Wafer cleaning apparatus and method of cleaning wafer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020168483-A1
Application number	US-201916268832-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 6, 2019
Priority date	Nov 23, 2018
Publication date	May 28, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a wafer cleaning apparatus and a cleaning method. The wafer cleaning apparatus includes a tank and a wafer holder. The tank includes a bottom wall, a lateral wall, and a partition wall. The lateral wall is connected to the bottom wall. The partition wall is movably mounted on the lateral wall and divides a cleaning space defined by the bottom wall and the lateral wall into a first compartment and a second compartment. A passage communicating with the first compartment and the second compartment is formed when the partition wall is moved away from the bottom wall and immersed in a cleaning fluid received in the cleaning space. The wafer holder is adapted to be immersed in the cleaning fluid and to move between the first compartment and the second compartment. The present disclosure further provides a method is of cleaning the wafer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A wafer cleaning apparatus, comprising:
a tank comprising a bottom wall, a lateral wall connected to the bottom wall, a partition wall movably mounted on the lateral wall and dividing a cleaning space defined by the bottom wall and the lateral wall into a first compartment and a second compartment, wherein a passage communicating with the first compartment and the second compartment is formed when the partition wall is moved away from the bottom wall, and the passage is immersed in a cleaning fluid received in the cleaning space during a wafer cleaning process; and a wafer holder adapted to be immersed in the cleaning fluid and to move between the first compartment and the second compartment.

2 . The wafer cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second compartment is adjacent to the first compartment.

3 . The wafer cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising at least one controller electrically coupled to the wafer holder and the partition wall, wherein the wafer holder is vertically and horizontally movable in response to the control of the controller, and the partition wall is movable with respect to the bottom wall in response to the control of the controller.

4 . The wafer cleaning apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising:
a fluid supply unit disposed on the tank and electrically coupled to the controller, wherein the fluid supply unit is configured to provide the cleaning fluid to the tank; and a fluid return unit disposed on the tank and electrically coupled to the controller, wherein the fluid return unit is configured to drain the cleaning fluid from the tank.

5 . The wafer cleaning apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising at least one sensor disposed on the tank and electrically coupled to the controller, wherein the sensor is configured to detect a contamination level and a liquid level of the cleaning fluid.

6 . The wafer cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an agitation generator located outside the tank and attached to the bottom wall, wherein the agitation generator is configured to agitate the cleaning fluid.

7 . The wafer cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a gas provider placed in the cleaning space and configured to provide air bubbles into the cleaning fluid.

8 . The wafer cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bottom wall, the lateral wall, and the partition wall are made of a corrosion-resistant material.

9 . The wafer cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first compartment and the second compartment have substantially the same volume.

10 . A method of cleaning a wafer comprising:
supplying a cleaning fluid to a tank, the tank comprising a movable partition wall for separating the tank into a first compartment and a second compartment; placing the wafer in a wafer holder adapted to transfer the wafer between the first compartment and the second compartment, wherein the wafer holder is initially positioned in the first compartment; immersing the partition wall into the cleaning fluid and immersing the wafer into the cleaning fluid in the first compartment; lifting a portion of the partition wall for communicating the first compartment and the second compartment; transferring the wafer from the first compartment to the second compartment; and moving the wafer away from the cleaning fluid from the second compartment.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
resting the wafer in the cleaning fluid for a presetting time before the lifting of the portion of the partition wall; and immersing the portion of the partition wall into the cleaning fluid after the wafer is transferred to the second compartment.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising agitating the cleaning fluid to generate an agitated cleaning fluid before resting the wafer in the cleaning fluid.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the cleaning fluid is agitated at an ultrasonic frequency.

14 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising providing air bubbles in the cleaning fluid before resting the wafer in the cleaning fluid.

15 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
detecting a contamination level of the liquid; and draining the cleaning fluid from the tank when the contamination level reaches a maximum level.

16 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
detecting a liquid level of the cleaning fluid; and adding new cleaning fluid to the tank when the liquid level is lower than the partition wall until the portion of the partition wall is submerged in the cleaning fluid.

Assignees

• Nanya Technology Corp

Inventors

• Doong Shyue-Ru
• Tsai Feng-Ju

Classifications

• B08B3/102

  with means for agitating the liquid (by agitating the container B08B3/042, B08B3/044, B08B3/045, B08B3/06) · CPC title

• B08B3/123

  Cleaning travelling work, e.g. webs, articles on a conveyor (conveyors B65G; handling webs B65H) · CPC title

• H10P70/20

  Cleaning during device manufacture · CPC title

• H10P72/0416 Primary

  with the semiconductor substrates being dipped in baths or vessels · CPC title

• H01L21/67057 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic