SLURRY SUPPLY DEVICE

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202411622771.4, filed on Nov. 13, 2024, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application relates to semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and in particular, to a slurry supply device.

BACKGROUND

The working principle of a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) machine is shown in FIG. 1. A polishing head holds a wafer against a polishing pad, and friction is produced through relative rotation. Meanwhile, a slurry supply arm sprays slurry at a fixed position above the polishing pad. The slurry chemically reacts with a surface of the wafer, so that the combined action of the chemical reaction and the mechanical friction enables quantitative removal of a thin film on the water.

The primary functions of the slurry supply device include:

• • 1. supplying the slurry to the polishing pad through the slurry supply arm;
  • 2. providing high-pressure deionized water (DIW) to clean byproducts generated during polishing; and
  • 3. spraying the high-pressure deionized water when the machine is idle to maintain moisture for the surface of the polishing pad.

An existing slurry supply manner for the CMP machine is shown in FIG. 2. The slurry supply arm sprays slurry at a fixed position, and the slurry is then distributed through centrifugal force generated by rotating the polishing pad.

An existing slurry supply device is shown in FIG. 3. The interior of the slurry supply arm includes pipelines for high-pressure deionized water and slurry. A lower side of the slurry supply arm is equipped with a plurality of deionized water nozzles and one slurry nozzle. An end of the slurry supply arm is fixedly connected to a base.

With the existing slurry supply device, since only one slurry nozzle is provided at the lower side of the slurry supply arm, the slurry supply arm can only spray the slurry at a fixed position, enabling a limited spraying area and a restricted slurry dispersion speed. In addition, slurry at an edge of the polishing pad is more easily thrown off, so that the slurry cannot be uniformly distributed across the surface of the polishing pad, affecting the stability of the polishing rate for the surface of the wafer surface.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The technical problem solved in the present application is to provide a slurry supply device, which can flexibly adjust a position of a slurry nozzle, so that a spraying area for a slurry is increased, facilitating uniform distribution of the slurry across the polishing pad.

To solve the above technical problem, the slurry supply device provided by the present application includes a base 1 and a slurry supply arm;

• • the slurry supply arm includes a main arm 2 and an auxiliary arm 3;
  • an end of the main arm 2 is fixed to an upper end of the base 1;
  • an end of the auxiliary arm 3 is pivotally connected to a middle part of the main arm 2 through a rotating shaft 4, and the auxiliary arm 3 can be rotated around an axis of the rotating shaft 4;
  • a lower side of the main arm 2 is fixedly provided with a plurality of downward-facing deionized water nozzles;
  • the other end of the auxiliary arm 3 is fixedly provided with a downward-facing slurry main nozzle;
  • the slurry supply pipeline is in communication with the slurry main nozzle along the base 1, a section of the main arm 2 from the base 1 to the rotating shaft 4, and the auxiliary arm 3; and
  • the deionized water supply pipeline is in communication with the deionized water nozzles along the base 1 and the main arm 2.

In some embodiments, a distance from the slurry main nozzle to the axis of the rotating shaft 4 is greater than a distance from each deionized water nozzle to the axis of the rotating shaft 4.

In some embodiments, a lower side of the auxiliary arm 3 is further fixedly provided with at least one downward-facing slurry auxiliary nozzle;

• • the slurry supply pipeline is in communication with the slurry auxiliary nozzle along the base 1, a section of the main arm 2 from the base 1 to the rotating shaft 4, and the auxiliary arm 3; and
  • a distance from the slurry auxiliary nozzle to the axis of the rotating shaft 4 is less than a distance from the slurry main nozzle to the axis of the rotating shaft 4.

In some embodiments, the auxiliary arm 3 is composed of a plurality of segments, and can be folded or deployed, thereby varying the distance from the slurry main nozzle to the axis of the rotating shaft 4.

In some embodiments, the auxiliary arm 3 is composed of 2 or 3 segments linearly sleeved in sequence.

In some embodiments, an end of the main arm 2 is pivotally fixed to an upper end of the base 1, and the main arm 2 may be rotated around a vertical axis of the base 1.

In some embodiments, a drive device is fixedly mounted below the base 1; and

• • the drive device is used to drive the main arm 2 to rotate around the vertical axis of the base 1.

In some embodiments, a position locking device is fixedly mounted on the base 1; and

• • the position locking device is used to lock a position angle of the main arm 2.

In some embodiments, the drive device is a stepper motor or an oscillating cylinder.

In some embodiments, the base 1 is a cylinder which may perform rotational movement and rising or falling movement around a vertical axis thereof.

In the slurry supply device in the present application, the base 1 is used to support the slurry supply arm, and the slurry supply arm is divided into a main arm 2 and an auxiliary arm 3. By further providing the rotating shaft 4 on the main arm 2 and configuring the auxiliary arm 3 that can rotate around the rotating shaft 4, the main arm 2 serves as an arm for controlling a position of the deionized water nozzle, and the main arm 2 and the auxiliary arm 3 together serve as an arm for controlling a position of the slurry nozzle. By adjusting an angle between the auxiliary arm 3 and the main arm 2, the position of the slurry nozzle can be flexibly adjusted, so that a spraying area for the slurry is increased, facilitating uniform distribution of the slurry across the polishing pad, and thus ensuring a consistent polishing rate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, the accompanying drawings used in the present application are briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of the present application. Based on these drawings, those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings without the exercise of inventive effort.

