least one first tank 1050, and one or more second tanks 1060 are located on one side of the device 1000. The arrangement of the cleaning tank 1040, the at least one first tank 1050, and the one or more second tanks 1060 is a longitudinal arrangement. One or more single-chip cleaning modules 1090 are located on the other side of the device 1000 and are arranged opposite to the cleaning tank 1040, the at least one first tank 1050, and the one or more second tanks 1060. The arrangement of one or more single-chip cleaning modules 1090 is a longitudinal arrangement. There is a space between the one or more single-chip cleaning modules 1090 and the cleaning tank 1040, the at least one first tank 1050, and the one or more second tanks 1060. The process manipulator 1080 is located in the space and can move longitudinally in the space. The chemical liquid supply system 1200 and the power control system 1300 are located at the other end of the device 1000 and opposite to the multiple loading ports 1010. The advantages of this arrangement of the device 1000 are: (1) the lateral length or width of the device 1000 is shorter and the longitudinal length of the device 1000 is longer, which is more suitable for the requirements of semiconductor manufacturers; (2) when needed, The device 1000 can be expanded, such as increasing the number of single-chip cleaning modules 1090 in the longitudinal direction, and/or increasing the number of the first slot 1050 and the number of the second slot 1060 in the longitudinal direction. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the single-chip cleaning module 1090 is arranged in two layers. The single-chip cleaning module 1090 can be arranged in more than two stacked layers, and the number of single-chip cleaning modules can be increased without increasing the footprint of the device 1000. In one embodiment, the first turning device 1030 is arranged adjacent to the cleaning tank 1040, and the second turning device 1070 is arranged adjacent to the second groove 1060.

As shown in conjunction with FIG. 13, each load port 1010 is configured to receive a wafer cassette 1301. The wafer box 1301 can load multiple wafers 1302, such as 25 wafers. The front end manipulator 1020 can move laterally. The front-end robot 1020 takes out the multiple silicon wafers 1302 from the wafer box 1301 and transfers the multiple silicon wafers 1302 to the first turning device 1030.

Referring to FIGS. 14A to 14D, the first turning device 1030 includes a base 1031 and a supporting frame 1032. The support frame 1032 includes two opposite side walls and a bottom wall connected to the two opposite side walls. The bottom wall of the support frame 1032 is connected to the base 1031 through a rotating shaft 1033. The first driving device 1034 is configured to drive the support frame 1032 to rotate through the rotating shaft 1033. The first turning device 1030 includes a silicon wafer holding device 1035, which is rotatably mounted on two opposite side walls of the support frame 1032 through two rotating shafts 1036. The second driving device 1037 is configured to drive any one of the two rotating shafts 1036 to rotate, thereby causing the wafer holding device 1035 to rotate. The lifting device 1038 is connected to the third driving device. The third driving device is configured to drive the lifting device 1038 to move up and down.

As shown in FIG. 14A, the front-end robot 1020 takes out a plurality of wafers 1302 from the wafer cassette 1301 and transfers them horizontally to the wafer holding device 1035 of the first turning device 1030. The silicon wafer holding device 1035 holds multiple silicon wafers 1302 horizontally. Then, the second driving device 1037 drives any one of the two rotating shafts 1036 to rotate, so that the wafer holding device 1035 rotates by 90 degrees, thereby turning the multiple wafers 1302 from the horizontal plane to the vertical plane. As shown in Figure 14B, the wafer holding device 1035 vertically holds multiple wafers Silicon wafer 1302. As shown in Figure 14C, the first driving device 1034 drives the support frame 1032 to rotate 90 degrees, which will facilitate the first silicon wafer transport robot to remove the multiple silicon wafers 1302 from the lifting device 1038 and place the multiple silicon wafers 1302. Into at least one first groove 1050. Then, the third driving device drives the lifting device 1038 to move upward to support the multiple silicon wafers 1302. As shown in FIG. 14D, the multiple silicon wafers 1302 are separated from the wafer holding device 1035, so that the first silicon wafer transport robot can take the multiple silicon wafers 1302 from the lifting device 1038.

Optionally, after the multiple silicon wafers 1302 are horizontally transferred to the wafer holding device 1035 of the first turning device 1030, the first driving device 1034 drives the support frame 1032 to rotate 90 degrees. Then the second driving device 1037 drives any one of the two rotating shafts 1036 to rotate, so that the wafer holding device 1035 rotates 90 degrees, so the multiple wafers 1302 held by the wafer holding device 1035 are rotated from the horizontal plane to the vertical plane. Then, the third driving device drives the lifting device 1038 to move upward to support the multiple silicon wafers 1302. The multiple silicon wafers 1302 are separated from the silicon wafer holding device 1035 so that the first silicon wafer transport robot can take the multiple silicon wafers 1032 from the lifting device 1038.

