Single Wafer Etching Apparatus and Single Wafer Etching Method

Information

  • Patent Application
  • 20070175863
  • Publication Number
    20070175863
  • Date Filed
    January 31, 2007
    18 years ago
  • Date Published
    August 02, 2007
    17 years ago
Abstract
An object of the present invention is to provide a single wafer etching apparatus realizing a high flatness of wafers and an increase in productivity thereof. In the single wafer etching apparatus, a single thin disk-like wafer sliced from a silicon single crystal ingot is mounted on a wafer chuck and spun thereon, and an overall front surface of the wafer is etched with an etching solution supplied thereto by centrifugal force generated by spinning the wafer 11. The singe wafer etching apparatus includes a plurality of supply nozzles 26, 27 capable of discharging the etching solution 14 from discharge openings 26a, 27a onto the front surface of the wafer 11, nozzle-moving devices each capable of independently moving the plurality of supply nozzles 28, 29, and an etching solution supplying device 30 for supplying the etching solution 14 to each of the plurality of supply nozzles and discharging the etching solution 14 from each of the discharge openings to the front surface of the wafer 11.
Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS


FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the configuration of a main-part of a single wafer etching apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;



FIG. 2 is a top view showing the relationship of a supply nozzle of the apparatus and a wafer;



FIG. 3 is another top view showing the relationship of the supply nozzle and the wafer;



FIG. 4 is still another top view showing the relationship of the supply nozzle and the wafer;



FIG. 5 is a figure showing variations in thickness of the wafer in Example 1; and



FIG. 6 is a figure showing variations in thickness of the wafer in Comparative Example 1.


Claims
  • 1. A single wafer etching apparatus, wherein a single thin disk-like wafer sliced from a silicon single crystal ingot is mounted on a wafer chuck and spun thereon, and an overall front surface of the wafer is etched with an etching solution supplied thereto by centrifugal force generated by spinning the wafer, comprising: a plurality of supply nozzles having discharge openings capable of discharging the etching solution from the discharge openings onto the front surface of the wafer;nozzle-moving devices for independently moving each of the plurality of supply nozzles about the overall front surface of the wafer mounted on the chuck; andan etching solution supplying device for supplying the etching solution to each of the plurality of supply nozzles and discharging the etching solution, respectively, from the discharge openings onto the front surface of the wafer.
  • 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a first supply nozzle is an oscillating supply nozzle having a base end and having a tip with a discharge opening, the tip being distal from the base end, said first supply nozzle moving device comprising means for oscillating the nozzle tip around the base end, and wherein a second supply nozzle has a tip with a discharge opening, said second supply nozzle moving device comprising means for moving the tip in an axial direction across the front surface of the wafer.
  • 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein there are more than one first supply nozzle and more than one second supply nozzle.
  • 4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: sensors capable of measuring the thickness of the silicon wafer provided on a tip of any one or more of the plurality of supply nozzles; anda controller for controlling one or both of the nozzle-moving devices and the etching solution supplying device according to detection output from the sensor.
  • 5. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising: sensors capable of measuring the thickness of the silicon wafer provided on a tip of any one or more of the plurality of supply nozzles; anda controller for controlling one or both of the nozzle-moving devices and the etching solution supplying device according to detection output from the sensor.
  • 6. A method for single wafer etching, wherein a single thin disk-like silicon wafer sliced from a silicon single crystal ingot is mounted on a wafer chuck and spun thereon, and an overall front surface of the wafer is etched with an etching solution supplied thereto by centrifugal force generated by spinning the wafer, comprising the steps of: supplying the etching solution onto the front surface of the wafer by a plurality of supply nozzles, carrying out the supply of the etching solution while independently moving each of the plurality of supply nozzles; andcontrolling the amount of the etching solution supplied from the supply nozzles according to the thickness of the corresponding portion of the wafer.
  • 7. The method of claim 6 wherein the method is carried out using an apparatus comprising: a plurality of supply nozzles having discharge openings capable of discharging the etching solution from the discharge openings onto the front surface of the wafer;nozzle-moving devices for independently moving each of the plurality of supply nozzles about the overall front surface of the wafer mounted on the chuck; andan etching solution supplying device for supplying the etching solution to each of the plurality of supply nozzles and discharging the etching solution, respectively, from the discharge openings onto the front surface of the wafer.
  • 8. The method of claim 6 wherein the method is carried out using an apparatus comprising: a plurality of supply nozzles having discharge openings capable of discharging the etching solution from the discharge openings onto the front surface of the wafer;nozzle-moving devices for independently moving each of the plurality of supply nozzles about the overall front surface of the wafer mounted on the chuck; andan etching solution supplying device for supplying the etching solution to each of the plurality of supply nozzles and discharging the etching solution, respectively, from the discharge openings onto the front surface of the wafer, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a first supply nozzle which is an oscillating supply nozzle having a base end and having a tip with a discharge opening, the tip being distal from the base end, said first supply nozzle moving device comprising means for oscillating the nozzle tip around the base end, and a second supply nozzle having a tip with a discharge opening, said second supply nozzle moving device comprising means for moving the tip in an axial direction across the front surface of the wafer.
  • 9. The method of claim 8 wherein there are more than one first supply nozzle and more than one second supply nozzle.
  • 10. The method of claim 8 wherein the apparatus further comprises sensors capable of measuring the thickness of the silicon wafer provided on a tip of any one or more of the plurality of supply nozzles; and a controller for controlling one or both of the nozzle-moving devices and the etching solution supplying device according to detection output from the sensor.
  • 11. A silicon wafer obtained by the method of claim 6.
  • 12. A silicon wafer obtained by the method of claim 7.
  • 13. A silicon wafer obtained by the method of claim 8.
  • 14. A silicon wafer obtained by the method of claim 9.
Priority Claims (1)
Number Date Country Kind
2006-021899 Jan 2006 JP national