01Coating and developing equipment: the "guardian behind the scenes" of photolithography technology

In the photolithography process of semiconductor manufacturing, the coating and developing equipment and lithography machine need to work together to achieve precise photolithography technology. Before the exposure process, the coating machine will evenly apply photoresist on the surface of the wafer; After the exposure is completed, the developing device processes the wafer and develops the photolithography pattern formed by the exposure. The entire process requires equipment performance requirementsextremely highIt is necessary to complete the response within milliseconds while ensuring nanometer level operational accuracy, in order to ensure the accuracy and stability of the photolithography process, and thus guarantee the manufacturing quality of semiconductor devices.

1Equipment principle:

Glue application process:By using spin coating or spray coating to evenly cover the photoresist on the wafer surface, spin coating is generally divided intoStatic spin coating and dynamic spin coating. Static spin coating is the process of dropping glue while the wafer is stationary, and the turntable drives the wafer to rotate, completing the process of dispensing glue and evaporating solvents; Dynamic spin coating is the process of dropping glue while the wafer rotates at low speed, and then accelerating the rotation to complete the process of glue throwing and solvent evaporation. Spray coating is a process where photoresist is sprayed onto the surface of a wafer in the form of a "glue mist" through a nozzle that travels back and forth along a specific path using a spray coating device.

Development process: After exposure, the wafer is treated with a developing solution, which is usually an acidic or alkaline solution that can dissolve the photoresist or change its physical properties, making it easy to remove. During the development process, the wafer is immersed in a developing solution for a period of time, and the developing solution reacts chemically with the photoresist,The unexposed photoresist is dissolved or retained, forming a pattern corresponding to the mask.

2Core challenge:

The key to applying glue isIt is necessary to control the thickness and uniformity of the adhesive film, and to precisely control parameters such as rotational speed and spray point.

During the development process, the positioning accuracy of the wafer and the uniformity of the developer spray directly affect the line width accuracy and edge roughness of the pattern.

Ultra precision control requirements:The speed stability of the coating machine needs to be controlled within a very small range to ensure the uniformity of the photoresist thickness

Temperature control accuracy:The temperature control of the baking chamber needs to be precise to a strict standard with an error of no more than 0.1 degrees

Wafer processing safety:The wafer should be kept stable during processing and transportation between equipment to avoid damage

Chemical stability:Key components in the equipment need to withstand long-term corrosion from various chemical reagents

02Piezoelectric nanotechnology showcases its full potential in coating and developing equipment

Advantages of piezoelectric nanotechnology:

1. Nanoscale positioning resolution:By utilizing the inverse piezoelectric effect of piezoelectric ceramics, nanoscale displacement control can be achieved, which can match the nanoscale requirements for the thickness of the adhesive film during the coating process.

2. Millisecond level dynamic response:Piezoelectric drive has almost no mechanical transmission gap, and the response time can reach milliseconds. It can be combined with a closed-loop feedback system to follow the high-speed rotation of the wafer or quickly locate the spray position in real time, avoiding pattern deviation caused by motion lag.

3. Friction free and low vibration design:The piezoelectric nanoplatform adopts a frictionless flexible hinge guiding mechanism inside, which has low mechanical wear. The vibration amplitude during operation is controlled within the nanometer range, eliminating the vibration error that may be caused by traditional mechanical driving, and meeting the strict requirements for wafer stability during development.

03Tomorrow's piezoelectric nanotechnology injects the "soul of precision" into coating and developing equipment

XinmingTian piezoelectric nano positioning platform

The piezoelectric nano positioning platform is a piezoelectric platform that uses piezoelectric ceramics as the driving source and combines flexible hinge mechanisms to achieve precise movements in X, Z, XY, XZ, XYZ, and six axes. The driving forms include piezoelectric ceramic direct drive mechanism and amplification mechanism. The range of motion can reach millimeter level, with characteristics such as small size, no friction, and fast response speed. Equipped with high-precision sensors, it can achieve nanometer level resolution and positioning accuracy. The tomorrow piezoelectric nanometer positioning platform plays a crucial role in the field of precision positioning.

H64 series six axis piezoelectric nano positioning platform

The H64 series ultra-high resolution piezoelectric nano positioning platform is designed forUsing piezoelectric ceramics as the driving source, combined with a flexible hinge mechanism, a piezoelectric platform can achieve six dimensional precision movements of X, Y, Z, θ x, θ y, and θ z, with a driving form of amplification mechanism. The open/closed loop version is available for selection, and the closed-loop positioning accuracy can reach 0.1% F.S., which is very suitable for high-precision positioning applications.

feature

▲ Six axis motion of X, Y, Z, θ x, θ y, and θ z

▲ Optional closed-loop feedback sensor

▲ Carrying capacity up to 10kg

▲ Ultra high resolution

Technical Specifications

H64A. XYZTR2S/K-C series six axis piezoelectric nano positioning platform

H64A. XYZTR2S/K-C series is a six axis motion piezoelectric nano positioning platform that can generate ultra precision motion in six axes, suitable for static positioning and dynamic attitude adjustment. The positioning station adopts a parallel mechanism design internally, which can achieve better dynamic performance. It is equipped with high-performance piezoelectric ceramics, which can achieve linear displacement of X ± 9/Y ± 9.5/Z155 μ m and deflection angle of θ x θ y ± 1.1/θ z ± 1mrad. The closed-loop version of the full bridge design avoids temperature drift and ensures nanometer level positioning accuracy.

feature

▲ Six dimensional X, Y, Z, θ x, θ y, θ z-axis motion

▲ Linear travel: X ± 9/Y ± 9.5/Z155 μ m

▲ Deflection stroke: θ x θ y ± 1.1/θ z ± 1mrad

▲ High closed-loop positioning accuracy

▲ Adopting a parallel mechanism internally can achieve better dynamism

▲ Can carry up to 12kg

Technical Specifications

Note: The above parameters were measured using E00. D6K04 piezoelectric controller. The upper limit of the driving voltage can be between -20V and 150V; For high reliability long-term use, it is recommended that the driving voltage be between 0 and 120V.

Tomorrow's piezoelectric ceramic actuator

In the adhesive coating and development process, piezoelectric ceramic actuators can accurately control valve opening and closing accuracy, adhesive spraying volume, and wafer transfer fine-tuning, etc. The Xinming piezoelectric ceramic actuator has a microsecond level extremely fast response time, a frequency of up to several kilohertz, and a micrometer level displacement, ensuring the process stability of the equipment under high-speed operation.

Cylindrical piezoelectric actuator

A cylindrical piezoelectric actuator is a device that encapsulates a piezoelectric ceramic stack inside, protected by a cylindrical stainless steel shell on the outside, and applies a preload force to the piezoelectric ceramic stack through a mechanical shell. A higher internal mechanical preload force can be applied to high load, high dynamic applications. It can output the displacement and output generated by piezoelectric ceramic stacks, and can withstand certain tensile forces.

√ Direct drive structure:

The piezoelectric ceramic actuator adopts a piezoelectric ceramic direct drive structure, characterized by high output and fast response speed, and can be equipped with sensors for closed-loop feedback. The top and bottom of the packaged piezoelectric ceramic actuator are respectively fixed by threads, and the fixing method can be customized, such as external thread, internal thread, ball head, flat head, etc.

feature

▲ Nanoscale resolution

▲ Can withstand certain pressure

▲ High closed-loop accuracy

▲ Displacement can reach 190 μ m

▲ The output can reach 25000 N

Technical Specifications

Metal sealed piezoelectric actuator

The metal sealed piezoelectric actuator, due to its fully sealed casing, achieves insulation from the atmospheric environment and is less affected by environmental humidity. It has a longer service life and higher performance, making it very suitable for various applications such as semiconductor device manufacturing equipment and optical communication equipment that require high reliability.

feature

▲ High reliability: MTTF=36000 hours can be achieved at 85 ℃ and 100V

▲ Accurate nano positioning

▲ Minimize mechanical wear and tear

▲ Working temperature: -25 ℃~+85 ℃ or -40 ℃~+150 ℃

▲ The maximum output can reach 3600N

▲ Driving voltage: 0~150V

▲ Built in preloading mechanism and installation accessories for easy installation into the device

Note: MTTF (Mean Time To Failures) refers to the average time before failure.

Example of Model

H550C801WD1-A0LF is one of the many models of metal sealed piezoelectric actuators in Xinming. Its stroke can reach 55 μ m and output can reach 800N. Its high standard performance makes it very suitable for driving fluid flow control valves, meeting the high reliability and precision requirements of fluid flow control valves for driving components. (There are also multiple models to choose from, and parameter customization is supported.)

Technical Specifications

For more details, please call Xin tomorrowWe!