Title: Device and process for liquid treatment of wafer-shaped articles
Abstract: A device for liquid treatment of a defined area of a wafer-shaped article, especially of a wafer, near the edge, in which the liquid is applied to a first surface, flows essentially radially to the outside to the peripheral-side edge of the wafer-shaped article and around this edge onto the second surface, the liquid wetting a defined section near the edge on the second surface and thereupon being removed from the wafer-shaped article.
Patent Number: 7,007,702 Issued on 03/07/2006 to Langen
| Inventors:
|
Langen; Kurt (Villach, AT)
|
| Assignee:
|
Sez AG (Villach, AT)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
632962 |
| Filed:
|
August 4, 2003 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
| Current U.S. Class: |
134/99.1; 134/140; 134/149; 134/153; 134/157; 118/52 |
| Current Intern'l Class: |
B05C 13/00 (20060101); B08B 3/00 (20060101) |
| Field of Search: |
134/991,102.1,137,140,149,153,157,201,902
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
| 5608943 | Mar., 1997 | Konishi et al.
| |
| 5706843 | Jan., 1998 | Matsuo.
| |
| 5769945 | Jun., 1998 | Davis et al.
| |
| 5861061 | Jan., 1999 | Hayes et al.
| |
| 5871584 | Feb., 1999 | Tateyama et al.
| |
| 5896877 | Apr., 1999 | Pirker.
| |
| 5904164 | May., 1999 | Wagner et al.
| |
| 5945351 | Aug., 1999 | Mathuni.
| |
| 6013136 | Jan., 2000 | Mathuni.
| |
| 6095582 | Aug., 2000 | Siniaguine et al.
| |
| 6140254 | Oct., 2000 | Endisch et al.
| |
| 6162739 | Dec., 2000 | Sumnitsch et al.
| |
| Foreign Patent Documents |
| 0 810 641 | Dec., 1997 | EP.
| |
| 9-181026 | Jul., 1997 | JP.
| |
Primary Examiner: Perrin; Joseph L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Young & Thompson
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a Divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/164,424
filed on Jun. 10, 2002. Application Ser. No. 10/164,424 is a Divisional of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 09/556,426 filed on Apr. 24, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No.
6,435,200. The entire contents of the above-identified applications are hereby
incorporated by reference.
Claims
What is claimed:
1. A device for wet etching with a liquid a defined area of a first surface of
a wafer-shaped article, the defined area being adjacent to a peripheral edge of
the wafer-shaped article, the device comprising:
holding means for holding the wafer-shaped article with the first surface facing,
within the defined area, a surface of said holding means that is parallel to the
first surface, said holding means comprising gas feed means for at least partial
flushing of a gas from the first surface, and a gas guide in a periphery of said
holding means; and
said gas guide being arranged to be separated from the first surface by a gap
and having a channel to divert most of the gas away from the defined area when
the wafer-shaped article is being held by said holding means, said gap having a
width that permits creation of a capillary force that causes the liquid to enter
into said gap and to wet and etch the defined area of the first surface adjacent
to the peripheral edge, wherein within the defined area, a surface of said gas
guide facing the first surface is parallel to the first surface.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein said gas guide is ring-shaped.
3. The device of claim 2, wherein said ring-shaped gas guide has an inner diameter
that is smaller than an outside diameter of the wafer-shaped article and an outside
diameter that is at least a same size as the outside diameter of the wafer-shaped article.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein said gas guide is formed by an annular groove
that is concentric to said periphery of said holding means and from which a gas
is discharged.
5. The device of claim 1, wherein a part of said holding means is located between
said gas feed means and said gas guide, and said part is located at a greater distance
from the wafer-shaped article than said gas guide is from the wafer-shaped article.
6. The device of claim 1, wherein said gap is 0.05 to 1 mm.
7. The device of claim 1, wherein said gas guide is annular and surrounds said
holding means and said gas feed means.
8. The device of claim 1, wherein said gas guide comprises a radially inward
projection that diverts the gas away from the defined area.
9. A device for treating with a liquid a wafer-shaped article having a first
surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a peripheral edge between
the first and second surfaces, the device comprising:
holding means for holding the wafer-shaped article with the second surface facing
said holding means, said holding means comprising gas feed means for at least partial
flushing of a gas from the second surface, and a gas guide in a periphery of said
holding means;
said gas guide being arranged to be separated from the second surface by a gap
when the wafer-shaped article is being held by said holding means, said gap having
a width that permits creation of a capillary force that causes the liquid to enter
into said gap and to wet and treat a defined area of the second surface adjacent
to the peripheral edge, wherein within the defined area, a surface of said gas
guide facing the second surface is parallel to the second surface; and
a channel that branches from a radially inward end of said gap.
