Filter apparatus for semiconductor device fabrication process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12251786-B2
Application number	US-202016952730-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2020
Priority date	May 22, 2020
Publication date	Mar 18, 2025
Grant date	Mar 18, 2025

Abstract

A filter device includes one or more filter membranes, and a filter housing enclosing the one or more filter membranes. Each of the filter membranes includes a base membrane made of a ceramic material, and a plurality of through holes. The base membrane is coated with a coating material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A filter device used in an apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:
one or more filter membranes; and
a filter housing enclosing the one or more filter membranes,
wherein each of the one or more filter membranes includes a base membrane made of a ceramic material, and a plurality of through holes,
the base membrane is coated with a coating material,
an average diameter of the plurality of through holes is in a range from 10 nm to 500 nm, and
a variation of diameters of the plurality of through holes is in a range from 5% to 25% of the average diameter.

2. The filter device of claim 1 , wherein the average diameter of the plurality of through holes is in a range from 50 nm to 200 nm.

3. The filter device of claim 2 , wherein the variation of diameters of the plurality of through holes is in a range from 10% to 20% of the average diameter.

4. The filter device of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the base membrane is in a range from 50 nm to 500 nm.

5. The filter device of claim 1 , wherein an aspect ratio of the plurality of through holes is in a range from 2 to 10.

6. The filter device of claim 1 , wherein the coating material includes one or more of a PE (polyethylene), a PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), a PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride), a PFA (polyfluoroalkoxy), a HDPE (high density polyethylene), a PAS (polyarylsulfone), a PES (polyether sulfone), a PS (polysulfone), a PP (polyproplyene) and a PEEK (polyetheretherketone), or derivatives thereof.

7. The filter device of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic material is anodic aluminum oxide.

8. The filter device of claim 1 , wherein a total number of the plurality of through holes per square micron is in a range from 100 to 600.

9. The filter device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more filter membranes comprises two or more filter membranes having different average hole sizes from each other.

10. The filter device of claim 9 , wherein:
the filter housing includes an inlet and an outlet, and
a filter membrane of the two or more filter membranes having a larger average hole size is located closer to the inlet than a filter membrane of the two or more filter membranes having a smaller average hole size.

11. A liquid supplying system comprising:
a semiconductor wafer processing apparatus;
a liquid tank configured to store a liquid for manufacturing a semiconductor device;
a liquid supply system for supplying the liquid from the liquid tank to the semiconductor wafer processing apparatus; and
a point-of-use (POU) filter device disposed on the liquid supply system,
wherein the POU filter device includes:
one or more filter membranes; and
a filter housing enclosing the one or more filter membranes,

each of the filter membranes includes a base membrane made of anodic aluminum oxide, and a plurality of through holes,
the base membrane is coated with a coating material,
an average diameter of the plurality of through holes is in a range from 10 nm to 500 nm, and
a variation of diameters of the plurality of through holes is in a range from 5% to 25% of the average diameter.

12. The liquid supplying system of claim 11 , wherein the average diameter of the plurality of through holes is in a range from 50 nm to 200 nm.

13. The liquid supplying system of claim 12 , wherein the variation of diameters of the plurality of through holes is in a range from 10% to 20% of the average diameter.

14. The liquid supplying system of claim 11 , wherein a thickness of the base membrane is in a range from 50 nm to 500 nm.

15. The liquid supplying system of claim 11 , wherein the coating material includes one or more of a PE (polyethylene), a PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), a PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride), a PFA (polyfluoroalkoxy), a HDPE (high density polyethylene), a PAS (polyarylsulfone), a PES (polyether sulfone), a PS (polysulfone), a PP (polyproplyene) and a PEEK (polyetheretherketone), or derivatives thereof.

16. The liquid supplying system of claim 11 , wherein the semiconductor wafer processing apparatus is a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) apparatus, and the liquid is a CMP slurry.

17. The liquid supplying system of claim 11 , further comprising a circulation path for circulating the liquid from the liquid tank to the liquid tank,
wherein the circulation path includes another filter device.

18. A method of cleaning a filter device, comprising:
determining whether the filter device is to be cleaned or not; and
after determining that the filter device is to be cleaned, flowing a cleaning solution through the filter device in a reverse direction,
wherein the filter device includes:
a filter membrane; and
a filter housing enclosing the filter membrane,

the filter membrane includes a base membrane made of anodic aluminum oxide, and a plurality of through holes,
the base membrane is coated with a coating material,
an average diameter of the plurality of through holes is in a range from 10 nm to 500 nm, and
a variation of diameters of the plurality of through holes is in a range from 5% to 25% of the average diameter.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the determining comprises:
monitoring a flow rate of a liquid passing through the filter device; and
determining whether the flow rate is below a threshold rate.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the cleaning solution is water or an organic solvent.

Assignees

• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd
• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yu Chwen
• Tseng Chih-Chiang
• Lai Yi-Chung
• Chuang Tzu-Sou
• Chia Yun-Ju

Classifications

• H10P72/0402

  Apparatus for fluid treatment (H10P72/0441, H10P72/0448 take precedence) · CPC title

• B01D71/261

  Polyethylene · CPC title

• B01D2325/0283

  Pore size · CPC title

• B01D71/5222

  Polyetherketone, polyetheretherketone, or polyaryletherketone · CPC title

• B01D69/1216

  Three or more layers · CPC title