Interface between substrate and mechanics and handling method of the same

The present invention relates to the processing of semiconductor wafers. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus and a technique for increasing the efficiency of fluid supply and removal to a wafer surface while reducing contamination and wafer cleaning costs.

It is well known that the manufacturing process of semiconductor chips requires wafer processing using processes such as etching, cleaning, drying, and plating. In each of these steps, a liquid is generally supplied or removed for etching, cleaning, drying, and plating.

For example, a wafer cleaning process is necessary when a manufacturing process is performed that leaves unwanted residues on the wafer surface. Such manufacturing steps include, for example, plasma etching (eg, tungsten etching back (WEB)) and chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). In the case of CMP, the wafer is placed in the holder, and the wafer surface is pressed against the rotating belt polisher by the holder. In this belt polisher, a slurry composed of a chemical agent and a polishing material is used for polishing. Unfortunately, this process tends to deposit slurry particles and residues on the wafer surface. Undesirable materials and particles remaining on the wafer can cause, among other things, scratches and other defects on the wafer surface and improper interaction between the three-dimensional shapes due to metallization. Such defects can, in some cases, render the device on the wafer inoperable. In order to avoid the unreasonable expense of discarding wafers with inoperable devices, it is necessary to properly and efficiently clean the wafers after a manufacturing process that leaves unwanted residues.

After wet cleaning, the wafer must be dried efficiently so that no water or residue of the cleaning solution remains on the wafer. As is often the case when droplets are formed, when the cleaning solution on the wafer surface is in an evaporable state, the residue or contaminants previously dissolved in the cleaning solution remain on the wafer surface after the cleaning solution evaporates. (And form stains etc.). In order to prevent the occurrence of evaporation, the cleaning solution must be removed as quickly as possible without forming droplets on the wafer surface. Attempts to achieve this use, in part, one of several different drying techniques, such as centrifugation, IPA, or malangoni drying. All of these drying techniques use some moving interface between liquid and gas on the wafer surface. If such a moving interface is properly maintained, the wafer surface can be dried without forming droplets. As is often the case with any drying method, if the liquid-gas moving interface breaks, evaporation occurs with the formation of droplets, resulting in contaminants remaining on the wafer surface.

The most widespread drying technique today is spin rinse drying (SRD). FIG. 1 shows the movement of the cleaning liquid on the wafer 10 during the drying process by SRD. In this drying process, the damp wafer is rotated at high speed in the direction of rotation 14. In SRD, as indicated by the arrow 16 in the direction of the fluid, the water or cleaning solution used to clean the wafer is pulled away from the center of the wafer by the action of centrifugal force and eventually pulled out of the wafer. Is dragged off the wafer. As the cleaning liquid is pulled away from the wafer, a moving interface 12 between the liquid and the gas is formed in the center of the wafer. This interface moves toward the outside of the wafer as the drying process progresses (ie, the circle created by the moving interface 12 between the liquid and the gas grows). In the example of FIG. 1, there is no liquid inside the circle formed by the moving boundary surface 12 between the liquid and the gas, and the cleaning liquid is outside the circle formed by the moving boundary surface 12 between the liquid and the gas. Therefore, as the drying process continues, the inner region (dry region) of the liquid-gas moving boundary surface 12 increases, and the outer region (wet region) of the liquid-gas moving boundary surface 12 decreases. To do. As described above, if the moving boundary surface 12 between the liquid and the gas is broken, droplets of the cleaning liquid are formed on the wafer, causing contamination due to evaporation of the droplets. Therefore, it is essential to limit the formation of droplets and subsequent evaporation in order to avoid contamination on the wafer surface. Unfortunately, today's drying methods are only partially successful in preventing the collapse of the moving interface with the liquid.

Also, the SRD treatment is not good at drying the hydrophobic wafer surface. Drying of hydrophobic wafer surfaces is difficult because such surfaces repel water and water-based (ie, aqueous) cleaning solutions. Therefore, as the drying process continues and the cleaning solution is pulled away from the wafer surface, the remaining cleaning solution is repelled by the wafer surface (if water-based). As a result, the aqueous cleaning solution attempts to minimize the contact area with the hydrophobic wafer surface. Also, aqueous cleaning solutions tend to aggregate under surface tension (ie, undergoing molecular binding between hydrogens). Therefore, on the surface of the hydrophobic wafer, balls (ie, droplets) of the aqueous cleaning liquid are formed in an uncontrollable state due to the hydrophobic interaction and surface tension. The formation of such droplets causes harmful evaporation and contamination, as described above. These constraints associated with SRDs are particularly severe at the center of the wafer, where the centrifugal force acting on the droplets is the least. Therefore, despite the fact that the SRD treatment is the most commonly used wafer drying method at this stage, it produces droplets of cleaning liquid on the wafer surface, especially when applied to hydrophobic wafer surfaces. It is difficult to reduce.

Also, in other wafer processing steps such as cleaning, etching, and plating, the supply of fluid to and the removal of fluid from the wafer is also an effective way to reduce pollution and improve wafer yield. There is a problem in doing it.

Therefore, methods and devices for avoiding problems associated with the prior art can reduce the deposition of contaminants on the wafer surface by optimizing the control of the fluid and its supply to the wafer. Methods and equipment are needed. Accumulation of such contaminants, which occurs frequently today, reduces the yield of acceptable wafers and increases the cost of manufacturing semiconductor wafers.

The present invention generally addresses these needs by providing a substrate processing device (eg, drying, cleaning, etching, and plating, etc.) that can reduce wafer contamination while at the same time controlling fluid on the wafer surface. It meets. Needless to say, the present invention can be realized in various forms including processes, devices, systems, devices, or methods. In the following, some embodiments of the present invention will be described.

In one embodiment, a docking device for treating a substrate with a fluid meniscus supplied to the surface of the substrate, which is configured to be adjacent to the edge of the substrate and coplanar with the substrate. A device with a surface is provided. The docking surface provides a moving interface that allows the fluid meniscus to enter and exit the surface of the substrate.

In another embodiment, a device for use in processing a substrate, comprising a coupon magazine configured to hold a docking station for proximity heads adjacent to the edge of the substrate. Provided.

In another embodiment, there is provided a method for processing a substrate, comprising the step of arranging a moving interface adjacent to an edge of the substrate on a plane substantially coplanar with the surface of the substrate. The method further comprises moving the fluid meniscus between the moving interface and the substrate surface.

The present invention has a number of advantages. The most notable advantage is that the equipment and methods presented herein reduce unwanted fluids and contaminants remaining on the wafer surface while efficiently processing (cleaning, drying, etching) semiconductor wafers. And other appropriate wafer processing with optimal control of at least one of fluid supply and fluid removal to the wafer). As a result of efficient wafer processing, wafer processing and manufacturing are expanded, and high wafer yield is realized.

The present invention can enable improved treatment by removing the fluid by vacuum in conjunction with the input of the treatment liquid supplied through the use of a multi-module manifold. The multi-module manifold can be configured in any one of many forms through the replacement of one or more manifold portions.

The pressure exerted on the fluid film on the wafer surface by the aforementioned forces optimizes at least one of the fluid supply and removal on the wafer surface, with significantly reduced contaminant residue compared to other treatment techniques. can do. Further, in the present invention, isopropyl alcohol (IPA) vapor and a treatment liquid may be supplied toward the wafer surface substantially in parallel with forming a vacuum near the wafer surface. This allows for a high degree of generation and control of the meniscus as well as a reduction in its surface tension along the interface of the treatment liquid, thus allowing the supply and removal of fluid to the wafer surface without residual contaminants. At least one can be optimized. The meniscus produced by the IPA and treatment fluid inputs, as well as the fluid output, may be moved along the wafer surface to process the wafer.

In one embodiment, a coupon magazine can be used to effectively hold and position the docking station. The docking station (also known as a coupon) can mimic the wafer surface, so that when the fluid meniscus generated by the proximity head leaves (or reaches) the wafer surface, the docking station It provides a nearly continuous surface for the meniscus to pass through, thus enhancing the stability of the meniscus. In addition, the height of the coupon magazine can be adjusted so that the docking station is substantially coplanar with the wafer to be processed. Therefore, the coupon magazine can be used for any suitable wafer processing step using a fluid meniscus. Wafer processing can be highly enhanced and optimized in this way.

The following detailed description, which is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating the principles of the invention, reveals other embodiments and advantages of the invention.

The present invention will be readily understood by the following detailed description provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. For ease of explanation, similar reference numbers shall represent similar components.

Inventions of methods and devices for processing substrates are disclosed. In the following description, a number of details are set for the purpose of facilitating a complete understanding of the present invention. However, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the present invention can be practiced without specifying some or all of these details. In addition, detailed description of well-known processing steps has been omitted so that the present invention is not unnecessarily obscured.

The present invention will be described in terms of some preferred embodiments, but those skilled in the art will appreciate various alternatives, additions, substitutions, and equivalents by perusing the specification and reviewing the drawings. It goes without saying that the form of can be conceived. Accordingly, the invention is construed to include all such alternatives, additions, substitutions, and equivalent forms within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

The following drawings show embodiments of a typical wafer processing system with proximity heads for producing a fluid meniscus in a particular shape, size, and position. In one embodiment, the technique used herein is known as the Meniscus Vacuum IPA Vapor (MVIV) technique. This technique allows any suitable wafer process such as Meniscus Vacuum IPA Steam Drying (MVIVD), Meniscus Vacuum IPA Steam Cleaning (MVIVC), Meniscus Vacuum IPA Steam Etching (MVIVE), and Meniscus Vacuum IPA Steam Plating (MVIVP). It can be used to carry out. Since this system is exemplary, it goes without saying that any other configuration capable of moving the proximity head very close to the wafer may be used. In the illustrated embodiment, the proximity head can move linearly from the center of the wafer to the edges of the wafer. In addition, another embodiment in which the proximity head linearly moves from one end of the wafer to the other diagonal end thereof, or, for example, radial motion, circular motion, spiral motion, zigzag motion, or random motion, etc. It goes without saying that other non-linear movement modes may be used. Alternatively, any suitable exercise profile defined as desired by the user may be used. Further, in one embodiment, since the proximity head can be linearly moved at the same time as the wafer is rotated, the proximity head can process any part of the wafer. Alternatively, another embodiment may be used in which the proximity head is moved on the wafer in a manner capable of processing any part of the wafer without rotating the wafer. Also, the proximity head and wafer processing systems presented herein can be used to process substrates of any shape and size, such as 200 mm wafers, 300 mm wafers, and flat panels. The processing system may be used for any suitable wafer processing (eg plating, etching, cleaning, and drying), depending on the system configuration.

