KR102504807B1 - Semiconductor hybrid etching apparatus and method - Google Patents

Abstract

The semiconductor hybrid etching method of the present invention is a semiconductor hybrid etching device including a platform, a first etching unit having a first etching chamber disposed inside the platform, and a second etching unit having a second etching chamber disposed inside the platform. In the first etching chamber, performing a first bevel etching process using an etching gas and a selective laser irradiation method on the front surface of the wafer; performing a secondary bevel etching process on the rear surface of the bevel region of the wafer or the entire rear surface of the wafer in a second etching chamber; and performing a cleaning process on the wafer in the second etching chamber.

Description

Semiconductor hybrid etching apparatus and method

The present invention relates to a semiconductor etching apparatus, and more particularly, to a semiconductor hybrid etching apparatus in which a dry etching unit and a wet etching unit are combined in one platform, and a bevel region of a wafer can be etched through an easy and simple process using the same It relates to a semiconductor hybrid etching device and method.

Various integrated circuit elements and the like are fabricated by integrating desired predetermined circuit patterns on a semiconductor wafer through semiconductor manufacturing processes such as thin film deposition and etching processes. These integrated circuit elements are integrated in a predetermined region of a semiconductor wafer, for example, an element formation region. The edge region of the semiconductor wafer, excluding the element formation region, is a region in which separate elements or circuit patterns are not formed for wafer transfer, and is referred to as a wafer bevel region. The wafer bevel region is formed with a predetermined width from the edge of the wafer, and includes a top surface of the wafer, an inclined surface including side surfaces, and a rear surface of the wafer.

During the semiconductor device manufacturing process, the thin film deposition process deposits a desired thin film with a predetermined thickness over the entire surface of the wafer, and the thin film etching process targets the thin film formed in the device formation area of the wafer to obtain a desired device pattern. In the bevel area, which is the edge area of , the thin film remains unremoved. In addition, when the etching process is performed using plasma, process by-products such as particles are generated and deposited.

Therefore, if a subsequent process is performed in a state where films, process by-products, or particles are deposited on the wafer bevel area, a phenomenon in which the wafer is bent or wafer alignment by defocusing becomes difficult, and the deposited on the wafer bevel area Films, process by-products, or particles act as process defects in subsequent processes and cause a decrease in yield.

In order to solve this problem, conventionally, a bevel etching process is performed to remove deposits in the bevel area of the wafer, and plasma is formed on the edge portion of the wafer to perform the bevel etching process. Through this bevel etching process, the deposits accumulated on the top surface of the wafer in the bevel area could be removed, but the deposits still remained on the back surface of the wafer, so there were still problems such as wafer warpage and yield reduction due to defocusing. . In addition, as the deposits in the bevel area are removed through a dry etching process using plasma, there is a problem of being vulnerable to particle generation. In addition, the conventional bevel etching method has a problem in that fine control of particles and contamination on the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer is not easy.

An object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor hybrid etching apparatus and method in which a dry etching unit and a wet etching unit are combined in one platform, suitable for an etching process in a bevel region of a wafer.

An object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor hybrid etching apparatus capable of etching a bevel region of a wafer through an easy and simple process using an etching gas and a selective laser irradiation method.

The present invention is semiconductor hybrid etching that can etch the bevel region of a wafer through an easy and simple process using an etching gas and a selective laser irradiation method in a semiconductor hybrid etching apparatus in which a dry etching unit and a wet etching unit are combined. Its purpose is to provide a method.

An object of the present invention is to provide a hybrid etching method capable of removing deposits formed on the front surface of a bevel area of a wafer using an etching gas and a selective laser irradiation method, and removing deposits formed on the back surface through a wet etching process. there is.

In the present invention, the bevel cleaning process after removing the deposits formed on the front surface of the bevel area of the wafer through a dry etching process using an etching gas and a selective laser irradiation method and the removal process of the deposits formed on the back surface of the bevel area are processed in the same wet etching unit. Its purpose is to provide a hybrid etching method that can proceed in a tunable manner.

A semiconductor hybrid etching device of the present invention includes a platform; a first etching unit disposed inside the platform and having a first etching chamber in which a first etching process is performed on a wafer; a second etching unit disposed inside the platform and having a second etching chamber in which a second etching process different from the first etching process is performed on the wafer; It may include a wafer transfer means disposed in the wafer transfer passage formed between the first and second etching units to transfer the wafer via the wafer transfer passage between the first and second etching units. In the first etching chamber, a first etching process using an etching gas and a selective laser irradiation method is performed on the front surface of the bevel region of the wafer, and the rear surface of the bevel region of the wafer or the first etching process is performed in the second etching chamber. A secondary etching process may be performed on the rear surface of the wafer.

The first etching unit may include at least one inlet disposed in an upper portion of the first etching chamber corresponding to the wafer; a gas supply unit injecting the etching gas into the first etching chamber through the at least one inlet; and a laser supply unit configured to irradiate a laser to the entire surface of the bevel region of the wafer in the first etching chamber through the at least one injection hole.

The at least one inlet is arranged above the first etching chamber corresponding to the bevel area of the wafer, and the etching gas and the laser may be sequentially supplied to the first etching chamber through the at least one inlet. .

The at least one inlet may include a first inlet for injecting the etching gas into the first etching chamber; and a second inlet for irradiating the laser into the first etching chamber.

The gas supply unit and the laser supply unit are movable to correspond to the first inlet and the second inlet, respectively, so that the etching gas and the laser are sequentially supplied to the first etching chamber through the first inlet and the second inlet. can be configured.

The etching gas provided from the gas supply unit may include O2 gas.

