# US 10,871,720 B2 · Apparatus for supporting a semiconductor wafer and method of vibrating a semiconductor wafer

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- Number: US 10,871,720 B2
- Document ID: US10871720B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/505,320
- Filed: 2014-10-02
- Published: 2016-04-07
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2014-10-02
- Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Astha Sharma; Chia-Hung Lai; Hsin-Kuo Chang; Jaw-Lih Shih; Hong-Hsing Chou
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10871720B2

## CPC

- G03F 7/70858: {Environment aspects, e.g. pressure of beam-path gas, temperature (pollution aspects G03F7/70916)}
- B06B 1/06: operating with piezoelectric effect or with electrostriction (piezoelectric or electrostrictive devices per se H10N30/00)
- H10P 50/00: Etching of wafers, substrates or parts of devices
- H10P 52/402: {of semiconductor materials}
- H10P 72/0448: {Apparatus for applying a liquid, a resin, an ink or the like}
- H10P 72/7626: {characterised by the construction of the shaft}
- B24B 1/04: subjecting the grinding or polishing tools, the abrading or polishing medium or work to vibration, e.g. grinding with ultrasonic frequency (involving oscillating or vibrating containers B24B31/06; superfinishing surfaces on work, e.g. by means of abrading blocks reciprocating with high frequency, B24B35/00)
- H10N 30/20: with electrical input and mechanical output, e.g. functioning as actuators or vibrators
- G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G)
- B06B: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OF INFRASONIC, SONIC, OR ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY, {e.g.} FOR PERFORMING MECHANICAL WORK IN GENERAL (for particular applications, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. B07B1/40, B23Q17/12, B24B31/06; measurement of mechanical vibrations G01H; in direction finding, locating, distance or velocity measuring G01S; {generating seismic energy G01V1/02}; control of mechanical vibrations in general G05D; sound-producing devices, e.g. bells, sirens, whistles G10K, {e.g. methods or devices for transmitting, conducting, or directing sound in general G10K11/00}; generation of electrical oscillations H03B; electromechanical resonators in general H03H; electromechanical transducers {for communication techniques, e.g. microphones, speakers} H04R)
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- B24B: MACHINES, DEVICES, OR PROCESSES FOR GRINDING OR POLISHING (grinding of gear teeth B23F, of screw-threads B23G1/36; by electro-erosion B23H; abrasive or related blasting B24C; tools for grinding, buffing or sharpening B24D; polishing compositions C09G1/00; abrasives C09K3/14; electrolytic etching or polishing C25F3/00; grinding arrangements for use on assembled railway tracks E01B31/17); DRESSING OR CONDITIONING OF ABRADING SURFACES; FEEDING OF GRINDING, POLISHING, OR LAPPING AGENTS
- H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

In embodiments of the present disclosure, a vibrator is used to generate a vibration wave with a variable frequency that can agitate and facilitate the circulation of the processing fluids, thereby enhancing the uniformity and efficiency of the resulting semiconductor device features, the vibrator may be a piezoelectric vibrator or other similar vibrators. In some embodiments, the vibration of the processing fluids can facilitate the processing fluids in circulating in and out of narrow channels or features, or the vibration of the processing fluids can facilitate the bubbling out of the microbubbles entrapped in the processing liquid or entrapped between the surface of the semiconductor wafer and the processing liquid. In another embodiment, the vibrations generated by the vibrator have vibration waves with a variable frequency to avoid resonance that may damage the semiconductor wafer and the features thereon.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus comprising:
a developing unit configured to develop photoresist on a semiconductor wafer, the developing unit including:
a wafer supporter configured to support the semiconductor wafer thereon;
a spindle connected to the wafer supporter, wherein the spindle comprises a first portion and a second portion;
a spin motor disposed vertically between the first portion and the second portion of the spindle;
a piezoelectric vibrator configured to generate a first vibration wave on the semiconductor wafer and including a piezoelectric material configured, wherein the piezoelectric vibrator is vertically between the wafer supporter and the spin motor;
at least one circuit electrically and directly connected to the piezoelectric vibrator;
a dispenser configured to dispense a developer on the semiconductor wafer; and
a second vibrator disposed in the second portion of the spindle, the spin motor being vertically between the piezoelectric vibrator and the second vibrator, and the second vibrator being configured to generate a second vibration wave different from the first vibration wave, wherein the second vibration wave is transmitted in a horizontal direction that is parallel to a top surface of the wafer supporter.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spin motor is configured to rotate the wafer supporter.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first vibration wave of the piezoelectric vibrator is in periodic or non-periodic form and a frequency of the first vibration wave of the piezoelectric vibrator is selected so as not to detach the photoresist from the semiconductor wafer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said piezoelectric material is selected from the group consisting of: lead zirconium titanate, barium titanate, lead zirconate titanate, potassium niobate, lithium niobate, lithium tantalite, sodium tungstate, sodium potassium niobate, bismuth ferrite, sodium niobate, bismuth titanate, sodium bismuth titanate, and polyvinylidene fluoride.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a cable through the spindle and electrically connected to the piezoelectric vibrator.

### Claim 6

A method comprising:
placing a semiconductor wafer on a wafer supporter, wherein the wafer supporter is connected to a spindle having a first portion and a second portion; and
developing a photoresist on the semiconductor wafer by:
dispensing a processing liquid to the semiconductor wafer;
rotating the semiconductor wafer using a spin motor vertically between the first portion and the second portion of the spindle; and
vibrating the semiconductor wafer using a first vibrator in the first portion of the spindle to generate a first vibration wave and a second vibrator in the second portion of the spindle to generate a second vibration wave different from the first vibration wave,
wherein the first vibrator is vertically between the semiconductor wafer and the spin motor, and the spin motor is vertically between the first vibrator and the second vibrator;
wherein the first vibration wave is generated adjacent an edge of the wafer supporter and transmitted in a horizontal direction.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein said first vibration wave is in periodic or non-periodic form.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the dispensing is such that a puddle of the processing liquid is formed on the semiconductor wafer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the vibrating is such that microbubbles are bubbled out of the processing liquid.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, further comprising alternately rotating the semiconductor wafer and vibrating the semiconductor wafer.

### Claim 11 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein vibrating the semiconductor wafer includes directly vibrating the spin motor using the first vibrator.

### Claim 12 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, further comprising preventing the semiconductor wafer from undergoing a resonating effect by causing the first vibration wave to have a frequency that varies during developing the photoresist.

### Claim 13 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein rotating the semiconductor wafer is repeated multiple times, and the vibrating of the semiconductor wafer is performed between two consecutively conducted operations of rotating the semiconductor wafer.

### Claim 14 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein rotating the semiconductor wafer is repeated multiple times, a first rotation of the semiconductor wafer is rotated clockwise and a second rotation of the semiconductor wafer is rotated counter-clockwise;
wherein the vibrating of the semiconductor wafer is performed between the first rotation of the semiconductor wafer and the second rotation of the semiconductor wafer.

### Claim 15

An apparatus comprising:
a developing unit configured to develop photoresist on a semiconductor wafer, the developing unit including:
a dispenser configured to dispense a developer on the semiconductor wafer;
a spindle;
a spin motor connected to the spindle;
a wafer supporter comprising a top surface and a bottom surface;
a first vibrator disposed below the top surface of the wafer supporter and configured to generate a first vibration wave; and
a second vibrator having a piezoelectric material embedded in the spin motor, wherein the second vibrator is configured to generate a second vibration wave different from the first vibration wave, and the second vibration wave is transmitted in a horizontal direction that is parallel to the top surface of the wafer supporter.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The apparatus of claim 15,
wherein the spindle is attached to the bottom surface of the wafer supporter.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said first vibrator is positioned on the bottom surface of said wafer supporter.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said first vibrator comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: lead zirconium titanate, barium titanate, lead zirconate titanate, potassium niobate, lithium niobate, lithium tantalite, sodium tungstate, sodium potassium niobate, bismuth ferrite, sodium niobate, bismuth titanate, sodium bismuth titanate, and polyvinylidene fluoride.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first vibrator is on the bottom surface of the wafer supporter or the spindle.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a function generator coupled to the first vibrator and configured to generate a function that causes the first vibration wave to have a variable frequency.