Lam Research Corporation

Lam Research Ag

Mike Ravkin

John Martin De Larios

Mikhail Korolik

Katrina Mikhaylich

Fred Conrad Redeker

Fritz C Redeker

John Boyd

Carl Woods

Robert J O'Donnell

Katrina Mikhaylichenko

Mark Henry Wilcoxson

Jeffrey J Farber

Eric H Lenz

Erik Freer

James Paul Garcia

Don E Anderson

Aleksander Owczarz

Yehiel Gotkis

Wilbur C Krusell

John P Parks

Alexander A Yatskar

Yezdi N Dordi

Julia S Svirchevski

Roy Winston Pascal

Alex Kabansky

Helmuth W Treichel

Donald E Anderson

Tanlin K Dickey

Vladislav V Yakovlev

Douglas S Gardner

Jim Keller

Glen Travis

David S Mui

Butch Berney

Enrico Magni

Robert Knop

Alois Goller

Michael L Orbock

Afshin Nickhou

Suresh Gupta

Mark Gahagan

Glenn W Davis

Jeffrey Farber

An apparatus for processing wafer-shaped articles comprises a rotary chuck and a heating assembly that faces a wafer-shaped article when positioned on the rotary chuck. A liquid dispenser positioned so as to dispense liquid onto a surface of a wafer-shaped article that faces away from the rotary chuck when positioned on the rotary chuck. The heating assembly comprises an array of radiant heating elements distributed among at least five individually controllable groups. The liquid dispenser comprises one or more dispensing orifices configured to move a discharge point from a more central region of the rotary chuck to a more peripheral region of the rotary chuck. A controller controls power supplied to each of the at least five individually controllable groups of radiant heating elements based on a position of the discharge point of the liquid dispenser.

Method and apparatus for processing wafer-shaped articles

A method for meniscus processing a substrate is provided. The method initiates with generating a meniscus spanning at least a length of the substrate. A pre-wetting liquid or vapor is dispensed. A substrate is moved through the dispensed pre-wetting liquid or vapor and the meniscus. The dispensed pre-wetting vapor condenses a pre-wetting liquid over a region of the substrate adjacent to a region of the substrate where the meniscus is generated. The pre-wetting liquid is deposited without substantially generating surface flow of the pre-wetting liquid on the substrate, and the pre-wetting liquid prevents the leading edge of the meniscus from contacting a dry surface region of the substrate.

Prevention of particle adders when contacting a liquid meniscus over a substrate

An apparatus for cleaning a substrate includes an application unit having a top inlet conduit and a bottom plate section. The top inlet conduit has an opening for receiving a non-Newtonian fluid and the bottom plate section has an opening through which the non-Newtonian fluid can flow. The bottom plate section is perpendicular to the top inlet conduit, and a surface of the bottom plate section is disposed above and parallel to a surface of a substrate so as to define a gap between the surface of the bottom plate section and the surface of the substrate. The defined gap has a height configured to create a flow of the non-Newtonian fluid in which a portion of the flow exhibits plug flow, and the plug flow moves over the surface of the substrate to remove particles from the surface of the substrate.

Method and apparatus for cleaning a substrate using non-newtonian fluids

A substrate is moved in a linear direction simultaneously between a processing face of an upper proximity head and a processing face of a lower proximity head. As the substrate is moved, a first meniscus of processing liquid is generated between the processing face of the upper proximity head and a top surface of the substrate, and a second meniscus of processing liquid is generated between the processing face of the lower proximity head and a bottom surface of the substrate. The first meniscus has a meniscus protrusion extending in the linear direction in which the substrate is moved and positioned on a trailing side of the first meniscus relative to the linear direction in which the substrate is moved. The meniscus protrusion is centered on the substrate relative to a diameter of the substrate as measured perpendicular to the linear direction in which the substrate is moved.

Reduction of entrance and exit marks left by a substrate-processing meniscus

A substrate holder is defined to support a substrate. A rotating mechanism is defined to rotate the substrate holder. An applicator is defined to extend over the substrate holder to dispense a cleaning material onto a surface of the substrate when present on the substrate holder. The applicator is defined to apply a downward force to the cleaning material on the surface of the substrate. In one embodiment the cleaning material is gelatinous.

Apparatus for cleaning contaminants from substrate

A carrier for supporting a substrate during processing by a meniscus fowled by upper and lower proximity heads is described. The carrier includes a frame having an opening sized for receiving a substrate and a plurality of support pins for supporting the substrate within the opening. The opening is slightly larger than the substrate such that a gap exists between the substrate and the opening. Means for reducing a size and frequency of entrance and/or exit marks on substrates is provided, the means aiding and encouraging liquid from the meniscus to evacuate the gap. A method for reducing the size and frequency of entrance and exit marks is also provided.

Carrier for reducing entrance and/or exit marks left by a substrate-processing meniscus

An apparatus and method are disclosed in which a semiconductor substrate having a surface containing contaminants is cleaned or otherwise subjected to chemical treatment using a foam. The semiconductor wafer is supported either on a stiff support (or a layer of foam) and foam is provided on the opposite surface of the semiconductor wafer while the semiconductor wafer is supported. The foam contacting the semiconductor wafer is pressurized using a form to produce a jammed foam. Relative movement between the form and the semiconductor wafer. such as oscillation parallel and/or perpendicular to the top surface of the semiconductor wafer. is then induced while the jammed foam is in contact with the semiconductor wafer to remove the undesired contaminants and/or otherwise chemically treat the surface of the semiconductor wafer using the foam.

Method and apparatus for cleaning semiconductor wafers using compressed and/or pressurized foams, bubbles, and/or liquids

A substrate is placed on a plurality of support pins within an opening of a carrier, such that a gap exists between the radial perimeter of the substrate and the carrier. The substrate and carrier are passed in a linear direction through a meniscus generated between respective faces of upper and lower proximity heads. Each of the upper and lower proximity heads includes a plurality of meniscus nozzles configured to supply liquid to the meniscus. A plurality of vacuum ports are formed on the respective face of each of the upper and lower proximity heads and are arranged to completely surround the plurality of meniscus nozzles. Liquid of the meniscus is evacuated from the gap between the radial perimeter of the substrate and the carrier so as to reduce a size and a frequency of at least one of entrance or exit marks on the substrate.

A method for processing a substrate is provided. The method includes generating a controlled meniscus using a proximity head. The proximity head has a face in close proximity to a surface of the substrate, and the face includes a substantially flat surface. The controlled meniscus is generated by delivering a chemical to the meniscus through discrete nozzles formed in the face of the proximity head. The method includes moving the proximity head over the substrate so that an area of contact between the meniscus and the surface of the substrate moves from a first location to a second location on the substrate. The moving of the proximity head causes a chemical remainder to be left behind on the surface of the substrate at the first location. The chemical remainder being a layer of the chemical from the meniscus that adheres to the surface of the substrate. The method also includes balancing an amount of chemical being delivered to the proximity head with an amount of chemical removed from the meniscus so that the meniscus maintains a substantially constant volume of the chemical. The amount of chemical removed from the meniscus includes at least the chemical remainder left behind on the surface of the substrate.

Method for processing a substrate using a single phase proximity head having a controlled meniscus

A cleaning compound is disclosed for removing particulate contaminants from a semiconductor substrate surface. The cleaning compound includes a liquid and carboxylic acid solid components dispersed in a substantially uniform manner in the liquid. A concentration of the carboxylic acid solid components in the liquid exceeds a solubility limit of the carboxylic acid solid components in the liquid. In one embodiment, a concentration of the carboxylic acid solid components in the liquid is within a range extending from about 3 percent by weight to about 5 percent by weight. In one embodiment, the carboxylic acid solid components are defined by a carbon number of at least four. The carboxylic acid solid components are defined to interact with the particulate contaminants on the semiconductor substrate surface to remove the particulate contaminants from the semiconductor substrate surface. The cleaning compound is viscous and may be formed as a gel.

Two-phase substrate cleaning material

A carrier for supporting a substrate during processing by a meniscus formed by upper and lower proximity heads is described. The carrier includes a frame having an opening sized for receiving a substrate and a plurality of support pins for supporting the substrate within the opening. The opening is slightly larger than the substrate such that a gap exists between the substrate and the opening. Means for reducing a size and frequency of entrance and/or exit marks on substrates is provided, the means aiding and encouraging liquid from the meniscus to evacuate the gap. A method for reducing the size and frequency of entrance and exit marks is also provided.

A method for cleaning a substrate is provided. In this method, a flow of non-Newtonian fluid is provided where at least a portion of the flow exhibits plug flow. To remove particles from a surface of the substrate, the surface of the substrate is placed in contact with the portion of the flow that exhibits plug flow such that the portion of the flow exhibiting plug flow moves over the surface of the substrate. Additional methods and apparatuses for cleaning a substrate also are described.

Method and apparatus for cleaning a substrate using non-Newtonian fluids

A system for processing a substrate is described. The system includes a proximity head, a mechanism, and a liquid supply. The proximity head is configured to generate a controlled meniscus. Specifically, the proximity head has a plurality of dispensing nozzles formed on a face of the proximity head. The dispensing nozzles are configured to supply a liquid to the meniscus and the suction holes are added to remove a used liquid from the meniscus. The mechanism moves the proximity head or the substrate with respect to each other while maintaining contact between the meniscus and a surface of the substrate. The movement causes a thin layer of the liquid to remain on the surface after being contacted by the meniscus. The liquid supply is in fluid communication with the dispensing nozzles, and is configured to balance an amount of the liquid delivered to the meniscus with an amount of liquid removed from the meniscus, the amount of liquid removed from the meniscus including at least the thin layer of the liquid remaining on the surface of the substrate.

Single phase proximity head having a controlled meniscus for treating a substrate

An electroplating apparatus for depositing a metallic layer on a surface of a wafer is provided. In one example, a proximity head capable of being electrically charged as an anode is placed in close proximity to the surface of the wafer. A plating fluid is provided between the wafer and the proximity head to create localized metallic plating.

Apparatus and method for depositing and planarizing thin films of semiconductor wafers

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Mike Ravkin