The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor process technology, and more particularly to an apparatus and a method for removing a photoresist layer from at least one alignment mark of a wafer.
Alignment is critical in photolithography and deposition, as well as in other semiconductor processes. If layers are not deposited properly, or if they are not selectively removed properly, the resulting semiconductor devices may not function, relegating them to scrap, which can be costly. Therefore, alignment marks are placed on a semiconductor wafer to ensure proper positioning during deposition and photolithography processes.
It should be noted that alignment is especially critical while a number of metal or other layers have already been deposited on the wafer. In particular, subsequent deposition of silicon dioxide or other layers in such instances usually requires that the alignment marks 104 on the wafer 100 be exposed for proper overlay of the silicon dioxide or other layers, since the photoresist layer used to pattern or perform other processing of these layers can easily cover or at least blur the alignment marks 104, causing the alignment to fail.
A cleaning method of using cotton swabs and acetone to manually remove the photoresist layer from the alignment marks 104 is widely used in the industry. Although the photoresist layer on the alignment marks 104 can be removed, this manual cleaning method inevitably results in die loss in the peripheral region of the wafer 100. For example, as shown in
Therefore, an automatic cleaning method which can improve the above problems of the manual cleaning method is needed.
The present disclosure provides an apparatus and a method for removing a photoresist layer from at least one alignment mark of a wafer. The apparatus and the method can quickly and accurately remove the photoresist layer from at least one alignment mark in the peripheral region of the wafer, so as to reduce die loss and processing time.
An embodiment of an apparatus for removing a photoresist layer from at least one alignment mark of a wafer is provided. The apparatus includes a holder, a solvent dispenser, and a suction unit. The holder is used to support the wafer, wherein the alignment mark is formed in a peripheral region of the wafer. The solvent dispenser is used to spray a solvent onto the photoresist layer on the alignment mark of the wafer to generate a dissolved photoresist layer. The suction unit is used to remove the dissolved photoresist layer and the solvent from the wafer.
In some embodiments, the solvent dispenser is movable toward or away from the wafer.
In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes a motor used to drive the solvent dispenser forward and backward and a cylinder used to drive the solvent dispenser up and down.
In some embodiments, the solvent dispenser includes a movable arm and a nozzle connected to the movable arm. The nozzle is configured to be inclined with respect to the surface of the wafer, and the outlet of the nozzle faces toward the edge of the wafer.
In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes a pipe and a flow meter. The pipe is connected to the solvent dispenser for supplying the solvent. The flow meter is provided to the pipe for measuring the flow rate of the solvent flowing in the pipe.
In some embodiments, the suction unit is movable toward or away from the wafer.
In some embodiments, the solvent dispenser and the suction unit are movable together along a direction that is parallel to the surface of the wafer.
In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes an alignment unit used to determine the position of the alignment mark of the wafer by searching for an orientation notch on the wafer and used to generate a position signal.
In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes a driving mechanism connected to the holder and used to drive the holder and the wafer to rotate according to the position signal from the alignment unit, so that the alignment mark reaches a position where the outlet of the solvent dispenser and the inlet of the suction unit are aligned with and close to the alignment mark.
In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes a drain unit used to collect the solvent falling from the wafer.
An embodiment of a method for removing a photoresist layer from at least one alignment mark of a wafer is provided. The method includes providing a holder. The method further includes positioning the wafer on the holder, wherein the alignment mark is formed in a peripheral region of the wafer, and the photoresist layer is coated on the alignment mark. The method also includes providing a solvent dispenser to spray a solvent onto the photoresist layer on the alignment mark to generate a dissolved photoresist layer. In addition, the method includes providing a suction unit to remove the dissolved photoresist layer and the solvent from the wafer.
In some embodiments, the solvent dispenser is movable toward or away from the wafer.
In some embodiments, the solvent dispenser includes a movable arm and a nozzle connected to the movable arm. The nozzle is configured to be inclined with respect to the surface of the wafer, and the outlet of the nozzle faces toward the edge of the wafer.
In some embodiments, the suction unit is movable toward or away from the wafer.
In some embodiments, the method further includes moving the solvent dispenser such that the outlet thereof is aligned with the alignment mark and close to the edge of the wafer, before the solvent is sprayed onto the photoresist layer on the alignment mark by the solvent dispenser. Also, the method further includes moving the suction unit such that the inlet thereof is aligned with the alignment mark and close to the edge of the wafer, before the dissolved photoresist layer and the solvent are removed from the wafer by the suction unit.
In some embodiments, the method further includes moving the solvent dispenser and the suction unit together along a direction from the edge of the wafer toward the inside of the wafer, when the solvent dispenser sprays the solvent onto the photoresist layer and the suction unit removes the dissolved photoresist layer and the solvent from the wafer.
