METHOD AND DEVICE FOR LOCALLY REMOVING AND/OR MODIFYING A POLYMER MATERIAL ON A SURFACE

Abstract

A method for locally removing/modifying a polymer material on a surface of a wafer. The method includes: a) aligning a mask with respect to the surface; b) locally exposing the surface through the mask using a VUV light source while simultaneously supplying a gas mixture containing at least oxygen; c) purging the surface with a gas mixture containing at least nitrogen and oxygen, the VUV light source being switched off; and d) repeating at least steps b) and c) until the removal/modification is complete. A device is described for locally removing/modifying a polymer material on a surface of a wafer, including a mask. The device includes an adjustable wafer table for holding the wafer, and is configured to set an exposure gap between the wafer and the mask in a first operating state, and to set a purge gap between the wafer and the mask in a second operating state.

Claims

1-7. (canceled)

8. A method for locally removing and/or modifying a polymer material on a surface of a wafer, comprising the following steps: a) aligning a mask with respect to the surface; b) locally exposing the surface through the mask using a VUV light source while simultaneously supplying a gas mixture containing at least oxygen; c) purging the surface with a gas mixture containing at least nitrogen and/or oxygen, the VUV light source being switched off; d) repeating at least steps b) and c) until the removal and/or modification of the polymer material is complete.

9. The method for locally removing and/or modifying a polymer material as recited in claim 8, wherein the exposure is carried out in step b) with an exposure gap between the mask and the surface, and the purging is carried out in step c) with a purge gap between the mask and the surface, the purge gap being larger than the exposure gap.

10. The method for locally removing and/or modifying a polymer material as recited in claim 8, wherein externally generated ozone and/or an oxygen radical, is supplied to the gas mixture at least in step b) and/or c).

11. The method for locally removing and/or modifying a polymer material as recited in claim 8, wherein the wafer is in nonparallel alignment with respect to the mask in step c).

12. A device for locally removing and/or modifying a polymer material on a surface of a wafer, the device comprising: a mask that is alignable with respect to the surface in a defined manner, the surface being exposable using a VUV light source situated above the mask, and a gas mixture containing at least nitrogen and/or oxygen being introducible into a space between the wafer and the mask; an adjustable wafer table configured to hold the wafer, and to set an exposure gap between the wafer and the mask in a first operating state, and to set a purge gap between the wafer and the mask in a second operating state, the purge gap being larger than the exposure gap.

13. The device for locally removing and/or modifying a polymer material as recited in claim 12, wherein the device includes a gas feed configured to supply externally generated ozone and/or an oxygen radical.

14. The device for locally removing and/or modifying a polymer material as recited in claim 12, wherein the adjustable wafer table is tiltable in such a way that the wafer is alignable with respect to the mask in a nonparallel manner.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] FIGS. 1A and 1B show a device according to an example embodiment of the present invention for locally removing and/or modifying a polymer material on a surface of a wafer.

[0022] FIG. 2 shows the device according to an example embodiment of the present invention during alternating method steps of the method according to the present invention for locally removing and/or modifying a polymer material on a surface of a wafer;

[0023] FIGS. 3A and 3B show one exemplary embodiment of the device according to the present invention in two embodiments of the method according to the present invention for locally removing and/or modifying a polymer material on a surface of a wafer.

[0024] FIG. 4 schematically shows the method according to the present invention for locally removing and/or modifying a polymer material on a surface of a wafer in one exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

[0025] FIGS. 1A and 1B show a device according to the present invention for locally removing and/or modifying a polymer material on a surface of a wafer. The device includes an adjustable wafer table 1, a mask 2, a VUV light source 3, a hermetically sealed reactor chamber 5, a gas inlet 6, a gas outlet 7, and a gas flow controller 8. The light source here is a VUV excimer module that is situated at a distance 4 from mask 2. The space created by distance 4 may be filled with nitrogen N2 or some other inert gas that is permeable to VUV. A wafer W may be situated on adjustable wafer table 1 on an opposite side of mask 2. Wafer W includes a polymer coating P at a surface OW opposite from mask 2.

[0026] FIG. 1A shows the device during a first operating state, the exposure. For the exposure, wafer table 1 is adjusted with an exposure gap GE between wafer W and mask 2. The space created by exposure gap GE is purged with a gas mixture containing at least nitrogen N2 and/or oxygen O2. The total pressure, partial pressure, and mass flows of the gases may be controlled and regulated by mass flow and pressure controller 8.

[0027] FIG. 1B shows the device during a second operating state, the purging. For the purging of wafer surface WO, wafer table 1 may be adjusted with a purge gap GP between wafer W and mask 2, which in particular is larger than exposure gap GE. The space created by purge gap GP may be purged with a gas mixture.

[0028] FIG. 2 shows the device according to the present invention during alternating method steps of the method according to the present invention for locally removing and/or modifying a polymer material on a surface of a wafer. The method is carried out with N cycles, each cycle including a first step of exposure (left side of the diagram in each case) and a second step of purging (right side of the diagram in each case).

[0029] During the exposure, the device is adjusted and operated as described for FIG. 1A.

[0030] During the purging, the device is adjusted and operated as described for FIG. 1B.

[0031] FIGS. 3A and 3B show one exemplary embodiment of the device according to the present invention in two embodiments of the method according to the present invention for locally removing and/or modifying a polymer material on a surface of a wafer. A detail of the device during the second operating state, the purging, is illustrated. FIGS. 3A and 3B show an adjustable wafer table 1 with a wafer W situated thereon, which with its surface WO points toward a mask 2. The gap between the wafer and the mask forms a space through which purge gas flows. A VUV light source 3 is situated at a distance 4 above mask 2. The space created by distance 4 is filled with nitrogen N2.