The first silicon wafer transfer robot removes multiple silicon wafers 1302 from the lifting device 1038 of the first turning device 1030 and transfers the multiple silicon wafers 1302, for example, 6 or 7 wafers at a time to at least one first slot 1050 in. The first silicon wafer transport robot puts a plurality of silicon wafers 1302 into at least one first slot 1050. The at least one first tank 1050 is configured to perform tank cleaning on the multiple silicon wafers 1302. At least one first tank 1050 contains a cleaning chemical solution for cleaning multiple silicon wafers 1302. At least one first slot The cleaning chemical solution in 1050 can be SPM solution, which is a mixture of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide. The concentration ratio of sulfuric acid to hydrogen peroxide can be 3:1 to 50:1, which can be specifically selected according to different process requirements. The temperature of the SPM solution can be 80°C to 150°C, and the temperature is adjustable.

After the multiple silicon wafers 1302 are completed in the at least one first slot 1050, the first silicon wafer transfer robot takes out the multiple silicon wafers 1302 from the at least one first slot 1050 and transfers them to one or more second slots In 1060. The first silicon wafer transport robot puts multiple silicon wafers 1302 into one or more second grooves 1060. The one or more second tanks 1060 are configured to perform tank cleaning on the multiple silicon wafers 1302. In one embodiment, two second grooves 1060 are included. The multiple silicon wafers 1302 are divided into two groups, and the two groups of silicon wafers 1302 are put into two second grooves 1060 respectively. The multiple silicon wafers 1302 are quickly discharged and cleaned in the two second tanks 1060. The cleaning liquid used for quick discharge cleaning in the two second tanks 1060 may be deionized water. The temperature of deionized water can be from room temperature to 90°C.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least one first tank 1050 contains HF solution, and at least one second tank 1060 contains H ₃ PO ₄ solution. The other second tank 1060 contains deionized water for rapid discharge and cleaning. The concentration of the HF solution can be 1:10 to 1:1000. The temperature of the HF solution can be set at about 25°C. The concentration of the H ₃ PO ₄ solution can be set at about 86%. The temperature of the H ₃ PO ₄ solution can be set at 150°C to 200°C. Before the H ₃ PO ₄ process, the HF solution can be used to remove natural silicon oxide. H ₃ PO ₄ solution can be used to remove silicon nitride.

The methods disclosed in FIGS. 2 to 3 and 7 can be applied to this, From the moment when the multiple silicon wafers 1302 come out of the cleaning chemical solution in at least one first tank 1050 until they are put into the cleaning solution in one or more second tanks 1060, control on the multiple silicon wafers 1302 And maintain a certain thickness of liquid film.

The cleaning tank 1040 is configured to clean the clamping arm of the first silicon wafer transfer robot when the first silicon wafer transfer robot is idle. When the first silicon wafer transfer manipulator is idle, the first silicon wafer transfer manipulator moves to the cleaning tank 1040 and cleans in the cleaning tank 1040.

After multiple silicon wafers 1302 are processed in the two second grooves 1060, the second silicon wafer transport robot takes out a certain number of silicon wafers 1302 from the two second grooves 1060 each time, and then transfers a certain number of silicon wafers 1302 from the two second grooves 1060 The silicon wafer 1302 is transferred to the second turning device 1070. The number of silicon wafers 1302 taken out from the two second slots 1060 each time may be equal to or less than the number of single-chip cleaning modules 1090. In order to reduce the time that the silicon wafer 1302 is exposed to the air and prevent the silicon wafer 1302 from becoming dry after being taken out of the second tank 1060, preferably, one, two or less than ten silicon wafers are taken out of the second tank 1060 at a time. sheet.

Referring to FIGS. 15 to 16, a second silicon wafer transfer robot according to an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. The second silicon wafer transfer robot includes a pair of clamping arms 1501. Two clamping grooves 1502 are provided at one end of each clamping arm 1501 for clamping two silicon wafers when the second silicon wafer transfer robot is used to transfer the silicon wafers. The other end of each clamping arm 1501 is movably connected to two nozzle devices 1503, so the pair of clamping arms 1501 can be opened outward to pick up or release the silicon wafer 1302, or closed inward to hold the silicon wafer 1302 . The two nozzle devices 1503 are elongated and arranged horizontally side by side. Each nozzle device 1503 has a slit-shaped nozzle 1504 and at least one, for example, two liquid inlets 1505. The liquid inlet 1505 is connected with the slit-shaped nozzle 1504 for supplying liquid to the slit-shaped nozzle 1504. When the second wafer transfer robot is used to take out the silicon wafer 1302 from any second slot 1060 and transfer the silicon wafer 1302 to the second turning device 1070, the nozzle device 1503 can be opened, and the nozzle device 1503 can be opened to the silicon wafer through the slit-shaped nozzle 1504. The wafer 1302 ejects liquid to control and maintain a certain thickness of the liquid film on the silicon wafer 1302, and the ejection head device 1503 can also be closed to stop ejecting the liquid. The flow rate of the liquid supplied to the nozzle 1504 is adjustable according to process requirements, for example, for a 300mm silicon wafer, the flow rate is between 51pm and 301pm. According to different process requirements, different sizes of nozzles 1504 can also be set. Usually, the width of the slit is 1 mm to 4 mm, and the length is greater than the diameter of the silicon wafer. The number of nozzle devices 1503 matches the number of silicon wafers clamped by the clamping arm 1501, so one nozzle device 1503 corresponds to a piece of silicon wafer 1302 and sprays liquid to it.

Referring to FIGS. 17 to 18, a second turning device 1070 according to an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. The second turning device 1070 includes a receiving cavity 1071. The receiving cavity 1071 is roughly rectangular. The wafer holder 1072 is arranged in the receiving cavity 1071. Specifically, the wafer holder 1072 is movably installed on a pair of side walls of the receiving cavity 1071. The first driving mechanism 1073 is connected to the wafer holder 1072 for driving the wafer holder 1072 to rotate in the receiving cavity 1071. The support base 1074 is fixed at the end of the support rod 1075. The end of the support rod 1075 extends into the receiving cavity 1071, so the support seat 1074 is disposed in the receiving cavity 1071. Support rod 1075 The other end is connected to the second driving mechanism 1076 through a connecting piece. The second driving mechanism 1076 is used to drive the support base 1074 to rise and fall. A window 1077 is provided on the side wall of the receiving cavity 1071. A door 1078 is provided in the receiving cavity 1071. The door 1078 is connected to the third driving mechanism 1079. The third driving mechanism 1079 is used to drive the door 1078 to move upward to close the window 1077, or to move downward to open the window 1077.

Referring to FIG. 19 to FIG. 25, it is disclosed that according to an embodiment of the present invention, the second silicon wafer transport robot takes out two silicon wafers 1302 from any second slot 1060. At the moment when the two silicon wafers 1302 come out of the cleaning liquid in the second tank 1060, the two spray head devices 1503 are opened to spray the cleaning liquid 1900 to the two silicon wafers 1302. The second driving mechanism 1076 drives the support base 1074 to move upward, so that the support base 1074 moves above the receiving cavity 1071. The door 1078 closes the window 1077. The second silicon wafer transfer manipulator transfers two silicon wafers 1302 to the support base 1074. The second silicon wafer transport robot puts two silicon wafers 1302 on the support base 1074 vertically. The support base 1074 holds two silicon wafers 1302 vertically. Then the second driving mechanism 1076 drives the support base 1074 to move downward, and the wafer holder 1072 of the second turning device 1070 holds the two wafers 1302 vertically. The second driving mechanism 1076 drives the support base 1074 to continuously move downward, so that the support base 1074 leaves the two silicon wafers 1302. The supporting seat 1074 may be located at the bottom of the receiving cavity 1071. From the moment when the two silicon wafers 1302 come out of the cleaning solution in the second tank 1060 until the moment when the two silicon wafers 1302 rotate in the receiving cavity 1071, the two nozzle devices 1503 spray cleaning on the two silicon wafers 1302液1900. The cleaning liquid in the receiving cavity 1071 can be discharged. Close two A spray head device 1503 stops spraying liquid to the two silicon wafers 1302, and the first driving mechanism 1073 drives the silicon wafer holder 1072 to rotate from the vertical plane to the horizontal plane. Therefore, the two silicon wafers 1302 are rotated from the vertical plane to the horizontal plane together with the silicon wafer holder 1072. Then, the first driving mechanism 1073 drives the two silicon wafers 1302 to rotate from the horizontal plane to the inclined plane. There is a pause on the inclined surface to control the thickness of the liquid film on the silicon wafer 1302. Controlling the tilt angle and the pause time can make the thickness of the liquid film neither too thin to cause particles to adhere to the silicon wafer 1302 nor too thick to cause the liquid on the silicon wafer 1302 to fall off during the transfer process. The longer the pause, the thinner the thickness of the liquid film on the silicon wafer 1302. The first driving mechanism 1073 drives the two silicon wafers 1302 to rotate from the inclined plane to the horizontal plane. The third driving mechanism 1079 drives the door 1078 to move downward to open the window 1077. The process manipulator 1080 removes two silicon wafers 1302 from the receiving cavity 1071, and transfers the two silicon wafers 1302 with a certain thickness of liquid film to the single-chip cleaning module 1090 for single-chip cleaning and drying processes.

Referring to FIGS. 26 to 30, it is disclosed that according to another embodiment of the present invention, the second silicon wafer transport robot removes a silicon wafer 1302 from any second slot 1060. At the moment when the piece of silicon wafer 1302 comes out of the cleaning solution in the second tank 1060, a spray head device 1503 is turned on and the cleaning solution 1900 is sprayed to the piece of silicon wafer 1302. The second driving mechanism 1076 drives the support base 1074 to move upward, so that the support base 1074 moves above the receiving cavity 1071. The second silicon wafer transfer manipulator transfers a piece of silicon wafer 1302 to the support base 1074. The second silicon wafer transport robot puts a silicon wafer 1302 on the support 1074 vertically. The support seat 1074 keeps one vertically Piece of silicon 1302. Then the second driving mechanism 1076 drives the support base 1074 to move downward, and a wafer 1302 is vertically held by the wafer holder 1072 of the second turning device 1070. The second driving mechanism 1076 drives the support base 1074 to continuously move down, so that the support base 1074 leaves the piece of silicon wafer 1302. The supporting seat 1074 may be located at the bottom of the receiving cavity 1071. At the moment when the piece of silicon wafer 1302 comes out of the cleaning liquid in the second tank 1060 until the piece of silicon wafer 1302 is held vertically by the wafer holder 1072, a spray head device 1503 always sprays the cleaning liquid on the piece of silicon wafer 1302 1900. The first driving mechanism 1073 drives the silicon wafer 1302 to rotate from the vertical surface to the inclined surface, and a spray head device 1503 continues to spray the cleaning liquid 1900 on the silicon wafer 1302. The one spray head device 1503 can move back and forth above the silicon wafer 1302 and spray the cleaning liquid 1900 on the silicon wafer 1302. The first driving mechanism 1073 drives the silicon wafer 1302 to rotate from the inclined plane to the horizontal plane. The spray head device 1503 is still moving back and forth above the silicon wafer 1302 and sprays the cleaning liquid 1900 on the silicon wafer 1302. The liquid 1900 in the receiving cavity 1071 can be discharged. The rotation process of the silicon wafer 1302 from the vertical plane to the horizontal plane can be continuous. The spray head device 1503 is closed to stop spraying the cleaning liquid onto the silicon wafer 1302. The third driving mechanism 1079 drives the door 1078 to move downward to open the window 1077. The process manipulator 1080 horizontally removes a piece of silicon wafer 1302 from the receiving cavity 1071. Then the process manipulator 1080 turns from the horizontal plane to the inclined plane, so the silicon wafer 1302 also turns from the horizontal plane to the inclined plane. There is a pause on the inclined surface, the purpose is to control the thickness of the liquid film on the silicon wafer. Controlling the tilt angle and the pause time can make the thickness of the liquid film neither too thin to cause particles to adhere to the silicon wafer 1302 nor too thick to cause the silicon wafer 1302 during the transfer process. The liquid falls. The longer the pause, the thinner the thickness of the liquid film on the silicon wafer 1302. Then the process manipulator 1080 turns from the inclined plane to the horizontal plane, so the silicon wafer 1302 also turns from the inclined plane to the horizontal plane. The process manipulator 1080 transfers a silicon wafer 1302 with a certain thickness of liquid film to the single-chip cleaning module 1090 for single-chip cleaning and drying process processing.

The methods disclosed in FIGS. 4 to 6 can be applied to this, from the moment one or more silicon wafers 1302 comes out of the cleaning solution in one or more second tanks 1060 until the one or more silicon wafers 1302 are transported During the period from one or more single-chip cleaning modules 1090, a certain thickness of liquid film is controlled and maintained on the one or more silicon wafers 1032.

Taking a silicon wafer 1032 and a single-chip cleaning module 1090 as an example, the single-chip cleaning module 1090 includes a chuck. The process robot 1080 places the silicon wafer 1302 with a certain thickness of liquid film on the chuck. After placing the silicon wafer 1302 with a certain thickness of liquid film on the chuck, before the silicon wafer 1302 rotates in the single-chip cleaning module, the nozzle sprays liquid such as deionized water to the silicon wafer 1302 to deposit the silicon wafer 1302. Maintain a certain thickness of liquid film on the surface. Then the chuck rotates in the single-chip cleaning module 1090, and the silicon wafer 1302 rotates along with it. A chemical solution is applied to the silicon wafer 1302 to clean the silicon wafer 1302, and then deionized water is applied to the silicon wafer 1302. The flow rate of deionized water can be adjusted in the range of 1.2-2.31pm, preferably 1.81pm. The temperature of deionized water can be set at about 25°C. Then the silicon wafer 1302 is dried. The chemical solution applied on the silicon wafer 1302 can be, for example, DHF, SC1, DIO ₃ and other solutions. The flow rate of DHF can be adjusted in the range of 1.2-2.31pm, preferably 1.81pm. The temperature of DHF can be set at about 25°C. The concentration of DHF can be adjusted from 1:10 to 1:1000. The flow rate of SC1 can be adjusted in the range of 1.2-2.31pm, preferably 1.81pm. The temperature of SC1 can be set at approximately 25°C to 50°C. The concentration of SC1 (NH ₄ OH: H ₂ O ₂ : H ₂ O) can be adjusted in the range of 1:1:5 to 1:2:100. The method of drying the silicon wafer 1302 includes rotating the chuck at a speed of 1900 rpm and spraying nitrogen gas on the silicon wafer. The flow rate of nitrogen can be adjusted in the range of 3.5-5.51pm, preferably 51pm. The temperature of the nitrogen can be set at about 25°C.

