Other

Lam Research Corporation

Oliver Design, Inc.

Donald Edgar Stephens

Oliver David Jones

Scott T Petersen

Yassin Mehmandoust

James M Olivas

Kenneth C McMahon

Jonathan E Borkowski

Hugo John Miller, Iii

David T Frost

Anthony Cramer Jones

Bryan R Riley

A dryer for drying a substrate includes: a bath containing a fluid; a chamber; and an isopropyl alcohol delivery system supplying isopropyl alcohol vapor to the interface between the substrate and the fluid when the substrate is removed from the fluid of the bath into the chamber. The isopropyl alcohol vapor is supplied perpendicularly to a vertical axis of the substrate. The dryer further includes a chamber environment control system that supplies a gas into the chamber to dry the substrate and controls temperature and humidity in the chamber and a chamber heater attached to the chamber to transfer thermal energy into the chamber. A drying method includes: immersing a substrate into a fluid contained in a bath; removing the substrate from the fluid into a chamber; and supplying isopropyl alcohol vapor into an interface between the substrate and the fluid perpendicularly to a vertical axis of the substrate. The method further includes: supplying a gas into the chamber to dry the substrate and to control temperature and humidity in the chamber; and heating the chamber to transfer thermal energy into the chamber and the substrate.

Apparatus and method for drying a thin substrate

A cascaded disk scrubbing system and method are provided. The cascaded disk scrubbing system includes an array of rows of brush pairs. Each row includes a plurality of counter-rotating brush pairs that are arranged horizontally and longitudinally, and configured to receive and process a disk in a vertical orientation through disk preparation zones defined by each pair of brushes. Below and between the pairs of brushes is a track that is configured to apply a rotation to the disk and to transition the disk in a vertical orientation through the brush pairs. Nozzles dispense fluids on and over the brush pairs, and the brush pairs are configured such that fluids are dispensed through the brush pairs. Nozzles dispense a curtain of fluid between each disk preparation zone, and the cascaded disk scrubbing system is configured to progress from dirtiest to cleanest as the disk transitions through each disk preparation zone.

Disk cascade scrubber

Liquid is removed from wafers for drying a wafer that has been wet in a liquid bath. The wafer and the bath are separated at a controlled rate as the wafer is positioned in a gas-filled volume. The controlled rate is generally not less than the maximum rate at which a meniscus will form between the liquid bath and the surface of the wafer when the liquid bath and the wafer are separated. The gas-filled volume is defined by a hot chamber that continuously transfers thermal energy to the wafer in the gas-filled volume. Hot gas directed into the volume and across the wafer and out of the volume continuously transfers thermal energy to the wafer.

Wafer drying apparatus and method

A cascaded wafer scrubbing system and method are provided. The cascaded wafer scrubbing system includes an array of rows of brush pairs. Each row includes a plurality of counter-rotating brush pairs that are arranged horizontally and longitudinally, and configured to receive and process a wafer in a vertical orientation through wafer preparation zones defined by each pair of brushes. Below and between the pairs of brushes is a track that is configured to apply a rotation to the wafer and to transition the wafer in a vertical orientation through the brush pairs. Nozzles dispense fluids on and over the brush pairs, and the brush pairs are configured such that fluids are dispensed through the brush pairs. Nozzles dispense a curtain of fluid between each wafer preparation zone, and the cascaded wafer scrubbing system is configured to progress from dirtiest to cleanest as the wafer transitions through each wafer preparation zone.

Wafer cascade scrubber

Liquid is removed from batches of substrates by apparatus and methods for drying substrates that have been wet in an elongated liquid bath. The substrates are moved relative to the bath and an elongated gas-filled volume at rates of movement selected according to the location of the batches of substrates in the bath or the volume. As an example, the substrates and the bath are separated at a controlled rate to form a thin layer of liquid on each substrate as each substrate enters the gas-filled volume. The gas-filled volume is defined by an elongated hot chamber and hot gas directed into the volume and across the substrates and out of the volume continuously transfers thermal energy to the substrates . The flow rate of the gas into the volume is related to introduction of the substrates into the bath to avoid disturbing the liquid in the bath. The thermal energy transferred to the substrates in the volume evaporates the thin layer from the substrates without decreasing the rate of separation of the substrates and the bath below the maximum rate of such separation at which a meniscus will form between the bath and the surface of one of the substrates during such separation. Relative humidity in the volume is controlled by sensing the relative humidity and regulating the speed of a fan that draws gas from the volume.

Apparatus for drying batches of disks

Liquid is removed from disks by apparatus and methods for drying a disk that has been wet in a liquid bath. The disk and the bath are separated at a controlled rate to form a monolayer of liquid on the disk as the disk is positioned in a gas-filled volume. The separation may be by moving the disk out of the liquid bath, and the controlled rate is generally not less than the maximum rate at which a meniscus will form between the liquid bath and the surface of the disk when the liquid bath and the disk are separated. The gas-filled volume is defined by a hot chamber that continuously transfers thermal energy to the disk in the gas-filled volume. Hot gas directed into the volume and across the disk and out of the volume continuously transfers thermal energy to the disk. The directing of the gas out of the volume is independent of the separation of the bath and the disk. The thermal energy transferred to the disk in the volume evaporates the monolayer from the disk without decreasing the rate of separation of the disk and the bath below the maximum rate of such separation at which a meniscus will form between the bath and the surface of the disk during such separation. In addition to such separation, and directing of the hot gas across the disk and out of the volume, the relative humidity in the volume is kept low to inhibit recondensation of the liquid on the disks.

Disk drying apparatus and method

Liquid is removed from batches of substrates by apparatus and methods for drying substrates that have been wet in an elongated liquid bath. The substrates are moved relative to the bath and an elongated gas-filled volume at rates of movement selected according to the location of the batches of substrates in the bath or the volume. As an example, the substrates and the bath are separated at a controlled rate to form a thin layer of liquid on each substrate as each substrate enters the gas-filled volume. The gas-filled volume is defined by an elongated hot chamber and hot gas directed into the volume and across the substrates and out of the volume continuously transfers thermal energy to the substrates. The flow rate of the gas into the volume is related to introduction of the substrates into the bath to avoid disturbing the liquid in the bath. The thermal energy transferred to the substrates in the volume evaporates the thin layer from the substrates without decreasing the rate of separation of the substrates and the bath below the maximum rate of such separation at which a meniscus will form between the bath and the surface of one of the substrates during such separation. Relative humidity in the volume is controlled by sensing the relative humidity and regulating the speed of a fan that draws gas from the volume.

Apparatus for drying batches of wafers

An apparatus for cleaning a wafer oriented vertically is provided. The apparatus includes a first brush and a second brush located horizontally from the first brush. During use, a wafer is oriented vertically the first and second brushes. The brushes are brought into contact with the wafer and rotated thereby engaging the wafer with rollers. By rotating the rollers, the wafer is also rotated. Liquid is sprayed towards the brushes and wafer. By orienting the wafer vertically, liquid and particulates contained therein readily fall from the water due to gravity. This is particularly advantageous when cleaning larger diameter wafers in which particulates must be removed from a larger wafer surface area.

Wafer cleaning apparatus

A method and apparatus for cleaning a wafer oriented vertically is provided. The apparatus includes a first brush and a second brush located horizontally from the first brush. During use, a wafer is orientated vertically between the first and second brushes. The brushes are brought into contact with the wafer and rotated thereby engaging the wafer with rollers. By rotating the rollers, the wafer is also rotated. Liquid is sprayed towards the brushes and wafer. By orienting the wafer vertically, liquid and particulates contained therein readily fall from the wafer due to gravity. This is particularly advantageous when cleaning larger diameter wafers in which particulates must be removed from a larger wafer surface area.

Method of cleaning semiconductor wafers and other substrates

An apparatus for cleaning a wafer oriented vertically is provided. The apparatus includes a first brush and a second brush located horizontally from the first brush. During use, a wafer is orientated vertically between the first and second brushes. The brushes are brought into contact with the wafer and rotated thereby engaging the wafer with rollers. By rotating the rollers, the wafer is also rotated. Liquid is sprayed towards the brushes and wafer. By orienting the wafer vertically, liquid and particulates contained therein readily fall from the wafer due to gravity. This is particularly advantageous when cleaning larger diameter wafers in which particulates must be removed from a larger wafer surface area.

In the texturing unit of this invention a data storage disk is gripped between a pair of opposed, counter-rotating cylindrical abrasive mandrels, which are covered with soft, porous pads. The frictional force between the disk and the pads raises the edge of the disk against a pair of driven rollers which impart a rotational motion to the disk. A texture pattern of uniform grooves, having controlled peak heights and valley depths, is formed simultaneously on both sides of the disk. A system for delivering an abrasive slurry to the pads includes a closed loop in which the slurry is recirculated and a dispense section of that loop, from which a blast of pressurized air periodically expels the slurry through applicators and onto the pads. The continuous recirculation of the slurry prevents settling. A unique feature is that the groove length may be controlled by adjusting the ratio between the rotational speeds of the disk and mandrels. The groove pattern is primarily circular but a radial component may be added by varying the position at which the pads contact the surfaces of the disk.

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Westlake Village, CA, United States of America

Donald Edgar Stephens