In some embodiments, the method further includes providing an alignment unit to determine the position of the alignment mark of the wafer by searching for an orientation notch on the wafer and to generate a position signal.
In some embodiments, the method further includes providing a driving mechanism connected to the holder. Also, the method further includes driving the holder and the wafer to rotate by the driving mechanism according to the position signal from the alignment unit, so that the alignment mark reaches a position where the outlet of the solvent dispenser and the inlet of the suction unit are aligned with and close to the alignment mark.
In some embodiments, the method further includes providing a drain unit to collect the solvent falling from the wafer.
In some embodiments, the suction unit has an exhaust rate that is greater than 80 LPM (l/min).
The invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
A detailed description is given in the following embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. This description is provided for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention and should not be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the invention is best determined by reference to the appended claims.
In the following detailed description, the orientations of “on”, “above”, “under”, and “below” are used for representing the relationship between the relative positions of each element as illustrated in the drawings, and are not meant to limit the invention. Moreover, the formation of a first element on or above a second element in the description that follows may include embodiments in which the first and second elements are formed in direct contact, or the first and second elements have one or more additional elements formed therebetween.
In addition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed. Various features may be arbitrarily drawn in different scales for the sake of simplicity and clarity. Furthermore, some elements not shown or described in the embodiments have the forms known by persons skilled in the field of the invention.
Embodiments of an apparatus for removing a photoresist layer from at least one alignment mark of a wafer are provided. The apparatus may be independent from or integrated into a spin coater or other processing apparatuses.
A holder 202 is disposed in the chamber 200 for supporting a wafer W, such as a semiconductor wafer. The holder 202 can hold a 100 mm, 150 mm, 200 mm, 300 mm, or even a larger wafer W. For example, the wafer W can be transferred into and out of the chamber 200 through an opening (not shown) that is controlled by a gate valve assembly (not shown). Moreover, the wafer W can be transferred on and off the holder 202 using a robotic wafer transfer system (not shown). During processing, the wafer W can be held on top of the holder 202 using a vacuum chuck (not shown) therein. Alternatively, other clamping means may also be used.
As shown in
A solvent dispenser 205 is provided in the chamber 200 and used to spray a solvent onto the photoresist layer on at least one alignment mark of the wafer W. Referring to
As shown in
In addition, the solvent dispenser 205 is movable in the chamber 200 so that its outlet H1 can be moved toward or away from the alignment mark in the peripheral region of the wafer W. Specifically, in some embodiments, the solvent dispenser 205 includes a movable arm 2051 and a nozzle 2052. The movable arm 2051, for example, is a robotic arm capable of moving in the chamber 200 through a motor 2053 and a cylinder 2054 (See
As shown in
A suction unit 208 is provided adjacent to the peripheral region of the wafer W and used to remove the above dissolved photoresist layer (on the alignment mark) and the remaining solvent (without having reacted with the photoresist layer) from the wafer W through exhausting, for example. Specifically, as shown in
It addition, thanks to the suction provided by the suction unit 208, not only can the dissolved photoresist layer be quickly removed from the wafer W, but the remaining solvent (without having reacted with the photoresist layer) on the wafer W can also be quickly removed from the wafer W. For example, as shown in
In some embodiments, the controller 207 also controls the exhaust rate of the suction unit 208. For example, the exhaust rate of the suction unit 208 is preferably controlled to be greater than 80 LPM (l/min), so that the solvent can leave the wafer W faster. Furthermore, during operation of the suction unit 208, the ejector generates a vacuum (negative) pressure, for example less than −70 KPA (Kilo-Pascals), to the suction unit 208, wherein the ejector may be a CDA (clean-dry-air) system having a CDA pressure greater than 5.7 kgf/cm2, for example.
In addition, the suction unit 208 is also movable in the chamber 200 through a motor 2081 (see
A drain unit 210 is provided in the chamber 200 and is used to collect the solvent falling from the wafer W. As shown in
Furthermore, in order to determine the position of the alignment mark(s) of the wafer W, an alignment unit 211 is provided in the chamber 200. Referring to
The above two alignment marks 302 are merely exemplary, and the wafer W may comprise only one alignment mark 302 or more alignment marks 302, wherein the alignment marks 302 can be situated at any other positions in the peripheral region of the wafer W with various degrees from the orientation notch 304.
As shown in
After the photoresist layer on the above alignment mark 302 is successfully removed, the other alignment mark 302 on the wafer W can also be moved by the driving mechanism 204 (controlled by the controller 207) to reach the predetermined position for removal of the photoresist layer thereon.