The first etching unit may include an inlet disposed in an upper portion of the first etching chamber corresponding to the wafer; a gas supply unit injecting the etching gas into the first etching chamber through the inlet; a laser supply unit for irradiating a laser to the entire surface of the bevel region of the wafer in the first etching chamber; and a laser transmission member arranged on the first etching chamber to correspond to the entire surface of the bevel region of the wafer in the first etching chamber and transmitting the laser to a selected portion of the wafer.

The laser transmission member may be made of a transparent material so that the laser is transmitted to a bevel area of the wafer.

A semiconductor hybrid etching method of the present invention includes a semiconductor hybrid etching device including a platform, a first etching unit having a first etching chamber disposed inside the platform, and a second etching unit having a second etching chamber disposed inside the platform. In the method, performing a first bevel etching process using an etching gas and a selective laser irradiation method on the front surface of the bevel region of the wafer in the first etching chamber; performing a secondary bevel etching process on the rear surface of the bevel region of the wafer or the entire rear surface of the wafer in a second etching chamber; and performing a cleaning process on the wafer in the second etching chamber.

The first bevel etching process may include making the first etching chamber into a vacuum state; supplying the etching gas from the gas supply unit to a first etching chamber in a vacuum state through the inlet; and supplying the laser from the laser supply unit to the first etching chamber through the laser transmission member to react with the etching gas.

The first bevel etching process may include making the first etching chamber into a vacuum state; supplying the etching gas from the gas supply unit to a first etching chamber in a vacuum state through the at least one inlet; and supplying the laser from the laser supply unit to the first etching chamber through the at least one injection hole to react with the etching gas.

The etching gas and the laser may be sequentially supplied to the first etching chamber through the same injection hole. The etching gas may include O2 gas.

The at least one inlet includes a first inlet and a second inlet, the etching gas is supplied to the first etching chamber through the first inlet, and then the laser is applied through the second inlet to perform the first etching. can be fed into the chamber.

The second etching process and the cleaning process may be performed in situ in the same second etching chamber.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the hybrid etching apparatus includes a dry etching unit and a wet etching unit in one platform, and deposits formed on the upper surface of the bevel region of the wafer are irradiated with etching gas and selective laser in the same etching apparatus. It can be removed through a dry etching process using a method, and the deposit formed on the rear surface can be removed through a wet etching process. Accordingly, there is an advantage in fine control of particles and contamination on the wafer edge portion and the back surface. In addition, when bevel etching the wafer using an etching gas and a selective laser irradiation method, it is possible to remove deposits in the bevel area while minimizing the generation of particles, and to prevent the generated particles from entering the central portion of the wafer. there is.

In addition, during the deposition process for manufacturing 3D NAND flash devices, the film is deposited not only on the top surface of the wafer but also on the inside of the back surface, so the yield reduction problem due to warpage can be solved through the back wet etching process, and the back surface particles can be easily controlled. There is one advantage.

In addition, the bevel cleaning process after the process of removing the deposits formed on the upper surface of the bevel area of the wafer through a dry etching process using an etching gas and a selective laser irradiation method and the removal process of the deposits formed on the back surface of the bevel area are processed in the same wet etching unit. Since it can proceed in a tubular manner, deposits in the bevel area can be easily removed. In addition, it is possible to simplify the process and shorten the process time, as well as improve the yield.

In addition, since the etching process for bevel etching and the cleaning process for bevel cleaning are performed in one and the same etching apparatus, exposure of the wafer to air can be minimized to minimize exposure to particles and contamination, thereby improving yield. .

1 is a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor hybrid etching apparatus suitable for an etching process in a wafer bevel region according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 schematically illustrates a cross-sectional structure of a wet etching unit in a semiconductor hybrid etching apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3(a) and (b) schematically illustrate a cross-sectional structure of a dry etching unit using an etching gas and a selective laser irradiation method in a semiconductor hybrid etching apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a process flow chart illustrating an etching process of a wafer bevel region using an etching gas and a selective laser irradiation method performed in a semiconductor hybrid etching apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a process flow chart illustrating an etching process of a wafer bevel region using an etching gas and a selective laser irradiation method performed in a semiconductor hybrid etching apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 shows a SEM picture in the case of using an etching gas and a selective laser irradiation method in a semiconductor hybrid etching apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

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

1 is a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor hybrid etching apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The semiconductor hybrid etching apparatus 100 of FIG. 1 is an etching apparatus in which a wet etching unit and a dry etching unit are combined to perform a bevel etching process for removing deposits accumulated in a bevel region of a semiconductor wafer in one apparatus. .

Referring to FIG. 1 , a semiconductor hybrid etching apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a platform 110 on which etching units 260 and 270 are disposed and disposed outside the platform 110. The platform 110 may include a controller 120 for controlling an etching process of the etching units disposed in, for example, wafer transfer.

The platform 110 maintains a clean atmosphere inside, and has four parts, for example, an equipment front end module (EFEM) part 130, a buffer module part 150, and a wet It may be classified into a (wet) etching unit part 170 and a dry etching unit part 190 .

The EFEM part 130 serves to transfer a plurality of wafers (see 200 in FIGS. 2 and 3 ) by having a transfer module 225 therein. The EFEM part 130 may include a load port 210 and an index module 220 . The EFEM part 130 may serve to transfer the wafer from the outside to the wet etching unit part 170 or the dry etching unit part 190, which is a process module part. The inside of the EFEM part 130 forms a clean space so that wafers can be transferred to the wet etching unit part 170 or the dry etching unit part 190 in a clean environment.

A plurality of front opening unified pods (FOUPs) 215 as wafer storage containers may be loaded into the load port 210 . The FOUP 215 is a hermetically sealed wafer storage container for storing semiconductor wafers, and may be, for example, a cassette-integrated, forward-opening wafer storage container. The wafer 200 may be loaded and transferred to the FOUP 215 in lot units, and may be transferred to the wet and dry etching unit parts 170 and 190 individually.

In the embodiment of the present invention, it has been exemplified that the wafer 200 is loaded into the load port 210 after being mounted on the FOUP 215 as a storage container, but is not necessarily limited thereto, and loads in various ways depending on the size of the wafer, etc. It can be loaded into the port 210.

The index module 220 serves to transfer the wafers stored in the FOUP 215 of the load port 210 to the etching units 260 and 270 . An index robot 225 responsible for transferring wafers to the etching unit units 260 and 270 may be disposed in the index module 220 . Although not shown in the drawings, a FOUP opener for opening the FOUP 215 of the load port 210 may be disposed in the index module 220 .

The buffer module part 150 includes a buffer module 230 for temporarily storing wafers to be processed by being provided to the etching units 260 and 270, which are process modules, or processed wafers provided from the etching units 260 and 270. ) can be placed. The buffer module 230 may include a plurality of buffers 235 . For example, wafers stored in first and second FOUPs among the plurality of FOUPs 215 arranged in the load port 210 are stored in the plurality of buffers 235 of the buffer module 230 through the index robot 225. The wafers stored in the third and fourth FOUPs among the plurality of FOUPs 215 are transferred to the second buffer among the plurality of buffers 235 through the index robot 225, can be temporarily saved.

In addition, in the semiconductor hybrid etching apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, a wafer transfer passage 240 for transferring wafers is provided between the buffer module part 150 and the etching unit parts 170 and 190 in the platform 110 . ) can be formed. In the wafer transfer passage 240, as the wafer transfer means 250 responsible for transferring the wafer 200 between the buffer 235 and the etching units 260 and 270, a wafer transfer robot (WTR) can be placed.

The wafer transfer robot 250 disposed in the wafer transfer path 240 etches the wafer 200 to be processed in the etching units 260 and 270, which are process module units, from the buffer 235 of the buffer module 230. The wafer 200 transferred to the units 260 or 270 or processed in the etching units 260 or 270 may be provided to the buffer 235 from the etching units 260 or 270 .

A wet etching unit (module) 260 may be disposed on the wet etching unit part 170 . A plurality of process chambers 265 for a wet etching process may be arranged in the wet etching unit 260 . The process chamber 265 provides a space in which a wet etching process is performed on the wafer 200 . Although not shown in the drawing, the wet etching unit 260 is a chemical supply unit for supplying at least one kind of wet chemical to the wafer 200 in the process chamber 265, and the buffer 235 by the wafer transfer robot 250. A loading device for loading the wafer to be processed transferred from the process chamber 265 into the process chamber 265, an unloading device for unloading the process-processed wafer 200 from the process chamber 265, and the like may be further provided. can

The wafers 200 temporarily stored in the buffer 235 are transported to the plurality of process chambers 265 by the wafer transfer robot 250, and a wet etching process may be performed. For example, in the plurality of process chambers 265, an etching process may be performed on a bevel area of a wafer. Specifically, in the plurality of process chambers 265, a wet etching process may be performed on the rear surface of the wafer or the entire rear surface of the wafer in the wafer bevel area. In addition, a cleaning process for the wafer may be performed in the plurality of process chambers 265 .

A dry etching unit (module) 270 may be disposed in the dry etching unit part 190 . The dry etching unit 270 may include a load lock chamber 271 , a transfer chamber 273 , a plurality of process chambers 275 , and the like. After loading the wafer to be processed transferred from the buffer 235 by the wafer transfer robot 250 into the load lock chamber 271 , the inside of the load lock chamber 271 may be vacuumed.

A wafer transfer robot 280 that transfers wafers loaded in the load lock chamber 271 in a vacuum state to the process chamber 275 may be disposed in the transfer chamber 273 . A plurality of process chambers 275 for a dry etching process may be arranged in the dry etching unit 270 . The wafers loaded in the load lock chamber 271 are transferred to the plurality of process chambers 275 by the wafer transfer robot 280, and a dry etching process may be performed. For example, a dry etching process may be performed on a bevel region of a wafer in the plurality of process chambers 275 . Specifically, in the plurality of process chambers 275, a dry etching process may be performed on the entire surface of the wafer in the wafer bevel region.

2 schematically illustrates a cross-sectional structure of a wet etching unit 260 in a semiconductor hybrid etching apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional structure of one of the plurality of process chambers 265 disposed in the wet etching unit 260 .

The process chamber 265 is a space in which a wet etching process of the wafer 200 is performed, and a substrate support 201 for supporting the wafer 200 to be processed may be disposed. The wafer 200 on the substrate support 201 may be supported by chuck pins 202 . The chuck pin 202 may serve as a guide to prevent the wafer 200 from protruding outward when the wafer 200 rotates.

An injection unit 203 for supplying a wet chemical 204 to the wafer 200 may be disposed on an upper portion of the process chamber 265 , for example, an upper portion of the wafer 200 . Although not shown in the drawing, a plurality of nozzles for spraying the wet chemical 204 from the jetting unit 203 may be arranged to face the wafer 200 . The spraying part 203 is shown as being arranged only on the top of the wafer 200 , but the spraying part 203 may also be arranged on the bottom of the wafer 200 .

A rotation shaft 206 is coupled to the substrate support 201 to rotate the substrate support 201 . A rotation means 205 for providing power, for example, rotational force, to the rotation shaft 206 may be connected to the rotation shaft 206 . The rotating means 205 may include, for example, a motor. Accordingly, the rotational force provided from the rotation unit 205 is transmitted to the substrate support 201 through the rotation shaft 206 to rotate the wafer 200 .

