KR100766461B1 - A semiconductor wafer cleaning apparatus for preventing the occurrence of turbulence in a chamber - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a wafer cleaning apparatus for preventing wafer recontamination by vortex on the wafer in the chamber. The configuration of the present invention includes a chamber having a supply port through which air is supplied and a discharge port through which air is discharged, and a carrying-in to the chamber. A wafer mounting means for mounting a wafer, a rotating means having a rotating shaft for rotating the wafer mounting means, a chemical liquid spraying means for injecting a chemical liquid from an upper portion of the wafer to an upper surface of the wafer, and provided in the chamber; And suction means which further sucks air supplied through a supply port into the chamber and discharges the discharge port to prevent the vortex generated while the air is supplied to the chamber, thereby efficiently removing the vortex generated in the chamber. This prevents recontamination of the wafer due to vortex.

Wafer, Vortex, Cleaning

Description

A semiconductor wafer cleaning apparatus for preventing the occurrence of turbulence in a chamber}

1 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a conventional semiconductor wafer cleaning apparatus.

2 is a cross-sectional view showing a suction fan of a semiconductor wafer cleaning apparatus mounted on a rotating shaft to prevent vortex generation in a chamber of the present invention.

3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a suction fan of a semiconductor wafer cleaning apparatus for preventing the generation of vortex in the chamber of the present invention is integrally formed with the wafer mounting means.

4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the suction fan of FIG. 2 and the wafer mounting means of FIG. 3 are integrally formed;

5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a supply fan and a filter are further mounted in a semiconductor wafer cleaning apparatus for preventing vortex generation in a chamber of the present invention.

* Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings

1 chamber 3 supply port

5 driving part 7 supply pipe

9: injection nozzle 11: wafer

13 holder 15 wafer mounting means                 

17: rotating shaft 19: outlet

21: motor 201: suction fan

301: integrated suction fan 501: supply fan

503 filter

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a semiconductor wafer cleaning apparatus for preventing vortices in a chamber, and more particularly, to a semiconductor wafer cleaning apparatus suitable for preventing vortices on a wafer that cause re-contamination of a wafer cleaned in a chamber of the semiconductor wafer cleaning apparatus. It is about.

In general, a semiconductor wafer cleaning apparatus is an apparatus that performs cleaning of organics, particles, metal ions, oxides, and the like.

If the contaminants are not properly removed in the semiconductor manufacturing process, there is a huge loss in the quality and yield of the semiconductor. Therefore, the degree of contamination in the cleaning process for removing the contaminants in the entire semiconductor process is very strict. .

The cleaning process of the contaminant particles is not only the most frequently used process accounting for about 40% of the overall semiconductor process, but also an essential process for maintaining the ultra-clean wafer state required by ULSI technology.

Meanwhile, as a cleaning method for removing contaminants from a wafer, mechanical methods, chemical methods, ultrasonic methods, and the like have been largely used.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a conventional semiconductor wafer cleaning apparatus.

As shown in the drawing, a conventional semiconductor wafer cleaning apparatus includes a chamber 1 having a supply port 3 through which air is supplied at an upper portion thereof, and a discharge port 19 through which air is discharged to a lower portion thereof, and mounted in the chamber 1. And a rotating means having a rotating shaft 17 penetrating from the lower part of the chamber 1 to the upper part, and connected to the outer surface of the rotating means, and the wafer 11 carried in the chamber 1. And a chemical liquid spraying means for spraying the chemical liquid from the upper portion of the wafer 11 to the upper surface of the wafer 11.

Referring to the operation of the above configuration, first, the wafer 11 is mounted on the wafer mounting means 15, and the wafer 11 is rotated at a high speed by the rotating means. The chemical liquid is applied to the upper surface by the spray nozzle 9.

The chemical liquid is sprayed only toward the semi-circle of the upper surface of the wafer 11, but since the wafer 11 is rotating at a high speed, the chemical liquid can apply to the entire upper surface of the wafer 11.

Then, the chemical liquid is moved radially from the upper surface of the wafer 11 by the centrifugal force by the rotation of the wafer 11 to clean the upper surface of the wafer 11, after which the chemical liquid is the wafer 11 Along with the contaminated particles on the upper surface is separated from the wafer 11 is discharged through the discharge port 19 formed in the chamber (1).

At this time, some contaminant particles are scattered to the upper portion of the wafer 11 together with the chemical liquid without being washed away by the chemical liquid.

