Wafer cleaning system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11742227-B2
Application number	US-201916725459-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2019
Priority date	Jan 24, 2014
Publication date	Aug 29, 2023
Grant date	Aug 29, 2023

Abstract

A wafer cleaning system and method are provided. A brush element is configured to clean a backside of the wafer. The backside has a clear area and an unclear area, and some contaminants are located in the unclear area. A control device performs a first cleaning process to the brush element when the brush element is located at the clear area, and the control device performs a second cleaning process when the brush element is located at the unclear area. The contaminants are cleaned by an enhanced cleaning process. Since the contaminants are cleaned, the backside of the wafer is flatter, and quality of the exposed photoresist on the wafer is improved.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wafer cleaning method for cleaning contaminants on a wafer, wherein a backside of the wafer has a clear area and an unclear area, and the contaminants are located in the unclear area, the wafer cleaning method comprising:
transporting the wafer by a wafer arm;
inspecting the backside of the wafer through an opening of the wafer arm and generating an inspection signal by an inspection device;
generating a control signal according to the inspection signal by a process module, wherein the control signal includes movement information of a brush element according to coordinates and areas of the contaminants obtained from the inspection signal; and
controlling the brush element to clean the contaminants on the backside of the wafer according to the control signal by a control device along a predetermined path.

2. The wafer cleaning method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control device controls the brush element according to the control signal to have a first movement speed when the brush element is located at the clear area and to have a second movement speed when the brush element is located at the unclear area, wherein the second movement speed is slower than the first movement speed.

3. The wafer cleaning method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control device controls the brush element according to the control signal to stop moving at the unclear area for a time period.

4. The wafer cleaning method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the brush element comprises a brush holder movable relative to the wafer and a brush head configured to rotate on the brush holder and contact the wafer;
wherein the control device controls the brush element according to the control signal to have a first rotational speed of the brush head when the brush element is located at the clear area and to have a second rotational speed of the brush head when the brush element is located at the unclear area, wherein the second rotational speed is greater than the first rotational speed.

5. The wafer cleaning method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the control device controls the brush element according to the control signal such that the brush head applies a first force to the wafer when the brush element is located at the clear area and that the brush head applies a second force to the wafer when the brush element is located at the unclear area, wherein second force is greater than the first force.

6. The wafer cleaning method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
rotating the wafer during the movement of the brush element on the backside of the wafer by a spin device; and
controlling the spin device according to the control signal by the control device to have a first rotational speed when the brush element is located at the clear area and to have a second rotational speed when the brush element is located at the unclear area, wherein the second rotational speed is slower than the first rotational speed.

7. The wafer cleaning method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the inspection device comprises a camera configured to capture an image of the backside of the wafer.

8. A wafer cleaning method for cleaning contaminants on a wafer, wherein a backside of the wafer has a clear area and an unclear area, and the contaminants are located in the unclear area, the wafer cleaning method comprising:
transporting the wafer by a wafer arm;
inspecting the backside of the wafer through an opening of the wafer arm and generating an inspection signal by an inspection device;
generating a control signal according to the inspection signal by a process module, wherein the control signal includes movement information of a brush element according to coordinates and areas of the contaminants obtained from the inspection signal;
disposing the wafer on a plurality of pins;
controlling the brush element to clean the backside of the wafer along a first path when the wafer is disposed on the plurality of pins according to the control signal by a control device;
rotating the wafer by a spin device; and
controlling the brush element to clean the backside of the wafer along a second path when the wafer is disposed on the spin device according to the control signal by the control device.

9. The wafer cleaning method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein when the wafer is disposed on the plurality of pins, the wafer is distant from the spin device;
wherein the wafer cleaning method further comprising descending the plurality of pins, and disposing the wafer on the spin device.

10. The wafer cleaning method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the first path is different from the second path.

11. The wafer cleaning method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the control device controls the brush element according to the control signal to have a first movement speed when the brush element is located at the clear area and to have a second movement speed when the brush element is located at the unclear area, wherein the second movement speed is slower than the first movement speed.

12. The wafer cleaning method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the control device controls the brush element according to the control signal to stop moving at the unclear area for a time period.

13. The wafer cleaning method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the brush element comprises a brush holder movable relative to the wafer and a brush head configured to rotate on the brush holder and contact the wafer;
wherein the control device controls the brush element according to the control signal to have a first rotational speed of the brush head when the brush element is located at the clear area and to have a second rotational speed of the brush head when the brush element is located at the unclear area, wherein the second rotational speed is greater than the first rotational speed.

14. The wafer cleaning method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the control device controls the brush element according to the control signal such that the brush head applies a first force to the wafer when the brush element is located at the clear area and that the brush head applies a second force to the wafer when the brush element is located at the unclear area, wherein second force is greater than the first force.

15. The wafer cleaning method as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising controlling the spin device according to the control signal to have a first rotational speed when the brush element is located at the clear area and to have a second rotational speed when the brush element is located at the unclear area, wherein the second rotational speed is slower than the first rotational speed.

16. A wafer cleaning method for cleaning contaminants on a wafer, wherein a backside of the wafer has a clear area and an unclear area, and the contaminants are located in the unclear area, the wafer cleaning method comprising:
transporting the wafer by a wafer arm;
inspecting the backside of the wafer through an opening of the wafer arm and generating an inspection signal by an inspection device;
generating a control signal according to the inspection signal by a process module, wherein the control signal includes movement information of a brush element according to coordinates and areas of the contaminants obtained from the inspection signal;
transporting the wafer from a position relative to the inspection device to a spin device disposed in a cleaning chamber by the wafer arm; and
controlling the brush element to clean the contaminants on the backside of the wafer according to the control signal by a control device along a predetermined path.

17. The wafer cle

Assignees

• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tseng Kuo-Shu
• Shang Yao-Yuan
• Chen you-feng

Classifications

• H10P70/56

  Cleaning of wafer backside · CPC title

• H10P72/0412

  using mainly scrubbing means, e.g. brushes · CPC title

• H10P72/0604 Primary

  Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring · CPC title

• B08B1/12

  Brushes · CPC title

• H01L21/67253 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic