# US 10,504,758 B2 · Nozzle having real time inspection functions

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- Number: US 10,504,758 B2
- Document ID: US10504758B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/180,912
- Filed: 2014-02-14
- Published: 2015-08-20
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2014-02-14
- Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd.
- Inventors: Kai-Lin Chuang; Tsung-Chi Chen; Pei-Jung Chang; Chun-Wei Huang; Jun Xiu Liu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10504758B2

## CPC

- H10P 72/0604: {Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring}
- B05B 12/082: {responsive to a condition of the discharged jet or spray, e.g. to jet shape, spray pattern or droplet size}
- H10P 72/0616: {Monitoring of warpages, curvatures, damages, defects or the like}
- H10P 74/203: {Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects}
- H10P 74/238: {comprising acting in response to an ongoing measurement without interruption of processing, e.g. endpoint detection or in-situ thickness measurement}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D)

## Abstract

A nozzle for emitting a fluid comprises a channel, a light source and a light sensor. The channel is configured to flow the fluid. The light source is configured to emit light towards a surface on which the fluid is applied and the light sensor is configured to receive reflected light from the surface.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A nozzle for emitting a fluid, comprising:
a housing having a first channel and a second channel, wherein the first channel allows the fluid to flow through;
a light source that emits light towards a surface of a wafer on which the fluid is applied, wherein the wafer is external to the nozzle; and
a light sensor that receives reflected light from the surface of the wafer, the light source and the light sensor being disposed within the first channel and offset from a longitudinal central axis of the first channel,
wherein the housing further comprises outer sidewalls and inner sidewalls between the outer sidewalls, the inner sidewalls and a first portion of the second channel are parallel to the longitudinal central axis of the first channel, the inner sidewalls define the first channel, and the first portion of the second channel is spaced apart from the first channel and between the inner sidewalls and the outer sidewalls.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The nozzle of claim 1, wherein the light sensor further receives the reflected light that enters the first channel and impinges on the light sensor in a direction parallel to the inner sidewalls of the housing.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The nozzle of claim 1, wherein the second channel allows a gas to flow through.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The nozzle of claim 1, wherein the light source and the light sensor are disposed on opposite sides of the inner sidewalls defining the first channel.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The nozzle of claim 1, wherein the second channel further comprises a second portion coupling the first portion with the first channel.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The nozzle of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises an upper surface coplanar with a top surface of the light source and a top surface of the light sensor, and a longitudinal axis of each of the light source and the light sensor is parallel to a direction in which the emitted light and the reflected light travel.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The nozzle of claim 1, wherein the nozzle allows a liquid stream to flow under a liquid stream mode and allows a gas to flow under a mist mode, wherein the nozzle stops operation in response to detecting a size variation of the liquid stream that is applied on the wafer under the liquid stream mode.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The nozzle of claim 1, wherein the emitted light and the reflected light are entirely included in the fluid flowing in a space between the nozzle and the wafer.

### Claim 9

A nozzle for providing a fluid, comprising:
a housing comprising:
a first channel that allows the fluid to flow out of the first channel and reach a surface of a workpiece external to the housing, the fluid comprising a first refractive index greater than a second refractive index of air and the housing comprising inner sidewalls circumscribing the first channel; and
a second channel that allows a gas to flow through;
a light source disposed on a first side of the inner sidewalls that emits light along the first side towards the surface of the workpiece, an entirety of the emitted light being confined within the fluid along a path between the first channel and the workpiece; and
a light sensor disposed on a second side of the inner sidewalls of the housing and that receives light reflected from the surface of the workpiece on which the fluid is applied,
wherein a longitudinal axis of each of the light source and the light sensor is parallel to and offset from a longitudinal central axis of the first channel.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The nozzle of claim 9, wherein the emitted light of the light source propagates in the first channel in a direction parallel to a direction along which the reflected light propagates in the first channel.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The nozzle of claim 9, wherein the workpiece is a semiconductor wafer.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The nozzle of claim 9, wherein the light source and the light sensor are laterally surrounded by the inner sidewalls.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The nozzle of claim 9, wherein the housing further comprises outer sidewalls laterally surrounding the inner sidewalls and intermediate sidewalls between the outer sidewalls and the inner sidewalls, the intermediate sidewalls defining the second channel.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The nozzle of claim 9, wherein the second channel comprises:
a first portion spaced apart from and parallel to the first channel; and
a second portion in communication with the first channel.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The nozzle of claim 9, wherein the nozzle allows a liquid stream to flow under a liquid stream mode and allows a gas to flow under a mist mode, wherein the nozzle stops operation in response to detecting a shape variation of the liquid stream that is applied to the workpiece under the liquid stream mode.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The nozzle of claim 15, wherein the shape variation of the liquid stream comprises the liquid stream being discontinuous or broken, or the liquid stream includes a mist.

### Claim 17

A semiconductor manufacturing system, comprising:
a nozzle, the nozzle comprising:
a housing having a first channel that allows a liquid to flow through and a second channel that allows a gas to flow through;
a light source disposed within the first channel that emits light to a wafer spaced apart from the nozzle, the emitted light at least partially overlapping the liquid flowing in the first channel; and
a light sensor disposed within the first channel that receives light reflected from the wafer, the light source and the light sensor being offset from a longitudinal central axis of the first channel,
wherein the housing further comprises outer sidewalls and inner sidewalls between the outer sidewalls, the inner sidewalls and a first portion of the second channel are parallel to the longitudinal central axis of the first channel, the inner sidewalls define the first channel, and the first portion of the second channel is spaced apart from the first channel and between the inner sidewalls and the outer sidewalls.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The semiconductor manufacturing system of claim 17, wherein the reflected light propagates between the wafer and the first channel in a direction parallel to the longitudinal central axis of the first channel.