WAFER DEBONDING AND CLEANING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF USE

• US 20130133688A1
• Filed: 11/29/2011
• Published: 05/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: CHIOU, Wen-Chih, LIN, Yu-Liang, TU, Hung-Jung
• Granted Patent: US 9,390,949 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02057 Cleaning during device manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67173 in-line arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67207 comprising a chamber adapted to a particular process

Abstract

This description relates to a wafer debonding and cleaning apparatus including an automatic wafer handling module. The automatic wafer handling module loads a semiconductor wafer into a wafer debonding module for a debonding process. The automatic wafer handling module removes the semiconductor wafer from the debonding module and loads the semiconductor wafer into a wafer cleaning module for a cleaning process.

Claims

1. A wafer debonding and cleaning apparatus comprising:

an automatic wafer handling module;

a wafer debonding module configured to separate a semiconductor wafer from a carrier wafer; and

a wafer cleaning module configured to clean a surface of the semiconductor wafer, wherein

the automatic wafer handling module is configured to transfer/transport the semiconductor wafer to/from each of the wafer debonding module and the wafer cleaning module.

2. The wafer debonding and cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the automatic wafer handling module comprises:

a robotic arm configured to support the semiconductor wafer without the use of a film frame.

3. The wafer debonding and cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wafer debonding module comprises at least one of an ultraviolet light source, a laser light source, or a heat source.

4. The wafer debonding and cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor wafer has a thickness ranging from about 350 μ

m to about 1500 μ

m.

5. The wafer debonding and cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wafer cleaning module comprises a nozzle configured to spray a cleaning solution onto the surface of the semiconductor wafer, wherein

the cleaning solution includes a mixture comprising at least one of deionized water, tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH), potassium hydroxide (KOH), methylpyrrolidone (NMP), isopropano (IPA), ethanol, acetone, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO).

6. The wafer debonding and cleaning apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second wafer cleaning module configured to clean a surface of the semiconductor substrate.

7. The wafer debonding and cleaning apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a control system configured to determine whether the cleaning module or the second cleaning module is available to accept a wafer assembly.

8. The wafer debonding and cleaning apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of movable storage units.

9. The wafer debonding and cleaning apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a scanner configured to scan a barcode associated with the semiconductor wafer.

10. A method of debonding a wafer and cleaning a wafer comprising:

separating a semiconductor wafer from a carrier wafer using a wafer debonding module;

cleaning a surface of the semiconductor wafer using the wafer cleaning module; and

transferring the semiconductor wafer to/from the wafer debonding module and the wafer cleaning module using the automatic wafer handling module.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the semiconductor wafer has a thickness ranging from about 350 μ

m to about 1500 μ

m.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising supporting the semiconductor wafer, by the automatic wafer handling, using a robotic arm configured to support the semiconductor wafer without the use of a film frame.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of separating the semiconductor wafer from the carrier wafer comprises exposing an adhesive bonding the semiconductor wafer to the carrier wafer to ultraviolet radiation or laser light.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of cleaning a surface of the wafer comprises washing the surface of the wafer with a solution including dimethyl sulfoxide and deionized water.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising placing the semiconductor wafer in a storage unit, by the automatic wafer handling module, after removing the semiconductor wafer from the wafer debonding module or the wafer cleaning module.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising removing the semiconductor wafer from a storage unit, by the automatic wafer handling module, prior to loading the semiconductor wafer into the wafer debonding module or the wafer cleaning module.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising scanning a barcode associated with the semiconductor wafer and transmitting the scanned barcode to a computer system.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising transferring the semiconductor wafer to different locations, by a movable storage unit.

19. The method of claim 10, further comprising

a plurality of semiconductor wafers;

and

cleaning at least one of the plurality of semiconductor wafers by a second wafer cleaning module.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising determining whether a one of the plurality of semiconductor wafers is cleaned by the wafer cleaning module or the second wafer cleaning module, by a control system configured to connect to the wafer cleaning module and the second wafer cleaning module.