The wet etching unit 260 may perform a wet etching process on the wafer 200 within the process chamber 265. For example, during a bevel etching process, the rotating shaft 206 In a state in which the substrate support 201 is rotated by the rotational force transmitted through ), the wet chemical 204 for etching the back side of the wafer is provided to the wafer 200 through the spraying part 203, so that the wafer 200 ) It is possible to etch the rear surface (200b) of. In this case, the rear surface of the wafer bevel region may be etched or the entire rear surface of the wafer may be etched. In the embodiment of the present invention, it is exemplified that the wet etching process for bevel etching is performed through a spray method, but is not necessarily limited thereto.

As another example, during a wafer cleaning process after a bevel etching process, in a state in which the substrate support 201 is rotated by rotational force transmitted from the rotation unit 205 through the rotation shaft 206, the injection unit 203 A wet chemical 204 for wafer cleaning may be provided to the wafer 200 through the wafer cleaning process.

During the wet etching process or the cleaning process, the wafer 200 may be disposed in the process chamber 265 such that the front surface 200a faces the rotation unit 205 and the rear surface 200b faces upward. To this end, although not shown in the drawings, a reverse kit for inverting the wafer 200 may be disposed in the process chamber 265 . The inverting means is not necessarily disposed in the process chamber 265 of the wet process unit 260, but may be disposed in the EFEM part 130, for example, the load port 210 or the buffer module 230.

3(a) is a diagram schematically illustrating a dry etching unit 270 for bevel etching according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3(a), the dry etching unit 270 for bevel etching according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a chamber 275 and a substrate positioned in the chamber 275 on which a wafer 200 is seated. A support 277 may be included.

The wafer 200 may be seated on the wafer support 277 so that its front surface 200a faces upward. The wafer support 277 may be a chuck. The chuck 277 is rotatable and can cool or heat the wafer 200 on which it is seated. Although not shown in FIG. 3( a ), the wafer 200 may be supported by chuck pins as in FIG. 2 . Similarly, the chuck pin may serve as a guide to prevent the wafer 200 from protruding outward when the wafer 200 rotates.

At least one inlet 390 or 391 may be provided in a portion of the process chamber 275 facing the front surface 200a of the wafer 200, for example, an upper portion of the process chamber 275. The at least one inlet 390 or 391 may include a first inlet 390 for supplying an etching gas and a second inlet 391 for supplying a laser.

The first inlet 390 is for injecting gas for etching the entire surface of the bevel region of the wafer 200 into the process chamber 275 . The gas may act as an etching gas for removing a film accumulated on the entire surface of the bevel region of the wafer 200 by reacting with the laser. The etching gas is a gas for selectively removing only the film on the bevel region of the wafer, and a gas that does not affect the quality of the film for manufacturing semiconductor devices on the wafer may be used. The etching gas may include, for example, O2 gas when the film accumulated in the bevel region is an amorphous carbon layer (ACL).

The second inlet 391 irradiates a laser for reaction with the etching gas into the process chamber 275 . The second inlet 391 corresponds to a portion of the wafer 200 seated on the chuck 277 from which particles are to be removed, for example, the edge portion of the wafer (bevel area of the wafer), and the process chamber 275 It may be formed on the upper part of.

The process chamber 275 may further include a vacuum tube 279 to which an external vacuum pump (not shown) is connected to create a vacuum inside the process chamber 275 .

Although not shown in the drawing, the process chamber 275 may further include an exhaust port for vacuum purging after the particle removal process.

The dry etching unit 270 may further include a gas supply unit 350 for supplying an etching gas to the first inlet 390 .

The gas supply unit 350 includes a gas supply source 360 for supplying the etching gas, a gas supply pipe 370 for supplying the etching gas from the gas supply source 360 to the first inlet 390, and the A nozzle 380 for injecting the etching gas supplied through the gas supply pipe 370 through the first inlet 390 into the process chamber 275 where the wafer 200 is seated on the chuck 277 can include

Although not shown in the drawing, the gas supply pipe 370 includes a gas flow meter for measuring the flow rate of the etching gas supplied to the process chamber 275 and a device for controlling the supply amount of the etching gas supplied to the process chamber 275. A valve may be further provided.

The dry etching unit 270 may further include a laser supply unit 300 for supplying a laser to the second inlet 391 .

The laser supply unit 300 includes a laser light source 310 for supplying the laser, a laser transmission unit 320 for supplying the laser from the laser light source 310 to the second inlet 391, and the laser A laser irradiation unit 330 may be included to irradiate the laser transmitted through the transmission unit 320 to the wafer 200 mounted on the chuck 277 in the process chamber 275 .

The laser transmission unit 320 may be composed of an optical fiber, etc., and the laser light source 310 is a laser oscillator for generating light energy (laser) and emitting it forward, such as a gas laser, liquid laser, or solid laser. , Or may include a semiconductor laser, but is not necessarily limited thereto.

Although not shown in the drawings, the laser supply unit 310 emits a laser through the laser irradiation unit 330 in a direction perpendicular to the film removal portion of the wafer 200 on the chuck 277, for example, the front surface of the bevel area. In order to be irradiated, a member for changing a path of light may be further included. For example, a beam splitter for splitting the laser beam and a reflection mirror for providing the split laser beam from the beam splitter to the laser irradiator 330 may be further included.

In the dry etching unit, a vacuum state is maintained in the process chamber 275 in which the wafer 200 to be subjected to the bevel etching process is seated on the chuck 277 by a vacuum pump (not shown) connected to the vacuum tube 279. In , an etching gas supplied from the gas supply unit 350 , for example, O2 gas is injected into the process chamber 275 through the first inlet 390 .

Subsequently, the laser supplied from the laser supply unit 300 is irradiated in a direction perpendicular to the front surface of the bevel region of the wafer 200 in the process chamber 275 through the second injection hole 391 .

At this time, when the film accumulated on the bevel region of the wafer includes ACL and O2 gas is used as an etching gas, laser irradiation conditions are shown in [Table 1] below.

[Table 1]

Therefore, the etching gas injected through the first inlet 390 reacts with the laser irradiated through the second inlet 391 to perform a dry etching process on the entire surface of the bevel region of the wafer 200. do. Unlike the method of using a conventional laser to remove and scatter the film explosively, the dry etching method injects an etching gas in a vacuum state and then selectively irradiates a laser in a direction perpendicular to the bevel area, thereby removing the etching gas and By reacting and removing the film, it is possible to minimize the generation of particles and prevent the generated particles from entering the central portion of the wafer (see FIG. 6).

Although not shown in FIG. 3 (a), the gas supply unit 350 and the laser supply unit 300 supply etching gas and laser to the first and second inlets 390 and 391 of the process chamber 275. In order to do so, it may be configured to be movable to a position corresponding to the first and second inlet ports 390 and 391. Accordingly, the gas supply unit 350 and the laser supply unit 300 may include a moving unit such as a robot arm.

Although the first and second inlets 390 and 391 are illustrated as being disposed on the upper edge side of the process chamber 275 in FIG. 3 (a), in reality, on the chuck 277 in the process chamber 275 It may be arranged so as to correspond to the front surface of the bevel area of the wafer 200 to be seated on.

In addition, although etching gas and laser are supplied to the process chamber 275 through respective inlets 390 and 391, only one inlet 390 is disposed and the gas supply unit 350 is supplied by a moving unit. And by moving the laser supply unit 300, specifically, the gas supply nozzle 380 and the laser irradiation unit 330, the etching gas and the laser may be sequentially supplied to the process chamber 275. .

3(b) is a diagram schematically illustrating a dry etching unit 270a for bevel etching according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3(b), the dry etching unit 270a has the same structure as the dry etching unit 270 of FIG. 3(a).

While the dry etching unit 270 of FIG. 3 (a) provides laser to the process chamber 275 through the second inlet 391, the dry etching unit 270a of FIG. 3 (b) provides laser light to the process chamber 275. The only difference is that it is provided to the process chamber 275 through the transmissive member 395 .

Specifically, the dry etching unit 270a is a laser transmission member 395 that irradiates the laser supplied from the laser supply unit 300 to the process chamber 275 in which the wafer 200 is seated on the chuck 277. ) may be further included. The laser transmission member 395 may be made of a transparent material to transmit laser. For example, the transparent material may include glass, but is not necessarily limited thereto.

The laser transmission member 395 is disposed on an upper portion of the process chamber 275 corresponding to the wafer 200 seated on the chuck 277 of the process chamber 275, and is provided with a laser transmission unit 300. The supplied laser may be irradiated in a direction perpendicular to the wafer 200 .

The laser transmission member 395 may be formed of a circular plate member, and in this case, it is preferable that the radius of the laser passage member 395 is larger than the radius of the wafer 200 . In addition, since the center of the laser transmission member 395 and the center of the chuck 277 are positioned on the same line, the laser provided from the laser supply unit 300 passes through the laser transmission member 395 and the wafer 200 ) can be accurately irradiated with a bevel area of .

The laser transmission member 395 is not necessarily composed of a circular plate member, but a structure in which the laser supplied from the laser supply unit 300 can be irradiated to the bevel area of the wafer so as to easily remove the film on the edge portion of the wafer is applied. possible.

The laser irradiation unit 350 is disposed above the laser transmission member 395 so that the laser is irradiated in a direction perpendicular to the bevel area of the wafer seated on the chuck 277, the laser supply unit 300 A moving unit for moving the laser irradiator 350 to a bevel area of the wafer seated on the chuck 277 may be further included.

The dry etching unit 270a uses an etching gas supplied from the gas supply unit 350, for example, O2, while a vacuum is maintained in the process chamber 275 in which the wafer 200 is seated on the chuck 277. Gas is injected into the process chamber 275 through the inlet 390 .

Next, a laser from the laser supply unit 300 passes through the laser transmission member 395 and vertically irradiates only the bevel area of the wafer 200 in the process chamber 275, thereby performing a dry etching process on the bevel area. Do it.

Each of the dry etching unit and the wet etching unit constituting the hybrid etching apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the configuration shown in the drawings, and various etching equipment used in semiconductor processing may be applied. For example, a dry etching device or a wet etching device may be disposed in the platform 100 to respectively perform a dry etching process and a wet etching process on the front surface 200a or the rear surface 200b of the wafer. In addition, the etching equipment may be configured such that an etching process is simultaneously performed on the front and rear surfaces of the wafer. In addition, the hybrid etching apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention can be applied not only to a wafer bevel etching process or a cleaning process, but also to various etching processes. For example, the hybrid etching apparatus of the present invention may be applied to perform a single wet etching process, a single dry etching process, or a single cleaning process.

4 is a diagram for explaining a hybrid bevel etching method using a hybrid etching apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. A hybrid bevel etching method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 4 together with FIGS. 1 to 3 (a) and (b).

First, among the plurality of FOUPs 215 loaded in the EFEM part 130 of the hybrid etching apparatus, a wafer to be processed (see 200 in FIGS. 2 and 3) is loaded in a lot unit into a corresponding FOUP 215 (S400 ), the wafer 200 loaded in the FOUP 215 is temporarily stored in a corresponding buffer 235 among a plurality of buffers 235 using an index robot (IR), which is a wafer transfer unit 225 (S410) .

Subsequently, the wafer 200 stored in the buffer 235 is transferred to the process chamber 275 of the dry etching unit 270 by using a wafer transfer robot (WTR), which is a wafer transfer unit 250 disposed in the wafer transfer passage 240. ) (S420).

1, the wafer 200 stored in the buffer 235 is transferred to the load lock chamber 271 of the dry etching unit 270 through the wafer transfer robot (WTR), and the load lock chamber ( The wafer 200 transferred to 271 is transferred to a corresponding process chamber 275 among a plurality of process chambers 275 through a wafer transfer robot (DTR), which is a wafer transfer unit 280 disposed in the transfer chamber 273. let it

In the dry etching process chamber 275, an etching gas and a laser are supplied to the front surface of the bevel area of the wafer 200 seated on the substrate support 277 to perform a dry etching process on the bevel area ( S430).

3(a) and (b), the gas supplied from the gas supply unit 350 is supplied to the process chamber 275 through the inlet 390, and the laser supply unit 300 supplies the laser is irradiated into the process chamber 275 through the injection hole 391 or the laser transmission member 395 . The laser may be selectively irradiated perpendicularly to the entire surface of the bevel region of the wafer 200 . Accordingly, film quality or particles accumulated on the entire surface of the bevel region of the wafer 200 can be removed.

As described above, by performing the etching process on the bevel area of the wafer using an etching gas and a selective laser irradiation method, not only can the generation of particles be suppressed, but also particles generated in the bevel area flow into the central portion of the wafer. can prevent it from happening.

Subsequently, the first bevel etched wafer 200 is transferred to the process chamber 265 of the wet etching unit 260 via the wafer transfer passage 240 using the wafer transfer unit 250 (S440 ).

First, the first bevel etched wafer 200 is transferred to the load lock chamber 271 through a wafer transfer robot (DTR) disposed in the transfer chamber 273 . The wafer 200 loaded in the load lock chamber 271 is transferred to the wet etching unit 260 through the wafer transfer robot (WTR), which is the wafer transfer unit 250 . Although not shown in the drawings, the wafer transported by the wafer transfer robot (WTR) is transferred to the wet etching process chamber 265 through a wafer loading unit of the wet etching unit 260 .

In the wet etching process chamber 265, a second bevel etching process is performed using a wet etching process for the rear surface of the bevel region of the wafer 200 seated on the substrate support 201 or the entire rear surface of the wafer 200 is performed (S450). In this case, the secondary bevel etching process may be performed in a state where the rear surface of the wafer 200 is seated facing upward, depending on the case.

As shown in FIG. 2, by supplying the wet chemical 204 through the injection unit 203 toward the wafer 200 seated on the substrate support 277 disposed in the process chamber 265, the wafer bevel A secondary bevel etching process is performed on the rear surface of the region or the entire rear surface of the wafer including the wafer bevel region. Accordingly, film quality or particles accumulated on the rear surface of the wafer can be removed.

Subsequently, an in-situ bevel cleaning process is performed on the second bevel etched wafer 200 in the same chamber, for example, the process chamber 265 (S460). The cleaning process may be performed to remove particles generated by the dry etching process, which is the first bevel etching process. In this case, the bevel cleaning process may be performed in a state where the rear surface of the wafer 200 is seated facing upward, depending on the case.

Since the bevel cleaning process is performed in situ in the process chamber 265 for wet etching, which is the same chamber as the secondary bevel etching process, the bevel cleaning process can be performed without additional wafer loading and transfer processes, simplifying the process and It can also reduce exposure to contamination. In addition, when the wet etching process is performed while the rear surface of the wafer is seated facing upward, the wet etching process is performed in a state where the wafer 200 is inverted using a wafer inverting means, and the cleaning process in an inverted state can be performed without an additional wafer inversion process, thereby simplifying the process and shortening the process time.

After completing the bevel etching process and the cleaning process, the wafer 200 is transferred from the process chamber 265 to the buffer 235 by the wafer transfer robot (WTR) (S470). Although not shown in the drawing, it may be unloaded from the process chamber 265 through a wafer unloading unit. Next, the wafer 200 stored in the buffer 235 is transferred and loaded into the FOUP 215 of the load port 210 of the EFEM part 130 by the wafer transfer unit IR (S480).

Each of a dry etching process, a wet etching process, and a cleaning process for bevel etching according to an embodiment of the present invention is not limited to a specific process, and may be applied to various processes used in a semiconductor process and a display manufacturing process.

5 is a diagram for explaining a hybrid bevel etching method using a hybrid etching apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. A hybrid bevel etching method according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 5 together with FIGS. 1 to 3 (a) and (b).

First, a wafer to be processed (see 200 in FIGS. 2 and 3) is loaded in lot units into a corresponding FOUP 215 among a plurality of FOUPs 215 of the EFEM part 130 of the hybrid etching apparatus (S500), The wafer 200 loaded in the FOUP 215 is temporarily stored in a corresponding buffer 235 among a plurality of buffers 235 using an index robot (IR), which is a wafer transfer unit 225 (S510).

The wafer 200 stored in the buffer 235 is transferred to the process chamber 265 of the wet etching unit 260 via the wafer transfer passage 240 using the wafer transfer unit 250 (S520) . Although not shown in the drawing, the wafer transported by the wafer transfer robot (WTR) may be loaded into the wet etching process chamber 265 through a wafer loading unit of the wet etching unit 260 .

In the wet etching process chamber 265, a first bevel etching process is performed using a wet etching process for the rear surface of the bevel region of the wafer 200 seated on the substrate support 201 or the entire rear surface of the wafer 200 is performed (S530). In this case, the first bevel etching process may be performed in a state where the rear surface of the wafer 200 is seated facing upward, depending on the case.

