Ontrak Systems, Inc.

Oktrak Systems, Inc.

David L Thrasher

Lynn S Ryle

Wilbur C Krusell

Martin J McGrath

John S Hearne

Mark A Simmons

William G Drapak

Robert M Ruppell

Albert M Saenz

Gary D Youre

Wilbur C Krussell

A method and apparatus for rotating wafers in a scrubber, wherein both sides of a wafer are scrubbed without slipping or hesitating. A rotating roller imparts rotary motion to a semiconductor wafer during a cleaning process wherein both sides of a wafer are scrubbed. The rotating roller and wafer contact at their outer edges and the friction between their outer edges causes the wafer to rotate. The roller has an outer edge with a groove. The wafer edge is pinched inside the groove to create enough friction that when cleaning solutions are applied the wafer does not slip and continues to rotate. Also, the groove allows the roller to pinch the wafer just enough so that when the roller reaches the flat of the wafer, the roller may regain the radius of the wafer without hesitating.

Hesitation free roller

A control system. An apparatus having a motor; a host processor for generating a message containing motor control information; a control board for receiving the message and for transmitting a command, corresponding to the message, to the motor; and a communications medium coupling the host processor and the control board. The communications medium supports a first communications path and a second communications path. The first communications path is for transmitting messages from the host processor to the control board. The second communications path is for transmitting messages from the control board to the host processor.

Scrubber control system

A method and apparatus for rotating wafers in a double sided scrubber without slipping or hesitating. A rotating roller imparts rotary motion to a semiconductor wafer during a double sided cleaning process. The rotating roller and wafer contact at their outer edges and the friction between their outer edges causes the wafer to rotate. The roller has an outer edge with a groove. The wafer edge is pinched inside the groove to create enough friction that when cleaning solutions are applied the wafer does not slip and continues to rotate. Also, the groove allows the roller to pinch the wafer just enough so that when the roller reaches the flat of the wafer, the roller may regain the radius of the wafer without hesitating.

A megasonic bath with horizontal wafer orientation that may be conveniently interfaced with brush scrub systems. The megasonic transducer creates a sonic energy flow in the direction of the wafers. The sonic energy causes cavitation which loosens and displaces particles from the surface of the wafers. Water jets produce a horizontal flow across the wafer surfaces. The horizontal flow created by the water jets keeps the wafer surfaces wet, exposes the surfaces to fresh chemicals, and removes the particles which have been displaced or loosened by the sonic energy.

Megasonic bath

An improved substrate processing system. The system may be used for double sided scrubbing of a semiconductor substrate. The wet stations of the system has covers which prevent accumulated liquid from dripping outside of the station and which minimize dripping on the substrates. Transport tunnels are provided between modules to prevent leakage between the modules. A substrate transport mechanism which is moveable along a rail is provided with the stabilizer to provide for stable substrate transfer. The processing system has two brush stations which are placed within a single enclosure. The sensors located throughout the system, which sense the presence of a wafer, are fixedly mounted in a frame so that they are self-aligned to one another. In the sender station, two sensors are used, with the system requiring both sensors to sense the presence of a wafer to increase the reliability. In the dry station, the heating lamp is shielded from the substrate to reduce particulate contamination. Various flow meters are mounted on a transparent panel to provide easy and convenient hook-up. The system is provided with an airflow control bulkhead between the clean and dirty side of the system to prevent intermixing to thereby provide for lower contamination levels in the clean side of the system.

Substrate processing system

Contamination control in substrate processing system

Method and apparatus for detecting a substrate in a substrate processing

An automatically adjustable brush assembly for cleaning semiconductor wafers. The brush assembly includes a first rotary brush, a brush carriage having first and second arms and a second rotary brush, and at least one pressure adjustment assembly positioned to engage at least one of the arms of the brush carriage and configured for automatically adjusting the pressure applied to the wafer surfaces by the first and second rotary brushes. The brush assembly further includes a control system coupled to the pressure adjustment assembly for controlling operation of the pressure adjustment assembly to selectively increase and decrease the pressure applied to the wafer by the first and second rotary brushes.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

David L Thrasher