With the design of providing an alignment unit 211 in the apparatus 20, the (automatic) apparatus 20 can quickly and accurately remove the photoresist layer from at least one alignment mark in the peripheral region of the wafer W, thereby reducing the processing time and improving the fabrication yield.
Next, the operation of the apparatus 20 in
As shown in
Next, the alignment unit 211 generates a position signal for the controller 207, and the controller 207 controls the driving mechanism 204 according to the position signal to drive the holder 202 and the wafer W to rotate until one of the alignment marks 302 on the wafer W reaches a predetermined (and stationary) position.
As shown in
As shown in
The drain unit 210 positioned below the edge of the wafer W can collect the solvent falling from the wafer W.
In addition, as shown in
After the photoresist layer on the above alignment mark 302 is removed, the driving mechanism 204 controlled by the controller 207 can also rotate the wafer W such that the other alignment mark 302 thereon reaches the above predetermined position. Then, the photoresist layer on the other alignment mark 302 can also be removed by the solvent dispenser 205 and the suction unit 20.
After the photoresist layer on the alignment marks 302 of the wafer W is successfully removed, the solvent dispenser 205 and the suction unit 20 can be moved in opposite directions to return to their original positions, and the wafer W can be transferred out of the chamber 200 to carry out the next process.
It should be understood that the above method 500 is merely exemplary and that the method for removing the photoresist layer from at least one alignment mark of a wafer in some embodiments may also have other steps and/or other sequences of steps (such as determining the positions of the alignment marks with the alignment unit described above, moving the alignment mark on the wafer to a predetermined position using the driving mechanism described above, moving the solvent dispenser and/or the suction unit to their predetermined positions before the removal process for the photoresist layer on the alignment mark, and/or moving the solvent dispenser and the suction unit during the removal process).
As described above, embodiments of the present disclosure provide an apparatus and a method for removing a photoresist layer from at least one alignment mark of a wafer. The apparatus and the method can quickly and accurately remove the photoresist layer from at least one alignment mark in the peripheral region of the wafer, by determining the position of the alignment mark using the alignment unit (embedded in the apparatus), by spraying a solvent onto the photoresist layer using a solvent dispenser to dissolve the photoresist layer, and by removing the dissolved photoresist layer from the wafer using the suction unit. Moreover, the suction of the suction unit can help evacuate the solvent from the wafer faster, thereby reducing die loss (i.e. improving the fabrication yield) and the processing time.
While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
5803970 | Tateyama | Sep 1998 | A |
6079428 | Anai | Jun 2000 | A |
6261970 | Jeon | Jul 2001 | B1 |
6453916 | Tran et al. | Sep 2002 | B1 |
6682605 | Cheng et al. | Jan 2004 | B2 |
20040241594 | Cheng | Dec 2004 | A1 |
20070186850 | Matsuoka | Aug 2007 | A1 |
20090211603 | Winter | Aug 2009 | A1 |
20100212701 | Nanba | Aug 2010 | A1 |
20110265823 | Ravkin | Nov 2011 | A1 |
20120160279 | Konishi | Jun 2012 | A1 |
20130174873 | Yoshihara | Jul 2013 | A1 |
20140051258 | Izumoto | Feb 2014 | A1 |
20140360539 | Liu | Dec 2014 | A1 |
20150209834 | Shi | Jul 2015 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
H-05166720 | Jul 1993 | JP |
09-029158 | Feb 1997 | JP |
2001198515 | Jul 2001 | JP |
2004200405 | Jul 2004 | JP |
2004319625 | Nov 2004 | JP |
2005016155 | Jan 2005 | JP |
2007243030 | Sep 2007 | JP |
2007316360 | Dec 2007 | JP |
2008277359 | Nov 2008 | JP |
2009042582 | Feb 2009 | JP |
2011198933 | Oct 2011 | JP |
2015179272 | Oct 2015 | JP |
10-2005-0083540 | Aug 2005 | KR |
10-2011-0119382 | Nov 2011 | KR |
508635 | Nov 2002 | TW |
200424806 | Nov 2004 | TW |
I226975 | Jan 2005 | TW |
201205207 | Feb 2012 | TW |
WO2011115155 | Sep 2011 | WO |
Entry |
---|
An Office Action issued in corresponding KR Application No. 10-2017-0081593 dated Aug. 29, 2018. |
Notice of Grant Based on Japanese Application No. 2017-146652; dated Jan. 15, 2019. |
An Office Action dated Feb. 1, 2021 in CN Application No. 2021012702429820, 8 pages. |
Office Action dated Jul. 14, 2020 in CN Application No. 201710562482.3. |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20180292758 A1 | Oct 2018 | US |