The fluid meniscus can be supported by the proximity head and moved by the proximity head (eg, reach on the wafer, move away from the wafer, and cross over the wafer). As presented herein, the coupon magazine can hold and position the docking station so that the docking station can be located away from the edge of the wafer and the fluid meniscus is on the wafer. The wafer surface can be mimicked as it leaves the top (or reaches onto the wafer). Therefore, the docking station (also known as a coupon) provides a nearly continuous surface for the meniscus to pass through, thereby increasing the stability of the meniscus. The coupon magazine may also be configured to adjust the height of the docking station so that the docking station is approximately flush with the wafer being processed (ie, on a coplanar surface). By bringing the docking station substantially coplanar to the wafer, the fluid meniscus can reach (or move away from) the wafer and maintain the stability of the meniscus.

FIG. 2A shows a wafer processing system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. System 100 includes rollers 102a, 102b that perform at least one of the holding and rotation of the wafer to allow processing of the wafer surface. The system 100 also includes proximity heads 106a, 106b attached to the upper arm 104a and the lower arm 104b, respectively, in one embodiment. The proximity head may be any suitable device that allows the generation of a fluid meniscus. The upper arm 104a and the lower arm 104b can form part of an assembly that allows the proximity heads 106a, 106b to move approximately linearly along the radius of the wafer. In yet another embodiment, the assembly may move the proximity heads 106a, 106b with any suitable movement determined by the user.

In one embodiment, the arm 104 is configured to hold the proximity head 106a and proximity head 106b above and below the wafer, respectively, and in close proximity to the wafer. For example, in one typical embodiment, this means that when the proximity heads move horizontally to reach the wafer processing start position, the proximity heads 106a, 106b move vertically to reach very close to the wafer. It may be realized by making the upper arm 104a and the lower arm 104b vertically movable so as to be able to do so. In another embodiment, the upper arm 104a and the lower arm 104b generate a meniscus prior to processing, and the meniscus generated between the proximity heads 106a, 106b is the end region of the wafer 108 to be processed. The proximity heads 106a and 106b may be started at one position reaching the wafer surface from the wafer. Therefore, the upper arm 104a and the lower arm 104b can be configured in any suitable form in which the proximity heads 106a, 106b can be moved in a manner that allows the wafer processing presented herein. Of course, the system 100 may be configured in any suitable form as long as the meniscus can be generated and controlled by moving the proximity head very close to the wafer. It should be noted that the term very close may be any appropriate distance from the wafer as long as the meniscus can be maintained. In one embodiment, each of the proximity heads 106a, 106b (and any other proximity heads presented herein) is about 0.1 mm to about 10 mm from the wafer to form a fluid meniscus on the wafer surface. Can be placed at the position of. In a preferred embodiment, each of the proximity heads 106a, 106b (and any other proximity heads presented herein) is about 0.5 mm to about 0.5 mm from the wafer to generate a fluid meniscus on the wafer surface. 2.

In one embodiment, the arm 104 of the system 100 is configured to be able to move the proximity heads 106a, 106b from the processed portion of the wafer to the unprocessed portion. As a matter of course, these arms 104 may be movable in any suitable manner capable of moving the proximity heads 106a, 106b in a manner that enables the desired wafer processing. In one embodiment, these arms 104 may be driven by a motor to move the proximity heads 106a, 106b along the surface of the wafer. The wafer processing system 100 in the figure is accompanied by proximity heads 106a and 106b, but an arbitrary appropriate number of proximity heads such as one, two, three, four, five, and six are included. Needless to say, may be used. Also, at least one of the proximity heads 106a, 106b of the wafer processing system 100 can be of any suitable size or shape, as indicated, for example, by any proximity head presented herein. These various configurations presented herein generate a fluid meniscus between the proximity head and the wafer. The fluid meniscus can move across the wafer to process the wafer by supplying the fluid to the surface of the wafer and removing the fluid from the surface. Thus, depending on the fluid supplied to the wafer, at least one of cleaning, drying, etching, and plating can be achieved. Therefore, the proximity heads 106a, 106b can take any of the many configurations presented herein, or any other configuration that allows for the processing presented herein. You can also take it. As a matter of course, the system 100 may process one side of the wafer, or may process both the top and bottom surfaces of the wafer.

In addition to treating at least one of the top and bottom surfaces of the wafer, System 100 also treats one side of the wafer by moving different types of fluids in and out, or by using different configurations of meniscus. On the other hand, the other side of the wafer may be configured to undergo the same or different treatments. The proximity head can also be configured to process at least one of the top and bottom surfaces of the wafer, as well as the beveled edges of the wafer. This can be achieved by allowing the meniscus to process the beveled edges to reach (or move away from) the edges of the wafer. As a matter of course, the proximity heads 106a and 106b may be the same type of devices, or may be different types of proximity heads.

