Apparatus and System for Preventing Backside Peeling Defects on Semiconductor Wafers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2015000599-A1
Application number	US-201313929297-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 27, 2013
Priority date	Jun 27, 2013
Publication date	Jan 1, 2015
Grant date	—

Abstract

A apparatus includes a susceptor and a non-reactive gas source. The susceptor has through holes and a wafer support surface. Each through hole includes a lift pin and a lift pin head. The lift pin has a vertical degree of motion in the through hole to lift up or place a wafer on the susceptor. The lift pin head has at least one flow channel structure running from its first surface at least partially exposed to a bottom side of the susceptor through its second surface exposed to a top side of the susceptor wherein the lift pin. The non-reactive gas source is configured to flow a gas to a backside of the wafer through the flow channel structure through the bottom side of the susceptor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus, comprising:
a susceptor having a plurality of through holes and a wafer support surface, wherein each of the plurality of through holes includes:
a lift pin having a vertical degree of motion; and
a lift pin head on the lift pin having at least one flow channel structure running from a first surface at least partially exposed to a bottom side of the susceptor through a second surface exposed to a top side of the susceptor, wherein the lift pin is operable to lift up or place a wafer on the susceptor; and
a non-reactive gas source configured to flow a gas to the bottom side of the susceptor.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second surface is a side surface of the lift pin head.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second surface is a top surface of the lift pin head.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one flow channel structure is at least one groove for allowing the gas to pass through.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one flow channel structure is at least one penetrating hole for allowing the gas to pass through.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one flow channel structure is at least one groove through a flange around a sidewall of the lift pin head.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one flow channel structure is at least one penetrating hole through the lift pin head and the lift pin for allowing the gas to pass through.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the through holes is a step through hole.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
an inner chamber enclosing the wafer support surface of the susceptor.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the non-reactive gas source is configured to establish a higher pressure at an area under the bottom side of the susceptor than a pressure in the inner chamber.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the number of the at least one flow channel structure is greater than two, and the flow channel structures are disposed symmetrically around a central axis of the susceptor.

12 . A system, comprising:
at least one apparatus, each of the least one apparatus comprising:
a susceptor having a plurality of through holes and a wafer support surface, wherein each of the plurality of through holes includes:
a lift pin having a vertical degree of motion; and
a lift pin head on the lift pin having at least one flow channel structure running from a first surface at least partially exposed to a bottom side of the susceptor through a second surface exposed to a top side of the susceptor, wherein the lift pin is operable to lift up or place a wafer on the susceptor; and

a non-reactive gas source configured to flow a gas to the bottom side of the susceptor.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the second surface is a side surface or a top surface of the lift pin head.

14 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one flow channel structure is at least one groove or penetrating hole for allowing the gas to pass through.

15 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one flow channel structure is at least one groove through a flange around a sidewall of the lift pin head.

16 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one flow channel structure is at least one penetrating hole through the lift pin head and the lift pin for allowing the gas to pass through.

17 . The system of claim 12 , wherein each of the through holes is a step through hole.

18 . The system of claim 12 , further comprising:
an inner chamber enclosing the wafer support surface of the susceptor.

19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the non-reactive gas source is configured to establish a higher pressure at an area under the bottom side of the susceptor than a pressure in the inner chamber.

20 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the number of the at least one flow channel structure is greater than two, and the flow channel structures of all of the lift pin heads are disposed symmetrically around a central axis of the susceptor.

Assignees

• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg

Inventors

• Chen Yen-Yu
• Chen Wei-Jen
• Chiang Yi-Chen
• Liu Tsang-Yang
• Lee Chang-Sheng
• Liao Wei-Chen
• Zhang Wei

Classifications

• H10P72/7612 Primary

  characterised by lifting arrangements, e.g. lift pins · CPC title

• H01L21/02617 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic