Semitool, Inc.

Scott A Bruner

Kyle Moran Hanson

Paul Zachary Wirth

Steven L Peace

Raymon F Thompson

Eric Lund

Jon Kuntz

Coby S Grove

Jonathan Kuntz

A system for processing wafers includes a robot moveable within an enclosure to load and unload workpieces into and out of workpiece processors. A processor includes an upper rotor having alignment pins, and a lower rotor having one or more openings for receiving the alignment pins to form a processing chamber around the workpiece. The alignment pins center the workpiece relative to a rotor spin axis and to an etch or drain groove in the upper rotor. A first fluid outlet delivers processing fluid to a central region of the workpiece. The processing fluid is distributed across the workpiece surface via centrifugal force generated by spinning the processing chamber. Purge gas is optionally delivered into the processing chamber through an annular opening around the first fluid outlet to help remove processing fluid from the processing chamber.

Single workpiece processing system

A system and method for processing a workpiece, includes workpiece processors. A robot is moveable within an enclosure to load and unload workpieces into and out of the processors. A processor includes an upper rotor having a central air flow opening. The upper rotor is magnetically driven into engagement with a lower rotor to form a workpiece processing chamber. A moveable drain mechanism aligns different drain paths with the processing chamber so that different processing fluids may be removed from the processing chamber via different drain paths. A moveable nozzle positioned in the air flow opening distributes processing fluid to the workpiece. The processing fluid is distributed across the workpiece surface, via centrifugal force generated by spinning the processing chamber, and removed from the processing chamber via the moveable drain mechanism.

An apparatus for processing a microelectronic workpiece, such as a semiconductor wafer, is set forth. The apparatus comprises a processing bowl that defines a processing chamber. A seal is provided to assist in removing fluids, such as processing fluids, from the processing chamber that are in the proximity of the seal. Further, the seal is provided to assist in preventing the fluids from entering the motor. To this end, flow generating threads and expulsion threads are provided at an end of a shaft assembly that is connected to be driven by the motor. A member substantially surrounds at least a portion of the flow generating threads and at least a portion of the expulsion threads. Together, the member defines a chamber with the shaft assembly. Rotation of the shaft assembly results in corresponding rotation of the flow generating threads and expulsion threads to drive fluids proximate the shaft assembly to an exhaust while concurrently assisting in preventing such fluids from entering the motor.

Seal configuration for use with a motor drive assembly in a microelectronic workpiece processing system

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Kalispell, MT, United States of America

Scott A Bruner