Wafer 108 may be held and rotated by rollers 102a, 102b in any suitable orientation capable of bringing the desired proximity head very close to the area to be processed. In one embodiment, the rollers 102a, 102b can rotate the wafer 108 counterclockwise by rotating it clockwise. Note that these rollers may be rotated clockwise or counterclockwise depending on the desired rotation of the wafer. In one embodiment, the rotation imparted to the wafer 108 by the rollers 102a, 102b serves to move the unprocessed area of the wafer very close to the proximity heads 106a, 106b. However, the rotation itself does not dry the wafer or move the fluid on the surface of the wafer towards the edges of the wafer. Therefore, in a typical one-wafer processing step, the unprocessed area of the wafer is provided to the proximity heads 106a, 106b through both the linear motion of the proximity heads 106a, 106b and the rotational motion of the wafer 108. The wafer processing process itself can be performed by at least one proximity head. Therefore, in one embodiment, the processed portion of the wafer 108 expands in the form of a spiral motion from the central region to the edge region of the wafer 108 as the processing process progresses. In another embodiment, the treated portion of the wafer 108 spirals from the edge region of the wafer 108 to the central region of the wafer 108 as the proximity heads 106a, 106b move from the edge of the wafer 108 to the center of the wafer 108. It expands in the form of.

In one typical embodiment, the proximity heads 106a, 106b may be configured to perform at least one process of drying, cleaning, etching, and plating the wafer 108. In one typical drying embodiment, at least one first supply port may be configured to input deionized water (DIW) (also known as a DIW supply port) and at least one second supply port. Supply port is N containing isopropyl alcohol (IPA) vapor.₂It may be configured to input carrier gas (also known as an IPA inlet), and at least one outlet removes fluid from the area between the wafer and a particular proximity head by creating a vacuum. (Also known as a vacuum outlet). In some typical embodiments, IPA vapors are used, but any other water-compatible, such as nitrogen, any suitable alcohol vapor, organic compounds, and volatile chemicals. Steam may be used. It should be noted that any suitable alcohol vapor may include any suitable alcohol. And any suitable alcohol may be any suitable carbon-based chemical agent with a hydroxyl group attached to a saturated carbon atom.

In one typical cleaning embodiment, the DIW may be replaced with a cleaning solution. In one typical etching embodiment, etching can be performed with the DIW replaced with an etchant. In a further embodiment, plating can be performed by a fluid meniscus with a treatment solution and a proximity head configured for plating. Further, other solutions may be input to the first supply port and the second supply port according to the desired processing step.

The supply and discharge ports provided on the surface of the proximity head may be of any suitable configuration as long as the stable meniscus presented herein is available. In one embodiment, at least one N₂/ IPA-Vacuum-Treatment Coordination by providing an IPA vapor supply port adjacent to at least one vacuum outlet and further providing this at least one vacuum outlet adjacent to at least one treatment liquid supply port. You can set the rank. Other coordinations such as IPA-treatment liquid-vacuum, treatment liquid-vacuum-IPA, and vacuum-IPA-treatment liquid are used depending on the desired wafer processing and the type of wafer processing function to be strengthened. May be. In a preferred embodiment, IPA-vacuum-treatment liquid coordination is used to generate, control, and move the meniscus highly and strongly between the proximity head and the wafer for the purpose of processing the wafer. be able to. Treatment liquid supply port, N₂The / IPA steam supply and vacuum outlets may be arranged in any suitable shape as long as the coordination described above is maintained. For example, in one additional embodiment, depending on the desired proximity head configuration, the above N₂In addition to the / IPA vapor supply port, vacuum discharge port, and processing liquid supply port, at least one of the IPA vapor discharge port, the treatment liquid supply port, and the vacuum discharge port may be additionally provided. The exact configuration of the IPA-vacuum-treatment liquid coordination is variable depending on the usage pattern. For example, the distance between the position of the IPA supply port, the position of the vacuum, and the position of the treatment liquid supply port may be changed so that these distances match or do not match. .. Also, the distance between the IPA supply port, the vacuum, and the treatment liquid discharge port is the size, shape, and configuration of the proximity head 106a, and the desired size of the treatment meniscus (ie, the shape and size of the meniscus). The size may be different depending on the situation. In addition, the coordination of a typical IPA-vacuum-treatment solution can be determined by the method described above for reference.

In one embodiment, the proximity heads 106a, 106b may be located very close to the top and bottom surfaces of the wafer 108, respectively, with an IPA supply port, a DIW supply port, and one or more vacuum outlets. It may be used to generate a wafer processing meniscus capable of processing the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer 108 so as to be in contact with the wafer 108. The meniscus for wafer processing can be produced according to the description given with reference to the above-mentioned usage pattern. At about the same time as the IPA and treatment fluid inputs, a vacuum may be formed in the immediate vicinity of the wafer surface to remove at least one of the IPA vapor, the treatment fluid, and any fluid that may be present on the wafer surface. In a typical embodiment, IPA vapor is used, but any other water miscible, such as nitrogen, any suitable alcohol vapor, organic compounds, hexanol, ethyl glycol, and acetone. Steam may be used. These fluids are also known as fluids that reduce surface tension. The meniscus is a treatment liquid in the region between the proximity head and the wafer. As used herein, "output" is meant to remove fluid from the region between wafer 108 and a particular proximity head, and "input" is a particular proximity to wafer 108. It shall mean introducing the fluid into the area between it and the head.

The fluid meniscus can reach the wafer from the edge of the wafer 108 (or leave the wafer from the edge of the wafer 108). In order to perform at least one of the removal and supply of the fluid meniscus at the edge of the wafer 108, the system 100 includes, in one embodiment, a couple magazine 126 mounted on the top surface of the wafer processing assembly. In one embodiment, the coupon assembly 126 has a lower part 124 and an upper part 122. The coupon assembly 126 makes the docking station 120 substantially planar with respect to the wafer plane.And may be configured to hold in an accurate fixed position between the proximity head 106a and the proximity head 106b. In a preferred embodiment, where the docking station 120 is not substantially coplanar with the wafer surface, the docking station 120 is detailed so that the wafer 108 is approximately coplanar with the docking station (see FIG. 7). It can be adjusted using a leveling mechanism (as described). Thus, the docking station can mimic the wafer surface as the process performed by the proximity head 106 ends and leaves the wafer surface, as detailed with reference to FIG. 2B. It should be noted that the docking station 120 presented herein may, of course, be made of any suitable hydrophilic material such as quartz or ceramic. The docking station may have a fluid meniscus docking surface that is flush with the substrate and adjacent to the edges of the substrate. The docking surface of the docking station can form a moving interface that allows the fluid meniscus to enter and exit the substrate surface. In one embodiment, the docking surface has an outer peripheral shape that matches the outer peripheral shape of the substrate. As a result, the docking surface can form a moving interface for the fluid meniscus of the proximity head. Therefore, by providing a nearly continuous surface that mimics a wafer, the meniscus that reaches or leaves the wafer 108 can be kept stable.

In addition, the magazine coupon 126 is a specific method of firmly holding a substrate having a regular or irregular geometric shape in a fixed position for processing and adjusting the height when using the proximity head technology. It may be designed intentionally. The magazine coupon 126 may also be used in any suitable process performed by the proximity head, such as etching, cleaning, drying, and plating.

In one embodiment, the coupon magazine 126 is attached to the coupon mount 128. In one embodiment, the coupon magazine 126 and the coupon mount 128 can also be referred to as a coupon magazine assembly.

FIG. 2B shows a typical proximity head docking process using the docking station 120 in one embodiment of the present invention. The docking station 120 may have a surface 120a capable of mimicking the arcuate curvature 108a so that the meniscus formed on the wafer 108 can be moved to the docking station 102 without collapsing. In one typical embodiment, the proximity head 106 can be moved away from the position 106 of the wafer 108 to a position on the docking station 120. The docking station is held in place within the coupon magazine 122.

FIG. 2C shows a meniscus moving away from wafer 108 to docking station 120 in one embodiment of the invention. In one typical embodiment, the meniscus 140 formed by the proximity head 106 may be used to treat the wafer surface of the wafer 108, as described in more detail in later embodiments. The meniscus 140 may be moved from the wafer to position 160. Position 160 includes a portion of the docking station 120 that mimics the surface of wafer 108. The docking station 120 may be configured in any suitable shape capable of maintaining the meniscus 140 in a stable state by imitating the wafer surface. Also, the docking station may be away from the wafer 108 by any suitable distance that can effectively mimic the wafer surface as the meniscus 140 leaves the wafer 108. In one embodiment, the docking station 120 closest to the wafer is at a distance of 0.01 to 10.0 mm from the wafer. In one preferred embodiment, the docking station 120 is located at a distance of about 0.1 mm from the wafer 108.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the system 100 in which some components are omitted in order to make the coupon magazine 126 in one embodiment of the present invention easier to see. The coupon magazine 126 may have an upper 122 attached to a lower 126. In one such embodiment, the upper 122 and lower 126 can be attached to at least a portion of the docking station located between them. In one embodiment, the coupon magazine 126 is made of chemically compatible and mechanically stable materials such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), and polyetheretherketone (PEEK). Device holder. The coupon magazine 126 may be machined to accompany some precise features within the desired margin of error. The Coupon Magazine 126 ensures that substrates of any suitable geometric size, shape, and thickness are placed, above or below, between any suitable combination of proximity heads, reliably and accurately. It may be configured. The proximity heads posted herein are also known as MVIV manifolds. Coupon Magazine 126 may be used in any suitable manufacturing equipment that uses any suitable laboratory inspection fixtures or proximity heads. The docking station 120 can be made substantially flat with respect to the wafer surface by adjusting the couple magazine 126, i.e. height alignment, as described with reference to FIG. In one embodiment, one or both of the coupon magazine 126 and the coupon magazine mount 128 can be adjusted to bring the docking station 120 coplanarly with the wafer surface. Therefore, the coupon magazine 126 can be used extremely flexibly and can be highly and strongly optimized for the wafer processing process.

FIG. 4 is a detailed view of a couple magazine 126 with a portion of the proximity head 106 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the supply port and the discharge port are shown. In one embodiment, the coupon assembly 126 is a docking station 120 of any specific shape, such as a 200 mm docking station and a 300 mm docking station, by varying the shape and size of the top 122 and bottom 124. May be configured to hold. The coupon magazine 126 may also hold wafers of various sizes and thicknesses having arbitrary random shapes.

FIG. 5 shows a coupon magazine 126 without a proximity head 106 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, the coupon magazine 126 has a viewing window 140 that allows access for mechanically and visually inspecting the proximity heads 106a and 106b, as shown in a representative embodiment in FIG. In this way, not only the amount of movement of the proximity heads 106a and 106b, but also the distance between the proximity head 106a and the proximity head 106b can be determined.