[0032] According to FIG. 3A, wafer 1 is tilted with respect to mask 2 in such a way that purge gap GP at the side of inlet 6 of the purge gas is smaller than at the side of outlet 7.

[0033] According to FIG. 3B, wafer 1 is tilted with respect to mask 2 in such a way that purge gap GP at the side of outlet 7 of the purge gas is smaller than at the side of inlet 6.

[0034] FIG. 4 schematically shows the method according to the present invention for locally removing and/or modifying a polymer material on a surface of a wafer in one exemplary embodiment.

[0035] The illustrated method includes the steps:

[0036] 110 aligning a substrate or wafer with respect to a photomask

[0037] 120 adjusting a wafer table in the vertical direction into a position for exposure via an exposure gap GE between the mask and the wafer

[0038] 130 adjusting a gas mixture with constant mass flow and pressure in the process chamber

[0039] 140 situating a VUV excimer module at the top side of the process chamber, it being necessary to fill a distance between the VUV lamp and the photomask with nitrogen N2

[0040] 150 switching on the VUV excimer module and exposing the substrate for an exposure time TE

[0041] 160 switching off the VUV excimer module and immediately moving the wafer table in the vertical direction into the position for purging via a purge gap GP between the mask and the wafer

[0042] 170 regulating the mass flow and pressure of the gas mixture in the process chamber and purging for a purging duration TP

[0043] 200 decision: is a further process cycle necessary?

[0044] If “yes,” then:

[0045] 220 moving the wafer table in the vertical direction into the position for exposure via exposure gap GE between the mask and the wafer

[0046] If “no,” then:

[0047] end.

[0048] The local VUV cleaning process involves a VUV light source in the range of 172 nm, an adjustment mechanism, such as is used in photolithography, for positioning the wafer to be cleaned beneath a photomask, and a process chamber with its own gas inlets and gas outlets, a regulated mass flow of the process gas mixture, and a regulated gas pressure in the process chamber during the process steps of exposure and purging. The irradiation with light having a wavelength of 172 nm may break up the polymers or organic chain molecules. The regulated flow of the combined process gases such as nitrogen, oxygen, or also ozone may remove the reaction products from the surface thus treated, as the result of which a polymer-free surface is ultimately obtained.

[0049] To obtain a certain, reliable, uniform ASC layer thickness in unexposed areas over the entire substrate, the cleaning process is made up of a certain number of cycles. Each cycle includes a step of exposure, the wafer or the substrate being situated at a certain distance close to the photomask and the VUV lamp being switched on for a certain period of time. This is followed by a step of purging, in which the VUV lamp is switched off and the wafer or the substrate is further removed at a certain distance from the photomask, the process gas mixture flowing past the wafer surface for a certain period of time. This cycle of exposure and purging passes through a certain number of repetitions.

[0050] The irradiation of molecular oxygen O2 with VUV light (172 nm) generates ozone (O3) and oxygen radicals (O*). To achieve a homogeneous process, externally generated ozone may optionally be added to the process gas mixture.

[0051] The wafer is aligned with respect to the photomask in a first step so that it shades the surface areas to be protected, and the surface areas to be cleaned may be exposed. The polymer coating remains intact in the shaded areas, even after the cleaning process.

[0052] A gap GE between the mask and the wafer is set and a gas mixture containing nitrogen, oxygen, or also ozone is provided in a second step a) to ensure a gas flow in addition to a good local VUV exposure of the substrate with sufficient spatial resolution.

[0053] The VUV lamp is switched on and the exposure takes place for a certain exposure time (radiation dose) in a third step b). Exposure is carried out with local resolution. In the case of a MEMS device with an ASC, this means that only the bonding frame is exposed, but micromechanical functional elements remain shaded. The ASC on the micromechanical structures thus remains intact, while the ASC is locally removed from the bonding frame (FIGS. 1A and 1B).

[0054] The VUV lamp is switched off and a gap GP between the mask and the wafer is set in a fourth step c). A regulated pressure and gas flow are maintained in the chamber in order to transport away the reaction products of the removed polymer by the purging with the gas mixture (FIGS. 1A and 1B).

[0055] Lastly, the second, third, and fourth steps are carried out anew (d) with a certain number of repetitions in order to homogeneously clean the substrate or wafer W at all desired surfaces WO (FIG. 2). To improve the homogeneity of the process during the purging, the wafer may be positioned in parallel to photomask 2 with the aid of adjustable wafer table 1 (FIGS. 1, 2), or tilted at a certain angle with respect to photomask 2 and gas inlet 6 and gas outlet 7 (FIGS. 3A and 3B). In the next step of exposure, a parallel position of wafer W with respect to mask 2 with exposure gap GE is once again assumed, so that the mask and the wafer are always situated in parallel to one another during the VUV exposure.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0056] W wafer [0057] WO surface of the wafer [0058] P polymer material [0059] GE gap between the mask and the wafer during the exposure [0060] TE exposure time [0061] GP gap between the mask and the wafer during the purging [0062] TP purging duration [0063] 1 adjustable wafer table [0064] 2 mask [0065] 3 VUV lamp [0066] 4 distance between the VUV lamp and the mask [0067] 5 hermetically sealed process chamber [0068] 6 inlet for the gas mixture [0069] 7 outlet for the gas mixture [0070] 8 mass flow and pressure controller [0071] 9 process gases