Fsi International, Inc.

Tel Fsi, Inc.

Richard E Williamson

David Dekraker

Jeffery W Butterbaugh

Alan Dee Rose

Jimmy D Collins

Tracy A Gast

A method of treating a substrate comprises, in one aspect, placing a substrate having material on a surface thereof in a treatment chamber; directing a stream of a liquid treatment composition to impinge the substrate surface; and directing a stream of water vapor to impinge the substrate surface and/or to impinge the liquid treatment composition. A preferred aspect of this invention is the removal of materials, and preferably photoresist, from a substrate, wherein the treatment composition is a liquid sulfuric acid composition comprising sulfuric acid and/or its desiccating species and precursors.

Process for treatment of substrates with water vapor or steam

Tool for treating microelectronic workpieces with one or more treatment materials, including liquids, gases, fluidized solids, dispersions, combinations of these, and the like. The invention provides an approach for rapid, efficient rinsing of wetted surface(s), and is particularly advantageous when used to rinse the lower surface of moveable barrier structures such as a barrier plate that overlies a workpiece being treated in such a manner to define a tapering flow channel over the workpiece. Rather than spray rinsing liquid onto the surface in a manner that generates undue splashing, droplet, or mist generation, the liquid is flowingly dispensed, preferably under laminar flow conditions, onto a surface that is in fluid communication with the surface to be rinsed. A smooth, uniform wetting and sheeting action results to accomplish rinsing with a significantly reduced risk of generating particle contamination.

Rinsing methodologies for barrier plate and venturi containment systems in tools used to process microelectronic workpieces with one or more treatment fluids, and related apparatuses

A method of treating a substrate comprises, in one aspect, placing a substrate having material on a surface thereof in a treatment chamber; directing a stream of a liquid treatment composition to impinge the substrate surface; and directing a stream of water vapor to impinge the substrate surface and/or to impinge the liquid treatment composition. A preferred aspect of this invention is the removal of materials, and preferably photoresist, from a substrate, wherein the treatment composition is a liquid sulfuric acid composition comprising sulfuric acid and/or its desiccating species and precursors. In another aspect, a liquid sulfuric acid composition comprising sulfuric acid and/or its desiccating species and precursors are dispensed onto a portion of the substrate surface that is less than the entire surface of the substrate in an amount effective to treat the portion of the substrate surface, and the liquid sulfuric acid composition is exposed to water vapor in an amount effective to increase the temperature of the liquid sulfuric acid composition above the temperature of the liquid sulfuric acid composition prior to exposure to the water vapor. The substrate may be enveloped with a water vapor and/or a optionally nitrogen gas environment during the treatment steps.

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Chanhassen, MN, United States of America

Richard E Williamson