After the silicon wafer 1302 is dried in the single-chip cleaning module 1090, the process manipulator 1080 removes the silicon wafer 1302 from the single-chip cleaning module 1090 and transfers the silicon wafer 1302 to the buffer chamber 1100. The front-end robot 1020 takes out the silicon wafer 1302 from the buffer chamber 1100, and then transfers the silicon wafer 1302 to the wafer box at the loading port 1010.

In some embodiments, from the moment one or more silicon wafers come out of the cleaning chemical solution in the first tank until the one or more silicon wafers are immersed in the cleaning solution in the one or more second tanks, The cleaning liquid is sprayed to the one or more silicon wafers. From the moment when one or more silicon wafers come out of the cleaning solution in one or more second tanks until the one or more silicon wafers are transferred to one or more single-chip cleaning modules, they are always directed to the one or more single-chip cleaning modules. Multiple silicon wafers are sprayed with cleaning fluid.

In some embodiments, from the moment one or more silicon wafers come out of the cleaning chemical solution in the first tank until the one or more silicon wafers are immersed in the cleaning solution in the one or more second tanks, To the one or more wafers Spray cleaning fluid. Then take the one or more silicon wafers from the cleaning solution in the one or more second tanks and rotate them from the vertical plane to the horizontal plane. Then the one or more wafers are horizontally transferred to one or more single wafer cleaning modules.

In some embodiments, one or more silicon wafers are taken out of the cleaning chemical solution in the first tank and turned from the vertical surface to the horizontal surface. Then the one or more silicon wafers are horizontally transferred into one or more second grooves. Turn the one or more silicon wafers from the horizontal plane to the vertical plane and put them into the cleaning solution in the second tank. From the moment when the one or more silicon wafers come out of the cleaning solution in the one or more second tanks until the one or more silicon wafers are transferred to one or more single-chip cleaning modules, they are always Or multiple silicon wafers spray cleaning liquid.

In some embodiments, one or more silicon wafers are taken out of the cleaning chemical solution in the first tank and turned from the vertical surface to the horizontal surface. Then the one or more silicon wafers are horizontally transferred into one or more second grooves. Turn the one or more silicon wafers from the horizontal plane to the vertical plane and put them into the cleaning solution in the second tank. Take out the one or more silicon wafers from the cleaning solution in one or more second tanks and turn them from the vertical plane to the horizontal plane. Then the one or more wafers are horizontally transferred to one or more single wafer cleaning modules.

In some embodiments, the one or more second grooves may be absent. One or more silicon wafers are transferred to at least one tank containing a cleaning solution for tank cleaning. Then the one or more silicon wafers are taken out of the cleaning solution in the at least one tank, and transported to one or more single-chip cleaning modules for cleaning and drying processes of the single-chip silicon wafers. The methods disclosed in Figures 2, 5 to 9 and 10 to 30 can be applied to this, from the moment when the one or more silicon wafers come out of the cleaning solution in at least one tank Until the one or more silicon wafers are transferred to the single-chip cleaning module, a certain thickness of liquid film is controlled and maintained on the one or more silicon wafers.

The controller is used to control the manipulator, the nozzle and the wafer holder, from the moment one or more wafers come out of the cleaning chemical solution in at least one first tank until one or more wafers are immersed in one or more In the cleaning solution in the second tank, and/or from the moment one or more wafers come out of the cleaning solution in the second tank or until the one or more wafers are transferred to one or more The single-chip cleaning module maintains a certain thickness of liquid film on the one or more silicon wafers.

In summary, through the above-mentioned embodiments and related drawings, the related technologies have been disclosed in detail, so that those skilled in the art can implement them accordingly. The above-mentioned embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention, not to limit the present invention. The scope of rights of the present invention should be defined by the scope of the patent application of the present invention. As for the change in the number of elements described herein or the substitution of equivalent elements, all should still belong to the scope of the present invention.

1000: Device for cleaning semiconductor wafers

1010: load port

1020: Front end manipulator

1030: The first turning device

1040: cleaning tank

1050: first slot

1060: second slot

1070: The second turning device

1080: Craft Manipulator

1090: Single-chip cleaning module

1100: buffer room

1200: Chemical liquid supply system

1300: Power Control System

Claims (48)

