The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 22, 2003
Filed:
Dec. 07, 2001
Sanjay Gopinath, Fremont, CA (US);
Patrick A. Van Cleemput, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Francisco Juarez, Fremont, CA (US);
Krishnan Shrinivasan, San Jose, CA (US);
Novellus Systems, Inc., San Jose, CA (US);
Abstract
The present invention pertains to apparatus and methods for maintaining wafer back side, bevel, and front side edge exclusion during supercritical fluid processing. Apparatus of the invention include a pedestal and an exclusion ring. When the exclusion ring is engaged with the pedestal a channel is formed. A reactant-free supercritical fluid is passed through the channel and over a circumferential front edge of a wafer. The flow of reactant-free supercritical fluid protects the bevel and circumferential front edge of the wafer from exposure to reactants in a supercritical processing medium. The back side of the wafer is protected by contact with the pedestal and the flow of reactant-free supercritical fluid. Exclusion rings of the invention, when engaged with their corresponding pedestals make no or very little physical contact with the wafer front side.