Meanwhile, air is supplied through the supply port 3 formed in the upper portion of the chamber 1 to move downward in the chamber 1. The air moves downward and includes the contaminated particles that scatter and reach the upper portion of the wafer, and continue to move downward to discharge the contaminated particles to the outlet.

However, according to this prior art, due to the high speed of rotation around the circumference of the end of the wafer 11 which rotates at high speed and the top shape of the wafer mounting means 15, which is a fixing device of the wafer 11, FIG. Vortex 6 as shown in the figure is generated on top of the wafer 11.

Contaminant particles scattered from the wafer due to the vortex 6 generated in this way join the vortex 6 and rotate on the wafer 11 to deposit on the top surface of the cleaned wafer 11 again. There was a problem.

In order to prevent re-contamination of the cleaned wafer by the vortex on the wafer, efforts are made to optimize design variables such as the shape of the chamber around the wafer where the air flow is formed, the shape, the position and the size of the outlet formed in the chamber. However, the current situation is only to grasp the trend due to problems such as development period and expenses.

 Accordingly, the present invention has been proposed to solve the conventional problems as described above, and an object of the present invention is to prevent the vortex phenomenon generated on the wafer during high-speed rotation of the semiconductor wafer cleaning apparatus to recontaminate the cleaned wafer. To provide a semiconductor wafer cleaning apparatus for preventing the generation of vortex in the chamber.

In order to achieve the above object, a semiconductor wafer cleaning apparatus for preventing vortex generation in a chamber according to the technical idea of the present invention includes a chamber having a supply port through which air is supplied and a discharge port through which air is discharged, and a wafer loaded into the chamber. A wafer mounting means for mounting a wafer, a rotating means having a rotating shaft for rotating the wafer mounting means, a chemical liquid spraying means for injecting a chemical liquid from an upper portion of the wafer to an upper surface of the wafer, and provided in the chamber. It further comprises a suction means for further sucking the air supplied through the chamber into the discharge port to prevent the vortex generated while the air is supplied to the chamber.

Here, the suction means is preferably a suction fan mounted to the rotating shaft.

In addition, the suction means may be an integral suction fan formed integrally with the wafer mounting means.

Further, the wafer cleaning apparatus may further include a supply fan for supplying air to the supply port.

The wafer cleaning apparatus may further include filtration means for filtering the air supplied from the supply fan to make clean air and supplying the air into the chamber.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention as described above will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Here, the same components as those of the prior art will be described with the same reference numerals.

2 is a cross-sectional view showing a suction fan mounted to a rotating shaft in a semiconductor wafer cleaning apparatus for preventing vortex generation in a chamber of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the semiconductor wafer cleaning apparatus for preventing vortex generation in the chamber of the present invention includes a chamber 1 having a supply port 3 formed thereon. Air outside the chamber 1 is supplied to the supply port 3 into the chamber 1 to remove scattered contaminants inside the chamber 1.

Here, the chamber 1 is provided with wafer mounting means 15 for mounting the wafer 11. The wafer mounting means 15 is provided with a holder 13 to horizontally mount the wafer 11 carried into the chamber 1.

The wafer mounting means 15 is rotated by a rotation means provided in the lower portion of the chamber 1.

That is, the rotating means has a rotating shaft 17 penetrated into the interior from the lower portion of the chamber 1, the wafer mounting means 15 is coupled to the rotating shaft 17 to rotate.                     

The upper part of the chamber 1 is provided with a chemical liquid injection means for injecting the chemical liquid to the upper surface of the wafer (11).

The chemical liquid spraying means includes a spray nozzle 9 for injecting the chemical liquid toward the upper surface of the wafer 11, a supply pipe 7 for supplying the chemical liquid to the spray nozzle 9, and a driving unit for driving the supply pipe 7. The driver 5 is comprised.

In this case, the driver 5 preferably makes the supply pipe 7 reciprocate at a predetermined cycle so that the injection nozzle 9 can eject the chemical liquid evenly on the upper surface of the wafer 11. .

In addition, the chamber 1 is provided with suction means for further suctioning the air supplied from the supply port 3 into the chamber 1.

The suction means is composed of a conventional suction fan 201 and serves to further suck the air supplied from the supply port 3 formed in the upper portion of the chamber (1) downward.

Here, the air moved downward is discharged by the outlet formed in the lower portion of the chamber (1).

Therefore, the air introduced into the chamber 1 through the supply port 3 is rapidly moved downward by the suction means, so that air entering the chamber 1 from the upper portion of the wafer 11 is vortexed. It is moved downwards before it is discharged.