A method for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers includes the following steps: One or more silicon wafers are sequentially transported into at least one first tank and one or more second tanks to perform a tank cleaning process. The first tank contains a chemical solution and the second tank contains a cleaning process. liquid; Take out the one or more wafers from the cleaning solution in one or more second tanks, and transfer the one or more wafers to the single wafer cleaning module to perform the cleaning and drying process of the single wafer ； Wherein, from the moment the one or more silicon wafers come out of the chemical solution in the at least one first tank until the one or more silicon wafers are immersed in the cleaning solution in the one or more second tanks , And/or from the moment the one or more silicon wafers come out of the cleaning solution in the one or more second tanks until the one or more silicon wafers are transferred to the one or more single-chip cleaning modules In the process, a certain thickness of liquid film is controlled and maintained on the one or more silicon wafers. The method for cleaning a semiconductor silicon wafer according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the liquid film on the one or more silicon wafers is determined by the diameter of the largest particle in the liquid film and the size of the robot arm that transports the one or more silicon wafers. The transmission acceleration and the maximum thickness of the liquid film maintained by the surface tension of the liquid on the one or more silicon wafers are determined. The method for cleaning a semiconductor silicon wafer according to claim 2, wherein the thickness of the liquid film on the one or more silicon wafers is not less than the diameter of the largest particle in the liquid film. The method for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers according to claim 2, wherein the transmission acceleration of the manipulator is controlled so that the one or more silicon wafers are The thickness of the liquid film is not greater than the maximum thickness of the liquid film maintained by the surface tension of the liquid. The method for cleaning a semiconductor silicon wafer according to claim 1, further comprising: From the moment the one or more silicon wafers come out of the chemical solution in the at least one first tank until the one or more silicon wafers are immersed in the cleaning solution in the one or more second tanks, The one or more silicon wafers are sprayed with cleaning fluid; From the moment the one or more silicon wafers come out of the cleaning solution in the one or more second tanks until the one or more silicon wafers are transferred to the one or more single-chip cleaning modules, the One or more silicon wafers eject liquid. The method for cleaning a semiconductor silicon wafer according to claim 1, further comprising: From the moment the one or more silicon wafers come out of the chemical solution in the at least one first tank until the one or more silicon wafers are immersed in the cleaning solution in the one or more second tanks Or multiple silicon wafers jetting liquid; Take out the one or more silicon wafers from the cleaning solution in the one or more second tanks and rotate them from the vertical surface to the horizontal plane, and then transfer the one or more silicon wafers horizontally to one or more single wafers. Film cleaning module. The method for cleaning a semiconductor silicon wafer according to claim 1, further comprising: Taking out one or more silicon wafers from the chemical liquid in the at least one first tank and rotating them from a vertical plane to a horizontal plane; Transfer one or more silicon wafers horizontally to one or more second grooves; Rotate one or more silicon wafers from the horizontal plane to the vertical plane and place them in the one In the cleaning solution in one or more second tanks; From the moment the one or more silicon wafers come out of the cleaning solution in the one or more second tanks until the one or more silicon wafers are transferred to the one or more single-chip cleaning modules, the One or more silicon wafers eject liquid. The method for cleaning a semiconductor silicon wafer according to claim 1, further comprising: Taking out one or more silicon wafers from the chemical liquid in the at least one first tank and rotating them from a vertical plane to a horizontal plane; Transfer one or more silicon wafers horizontally to one or more second grooves; Rotate one or more silicon wafers from a horizontal plane to a vertical plane and put them into the cleaning solution in the one or more second tanks; Take out one or more wafers from the cleaning solution in one or more second tanks and rotate them from vertical to horizontal; then transfer one or more wafers horizontally to one or more single-chip cleaning modules . The method for cleaning a semiconductor silicon wafer according to claim 1, further comprising: Transfer one or more silicon wafers to the single-chip cleaning module; Before the one or more silicon wafers are rotated in the one or more single-chip cleaning modules, a cleaning liquid is sprayed on the one or more silicon wafers. The method for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers according to claim 1, wherein the number of silicon wafers taken out of the one or more second tanks each time is equal to or less than the number of single-chip cleaning modules. The method for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers according to claim 1, wherein the number of silicon wafers taken out from the one or more second tanks each time is One piece or two pieces or less than ten pieces. The method for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers according to claim 1, wherein the chemical solution in the at least one first tank is an SPM solution, the SPM solution is a mixed solution of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide, and the temperature of the SPM solution is between 80° C. and 150° C. ℃. The method for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers according to claim 1, wherein the chemical solution in the at least one first tank is an SPM solution, the SPM solution is a mixed solution of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide, and the concentration ratio of sulfuric acid to hydrogen peroxide in the SPM solution It is 3:1 to 50:1. The method for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers according to claim 1, wherein the one or more silicon wafers are quickly discharged and cleaned in one or more second tanks. The method for cleaning a semiconductor silicon wafer according to claim 14, wherein the solution used for rapid discharge cleaning is deionized water. The method for cleaning a semiconductor silicon wafer according to claim 1, wherein the number of the second tank is at least two, the chemical solution in at least one first tank is an HF solution, and the solution in at least one second tank is H ₃ PO ₄ solution, the other solution in the second tank is deionized water for rapid discharge cleaning. The method for cleaning a semiconductor silicon wafer according to claim 16, wherein _{the temperature of the H 3} PO ₄ solution is 150°C to 200°C. A method for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers includes the following steps: Transport one or more wafers to at least one tank to perform tank cleaning Process, the tank is filled with a cleaning solution; Take out the one or more silicon wafers from the at least one tank and transfer the one or more silicon wafers to one or more single-chip cleaning modules to perform the cleaning and drying process of the single-chip silicon wafer; Wherein, from the moment when the one or more silicon wafers come out of the cleaning solution in the at least one tank until they are transferred to one or more single-chip cleaning modules, the parallel operation is controlled on the one or more silicon wafers. Maintain a certain thickness of liquid film. The method for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers according to claim 18, wherein the thickness of the liquid film on the one or more silicon wafers is determined by the diameter of the largest particle in the liquid film and the size of the robot arm that transports the one or more silicon wafers. The transmission acceleration and the maximum thickness of the liquid film maintained by the surface tension of the liquid on the one or more silicon wafers are determined. The method for cleaning a semiconductor silicon wafer according to claim 19, wherein the thickness of the liquid film on the one or more silicon wafers is not less than the diameter of the largest particle in the liquid film. The method for cleaning a semiconductor silicon wafer according to claim 19, wherein the transport acceleration of the robot is controlled so that the thickness of the liquid film on the one or more silicon wafers is not greater than the maximum thickness of the liquid film maintained by the surface tension of the liquid. A device for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers, including: At least one first tank containing a chemical liquid and configured to perform a tank cleaning process; One or more second tanks containing cleaning liquid and configured to perform a tank cleaning process; One or more single-chip cleaning modules are configured to perform the cleaning and drying processes of single-chip silicon wafers; Multiple manipulators are configured to transport one or more silicon wafers; The controller is configured to control the multiple manipulators to sequentially transfer one or more wafers to at least one first slot, one or more second slots, and then to one or more single-chip cleaning modules; Wherein, the controller is configured to from the moment when the one or more silicon wafers come out of the chemical solution in the at least one first tank until the one or more silicon wafers are immersed in the one or more first tanks. The cleaning solution in the second tank, and/or from the moment the one or more silicon wafers come out of the cleaning solution in the one or more second tanks until the one or more silicon wafers are transferred to one or more In a plurality of single-chip cleaning modules, a certain thickness of liquid film is maintained on the one or more silicon wafers. The device for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers according to claim 22, wherein the controller is configured to be based on the diameter of the largest particle in the liquid film, the transport acceleration of the manipulator that transports the one or more wafers, and the The maximum thickness of the liquid film maintained by the surface tension of the liquid on the one or more silicon wafers determines the thickness of the liquid film on the one or more silicon wafers. The device for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers according to claim 23, wherein the thickness of the liquid film on the one or more silicon wafers is not less than the diameter of the largest particle in the liquid film. The device for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers according to claim 23, wherein the transport acceleration of the manipulator is controlled so that the thickness of the liquid film on the one or more silicon wafers is not greater than the maximum thickness of the liquid film maintained by the surface tension of the liquid degree. The device for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers according to claim 22, further comprising a liquid supply device having a first spray head and a second spray head; Wherein, from the moment when the one or more silicon wafers come out of the chemical solution in the at least one first groove until the one or more silicon wafers are completely taken out from the at least one first groove from the vertical surface Rotate to a horizontal plane. In this process, the first nozzle sprays liquid to the one or more silicon wafers; when the one or more silicon wafers are turned to the horizontal plane for horizontal transfer to one or more second grooves, the first nozzle A nozzle stops spraying liquid; Wherein, from the moment when one or more silicon wafers are rotated from the horizontal plane above the one or more second grooves until the one or more silicon wafers are vertically immersed in the one or more second grooves for cleaning In the liquid, in this process, the second spray head sprays liquid to the one or more silicon wafers. The device for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers according to claim 22, further comprising: The first turning device is configured to rotate one or more silicon wafers from a horizontal plane to a vertical plane so as to be vertically transferred to the at least one first slot; The second turning device is configured to rotate one or more silicon wafers from a vertical plane to a horizontal plane for horizontal transfer to one or more single-chip cleaning modules. The device for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers according to claim 27, wherein the second turning device includes: Receiving cavity A wafer holder, the wafer holder is arranged in the receiving cavity; The first driving mechanism is used to drive the silicon wafer holder to rotate in the receiving cavity; A support rod, one end of the support rod extends into the receiving cavity; Support base, fixed at one end of the support rod; The second driving mechanism drives the support base to lift through the support rod; A window, the window is arranged on the receiving cavity; The door is arranged in the receiving cavity; The third driving mechanism is used to drive the door to move upward to close the window or downward to open the window. The device for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers according to claim 27, wherein the plurality of manipulators further include: The first silicon wafer transfer robot is configured to take one or more silicon wafers and transfer one or more silicon wafers to at least one first slot or one or more second slots; The second silicon wafer transfer manipulator is configured to take a certain number of silicon wafers from one or more second grooves at a time and transfer them to the second turning device; The process manipulator is configured to take a certain number of silicon wafers from the second turning device and transfer them to the single-chip cleaning module corresponding to the number. The device for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers according to claim 29, wherein the second silicon wafer transport manipulator includes a pair of clamping arms, and one end of each clamping arm is provided with a plurality of clamping grooves for clamping Multiple silicon wafers. The device for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers according to claim 29, further comprising one or more spray head devices, wherein each spray head device is elongated and has a slit-shaped spray head, at least one liquid inlet, and the liquid inlet The port is connected with a slit-shaped nozzle for liquid supply. The device for cleaning semiconductor wafers according to claim 31 Wherein, the number of the nozzle devices matches the number of silicon wafers clamped by the second silicon wafer conveying manipulator, and one nozzle device corresponds to a piece of silicon wafer and sprays liquid to the wafer. The device for cleaning a semiconductor silicon wafer according to claim 31, wherein the spray head device can move back and forth above the silicon wafer and spray liquid to the silicon wafer clamped by the second turning device. The device for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers according to claim 29, wherein the process manipulator can be turned from a horizontal plane to an inclined plane and then to a horizontal plane. The device for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers according to claim 29, wherein the number of silicon wafers taken out from the one or more second tanks each time is equal to or less than the number of single-chip cleaning modules. The device for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers according to claim 29, further comprising a cleaning tank for cleaning the first silicon wafer transfer robot when the first silicon wafer transfer robot is idle. The device for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers according to claim 29, further comprising: At least one load port; At least one silicon wafer box located in at least one load port; Buffer room, where the process manipulator takes out the silicon wafer from the single-chip cleaning module and puts it into the buffer room; Front-end manipulator, where the front-end manipulator takes out one or more wafers from at least one wafer box and transfers it to the first turning device, and the front-end manipulator takes out a certain number of silicon wafers from the buffer chamber and transfers it to at least one Inside the wafer box. The device for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers according to claim 22, wherein the one or more silicon wafers are transferred to one or more single-chip cleaning modules, and the one or more silicon wafers are transferred to one or more single-chip cleaning modules. Before rotating in the single-chip cleaning module, spray liquid to the one or more silicon wafers. The device for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers according to claim 22, wherein the chemical solution in the at least one first tank is an SPM solution, the SPM solution is a mixture of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide, and the temperature of the SPM solution is 80°C to 150°C ℃. The device for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers according to claim 22, wherein the chemical solution in the at least one first tank is an SPM solution, the SPM solution is a mixture of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide, and the concentration ratio of sulfuric acid to hydrogen peroxide in the SPM solution It is 3:1 to 50:1. The device for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers according to claim 22, wherein the one or more silicon wafers are rapidly discharged and cleaned in one or more second tanks. The device for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers according to claim 41, wherein the cleaning liquid used for rapid discharge cleaning is deionized water. The device for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers according to claim 22, wherein the number of the second tank is at least two, the chemical solution in at least one first tank is an HF solution, and the cleaning solution in at least one second tank It is an H ₃ PO ₄ solution, and the cleaning solution in the other second tank is deionized water for rapid discharge cleaning. The device for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers according to claim 43, wherein _{the temperature of the H 3} PO ₄ solution is 150°C to 200°C. A device for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers, including: Multiple load ports; At least one first tank containing a chemical liquid and configured to perform a tank cleaning process; One or more second tanks containing cleaning liquid and configured to perform a tank cleaning process; One or more single-chip cleaning modules are configured to perform the cleaning and drying processes of single-chip silicon wafers; Wherein, the plurality of load ports are arranged horizontally, the at least one first groove and one or more second grooves are arranged longitudinally on one side, and the one or more single-chip cleaning modules are arranged longitudinally on the other side. One side is opposite to the at least one first groove and one or more second grooves. The apparatus for cleaning semiconductor wafers according to claim 45, wherein a space is formed between the one or more single-chip cleaning modules and the at least one first tank and one or more second tanks , There is a process manipulator in the space. A device for cleaning semiconductor silicon wafers, including: At least one tank containing a cleaning solution and configured to perform a tank cleaning process; One or more single-chip cleaning modules are configured to perform the cleaning and drying processes of single-chip silicon wafers; One or more manipulators configured to transfer one or more silicon wafers to the at least one tank and the one or more single-chip cleaning modules; The controller is configured to control one or more manipulators; Wherein, the controller is configured to from the moment when the one or more silicon wafers come out of the cleaning solution in the at least one tank until they are transferred to one or more single-chip cleaning modules. Keep a certain thickness of liquid film on multiple silicon wafers. The device for cleaning semiconductor wafers according to claim 47, wherein the controller is configured to be based on the diameter of the largest particle in the liquid film, the transport acceleration of the manipulator that transports the one or more wafers, and the The maximum thickness of the liquid film maintained by the surface tension of the liquid on the one or more silicon wafers determines the thickness of the liquid film on the one or more silicon wafers.

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