10. A device for treating with a liquid a wafer-shaped article having a first
surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a peripheral edge between
the first and second surfaces, the device comprising:
holding means for holding the wafer-shaped article with the second surface facing
said holding means, said holding means comprising gas feed means for at least partial
flushing of a gas from the second surface, and a gas guide in a periphery of said
holding means;
said gas guide being arranged to be separated from the second surface by a gap
when the wafer-shaped article is being held by said holding means, said gap having
a width that permits creation of a capillary force that causes the liquid to enter
into said gap and to wet and treat a defined area of the second surface adjacent
to the peripheral edge, wherein within the defined area, a surface of said gas
guide facing the second surface is parallel to the second surface; and
said gap extending radially inward from the peripheral edge to a recess in the
holder, the radially inward extent of the gap defining the defined area.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a device and a process for liquid treatment of a defined
section of wafer-shaped article, a section near the edge, especially of a wafer.
The reason for treatment of a defined section of wafer-shaped article near the
edge, especially of a wafer, will be described below.
A wafer, for example a silicon wafer, can for example have a silicon dioxide
coating
on all sides. For subsequent processes (if for example a layer of gold or a layer
of polysilicon (polycrystalline silicon) is to be applied), it can be necessary
to remove the existing coating from the wafer at least in the edge area of the
main surface, but optionally also in the area of its peripheral surface and/or
the second main surface. This is done by etching processes which can be divided
mainly into dry etching processes and wet etching processes.
Another application is the cleaning of wafers. Here it can be necessary to
clean a wafer at least in the edge area of a main surface, but optionally also
in the area of its peripheral surface and/or the second main surface, i.e. to remove
particles and/or other contamination. This is done by wet cleaning processes.
The invention is aimed at wet etching and wet cleaning (combined under the concept
of liquid treatment). In doing so the surface area of the wafer to be treated is
wetted with the treatment liquid and the layer which is to be removed or the impurities
are carried off.
A device for executing this liquid treatment is described for example in U.S.
Pat.
No. 4,903,717. In this device the wafer-shaped article (wafer) is mounted on a
spin chuck. The treatment liquid, for example, an etching liquid, is applied to
the wafer surface to be treated, the liquid is distributed as a result of the rotational
motion of the wafer over its surface and is flung off laterally over the edge of
the wafer.
To prevent the treatment liquid from reaching the surface which is not be to
treated
in an uncontrolled manner, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,717 a chuck is proposed which
flushes the surface which faces the chuck and which is not to be treated with a
gas. In doing so the gas emerges between the wafer edge and the chuck.
JP 09-181026 A describes a chuck for semiconductor wafers which outside of an
annular nozzle has a special shape, for example an annular step which falls away
to the outside or a bevelling of its edge. In addition, a suction opening is proposed.
This shaping of the intake opening is designed to influence (reduce) the flow velocity
in the edge area. This is intended to serve such that the treatment liquid which
has been applied from overhead flows beyond the edge of the wafer onto the side
facing the chuck and treats the edge area there.
Regardless of whether a means to hold the wafer-shaped article (chuck)
is used as claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,717 or JP 09-181026 A, an edge area of
1.5 mm (measured from the outer edge of the wafer) at most can be treated on the
main surface facing the chuck. The liquid afterwards flows back in the direction
of the wafer edge and is flung off by it.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly the object of the invention is to demonstrate one possibility
for treating a defined, edge-side area with a liquid on one surface of a wafer-shaped
article and it is also to be possible to treat an edge area of more than 2 mm (measured
from the outside edge of the wafer).
Accordingly, the invention in its general embodiment proposes a device
for liquid treatment of a defined section of a wafer-shaped article, especially
a wafer, near the edge, with a means for holding the wafer-shaped article, with
a gas feed means for at least partial gas flushing of the surface of the wafer-shaped
article which faces the means, in which on the peripheral side there is a gas guide
device which routes most of the flushing gas in the edge area of the wafer-shaped
article away from the latter.
The holding means (chuck) is used to hold the wafer for this purpose. Here holding
can be done using a vacuum or the wafer floats on an air cushion and is prevented
from sliding off sideways by lateral guide elements.
The wafer can also be held by the gas which flows past on the bottom of the wafer
forming a negative pressure (also called the Bernoulli effect) by which the wafer
experiences a force in the direction of the chuck. The wafer is touched by an elevated
part of the chuck within the gas feed device, by which the wafer is prevented from
sliding off sideways.