In the above-described configuration, the chemical liquid spraying means injects the chemical liquid toward the upper surface of the wafer 11, and a portion of the injected chemical liquid contains the contaminated particles removed from the upper surface of the wafer 11. Even if it is floated and floated on the upper part of the air, air entering the chamber 1 through the supply port 3 forms a radial flow in the center of the wafer 11 and the chamber 1 immediately without vortex generation. By being discharged through the outlet 19 formed in the lower portion of the, it is possible to eliminate the problem that the upper surface of the wafer 11 is recontaminated by the scattered contaminated particles.

On the other hand, the suction means is provided on the rotary shaft 17 of the rotating means for rotating the wafer mounting means 15, as shown.

With such a configuration, even if a separate drive means is not provided to drive the suction means, power can be transmitted by a rotation means that is usually provided.

In addition, the higher the rotation speed of the wafer 11, the higher the generation of vortices, and the suction means is provided on the rotary shaft 17 for rotating the wafer 11, so that the suction force of the air by the suction means is increased. At the same time, the degree of increase in suppressing the generation of vortices is also increased.

3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the suction fan of the semiconductor wafer cleaning apparatus for preventing the generation of vortex in the chamber of the present invention is integrally formed with the wafer mounting means.

As shown in FIG. 3, in the present invention, the suction means is integrated into the suction fan 301 integrally formed with the wafer mounting means 15 instead of the suction fan 201 mounted to the rotary shaft 17 in FIG. 2. Even if configured, the same effect can be obtained.

Here, the integrated suction fan 301 is preferably formed under the wafer mounting means 15, but may be formed on the side of the wafer mounting means 15.

Since the suction fan 301 integrally formed with the wafer mounting means 15 is mounted at the same time as the wafer mounting means 15 is mounted on the rotary shaft 17, the suction fan 301 is mounted. In order not to perform a separate process, it is possible to shorten the assembly process of the present invention.

4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which a suction fan and an integrated suction fan are mounted together on a rotating shaft of a semiconductor wafer cleaning apparatus for preventing vortex generation in a chamber of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 4, the integrated suction fan 301 serves to suck the upper air of the upper portion of the wafer 11 downward, and the suction fan 201 mounted to the rotation shaft 17. By further moving the air sucked primarily by the integrated suction fan 301 in the downward direction to discharge to the discharge port, the flow of air in the downward direction in the chamber (1) more smoothly to generate the vortex Will be more effectively suppressed.

5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which a supply fan and a filter are further mounted in a semiconductor wafer cleaning apparatus for preventing vortex generation in a chamber of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the semiconductor wafer cleaning apparatus for preventing vortex generation in the chamber 1 of the present invention, in the invention shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, air is supplied through the supply port 3 to the chamber 1. And a filtering means which is a filter 503 for filtering the air supplied from the supply fan 501 and the supply fan 501.

In this case, the supply fan 501 and the filter 503 may be installed in the supply port 3 of the chamber 1, or may be installed in the upper part of the supply port 3, which is outside the chamber 1.

The supply fan 501 supplies a large amount of air into the chamber 1 from the outside of the chamber 1 at a high flow rate and interacts with the suction fan 201 mounted inside the chamber 1 while the chamber 1 The flow of air in the inside flows more rapidly in the downward direction, thereby effectively acting to suppress the generation of vortices that may occur on the wafer 11.

That is, the air flowing in the chamber forms a smooth flow in the downward direction due to the pushing force of the supply fan 501 and the pulling force of the suction fan 201, thereby vortexing the upper portion of the wafer 11. Since it is quickly discharged to the discharge port 19 without the occurrence of, contaminants scattered from the upper portion of the wafer 11 further prevents the recontamination of the wafer 11 due to the vortex of the air.

In addition, the filter 503 installed in the lower portion of the supply fan 501 serves to remove the impurities present in the air supplied into the chamber 1 to create clean air, thereby Will provide a cleaner air supply.

In addition, when there is no need for filtration in the above case, it is also possible to comprise only the supply fan 501 and the suction fan 201 without the filter 503.

In such a configuration, since the configuration and operation of the suction fan mounted or formed inside the chamber 1 are as described above, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The operation of the semiconductor wafer cleaning apparatus for preventing vortex generation in the chamber according to the present invention configured as described above will be described in detail with reference to a preferred embodiment shown in the drawings.

First, the wafer 11 is brought into the chamber 1 by a robot (not shown), and the wafer 11 is horizontally mounted by the holder 13 on the wafer mounting means 15.

