U.S. patent application number 12/318675 was filed with the patent office on 2010-08-26 for device with lifting and lowering drain tank for wet etching wafers.
This patent application is currently assigned to Grand Plastic Technology Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Hung Wen Chang, Hsien Hung Chen, Chia Kang Wang, Chih Hung Wu.
Application Number | 20100212831 12/318675 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42629901 |
Filed Date | 2010-08-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100212831 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wang; Chia Kang ; et
al. |
August 26, 2010 |
Device with lifting and lowering drain tank for wet etching
wafers
Abstract
The present invention discloses a device for spin cleaning and
etching wet processor. The support is kept in a fixed level, and
the drain tank can be lifting and lowering to collect and drain out
the liquid from the support. This device consists of a suport, a
set of drain tank and a lifting and lowering device to move the
drain tank so that one of the drain tank is in the same level with
the suport. The suport is used to support a wafer to process
etching and cleaning, can spin with different speed and supply
etching solution and DI water. The number of drain tanks are
selected by the number of etching solutions and DI water. A
stationary axaust appratus kept in a fixed level as the support is
used to axaust the acidic gas from the drain tanks.
Inventors: |
Wang; Chia Kang; (Hsinchu
city, TW) ; Chen; Hsien Hung; (Hsinchu city, TW)
; Chang; Hung Wen; (Changhua city, TW) ; Wu; Chih
Hung; (Hsinchu city, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BACON & THOMAS, PLLC
625 SLATERS LANE, FOURTH FLOOR
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22314-1176
US
|
Assignee: |
Grand Plastic Technology Co.,
Ltd.
Hsinchu city
TW
|
Family ID: |
42629901 |
Appl. No.: |
12/318675 |
Filed: |
January 6, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
156/345.18 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01L 21/68742 20130101;
H01L 21/6708 20130101; B08B 17/00 20130101; H01L 21/67051
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
156/345.18 |
International
Class: |
C23F 1/08 20060101
C23F001/08 |
Claims
1. A device for wet etching and cleaning with lifting and lowering
drain tank, the support is kept in a fixed level and the selected
annular duck of the drain tank can be lifting and lowering to the
level of said suport to collect and drain out the liquid from the
support, comprising: a support, kept in a fixed level, having a
circular surface for supporting a wafer, is used for spin wet
etching and cleaning said wafer; a drain tank, is disposed around
the concentrate circle of said support, said drain tank comprising
at least two annular ducks to drain the liquid from said support,
each annular ducks has an annular aperture connected to an
air-extracting window of a stationary fixed bellows with a
connecting window to remove the gas of the liquid; a stationary
axaust appratus, with a main air-extracting window, a plurality of
secondary air-extracting window, a main axaust tube and a secondary
axaust tube; means for lifting and lowering said drain tank such
that selected annular duck can be aligned with the surface of said
support to drain the liquid from said support.
2. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein said means for lifting
and lowering is a lifting gear driving by a motor.
3. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein said means for lifting
and lowering is a pneumatic tool.
4. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein said fixed axaust
aparatus further comprising: an isolating brush, connecting said
connecting window with said air-extracting window of said
stationary axaust appratus by soft contaction to isolate the main
exaust stream and the secondary exaust stream; a driving aparatus,
matching said air-extracting window with said connecting window
during said drain tank moving up or down to isolate said secondary
axaust tube and shut up said secondary air-extracting windows
without drain tank; a sealing partition, isolating each connecting
window with the outer environment to isolate the acidic gas once
more.
5. A device as recited in claim 4, wherein said main air-extracting
window is in the central position of all the air-extracting
windows.
6. A device as recited in claim 4, wherein the number of said
secondary air-extracting windows is totally 2N-1, N-1 in the upper
side and N-1 in the lower side of said main air-extracting window.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a device for etching
wafers. In particular, the present invention relates to a device
with lifting and lowering drain tank for etching wafers, so that
the support need only spining and need not moving up and down, the
drain tank can lift up or lower down to the level of the support
according to the kinds of the etching solution to collect and drain
out the liquid and acidic gas from the support.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Generally, a spin cleaning and etching device is used for
photoresist coating, cleaning or etching wafers or substrates. The
spin cleaning and etching device consists of a support and a drain
tank. During cleaning or etching wafers, the liquid from the
support is collect and drained out by the drain tank. The suport is
lifting and lowering with respect to the tank to select a proper
duct for the support to drain different liquids from the support,
and the acidic gas from every drain tank is gather up then drainout
by one axaust tube. The technology is used in U.S. Pat. No.
4/903,717 to Franz Sumnitsch et al. The problem is that the drain
tanks is contaminated each other, and lifting ad lowering the
suport is very complicate since the conduct of the liquid and the
joint aperture should be moved together,
[0005] What is need is to have a cleaning and etching device to
solve the above problem and drain out different liquids from the
support to the drain tank.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0006] It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a
device with lifting and lowering drain tank for etching wafers, so
that the support of the wafer can be kept in a fixed level to
simplify the mechanic structure of the support.
[0007] It is another object of the invention to provide a device
with lifting and lowering drain tank for etching wafers in an
especially simple way, the etching solution or rinse water being
separately collected and passed on to re-use more accurately.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
[0008] In order to achieve the above and other objects, a first
aspect of the present invention teaches a device for wet etching
and cleaning with lifting and lowering drain tank, the support is
kept in a fixed level and the selected annular duck of the drain
tank can be lifting and lowering to the level of the suport to
collect and drain out the liquid from the support. The device
consists of a support, kept in a fixed level, having a circular
surface for supporting a wafer, is used for spin wet etching and
cleaning the wafer;
[0009] a drain tank, is disposed around the concentrate circle of
the support, the drain tank comprising at least two annular ducks
to drain the liquid from the support, each annular ducks has an
annular aperture connected to an air-extracting window of a
stationary exaust appratus with a connecting window to remove the
gas of the liquid; an stationary exaust appratus, with a main
air-extracting window, a plurality of secondary air-extracting
window, a main axaust tube and a secondary axaust tube; means for
lifting and lowering the drain tank such that selected annular duck
can be aligned with the surface of the support to drain the liquid
from the support. The means for lifting and lowering the drain tank
is a lifting gear driving by a motor or a pneumatic tool.
[0010] Another preferred embodiment of the present invention
teaches a device for wet etching and cleaning with lifting and
lowering drain tank, wherein the stationary exaust appratus further
consists of an isolating brush, connecting the connecting window
with the air-extracting window of the stationary exaust appratus by
soft contaction to isolate the main exaust stream and the secondary
exaust stream; a driving aparatus, matching the air-extracting
window with said connecting window during the drain tank moving up
or down to isolate the secondary axaust tube and shut up the
secondary air-extracting window without drain tank; a sealing
partition, isolating each connecting window with the outer
environment to isolate the acidic gas once more. Wherein the main
air-extracting window is in the central position of all the
air-extracting windows and the number of the secondary
air-extracting windows is totally 2N-1, N-1 in the upper side and
N-1 in the lower side of the main air-extracting window.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The foregoing and other advantages of the invention will be
more fully understood with reference to the description of the best
embodiment and the drawing wherein:
[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a device for wet etching
and cleaning with lifting and lowering drain tank in according to
one embodiment of the present invention;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a cross sectional and perspective view of a device
for wet etching and cleaning with lifting and lowering drain tank
in according to one embodiment of the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a cross sectional and perspective view of the
stationary suction appratus in according to one embodiment of the
present invention;
[0015] FIG. 3 (A) shown the main exaust stream, and
[0016] FIG. 3 (B) shown the secondary exaust stream.
[0017] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an isolating brush in
according to one embodiment of the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 5 is a cross sectional and perspective view when the
drain tank is connected to the stationary axaust appratus with an
isolating brush in according to one embodiment of the present
invention;
[0019] FIG. 6 is another cross sectional view when the drain tank
is connected to the stationary axaust appratus with an isolating
brush in according to one embodiment of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0020] Refer to FIG. 1, FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a device
for wet etching and cleaning with lifting and lowering drain tank
in according to one embodiment of the present invention. Suport 102
is kept in a fixed level, this support 102 has a circular surface
to support a wafer 104, support 102 is driving by a spin axis 110
to spin and etch or clean wafer 104, wafer 104 is fixed on the
support 102 by a vacuum suction machanism 108 or other machanism
such as mechanical gripper. A spin motor 106 provides the spin
power. The necessary acidic liquids or DI water for etching and
cleaning are supply by conduits 134,136,138 and 140 from containers
142,144,146 and 148. Drain tank 112 is disposed around the
concentrate circle of the support 102, the drain tank 112
comprising at least two annular ducks 114, the preferred embodiment
of the present invention has four annular ducks 114, the number of
the annular ducks is based on the kinds of the acid plus one for
the DI water. The four annular ducks 114 are lifting up and down as
indicated with arrow 113 by a lifting and lowering device 202 (see
FIG. 2), such that a suitable annular ducks 114 may move to the
level of the support 102 and align acculately to drain separately
the acidic liquid from the support 102, in this embodiment, the
second annular ducks 114 is aligned with the support 102. Every
annular ducks 114 has an aperture 118 connected to a stationary
suction appratus 124 via a connection window 120 to axaust the
acidic gas from the drain tank. Restriction 116 is used to restrict
the splashing acidic liquid and the DI water can not enter the
aperture 118 but leave in the annular duck 114, the acidic liquid
and the DI water is then drained via the discharge conduits
160,162,164 or 166 and the three way valves 150,152,154 or 156 and
then enter the container 142,144,146 or 148 for reuse or enter the
waste liquid drain 158 to drain out. Thus the acid or the clean DI
water can be re-used. In one side of the annular ducks 114, there
are connection windows 120 connected to the air-extracting window
122 of the stationary exaust appratus 124. The acidic gas producing
by the acidic liquid go through the aperture 118 via the main
exaust stream 128 then enter the main axaust tube 126 to drain out.
The acidic gas producing by the other annular ducks 114 are drain
via the secondary exaust stream 132 then enter the secondary axaust
tube 130 and then drain out. Thus the stronger acid can be drain
out from the main axaust tube 126, cross contamination will not
happen easily.
[0021] Refer to FIG. 2, FIG. 2 is a cross sectional and perspective
view of a device for wet etching and cleaning with lifting and
lowering drain tank in according to one embodiment of the present
invention. Rotating motor 106 provides spin force to the support
102. As shown in the figure, four annular ducks 114 can lift up and
down as indicated with arrow 117 by a lifting and lowering device
202, In this embodiment, the 4.sup.th connection window 120 is
aligned to the main air-extracting window 121 of the stationary
suction appratus 124 so that the acidic gas is drained through the
main air-extracting window 121 and enter the main axaust tube 126.
The acidic gas is come from the aperture 118 (see FIG. 1).
Restriction 116 is used to restrict the splashing acidic liquid and
the DI water which can not enter the aperture 118 but leave in the
annular duck 114, the acidic liquid and the DI water are drained to
the conduits (not shown, see FIG. 1) to re-use or drain out.
[0022] Because the the drain tank 112 can lift up and down, if the
suction appratus moves together with the drain tank 112, the
structure would be very complicate. Thus the present invention
adopt a stationary exaust appratus 124.
[0023] Refer to FIG. 3, FIG. 3 is a cross sectional and perspective
view of the stationary suction appratus in according to one
embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 (A) shown the main
exaust stream and FIG. 3 (B). shown the secondary exaust stream.
From FIG. 3 (A) we can see the connection window 120 of the drain
tank 112, the main air-extracting window 121 of the stationary
exaust appratus 124, the acidic gas producing by the acidic liquid
go through the main air-extracting window 121 via the main exaust
stream 128 then enter the main axaust tube 126 to drain out. From
FIG. 3 (B) we can also see the connection window 120 of the drain
tank 112, the secondary air-extracting window 122 of the stationary
exaust appratus 124, the acidic gas go through the three secondary
air-extracting window 122 via the secondary exaust stream 132 then
enter the secondary axaust tube 130 to drain out.
[0024] Refer to FIG. 4, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an
isolating brush in according to one embodiment of the present
invention. An isolation brush 402 is equipped around the main
air-extracting window 121 or the secondary air-extracting window
122. Please refer to FIG. 3 again, when the connection window 120
of the drain tank 112 forms a soft contact with the main
air-extracting window 121 and the secondary air-extracting window
122 of the stationary axaust appratus 124, thus isolates the main
exaust stream 128 with the secondary exaust stream 132, a steady
pressure is kept between every connection window by the isolating
brush 402.
[0025] Refer to FIG. 5, FIG. 5 is a cross sectional and perspective
view when the drain tank is connected to the stationary axaust
appratus with an isolating brush in according to one embodiment of
the present invention. The interface 502 of the connection window
120 of the drain tank 112 and the main air-extracting window 121 of
the stationary axaust appratus 124 forms a soft contact by the
isolating brush 402.
[0026] Refer to FIG. 6, FIG. 6 is another cross sectional view when
the drain tank is connected to the stationary axaust appratus with
an isolating brush in according to one embodiment of the present
invention. The connection window 120 of the drain tank 112 is
connected to the main air-extracting window 121 by an isolating
brush 402, sealing partition 602 isolates the connection window 120
with the external environment to isolate the acidic gas again. The
driving apparatus 604 is used to align the connection window 120 to
a predetermined position when the drain tank 112 is lifting up and
down along the stationary axaust appratus 124, isolate the
secondary axaust tube 130 on time, and shut up all the other
air-extracting windows without drain tank connected to it.
[0027] Although specific embodiments of the invention have been
disclosed, it will be understood by those having skill in the art
that minor changes can be made to the form and details of the
specific embodiments disclosed herein, without departing from the
scope of the invention. The embodiments presented above are for
purposes of example only and are not to be taken to limit the scope
of the appended claims.
* * * * *