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.

Date of Patent:
Apr. 27, 2004

Filed:

Dec. 07, 2001
Applicant:
Inventors:

Eric Hansen, Boise, ID (US);

Victor Mimken, Boise, ID (US);

Martin Bleck, Eagle, ID (US);

M. Rao Yalamanchili, Eagle, ID (US);

John Rosato, Boise, ID (US);

Assignee:
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H01L 2/100 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H01L 2/100 ;
Abstract

In a method for treating a semiconductor substrate, a single substrate is positioned in a single-substrate process chamber and subjected to wet etching, cleaning and/or drying steps. The single substrate may be exposed to etch or clean chemistry in the single-substrate processing chamber as turbulence is induced in the etch or clean chemistry to thin the boundary layer of fluid attached to the substrate. Megasonic energy and/or disturbances in the chamber surfaces may provide the turbulence for boundary layer thinning. According to another aspect of a method according to the present invention, megasonic energy may be directed into a region within the single-substrate process chamber to create a zone of boundary layer thinning across the substrate surface, and a single substrate may be translated through the zone during a rinsing or cleaning process within the chamber to optimize cleaning/rinsing performance within the zone.


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