Via the gas feed line the gas can be routed onto the bottom (the surface which
faces the chuck) of the wafer-shaped article (wafer) in order to prevent the liquid
from reaching this bottom and thus executing unwanted treatment.
The gas used for this purpose should be inert to the surface onto which it is
flowing; for example, nitrogen or extremely pure air are suited.
The gas feed means can consist of one or more nozzles or an annular nozzle. These
nozzles should be attached symmetrically to the center of the chuck in order to
enable uniform gas flow over the entire periphery.
The gas guide device is used to route the gas which flows from the middle part
of the chuck in the direction of the edge of the wafer away from the edge area.
The gas now flows past the side of the gas guide device which faces away from the
wafer-shaped article. The farther inside (towards the center of the chuck) this
gas guide device is attached, the larger the edge area is at this point.
Since in the section of the bottom of the wafer near the edge essentially gas
can no longer flow to the outside, in treatment with the liquid the latter can
flow around the wafer edge onto the bottom and thus can wet the section of the
wafer bottom near the edge.
The advantage of the invention over the prior art is that the size of the section
near the edge can be any size desired by means of suitable selection of the gas
guide device.
The gas stream which flows past the gap between the gas guide device and the
wafer can produce a negative pressure within the gap by suitable shaping of the
gas guide, by which in addition in the edge area the gas flows from the vicinity
of the wafer edge to the inside. During liquid treatment the liquid is thus sucked
into the edge area.
In one embodiment the gas guide device has the shape of a ring. This ring can
be attached to the base body of the chuck using for example three or more spacers.
But it can also be machined out of the base body by corresponding milling.
The ring in one embodiment has an inside diameter which is smaller than the outside
diameter of the wafer-shaped article and an outside diameter which is at least
the same size as the outside diameter of the wafer-shaped article.
In this way the liquid which flows around the peripheral-side edge of the wafer-shaped
article (around the wafer edge) can be captured by the ring and delivered to the inside.
The gas guide device can also be formed by an annular groove which is concentric
to the periphery of the means and from which the gas is discharged to the outside.
This can be ensured by simple holes which lead to the outside from the bottom of
the groove in the base body of the chuck.
In another embodiment the gas guide device on its inner periphery has a sharp
edge (edge angle less than 60°). In this way almost all the gas can be routed
away in the edge area from the wafer.
In one embodiment the part of the means which is located between the gas feed
means and the gas guide device (base body) is located at a greater distance to
the wafer-shaped article (wafer) than the gas guide device to the wafer-shaped
article. In this way more gas can flow between the wafer and this part (base body)
than between the wafer and the gas guide device. Most of the gas on the side of
the gas guide device facing away from the wafer must therefore flow past this device.
Advantageously the gas guide device is configured such that if there
is a wafer-shaped article (wafer) on the chuck the gas guide device does not touch
the wafer-shaped article (wafer), i.e. a gap remains between the wafer and the ring.
This gap between the gas guide device and the wafer-shaped article in one embodiment
is 0.05 to 1 mm, advantageously 0.1 to 0.5 mm. In this way, between the wafer and
the gas guide device a type of capillary forms, from which the liquid which has
flowed around the wafer edge is sucked. The inside diameter of the surface which
faces the gas guide device and which is wetted by the liquid is smaller than the
inside diameter of the annular surface of the gas guide device.
It is advantageous if the surface of the gas guide device facing the wafer-shaped
article is parallel to the main surfaces of the wafer-shaped article. The gap between
the wafer-shaped article (wafer) and the gas guide device is thus the same size
in the entire edge area.
One embodiment calls for the chuck being able to be caused to rotate. This is
advantageous, even if not necessary, since the treatment liquid can be flung off
both from the chuck and also the wafer edge. If the chuck is not in rotation during
liquid treatment, the liquid is entrained or blown off by the gas flow.
Another part of the invention is a process for liquid treatment of a defined
area of a wafer-shaped article, especially of a wafer, near the edge. In this process
the liquid is applied to a first surface facing the liquid source. The liquid flows
essentially radially to the outside to the peripheral-side edge of the wafer-shaped
article (wafer edge) and around this edge onto the second surface which faces away
from the liquid source. The liquid wets a defined section near the edge on the
second surface and is thereupon removed from the wafer-shaped article.
The advantage over the prior art is that in this process the part of the liquid
flow which reaches the section of the second surface near the edge also flows on
the second surface in a stipulated direction (originating from the edge (wafer
edge) in the direction of the wafer middle) and need not flow back again to the
edge. Rather the liquid is removed from the inside edge of the section near the
edge. This can take place for example with a device as claimed in the invention.
In one embodiment of the process the edge area is chosen to be larger than 2 mm.
In another embodiment of the process the wafer-shaped article during liquid treatment
rotates around its axis, by which the treatment liquid is flung off the edge of
the wafer-shaped article or the-wafer edge.
Advantageously the rotational velocity is at least 100/min in order
to effectively fling off the-liquid.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other details, features and advantages of the invention follow from the description
below for the embodiments of the invention which are shown in the drawings.
FIG. 1 schematically shows an axial section of the means (chuck 1) including
a wafer which is located on it.
FIGS. 2 and 3 schematically show an axial section of the edge area of the chuck.
Gas routing is apparent in it. Moreover FIG. 3 shows the motion of the liquid during treatment.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The chuck
1 consists essentially of three parts (
2,
3,
4),
the base body
3, the cover
2 and the gas guide device
4. The
base body
3 is made annular and is joined to a hollow shaft (not shown)
which on the one hand can cause the chuck to rotate (shown by the arrow R) and
on the other hand can supply the gas feed means (
5,
6) with gas G.
The cover
2 is inserted into the base body and is joined to it (not shown)
such that between the cover
2 and the base body
3 an annular gas
channel
5 is formed which on the top (the side facing the wafer) discharges
into an annular gap, the annular nozzle
6. The diameter of the annular nozzle
6 is smaller than the inside diameter of the gas guide device
4.
This chuck works according to the "Bernoulli principle". Outside the annular
nozzle
6 (in area
7) a gas cushion is formed on which the wafer floats.
The wafer is prevented from sliding off sideways by guide elements which are attached
on the peripheral side (pins
25) and the wafer is entrained by them when
the chuck rotates around the axis A. The pins can be moved to rest against the
edge of the wafer (compare U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,717).
The gas guide device
4 has the shape of a ring and is attached on the
base body
3 on the top (the side facing the wafer) using a plurality of
spacers
21 which are distributed regularly on the periphery. The ring
4
has an inside diameter which is smaller than the outside diameter of the wafer
W and an outside diameter which is larger than the outside diameter of the wafer W.
The surface
14 of the gas guide device facing the wafer W is a flat annular
surface which is parallel to the main surfaces of the wafer. Between the surface
14 and the surface of the wafer facing the chuck, when the wafer is located
on the chuck, an annular gap
10 is formed. The depth of the gap c (FIG.
3) corresponds to the difference of the outside radius of the wafer W and the inside
radius of the gas guide device
4. The width a (FIG. 2) is formed by the
distance from the surface
14 to the wafer surface facing the chuck.
Between the gas guide device
4 and the base body
3 an annular
gas discharge channel
8 is formed into which the gas is discharged by the
gas guide device
4. The total cross section of the gap
10 is much
smaller than that of the gas discharge channel
8, by which the channel can
discharge most of the gas.
In the area
7 between the wafer W and the base body
3 or between
the annular nozzle
6 and the gas guide device
4 the gas flows directly
along the wafer surface facing the chuck. The narrowest cross section in this area
is located between the surface
13 (the surface of the base body
3
facing the wafer) and the wafer and is shown in FIG. 2 by b. The distance b of
the base body
3 to the wafer is larger than the distance a of the gas guide
device to the wafer. The surface
12 of the cover
3 facing the wafer
is located essentially in the same plane as the surface
13 of the base body.
If the wafer is located on the chuck, it is held suspended by the gas cushion
in area
7, its touching neither the cover
2 nor the gas guide device
4. The gas escapes from the annular nozzle
6 (gas flow G
1)
and is discharged via the gas discharge channel
8 (gas flow G
2).
A small amount of gas can escape via the gap
10, but a negative pressure
is probably produced by the gas flow G
2, by which even gas from the vicinity
is intaken via the gap
10 and is entrained by the gas flow G
2.
During liquid treatment the liquid is applied to the surface facing the chuck
1, the liquid then flows in the direction of the wafer edge (liquid flow
F) and around the wafer edge E. When the wafer rotates some of the liquid can be
flung off directly from the wafer edge (not shown). Then the liquid flow is divided
into two flows F
1 and F
2. The liquid flow F
1 flows away from
the wafer.
The liquid flow F
2 flows into the gap
10 and thus wets the bottom
of the wafer. F
2 wets the edge area of this surface somewhat farther than
the gas guide device extends to the inside. Therefore the wetted area d is somewhat
larger than the depth of the gap c. Here the liquid flow F
2 is deflected
by the gas flow G
2 around the inner edge of the gas guide device and the
liquid flow F
2 and the gas flow G
2 leave the chuck jointly via the
gas discharge channel.
*
