Ontrak Systems, Inc.

Lam Research Corporation

Intel Corporation

Lynn S Ryle

Lorin Philip Olson

David L Thrasher

Thomas R Gockel

Brett A Whitelaw

Wilbur C Krusell

Michael Ravkin

John M deLarios

Mansour Moinpour

Alan John Jensen

Mohsen Salek

John S Hearne

Young C Park

Donald E Anderson

William Dyson, Jr

Robert M Ruppell

Tom Bramblett

Norman A Mertke

Patrick Paino

Hoang Viet Nguyen

Martin J McGrath

Gary D Youre

Wilbur C Krussell

Hoang T Nguyen

An apparatus for cleaning edges of substrates is described. The present invention provides a cleaning mechanism that cleans particles off the edge of the wafer based on friction and/or a difference in tangential velocity at a point of contact between the wafer and the cleaning mechanism.

Apparatus for cleaning edges of contaminated substrates

A semiconductor processing system, such as a system for scrubbing both sides of a wafer at the same time, that includes a brush box containment apparatus for use with highly-acidic or other volatile chemical solutions, a roller positioning apparatus and a (brush) placement device.

Brush box containment apparatus

Brush assembly apparatus

A method for rotating wafers in a double sided scrubber where 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 in which the wafer edge is pinched. Treads or grooves extending from the groove channel liquids away from the groove to prevent wafer slippage when rotating and cleaning solutions are applied to the wafer.

Method for processing a substrate using a system having a roller with

A method and apparatus for rotating wafers in a double sided scrubber where 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 in which the wafer edge is pinched. Treads or grooves extending from the groove channel liquids away from the groove to prevent wafer slippage when rotating and cleaning solutions are applied to the wafer.

Roller with treading and system including the same

A method and apparatus for cleaning edges of substrates is described. The present invention provides a cleaning mechanism that cleans particles off the edge of the wafer based on friction and/or a difference in tangential velocity at a point of contact between the wafer and the cleaning mechanism.

Method and apparatus for cleaning edges of contaminated substrates

Roller positioning apparatus

Containment apparatus

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.

Automatically adjustable brush assembly for cleaning semiconductor wafers

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Lynn S Ryle