A Precise, Custom Solution for Spin Coating Wafers on Film Frames

The Situation

A tier 1 semiconductor equipment OEM needed a custom solution for precise spin coating, cleaning and drying of a special liquid on a wafer mounted on a film frame to enable a downstream process.

There were no appropriate off-the-shelf system available and the OEM engineering team did not have the bandwidth and expertise to achieve the critical timeline. Owens Design was selected to design and build the prototype systems based on their ability to meet the aggressive schedule and their deep expertise in semiconductor requirements and cleaning systems.

The Challenges

Spinning film frames at high speeds creates challenges related to vibration, run-out, acceleration/deceleration, and servo control. The system had to provide both a precise speed of 2,500 RPM (+/-2) in either direction and be calibrated with the motion of the dispensing arms. The liquid had to be dispensed at a precise rate and the chamber had to be designed to both contain the liquid and avoid bouncing off the side wall back on the wafer.

A secondary process would provide megasonic cleaning and infrared drying.

The Solution

Owens Design worked with the customer to understand the process requirements and challenges. With the customer onsite for much of the process, the first system was designed and built in less than six months.