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing a working principle of a chemical mechanical polishing machine.

FIG. 2 is a schematic top view showing an existing slurry supply manner.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an existing slurry supply device.

FIG. 4 is a schematic structural top view of an embodiment of the slurry supply device in the present application.

Description of Reference Numeral in the Drawings:

• • 1. Base; 2. Main arm; 3. Auxiliary arm; 4. Rotating shaft.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

The technical solution in the present application is clearly and completely described below in combination with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some embodiments in the present application and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without the exercise of inventive effort based on the embodiments in the present application are within the scope of protection of the present application.

Embodiment 1

Referring to FIG. 4, a slurry supply device includes a base 1 and a slurry supply arm;

• • the slurry supply arm includes a main arm 2 and an auxiliary arm 3;
  • an end of the main arm 2 is fixed to an upper end of the base 1;
  • an end of the auxiliary arm 3 is pivotally connected to a middle part of the main arm 2 through a rotating shaft 4, and the auxiliary arm 3 can be rotated around an axis of the rotating shaft 4;
  • a lower side of the main arm 2 is fixedly provided with a plurality of downward-facing deionized water nozzles;
  • the other end of the auxiliary arm 3 is fixedly provided with a downward-facing slurry main nozzle;
  • the slurry supply pipeline is in communication with the slurry main nozzle along the base 1, a section of the main arm 2 from the base 1 to the rotating shaft 4, and the auxiliary arm 3; and
  • the deionized water supply pipeline is in communication with the deionized water nozzles along the base 1 and the main arm 2.

Preferably, a distance from the slurry main nozzle to the axis of the rotating shaft 4 is greater than a distance from each deionized water nozzle to the axis of the rotating shaft 4.

In the slurry supply device in embodiment 1, the base 1 is used to support the slurry supply arm, and the slurry supply arm is divided into a main arm 2 and an auxiliary arm 3. By further providing the rotating shaft 4 on the main arm 2 and configuring the auxiliary arm 3 that can rotate around the rotating shaft 4, the main arm 2 serves as an arm for controlling a position of the deionized water nozzle, and the main arm 2 and the auxiliary arm 3 together serve as an arm for controlling a position of the slurry nozzle. By adjusting an angle between the auxiliary arm 3 and the main arm 2, the position of the slurry nozzle can be flexibly adjusted, so that a spraying area for the slurry is increased, facilitating uniform distribution of the slurry across the polishing pad, and thus ensuring a consistent polishing rate.

Embodiment 2

Based on the slurry supply device in Embodiment 1, a lower side of the auxiliary arm 3 is further fixedly provided with at least one downward-facing slurry auxiliary nozzle;

• • the slurry supply pipeline is in communication with the slurry auxiliary nozzle along the base 1, a section of the main arm 2 from the base 1 to the rotating shaft 4, and the auxiliary arm 3; and
  • a distance from the slurry auxiliary nozzle to the axis of the rotating shaft 4 is less than a distance from the slurry main nozzle to the axis of the rotating shaft 4.

In the slurry supply device in embodiment 2, by increasing the number of slurry nozzles at different positions, the slurry spraying area can be further effectively increased, improving uniformity of slurry distribution across the polishing pad and stabilizing the polishing rate.

Embodiment 3

Based on the slurry supply device in embodiment 1, the auxiliary arm 3 is composed of a plurality of segments, and can be folded or deployed, thereby varying the distance from the slurry main nozzle to the axis of the rotating shaft 4.

Preferably, the auxiliary arm 3 is composed of 2 or 3 segments linearly sleeved in sequence.

In the slurry supply device in embodiment 3, the auxiliary arm 3 is composed of a plurality of segments and can be retracted or deployed, making it easier to adjust the positions of the slurry nozzles and increase the slurry spraying area.

Embodiment 4

Based on the slurry supply device in embodiment 1, an end of the main arm 2 is pivotally fixed to an upper end of the base 1, and the main arm 2 may be rotated around a vertical axis of the base 1.

Preferably, a drive device is fixedly mounted below the base 1; and

• • the drive device is used to drive the main arm 2 to rotate around the vertical axis of the base 1.

Preferably, a position locking device is fixedly mounted on the base 1; and

• • the position locking device is used to lock a position angle of the main arm 2. After the main arm 2 rotates to a predetermined position, the position and angle of the slurry supply arm may be locked through the position locking device to meet practical process requirements.

Preferably, the drive device is a stepper motor or an oscillating cylinder.

In some embodiments, the base 1 is a cylinder which may perform rotational movement and rising or falling movement around a vertical axis thereof. The rotational movement and rising or falling movement performed by the base 1 can be driven through the drive device.

The above merely describes preferred embodiments of the present application and is not intended to limit the application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principle of the present application should be included within the scope of protection of the present application.