As shown in FIG. 2, by supplying a wet chemical 204 through a spraying unit 203 toward a wafer 200 seated on a substrate support 201 disposed in a process chamber 265, the wafer bevel A first bevel etching process is performed on the rear surface of the region or the entire rear surface of the wafer including the wafer bevel region. Accordingly, film quality or particles accumulated on the rear surface of the wafer can be removed.

Subsequently, the wafer 200 is first bevel etched in the process chamber 265 of the wet etching unit 260 using a wafer transfer robot (WTR), which is a wafer transfer unit 250 disposed in the wafer transfer passage 240 is transferred to the process chamber 275 of the dry etching unit 270 via the wafer transfer passage 240 (S540). The wafer may be unloaded through the substrate unloading unit of the wet etching unit 260 and transferred to the dry etching unit 270 via the wafer transfer path by the wafer transfer robot (WTR).

Referring to FIG. 1 , the wafer 200 is transferred to the load lock chamber 271 of the dry etching unit 270 through the wafer transfer robot (WTR), and the wafer transferred to the load lock chamber 271 ( 200) is transferred to a corresponding process chamber 275 among a plurality of process chambers 275 through a wafer transfer robot (DTR), which is a wafer transfer unit 280 disposed in the transfer chamber 273.

In the dry etching process chamber 275, an etching gas and a laser are supplied to the entire surface of the bevel region of the first wet etched wafer 200 seated on the substrate support 277 to dry etch the bevel region The process is performed (S550).

3(a) and (b), the gas supplied from the gas supply unit 350 is supplied to the process chamber 275 through the inlet 390, and the laser supply unit 300 supplies the laser is irradiated into the process chamber 275 through the injection hole 391 or the laser transmission member 395 . The laser may be selectively irradiated perpendicularly to the entire surface of the bevel region of the wafer 200 . Accordingly, film quality or particles accumulated on the entire surface of the bevel region of the wafer 200 can be removed.

As described above, by performing the etching process on the bevel area of the wafer using an etching gas and a selective laser irradiation method, not only can the generation of particles be suppressed, but also particles generated in the bevel area flow into the central portion of the wafer. can prevent it from happening.

Subsequently, the second bevel etched wafer 200 is transferred to the process chamber 265 of the wet etching unit 260 via the wafer transfer passage 240 using the wafer transfer unit 250 (S560) .

First, the secondary bevel etched wafer 200 is transferred to the load lock chamber 271 through a wafer transfer robot (DTR) disposed in the transfer chamber 273 . The wafer 200 loaded in the load lock chamber 271 is transferred to the wet etching unit 260 through the wafer transfer robot (WTR), which is the wafer transfer unit 250 .

Next, a bevel cleaning process is performed on the second bevel etched wafer 200 in the same chamber (S570). The cleaning process may be performed to remove particles generated when a dry etching process, which is a secondary bevel etching process, is performed. In this case, the bevel cleaning process may be performed in a state where the rear surface of the wafer 200 is seated facing upward, depending on the case. As shown in FIG. 2, by supplying a wet chemical 204 for cleaning through a spraying unit 203 toward the wafer 200 seated on the substrate support 201 disposed in the process chamber 265, A cleaning process for the wafer may be performed.

After completing the bevel etching process and the cleaning process, the wafer 200 is transferred from the process chamber 265 to the buffer 235 by the wafer transfer robot (WTR) (S580). Although not shown in the drawing, it may be unloaded from the process chamber 265 through a wafer unloading unit. Subsequently, the wafer 200 stored in the buffer 235 is transferred and loaded into the FOUP 215 of the load port 210 of the EFEM part by the wafer transfer unit IR (S590).

Each of the dry etching process, wet etching process, and cleaning process for bevel etching according to another embodiment of the present invention is not limited to a specific process, and various processes used in semiconductor manufacturing processes and display manufacturing processes may be applied.

In the hybrid etching apparatus and method according to an embodiment of the present invention, a dry etching unit and a wet etching unit are combined in one etching apparatus, and the etching process is performed by minimizing the exposure of the wafer to the air, thereby preventing particle contamination. can be minimized.

As another example, the semiconductor etching process may include transferring and temporarily storing the wafer 200 loaded on the FOUP to the buffer module 230; transferring the wafer 200 stored in the buffer module 230 to the process chamber 265 of the wet etching unit 260 via the wafer transfer path 240 by the wafer transfer unit 250; and performing a wet etching process on the wafer 200; transferring the wet-etched wafer in the process chamber 265 to the buffer module 230; A single wet etching process including the step of loading the wafer of the buffer module into the FOUP may be performed.

As another example, the semiconductor etching process may include transferring and temporarily storing the wafer 200 loaded on the FOUP to the buffer module 230; transferring the wafer 200 stored in the buffer module 230 to the process chamber 265 of the wet etching unit 260 via the wafer transfer path 240 by the wafer transfer unit 250; and performing a cleaning process on the wafer 200; transferring the cleaned wafer in the process chamber 265 to the buffer module 230; A single cleaning process including the step of loading the wafer of the buffer module into the FOUP may be performed.

As another example, the semiconductor etching process may include transferring and temporarily storing the wafer 200 loaded on the FOUP to the buffer module 230; transferring the wafer 200 stored in the buffer module 230 to the process chamber 275 of the dry etching unit 270 via the wafer transfer path 240 by the wafer transfer unit 250; and performing an etching process on the wafer 200 using an etching gas and a selective laser irradiation method. transferring the wafer in the process chamber 275 to the buffer module 230; A single etching process including the step of loading the wafer of the buffer module into the FOUP may be performed.

Those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains should understand that the embodiments described above are illustrative in all respects and not limiting, since the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential characteristics thereof. only do The scope of the present invention is indicated by the following claims rather than the detailed description above, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalent concepts should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention. do.

