Speedfam Corporation

Speedfam-ipec Corporation

Eric C Shurtliff

John Natalicio

Chad Goudie

Glenn E Peterson

Thomas Waddle

Greg Olsen

A workpiece cleaning element incorporates an injection molded resin core having integral spacers formed at a central portion of the resin core. The resin core is formed from a suitable material that does not leech chemicals or become brittle in the presence of cleaning fluids. A substantially resilient cleaning material located on the resin core includes a plurality of raised ribs that perform contact scrubbing of the workpiece. Each rib includes a longitudinal channel formed therein that divides the rib into a leading cleaner surface and a trailing cleaner surface. The ribs are arranged on the cleaning element in a pattern that promotes effective removal of debris from an inner position on the workpiece to the outer edge of the workpiece.

Workpiece cleaning element with improved rib configuration

An improved cleaning apparatus for cleaning semiconductor wafers, rigid memory disks, flat panel displays, and other workpieces employs vibrational mechanical energy in addition to contact mechanical cleaning. The cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning element configured to contact and scrub a workpiece during a cleaning process. The cleaning clement is coupled to a mechanical energy emitter that generates low frequency mechanical vibrations (or ultrasonic mechanical energy) at a predetermined frequency. The mechanical energy is conducted through the cleaning element and to the workpiece to facilitate removal of particulate and debris from the surface of the workpiece. Use of ultrasonic energy also causes the cleaning solution to cavitate, thus providing ultrasonic cleaning to the workpiece via the cleaning solution.

Method and apparatus for enhanced cleaning of a workpiece with

The present invention relates to a wafer cleaning machine having an input station, a water track, a cleaning station, a rinsing station, a spin-dry station, and a load station. The input station includes two or more wafer supply areas for a continuous supply of wafers to the water track. After the wafers enter the water track from the input station, the wafers are transported down the track into the wafer cleaning station. The wafer cleaning station comprises a plurality of pairs of rollers which pull the wafers through the cleaning station and thereby clean the top and bottom flat surfaces of the wafers. A cleaning fluid manifold formed within the upper panel of the cleaning station facilitates effective distribution of the cleaning fluid to the rollers. From the cleaning station, the wafers are transported to a rinse station. From the rinsing station, the workpieces are transferred to a dual spin-dry station. At the spin-dry station, the workpieces are spun at a high speed to remove any residual water droplets or the like. From the dual spin-dry station, a robotic transfer arm removes the work pieces from the spin-dry station and places them in one of a pair of unload cassettes. After the cassettes are filled with wafers, they are removed and transferred for subsequent processing.

Methods and apparatus for cleaning and drying wafers

The present invention relates to a wafer cleaning machine having an input station, a water track, a cleaning station, a rinsing station, a spin-dry station, and a load station. The input station includes two or more wafer supply areas for a continuous supply of wafers to the water track. After the wafers enter the water track from the input station, the wafers are transported down the track into the wafer cleaning station. The wafer cleaning station comprises a plurality of pairs of rollers which pull the wafers through the cleaning station and thereby clean the top and bottom flat surfaces of the wafers. A one-piece cleaning fluid manifold formed within the upper panel of the cleaning station facilitates effective distribution of the cleaning fluid to the rollers. From the cleaning station, the wafers are transported to a rinse station. From the rinsing station, the workpieces are transferred to a dual spin-dry station. A manipulator assembly is configured to cooperate with the rinse station to lift and transport the rinsed wafers from the rinse station to the two spin-dry assemblies. At the spin-dry station, the workpieces are spun at a high speed to remove any residual water droplets or the like. The spin-dry assemblies include a water/debris shield that rises during the spin-dry process. From the dual spin-dry station, a robotic transfer arm removes the work pieces from the spin-dry station and places them in one of a pair of unload cassettes. After the cassettes are filled with wafers, they are removed and transferred for subsequent processing.

Apparatus for rinsing wafers in the context of a combined cleaning

An apparatus for cleaning workpieces such as magnetic recording discs, optical discs, and semiconductor wafers includes a sponge-like material surrounded on two sides by substantially rigid plates that serve as an exoskeleton support for the sponge-like material. The plates include a number of apertures formed therein. The sponge-like material protrudes through the apertures of the plates, allowing the sponge-like material to contract a surface of the workpiece during the cleaning process.

Growing community of inventors

Phoenix, AZ, United States of America

Eric C Shurtliff