System and method for dispensing liquid spin-on glass (SOG) onto semiconductor wafers

• US 10,446,390 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2013
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Liu, Yung-Tsun
• Primary Examiner(s): Jolley, Kirsten
• Application Number:
  US13/929,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20150004720A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,300 Days
• Field of Search: 427240, 427425, 118 52, 118320, 438780, 438782
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 11/02 Apparatus for spreading or distributing liquids or other fluent materials already applied to a surface ; Controlling means thereforB05C7/00 takes precedence; Hand tools for such purposes B05C17/10; Control of the thickness of a coating by spreading or distributing liquids or other fluent materials already applied to the coated surfacecontrolling supply of liquid or other fluent material B05C11/10
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 11/08 Spreading liquid or other fluent material by manipulating the work, e.g. tilting
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/005 Spin coating
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02126 the material containing Si, O, and at least one of H, N, C, F, or other non-metal elements, e.g. SiOC, SiOC:H or SiONC
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02137 the material comprising alkyl silsesquioxane, e.g. MSQ
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02282 liquid deposition, e.g. spin-coating, sol-gel techniques, spray coating
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6715 Apparatus for applying a liquid, a resin, an ink or the like H01L21/67126 takes precedence

Abstract

A device and method for dispensing liquid spin-on glass (SOG) onto semiconductor wafers. The method includes dispensing liquid SOG through a dispenser nozzle, detecting liquid SOG outside of the dispenser nozzle, indicating the presence of liquid SOG in an abnormal length relative to the dispenser nozzle and adjusting a suck back (SB) valve to withdraw liquid SOG from the abnormal length.

Claims

1. A method of controlling deposition of liquid spin-on glass (SOG) onto a semiconductor wafer, comprising:

detecting, using a first sensor, the liquid SOG outside of a dispenser nozzle in an abnormal length relative to the dispenser nozzle;

adjusting, using a controller, a suck back (SB) valve to withdraw liquid SOG from the abnormal length;

comparing a sensed amount of liquid SOG deposited onto the semiconductor wafer, from a second sensor, with at least one operating parameter prior to the adjusting;

pausing sensing of an amount of liquid SOG dispensed onto the semiconductor wafer based on the sensed amount of liquid SOG deposited being outside the at least one operating parameter; and

storing at least one signal from the second sensor in the controller based on the sensed amount of liquid SOG deposited being outside the at least one operating parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting comprises sensing the liquid SOG with a laser/photodetector pair by indicating a change in laser light received by the photodetector.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the laser light movably scans for the presence of liquid SOG.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting comprises sensing liquid SOG outside of the dispenser nozzle by a change in detected sound, infrared light or radar.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting comprises sensing liquid SOG outside of the dispenser nozzle by a change in a detected magnetic field or electric field.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

halting deposition of the liquid SOG onto the semiconductor wafer based on the sensed amount of liquid SOG deposited being outside the at least one operating parameter.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

activating an alarm based on the sensed amount of liquid SOG deposited being outside the at least one operating parameter.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting the SB valve to withdraw the liquid SOG from the abnormal length comprises activating the SB valve with an electromagnetic actuator.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting the SB valve to withdraw the liquid SOG from the abnormal length comprises transmitting a switch valve control signal to a first electromagnetic actuator and transmitting an adjustment valve control signal to a second electromagnetic actuator.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises closing a switch valve in the SB valve and moving an adjustment valve in the SB valve.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the SB valve comprises adjusting the SB valve using a digital controller.

12. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:

detecting, using a sensor, liquid SOG outside of a dispenser nozzle in an abnormal length relative to the dispenser nozzle;

adjusting, using a controller, a suck back (SB) valve to withdraw liquid SOG from the abnormal length;

comparing a sensed amount of liquid SOG deposited onto the semiconductor wafer from the dispenser nozzle with at least one set operating parameter; and

pausing sensing of a duration of dispensing liquid SOG onto the semiconductor wafer based on the sensed amount of liquid SOG deposited being outside the at least one operating parameter; and

storing at least one signal in the controller based on the sensed amount of liquid SOG deposited being outside the at least one operating parameter.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the detecting comprises sensing the liquid SOG by detecting a change in light.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein adjusting the SB valve comprises adjusting the SB valve using a digital controller.

15. A method of controlling deposition of liquid spin-on glass (SOG) onto a semiconductor wafer, the method comprising:

dispensing, for a duration, the liquid SOG onto the semiconductor wafer;

determining, after the duration, a length of the liquid SOG outside of a dispenser nozzle using a sensor;

adjusting, using a controller, a suck back (SB) valve to reduce the length of liquid SOG if the length is below a predetermined threshold;

comparing a sensed amount of liquid SOG deposited onto the semiconductor wafer from the dispensing with at least one set operating parameter; and

pausing sensing of a volume of liquid SOG dispensed onto the semiconductor wafer based on the sensed amount of liquid SOG deposited being outside the at least one operating parameter; and

storing at least one signal in the controller based on the sensed amount of liquid SOG deposited being outside the at least one operating parameter.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising transmitting an alarm signal if the length is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the length of the liquid SOG comprises measuring the length of the liquid SOG using an emitter/detector pair.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining the length of the liquid SOG comprises translating the emitter/detector pair relative to the dispenser nozzle.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein determining the length of the liquid SOG comprises optically scanning the emitter/detector pair along an axis of the dispensing nozzle, and maintaining a physical location of the emitter/detector pair.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising closing the SB valve if the length is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold.