Fsi International, Inc.

John C Patrin

Thomas J Wagener

Kevin L Siefering

John M Heitzinger

William P Inhofer

Pam Kunkel

Natraj Narayanswani

Improved nozzle design that discharges more powerful, more focused fluid streams through a series of nozzle orifices distributed along a length of the nozzle. The present invention may be incorporated into a wide range of microelectronic device manufacturing processes and equipment types for which an array of more forceful, more focused process streams are desired for treating microelectronic workpieces. The present invention is particularly useful to cryogenically clean microelectronic workpieces, where the improvements allow the conventionally more troublesome smaller contaminant particles to be cleaningly removed with greater particle removal efficiency.

Nozzle design for generating fluid streams useful in the manufacture of microelectronic devices

An apparatus having a processing chamber for processing a semiconductor wafer under evacuated conditions that is capable of transfer of the wafer from the processing chamber under conditions that are substantially equal to the pressure of an adjacent environment. In a preferred embodiment, the processing chamber is pressurized and vented with a source of high purity dry gas that is diffused into the chamber through a diffuser to pressurize the processing chamber after processing of the wafer is completed. A chamber equalization port between the processing chamber and the adjacent environment is opened to maintain the pressure within the chamber at or slightly above the pressure of the adjacent environment, and the chamber valve is then opened. The wafer can then be removed from the processing chamber, and a new wafer can be inserted. The chamber is then sealed by closing the chamber valve and the equalization port, and the atmosphere within the processing chamber is evacuated to a desired level. The new wafer is then processed, and the above steps are repeated to remove the wafer once processing has finished.

Method for transferring a microelectronic device to and from a processing chamber

A substrate may be treated by impinging the substrate with a cryogenic aerosol spray wherein the cryogenic aerosol spray is formed by expanding a pressurized liquid or liquid/gaseous stream of one or more cryogens through a nozzle at a given distance from the substrate into a process chamber with a pressure of about 1.6.times.10.sup.4 Pascal or less so as to form at least substantially solid aerosol particles of said one or more cryogens downstream from the nozzle by the cooling resulting from the expansion and/or evaporation to form an at least substantially solid particle containing aerosol.

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Chanhassen, MN, United States of America

John C Patrin