FIG. 6 shows a top view of the coupon magazine 126 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The coupon magazine 126 shown in the figure may include a mounting hole 320 for fastening the coupon magazine 126 to the coupon magazine mount 128 as shown in FIG. 2A above. Note that the coupon magazine 126 can be attached to the coupon magazine mount 128 by using mounting holes 320 of any suitable number, type, and configuration. In another embodiment, the coupon magazine 126 may be adhesively attached to the coupon magazine mount without using the mounting holes 320. Therefore, the coupon magazine 126 can be removed from the coupon magazine mount 128 and attached to the coupon magazine mount 128 in such a way that various coupon magazines with various docking stations can be easily and quickly exchanged. ..

In one embodiment, the outer edge portion of the docking station 120 is sandwiched between the upper 122 and the lower 124 of the coupon magazine 126. The docking station 120 is thus firmly held during the wafer processing process. The docking station 120 in the figure is shown with an internal opening that allows the fluid meniscus to move from the wafer to the docking station (and vice versa) without causing the meniscus to collapse. It may have any suitable configuration that can. The coupon magazine 126 in the figure is shown as a rectangle, as long as the docking station 120 is firmly held and the proximity head can approach and leave the docking station without interference. At least one of the shapes and configurations can be any suitable. In another embodiment, the coupon magazine is any suitable number of elements, such as 1,2,3,4,5, as long as the docking station 120 is held and placed in the manner presented herein. May have.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a leveling mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, the leveling mechanism can move the coupon magazine in a vertical plane such that the docking station 120 is brought into a substantially coplanar plane of the wafer 108. In one embodiment, the upper 122 of the coupon magazine 126 may include an access port 288 leading to a screw 290 that terminates a ball stopper 262 in the coupon magazine mount 128. The screw 290 may include a spring. The ball stopper 262 may be in contact with the coupon assembly mount 128. In one embodiment, the spring 264 may have a force of about 5-15 lbs. By rotating the screw 290, the ball stopper 262 is moved vertically, which moves the coupon magazine 126 and thus the docking station 120 vertically. Therefore, the coupon magazine 126 can be moved vertically so that the docking station 120 is approximately flush with the wafer 108. In one embodiment, the coupon magazine 126 can move vertically as indicated by a distance of 280. Since the devices and methods in the figure for the purpose of moving the coupon magazine 126 are of typical properties, any other suitable form is used as the method for moving the coupon magazine 126. Needless to say, it's okay.

FIG. 8 shows the upper 122 of the coupon magazine 126 in one embodiment of the present invention. The top 122 may include mounting holes of any suitable number and type for mounting on both the coupon magazine mount 128 and the bottom 124. In one embodiment, the top 122 may have mounting holes 320 for fastening the top 122 to the coupon magazine mount 128. The top 122 may also have mounting holes 202 that can be used to secure the top 122 to the coupon magazine mount 128. The upper part 122 may also include a recess 322 that can form the viewing window described above with reference to FIG. 5 (when combined with the lower part 124).

FIG. 9 shows the lower part 124 of the coupon magazine 126 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The lower part 124 includes a mounting hole 390 that can be aligned with the mounting hole 320 of the upper part 122. Therefore, the lower part 124 can be fastened to the upper part 122 by the use of the mounting holes 390 to form the coupon magazine 126. Needless to say, in order to connect the upper portion 122 to the lower portion 124, any appropriate attachment method such as gluing or gluing may be used. The lower 124 may, of course, have mounting holes 390 of which at least one of the number and configuration is of any suitability.

The lower 124 may also have a recess 380 that can form a viewing window 140 when combined with the upper recess 322. The positional relationship between the proximity heads and the positional relationship of the proximity heads with respect to the docking station 120 can thus be accessed by at least one of visual and mechanical methods. Further, the lower portion 124 may have a recess 392 that substantially surrounds the inside of the lower portion 124. The recess 392 may be configured to accommodate the outer circumference of the docking station 120 so that a secure and just right fit can be achieved. In the following, typical proximity heads capable of producing a fluid meniscus will be described.

The drawings below show a typical wafer processing system with a typical proximity head capable of producing a fluid meniscus. It should be noted that in the embodiments of the invention presented herein, any suitable type of system with any suitable type of proximity head capable of producing a fluid meniscus may be used. Needless to say.

FIG. 10 shows a wafer processing system 1100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. It goes without saying that any suitable method of holding or moving the wafer, such as rollers, pins, and platens, can be used. System 1100 may include rollers 1102a, 1102b, 1102c that allow processing of the wafer surface by holding and rotating the wafer. The system 1100 may include proximity heads 106a, 106b that can be attached to the upper arm 1104a and the lower arm 1104b, respectively, in one embodiment. The upper arm 1104a and the lower arm 1104b can form part of the proximity head carrier assembly 1104 that allows the proximity heads 106a, 106b to move substantially linearly along the radius of the wafer. In one embodiment, the proximity head carrier assembly 1104 may be configured to hold the proximity head 106a and proximity head 106b above and below the wafer, respectively, and in close proximity to the wafer. This allows the proximity heads 106a, 106b to move vertically and reach very close to the wafer when the proximity heads move horizontally to reach the starting position of the wafer processing, so that the upper arms 1104a and This can be achieved by making the lower arm 1104b movable vertically. In another embodiment, the fluid meniscus may be formed between the two proximity heads 104a, 104b and moved to the top and bottom surfaces of the wafer. The upper arm 1104a and the lower arm 1104b are the proximity head 106a, By moving the 106b, it may be configured in any suitable form that allows the wafer processing presented herein. It should be noted that by moving the proximity head very close to the wafer, the system 1100 can be configured in any suitable form as long as it allows the generation and control of the meniscus on the wafer surface. In another typical embodiment, the proximity head 106 can be located at the first end of the arm that rotates about an axis defined by the second end of the arm. Therefore, in one such embodiment, the proximity head can move in an arc above the surface of the wafer. In yet another embodiment, the arm can move in a combination of rotary motion and linear motion. The wafer shown in the figure has one proximity head on each side, but only one proximity head may be arranged on one side. Other surface conditioning treatments, such as a wafer scrubbing brush, can be performed on surfaces where the proximity head 106 is not used.