100: hybrid etching device 110: platform
200: wafer 215: FOUP
225, 250, 280: wafer transfer means 235: buffer
260: wet etch unit 265: wet process chamber
270: dry etching unit 275: dry etching chamber
271: load lock chamber 273: transfer chamber
300: laser supply unit 350: gas supply unit
390, 391: inlet 395: laser transmission member

Claims (15)

platform;
a first etching unit disposed inside the platform and having a first etching chamber in which a first etching process is performed on a wafer;
a second etching unit disposed inside the platform and having a second etching chamber in which a second etching process different from the first etching process is performed on the wafer;
A wafer transfer means disposed in the wafer transfer passage formed between the first and second etching units and transferring the wafer via the wafer transfer passage between the first and second etching units;
In the first etching chamber, a first etching process using gas and a selective laser irradiation method is performed on the front surface of the bevel area of the wafer, and the back surface of the bevel area of the wafer or the wafer is performed in the second etching chamber. A secondary etching process is performed on the rear surface of
In the first etching process, the gas acts as an etching gas through a reaction with a laser irradiated by a selective laser irradiation method in the first etching chamber, and proceeds with respect to the front surface of the bevel region of the wafer,
A cleaning process for removing particles generated by the first etching process on the entire surface of the bevel region of the wafer is performed on the wafer that has been bevel-etched through the second etching process, and the cleaning process is performed on the first etching process. The semiconductor hybrid etching apparatus, characterized in that the in-situ progress in the second etching chamber in which the secondary etching process is performed, which is different from the first etching chamber in which the bevel etching process is performed. The method of claim 1, wherein the first etching unit
at least one inlet disposed in an upper portion of the first etching chamber corresponding to the wafer;
a gas supply unit injecting the gas into the first etching chamber through the at least one inlet; and
The semiconductor hybrid etching apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a laser supply unit configured to irradiate the laser to the entire surface of the bevel region of the wafer in the first etching chamber through the at least one injection hole. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one injection hole is arranged above the first etching chamber corresponding to a bevel area of the wafer, and the gas and the laser are sequentially directed through the at least one injection hole into the first etching chamber. Semiconductor hybrid etching apparatus, characterized in that supplied as. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one inlet
a first inlet for injecting the gas into the first etching chamber; and
The semiconductor hybrid etching apparatus comprising a second inlet for irradiating the laser into the first etching chamber. 5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the gas supply unit and the laser supply unit respectively supply the first and second inlets to the first and second inlets so that the gas and the laser are sequentially supplied to the first etching chamber through the first and second inlets. A semiconductor hybrid etching device characterized in that it is movably configured to correspond. The semiconductor hybrid etching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gas is O2 gas. The method of claim 1, wherein the first etching unit
an inlet disposed in an upper portion of the first etching chamber corresponding to the wafer;
a gas supply unit injecting the gas into the first etching chamber through the inlet;
a laser supply unit for irradiating the laser to the entire surface of the bevel region of the wafer in the first etching chamber; and
and a laser transmission member disposed on the first etching chamber corresponding to the bevel region of the wafer in the first etching chamber and transmitting laser to the entire surface of the bevel region of the wafer. According to claim 7,
The laser transmission member is a semiconductor hybrid etching device, characterized in that composed of a transparent material so that the laser is transmitted to the bevel region of the wafer. A semiconductor hybrid etching device comprising a platform, a first etching unit having a first etching chamber disposed inside the platform, and a second etching unit having a second etching chamber disposed inside the platform,
In the first etching chamber, a first bevel etching process using a gas and selective laser irradiation method is performed on the entire surface of the bevel region of the wafer, and the first bevel etching process is carried out by selective laser irradiation of the gas in the first etching chamber. acting as an etching gas through a reaction with a laser irradiated by an irradiation method, and proceeding with respect to the entire surface of the bevel region of the wafer;
performing a secondary bevel etching process on the rear surface of the bevel region of the wafer or the entire rear surface of the wafer in a second etching chamber; and
A cleaning process for removing particles generated by the first bevel etching process on the entire surface of the bevel region of the wafer is performed in the second etching chamber with respect to the wafer bevel etched through the second bevel etching process Including steps,
The cleaning process is performed in situ in the second etching chamber in which the secondary bevel etching process is performed, which is different from the first etching chamber in which the first bevel etching process is performed. . 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first etching unit
an injection hole and a laser transmission member disposed in an upper portion of the first etching chamber corresponding to the wafer; and
A gas supply unit and a laser supply unit for supplying the gas and the laser through the inlet and the laser transmission member;
The first bevel etching process
making the first etching chamber into a vacuum state;
supplying the gas from the gas supply unit to a first etching chamber in a vacuum state through the inlet; and
and supplying the laser from the laser supply unit to the first etching chamber through the laser transmission member to react with the gas. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the gas is O2 gas. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first etching unit
at least one inlet disposed in an upper portion of the first etching chamber corresponding to the wafer;
a gas supply unit configured to supply the gas to the first etching chamber through the at least one inlet; and
A gas supply unit and a laser supply unit for supplying the laser to the first etching chamber through the at least one injection hole;
The first bevel etching process
making the first etching chamber into a vacuum state;
supplying the gas from the gas supply unit to a first etching chamber in a vacuum state through the at least one inlet; and
and supplying the laser from the laser supply unit to the first etching chamber through the at least one injection hole to react with the etching gas. 13. The semiconductor hybrid etching method of claim 12, wherein the gas and the laser are sequentially supplied to the first etching chamber through the same injection hole. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one inlet includes a first inlet and a second inlet,
The semiconductor hybrid etching method of claim 1 , wherein the gas is supplied to the first etching chamber through the first inlet and then the laser is supplied to the first etching chamber through the second inlet.
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