Planar Semiconductor, Inc.

Rubinder S Randhawa

Harry Christov

Shmuel Erez

Basha Sajjad

Various embodiments comprise apparatuses and related methods for cleaning a substrate. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a substrate holder to hold and rotate the substrate at various speeds. An optional inner shield and an optional outer shield, when in a closed position, surround the substrate holder during operation of the apparatus. Each of the inner shield and the outer shield can operate independently in at least one of rotational speed and direction from the other shield. At least one of a front-side laser and a back-side laser are arranged to clean one or both sides of the substrate and edges of the substrate substantially concurrently or independently by impinging a light onto at least one surface of the substrate. A gas flow, combined with a high rotational-speed of the shields and substrate, assists in removing effluents from the substrate. Additional apparatuses and methods of forming the apparatuses are disclosed.

Subnanometer-level light-based substrate cleaning mechanism

Various embodiments comprise apparatuses for cleaning and drying a substrate and methods of operating the apparatuses. In one embodiment, an exemplary apparatus includes a vertical substrate holder to hold and rotate the substrate at various speeds. An inner shield and an outer shield, when in a closed position, surround the vertical substrate holder during operation of the apparatus. Each of the inner shield and the outer shield can operate independently in at least one of rotational speed and direction from the other shield. A front-side spray jet and a back-side spray jet are arranged to spray at least one fluid onto both sides of the substrate and edges of the substrate substantially concurrently. A gas flow, combined with a high rotational-speed of the shields and substrate, assist in drying the substrate. Additional apparatuses and methods of forming the apparatuses are disclosed.

Sub-nanometer-level substrate cleaning mechanism

Various embodiments comprise apparatuses and related method for cleaning and drying a substrate. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a vertical substrate holder to hold and rotate the substrate at various speeds. An inner shield and outer shield, when in a closed position, surround the vertical substrate holder during operation of the apparatus. Each of the shields can operate independently in at least one of rotational speed and direction from the other shield. A front-side and back-side spray jet are arranged to spray at least one fluid onto both sides of the substrate and edges of the substrate substantially concurrently. A gas flow, combined with a high rotational-speed of the shields and substrate, assists in drying the substrate. At least one turbine disk is coupled in proximity to at least one of the shields to remove excess amounts of fluid. Additional apparatuses and methods of forming the apparatuses are disclosed.

Removal of process effluents

Various embodiments include cleaning flat objects with pulsed jets, based on a principle of enhancing formation of droplets of a liquid cleaning-medium by increasing the boundary surface-area between spray jets emitted from nozzles of the cleaning unit and the surrounding atmosphere. In various embodiments, droplet-formation enhancement means are located inside and at or near outlets of nozzles and comprise, for example, a jet splitter, threaded grooves on an inner surface of the nozzle body, or a thin tube to supply gas into the flow of the liquid cleaning-medium to form gas bubbles in the medium. Other factors considered include a mass ratio between the droplets and the contaminant particles, a velocity of the droplets, organization and sequence of jets that impinges on various surfaces of the flat object, and flows that rinse separated particles and other contaminants. Other methods and apparatuses are disclosed.

Cleaning flat objects with a pulsed-liquid jet

A method and apparatus for pulsed jet cleaning of flat objects based on the principle of enhancing formation of droplets of the cleaning medium by increasing the boundary surface area between the jets emitted though the nozzles of the cleaning unit and the surrounding atmosphere. In various embodiments of the invention, these droplet formation enhancement means are located inside the nozzle at the nozzle outlet end and are made in the form of a jet splitter, threaded grooves on the inner surface of the nozzle body, or in the form of a thin tube for the supply of gas into the flow of the liquid cleaning medium for the formation of gas bubbles in the medium. The method also takes into account such factors as a mass ratio between the droplets and the contaminant particles, velocity of droplets, organization and sequence of jets that attacks the surface of the wafer and flows that wash-out the separated particles, etc.

Method and apparatus for cleaning flat objects with pulsed liquid jet

An apparatus for cleaning flat objects such as semiconductor wafers with a pulsed liquid jet emitted from a group of nozzles that may be installed on one or on both sides of the wafer installed in a vertically arranged rotating chuck. The apparatus is comprised of a series of individual processing units, such as a loading unit, cleaning units, drying unit, and an unloading unit arranged circumferentially around a universal industrial robot capable of reaching any of the units and transferring the wafers between the units. Drying is carried out in a horizontal position of the wafer and may combine spin-dry with chemical treatment for accelerating the drying process and for improving quality of the drying process. All units are located in a sealed enclosure with a controlled purity of the atmosphere inside the enclosure. Method of cleaning is also disclosed.

Apparatus and method for cleaning flat objects in a vertical orientation with pulsed liquid jet

Cleaning and drying of semiconductor wafers is carried out in a single-chamber type cleaning/drying apparatus for flat objects such as semiconductor wafer, where cleaning is carried out by impinging both sides of the wafer which rotates at a relatively low speed with jets of a washing liquid and where subsequent drying is carried out in the same chamber by increasing the rotation speed of the wafer and supplying an isopropyl-alcohol (IPA) mist onto the wafer from the top of the chamber. After the IPA forms a solution with the residue of water on the wafer, the drying process is accelerated by supplying gaseous nitrogen through nozzles arranged on both side of the coaxial with the wafer center. As a result, the IPA-water solution quickly evaporates without leaving traces of water drops on the dried surface.

Method for precision cleaning and drying flat objects

A single-chamber type cleaning-drying apparatus for flat objects, such as semiconductor wafers, wherein cleaning is carried out by impinging both sides of the wafer, which rotates at a relatively low speed, with jets of a washing liquid and wherein subsequent drying is carried out in the same chamber by increasing the rotation speed of the wafer and supplying isopropyl-alcohol (IPA) mist onto the wafer from the top of the chamber. After the IPA forms a solution with the residue of water on the wafer, the drying process is accelerated by supplying gaseous nitrogen through nozzles arranged on both sides of the wafer he coaxially with the wafer center. As a result, the IPA-water solution quickly evaporates without leaving traces of water drops on the dried surface.

Single-chamber apparatus for precision cleaning and drying of flat objects

A substrate holding and rotary driving mechanism, e.g., for a cleaning chamber with vertical orientation of the wafer, that is comprised of a three-armed spider which is rotatingly installed on the outer side of the cleaning chamber and rotatingly supports on the outer ends of its arms outer shafts with eccentrically arranged inner shafts. The inner shafts pass through the outer shafts into the cleaning chamber where they support contact rollers, while the opposite ends of the inner shafts support gears driven into rotation by a synchronous belt. The contact rollers can be moved apart for insertion or removal of wafers from and into the chamber. This is achieved by turning the spider with eccentric inner shafts in one or another direction.

Growing community of inventors

Dublin, CA, United States of America

Rubinder S Randhawa