In another embodiment, the system 1100 may include a proximity head docking station with a moving surface adjacent to the wafer. In one such embodiment, the fluid meniscus can move between the docking station and the wafer surface in a controlled and controlled manner. Again, if processing is required on only one side of the wafer, only one arm with one proximity head may be used.

FIG. 11A shows a proximity head 106 that performs a wafer processing step according to an embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, the proximity head 106 moves very close to the top surface 108a of the wafer 108 to carry out the wafer processing step. Depending on the type of fluid supplied to the wafer 108, the fluid meniscus 140 generated on the wafer surface 108a by the proximity head 106 may be any suitable wafer treatment such as cleaning, rinsing, drying, etching, and plating. It is preferable to carry out the process. Further, the proximity head 106 may be used to process the lower surface 108b of the wafer 108. In one embodiment, the wafer 108 may be rotated so that the proximity head 106 is movable while the fluid meniscus is processing the top surface 108a. In another embodiment, the wafer 108 may be kept stationary while the proximity head 106 creates a fluid meniscus on the wafer surface. The proximity head may then move the fluid meniscus along the surface of the wafer by moving above the wafer surface, i.e. scanning the wafer surface. In another embodiment, the proximity head 106 may be made large enough so that the fluid meniscus covers the entire surface of the wafer. In one such embodiment, by supplying the fluid meniscus to the surface of the wafer, the entire surface of the wafer can be treated without moving the proximity head.

In one embodiment, the proximity head 106 includes a source supply port 1302,1306 and a source discharge port 1304. In one such embodiment, the isopropyl alcohol vapor IPA / N contained in the nitrogen gas₂1310 is supplied to the wafer surface through the source supply port 1302, vacuum 1312 is supplied to the wafer surface through the source discharge port 1304, and the treatment liquid 1314 is supplied to the wafer surface through the source supply port 1306.

In one embodiment, the fluid meniscus 140 is prepared from the wafer surface 108a with the treatment liquid 1314 and IPA / N.₂IPA / N in addition to supplying vacuum 1312 to remove 1310₂It can be produced by supplying 1310 and treatment liquid 1314. The fluid meniscus 140 is a fluid layer formed between the proximity head 106 and the wafer surface and can move across the wafer surface 108a in a stable and controllable state. In one embodiment, the fluid meniscus 140 may be formed by constantly supplying and removing the treatment liquid 1314. The fluid layer forming the fluid meniscus 140 may have at least one shape and size, depending on the size, number, shape, and pattern of the source supply port 1306, source discharge port 1304, and source supply port 1302. It can be any suitable.

Also, vacuum, IPA / N₂, Vacuum, and the flow rate of the treatment liquid can be any suitable value depending on the type of fluid meniscus desired to be produced. In yet another embodiment, IPA / N₂May be omitted in the formation and use of the fluid meniscus 106, depending on the distance between the proximity head 106 and the wafer surface. In one such embodiment, the proximity head 106 does not include the source supply port 1312, so that the fluid meniscus 140 only supplies the treatment liquid 1314 by the source supply port 1306 and removes the treatment liquid 1314 by the source discharge port 1304. Generated by.

In another embodiment of the proximity head 106, the treated surface of the proximity head 106 (the region of the proximity head where the source supply and source outlets are located) is any suitable topography, depending on the configuration of the fluid meniscus produced. May have. In one embodiment, the treated surface of the proximity head may be recessed or protruding from the surrounding surface.

FIG. 11B is a top view showing a part of the proximity head 106 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The configuration of the proximity head 106 described with reference to FIG. 8B is, of course, of typical nature. Therefore, the proximity head used to generate the fluid meniscus adopts other configurations as long as it can generate a stable fluid meniscus on the wafer surface by supplying and removing the processing liquid to the wafer. It is possible. Also, as mentioned above, N₂Other embodiments of the proximity head 106 in the case of producing a fluid meniscus without using / IPA do not require a source supply port 1316.

In the top view of one embodiment, from left to right, the order is source supply port set 1302, source discharge port set 1304, source supply port set 1306, source discharge port set 1304, and source supply port set 1302. Therefore, N₂As the / IPA and processing chemicals are input into the region between the proximity head 106 and the wafer 108, the vacuum, along with at least one of any fluid membranes and contaminants that may remain on the wafer 108, N₂/ Removes IPA and processing chemicals. The source supply port 1302, source supply port 1306, and source discharge port 1304 presented herein are geometric shapes of any suitable type, such as circular openings, triangular openings, and square openings. Can be. In one embodiment, the source supply ports 1302,1306 and the source discharge port 1304 have a circular opening. Of course, the proximity head 106 can be of any suitable size, shape, and configuration, depending on the size and shape of the fluid meniscus 106 desired to be produced. In one embodiment, the proximity head may be smaller than the radius of the wafer. In another embodiment, the proximity head may be larger than the radius of the wafer. In another embodiment, the proximity head may be larger than the diameter of the wafer. Therefore, the size of the fluid meniscus can be any suitable size depending on the size of the region on the wafer surface that should be processed within any predetermined time. Also, the proximity head 106 can be arranged in any suitable orientation depending on the wafer processing process, for example in any suitable orientation of horizontal, vertical, or in between. The proximity head 106 may also be incorporated into a wafer processing system in which one or more types of wafer processing steps are performed.

FIG. 11C shows a supply port / discharge port pattern of the proximity head 106 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the proximity head 106 includes a source supply port 1302,1306 and a source discharge port 1304. In one embodiment, the source outlet 1304 may surround the source supply port 1306 and the source supply port 1302 may surround the source outlet 1304.

FIG. 11D shows another supply / discharge port pattern of the proximity head 106 in one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the proximity head 106 includes a source supply port 1302,1306 and a source discharge port 1304. In one embodiment, the source outlet 1304 may surround the source supply port 1306 and the source supply port 1302 may at least partially surround the source outlet 1304.

FIG. 11E shows yet another supply / discharge port pattern for the proximity head 106 in one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the proximity head 106 includes a source supply port 1302,1306 and a source discharge port 1304. In one embodiment, the source outlet 1304 may surround the source supply port 1306. In one embodiment, the proximity head 106 is IPA / N₂In this embodiment, the proximity head 106 does not include a source supply port 1302 because the fluid meniscus can be generated without supplying the fluid meniscus. Since the above-mentioned supply port / discharge port pattern has typical properties, any appropriate type of supply port / discharge port pattern is used as long as a stable and controllable fluid meniscus can be generated. be able to.

The present invention has been described in terms of some preferred embodiments, but those skilled in the art will appreciate various alternatives, additions, substitutions, and equivalents by perusing the specification and reviewing the drawings. It goes without saying that the form of can be conceived. Accordingly, the invention is construed to include all such alternatives, additions, substitutions, and equivalent forms within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

<figref num="1">It is a figure which showed the movement of the cleaning liquid on a wafer at the time of the drying process by SRD.</figref><figref num="2A">It is a figure which showed the wafer processing system in one Embodiment of this invention.</figref><figref num="2B">It is a figure which showed the typical proximity head docking process using the docking station in one Embodiment of this invention.</figref><figref num="2C">It is a figure which showed the meniscus which moves away from a wafer in one Embodiment of this invention to a docking station.</figref><figref num="3">FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a system in which some components are omitted for easy viewing of the coupon magazine according to the embodiment of the present invention.</figref><figref num="4">It is a figure which showed the coupon magazine with a part of the proximity head in one Embodiment of this invention in detail, and the supply port and the discharge port are shown in the figure.</figref><figref num="5">It is a figure which showed the coupon magazine which did not accompany the proximity head in one Embodiment of this invention.</figref><figref num="6">It is a top view which showed the coupon magazine in one Embodiment of this invention.</figref><figref num="7">It is a figure which showed the leveling mechanism located in the coupon magazine in one Embodiment of this invention.</figref><figref num="8">It is a figure which showed the upper part of the coupon magazine in one Embodiment of this invention.</figref><figref num="9">It is a figure which showed the lower part of the coupon magazine in one Embodiment of this invention.</figref><figref num="10">It is a figure which showed the wafer processing system in one Embodiment of this invention.</figref><figref num="11A">It is a figure which showed the proximity head which carries out the wafer processing process in one Embodiment of this invention.</figref><figref num="11B">It is a top view which showed a part of the proximity head in one Embodiment of this invention.</figref><figref num="11C">It is a figure which showed the supply port / discharge port pattern of the proximity head in one Embodiment of this invention.</figref><figref num="11D">It is a figure which showed the other supply port / discharge port pattern of the proximity head in one Embodiment of this invention.</figref><figref num="11E">It is a figure which showed still another supply port / discharge port pattern of the proximity head in one Embodiment of this invention.</figref>

Code description

10 ... Wafer 12 ... Moving interface between liquid and gas 100 ... Wafer processing system 102 ... Roller 104 ... Arm 106 ... Proximity head 108 ... Wafer 108a ... Wafer Top surface 108b ... Wafer bottom surface 120 ... Docking station 122 ... Top 124 ... Bottom 126 ... Coupon magazine 128 ... Coupon magazine mount 140 ... Fluid meniscus, viewing window 202 .. .Mounting hole 262 ... Ball stopper 264 ... Spring 288 ... Access port 290 ... Screw 320 ... Mounting hole 322 ... Indentation 380 ... Indentation 390 ... Mounting hole 392 .. .Recess 1100 ... Wafer processing system 1102 ... Roller 1104 ... Arm 1302 ... Source supply port 1304 ... Source discharge port 1306 ... Source supply port 1310 ... IPA / N₂ 1312 ... Vacuum 1314 ... Treatment liquid