Thereafter, the rotating means is operated to rotate the wafer mounting means 15.

In the upper portion of the wafer 11, the chemical liquid spraying means is operated to spray the chemical liquid toward the upper surface of the wafer 11 by the injection nozzle. In addition, the chemical liquid is discharged through the discharge port 19 after being washed radially by the centrifugal force due to the high speed rotation of the wafer 11 after cleaning the upper surface of the wafer 11.

In this process, some contaminants on the wafer 11 are scattered on the wafer 11 and float.

At this time, the air is sucked through the supply port 3 formed in the upper part of the chamber 1, and the sucked air collects the contaminated particles scattered on the upper part of the wafer 11. It is pushed out in the circumferential direction.

Here, the suction fan 201, which is the suction means mounted on the rotating means, is rotated by the operation of the rotating means, and is supplied into the chamber 1 through the supply port 3 so that the circumference of the wafer 11 The air moved in the direction is further sucked to move downward in the chamber (1).

In this way, the suction fan 201 discharges the air to the discharge port 19 quickly and smoothly while preventing the generation of the vortex to be generated on the wafer 11.

Therefore, the contaminated particles which float and float on the wafer 11 are not re-deposited on the upper surface of the wafer 11, but are included in the air and are quickly discharged.

On the other hand, even if the suction means is composed of the integrated suction fan 301 formed integrally with the wafer mounting means 15 instead of the suction fan 201 mounted on the rotary shaft 17 will not be described in detail. .

In addition, when the supply fan 501 and the filter 503 are further provided, the supply fan 501 is operated and rotated by the rotating means outside the chamber 1, so that a large amount of air outside the chamber 1 Is supplied to the supply port (3).

In this case, the supply fan 501 pushes air into the chamber 1 to interact with the suction fan 201 that sucks and draws the air in the chamber 1 so that the air flows in the chamber 1. Is even more wanted.

In addition, the filter 503 removes impurities present in the air so that the air is supplied in a clean state.

As a result, the semiconductor wafer cleaning apparatus according to the present invention operates means capable of smoothing the flow of air, thereby suppressing the generation of vortices on the wafer 11 so that floating contaminant particles are placed on the upper surface of the wafer 11. It will prevent the deposition again.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been presented above, the above configuration may be effectively used even when the rinse solution is replaced with a rinse solution, and the rinse process is switched to the rinse process.

As such, the present invention prevents the phenomenon of eddy currents generated in the upper portion of the wafer 11 during the high-speed rotation of the wafer in the conventional semiconductor wafer cleaning apparatus, thereby preventing the contamination of the particles on the surface of the cleaned wafer 11. will be.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above. The present invention may use various changes, modifications, and equivalents. It is clear that the present invention can be applied in the same manner by appropriately modifying the above embodiments. Therefore, the above description does not limit the scope of the present invention as defined by the limits of the following claims.

As described above, the semiconductor wafer cleaning apparatus for preventing vortex generation in the chamber according to the present invention is equipped with a suction fan or a suction fan which is a suction means without changing major parts of the conventional semiconductor wafer cleaning apparatus. By adding the wafer mounting means to smooth the flow of air, there is an effect that can effectively prevent the vortex phenomenon on the wafer that caused the clean wafer recontamination.

Therefore, the semiconductor wafer cleaning apparatus which prevents vortex generation in the chamber according to the present invention can provide an effective air flow in the chamber at a low cost, thereby improving cleaning quality.

Claims (5)

A chamber in which a supply port through which air is supplied and an outlet through which air is discharged are formed; Wafer mounting means for mounting a wafer carried in the chamber; Rotating means having a rotating shaft for rotating the wafer mounting means; Chemical liquid injection means for injecting a chemical liquid from the upper portion of the wafer to an upper surface of the wafer; Is provided in the chamber, and further comprises a suction means for preventing the vortex generated while the air is supplied to the chamber by further suctioning the air supplied through the supply port into the chamber and discharged to the chamber, And a supply fan for supplying the air toward the supply port. The method of claim 1, The suction means, And a suction fan mounted to the rotary shaft, wherein the semiconductor wafer cleaning device prevents vortex generation from occurring in the chamber. The method of claim 1, The suction means, And an integrated suction fan formed integrally with the wafer mounting means. delete The method of claim 1, The wafer cleaning device, And a filtration means for filtering the air supplied from the supply fan to make clean air and supplying the air into the chamber.

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