Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Kun-Long Hsieh

Chien-Hsing Lu

A method of cleaning a photolithographic mask or semiconductor wafer involves mixing a gas and water in a jetspray nozzle and discharging the gas and water jetspray stream from a nozzle onto the photolithographic mask or wafer. The water jetspray stream is made up of a cluster of micro water droplets entrained in the gas having a predetermined size sufficient to dislodge contaminant particles adhered to the surface of the mask. The step of mixing the gas and water includes radially injecting the gas from a first plurality of circumferentially spaced apart gas nozzles into a stream of the water and radially injecting the gas from a second plurality of circumferentially spaced apart gas nozzles into the stream of the water, wherein the second plurality of gas nozzles are spaced above or below the first plurality of gas nozzles and radially offset from the first plurality of gas nozzles.

Method for cleaning photo masks and semiconductor wafers using a jetspray nozzle

A jetspray nozzle for cleaning a photolithographic mask or semiconductor wafer and method for cleaning the same. The jetspray nozzle in one embodiment includes a water supply inlet, a gas supply inlet, a first row of gas injection nozzles communicating with the gas supply inlet, a mixing cavity defining a jetspray nozzle outlet, and a flow mixing baffle disposed in the cavity. The mixing baffle preferably is configured and arranged to combine gas and water in the jetspray nozzle for delivering a concentrated stream of gas with a cluster of micro water droplets entrained in the gas for removing contaminant particles from the mask. The jetspray nozzle is capable of cleaning photo masks or wafers without the use of chemicals. In one embodiment, the water may be deionized water and the gas may be nitrogen. In another embodiment, the jetspray nozzle further includes a second row of gas injection nozzles spaced above or below the first row of gas injection nozzles that communicate with the gas supply inlet.

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Luchu, Taiwan

Kun-Long Hsieh