Apparatus and method for substrate preparation implementing a surface tension reducing process

• US 20030000034A1
• Filed: 05/17/2002
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Inventors: Welsh, Christopher M., Matsumoto, Jack T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,000,623 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/77
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67034 for drying
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67051 using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 134/902 Semiconductor wafer

Abstract

Methods and systems for preparing a substrate implementing a surface tension reducing process are provided. In one example, a substrate preparation system includes a chuck which fingers for edge gripping the substrate. The chuck is hollow to provide simultaneous access to both active and backside surfaces of the substrate, and is configured to rotate the substrate. The system includes dispense arms positioned over the substrate surfaces. The dispense arms are capable of moving between a center region and a periphery of the substrate surfaces, and each dispense arm includes a pair of supply lines for delivering fluids over the substrate surfaces. A connection couples the upper dispense arm with the lower dispense arm so that the dispense arms synchronously move between the center region and the periphery of the substrate, and remain aligned on opposite surfaces of the substrate.

Claims

1. A system for rinsing and drying a substrate, comprising:

(a) a chuck having fingers for edge gripping the substrate, the chuck being configured to rotate the substrate;

(b) an upper dispense arm positioned over an active surface of the substrate, the upper dispense arm being capable of moving between a center region and a periphery of the active surface of the substrate, the upper dispense arm further having a pair of supply lines for delivering fluids over the active surface of the substrate;

(c) a lower dispense arm positioned below a backside surface of the substrate, the lower dispense arm being capable of moving between a center region and a periphery of the backside surface of the substrate, the lower dispense arm further having a pair of supply lines for delivering fluids over the backside surface of the substrate; and

(d) a connection coupling the upper dispense arm with the lower dispense arm so that as the upper dispense arm and the lower dispense arm move between the center region and the periphery of the substrate, the upper dispense arm and the lower dispense arm remain aligned on opposite surfaces of the substrate.

2. The system for rinsing and drying a substrate of claim 1, further comprising:

a spray shield surrounding the substrate in the chuck, the spray shield being configured with a sliding door, wherein when the sliding door is in an open position access is provided to insert and remove the substrate from the fingers of the chuck.

3. The system for rinsing and drying a substrate of claim 1, wherein the chuck is configured to be exchangeable with a chuck of a particular size for each of a plurality of substrate sizes

4. The system for rinsing and drying a substrate of claim 3, wherein the chuck is a hollow chuck providing access to both the active surface and the backside surface at the same time.

5. The system for rinsing and drying a substrate of claim 1, wherein each of the pair of supply lines of the upper dispense arm and each of the pair of supply lines of the lower dispense arm is configured to supply one of an etching fluid, a cleaning fluid, a rinsing fluid, and a drying agent.

6. The system for rinsing and drying a substrate of claim 5, wherein the cleaning fluid includes HF, NH₄OH, H₂O₂, HCl, HNO₃, H₂CO₃, HBr, H₃PO₄, and H₂SO₄.

7. The system for rinsing and drying a substrate of claim 5, wherein the drying agent includes isopropyl alcohol, diacetone, ethyllactate, ethylglycol, and methylpyrrolidon.

8. The system for rinsing and drying a substrate of claim 2, further comprising a substrate sensor configured to determine accurate positioning of a substrate in fingers of the chuck.

9. The system for rinsing and drying a substrate of claim 1, wherein the connection coupling the upper dispense arm and the lower dispense arm is a magnetic connection.

10. A system for rinsing and drying a substrate, comprising:

(a) a chuck having fingers for edge gripping the substrate, the chuck being configured to rotate the substrate;

(b) a first dispense arm positioned adjacent to an active surface of the substrate, the first dispense arm being capable of moving between a center region and a peripheral edge of the active surface of the substrate, the first dispense arm further having a pair of supply lines for delivering fluids over the active surface of the substrate;

(c) a second dispense arm positioned adjacent to a backside surface of the substrate, the second dispense arm being capable of moving between a center region and a peripheral edge of the backside surface of the substrate, the second dispense arm further having a pair of supply lines for delivering fluids over the backside surface of the substrate; and

(d) a spray shield surrounding the substrate in the chuck, the spray shield being configured with a sliding door, wherein when the sliding door is in an open position access is provided to insert and remove the substrate from the fingers of the chuck.

11. The system for rinsing and drying a substrate of claim 10, further comprising:

a connection coupling the first dispense arm with the second dispense arm so that as the first dispense arm and the second dispense arm move between the center region and the peripheral edge of the substrate, the first dispense arm and the second dispense arm remain aligned on opposite surfaces of the substrate.

12. The system for rinsing and drying a substrate of claim 11, wherein the connection coupling the first dispense arm with the second dispense arm is a magnetic connection.

13. The system for rinsing and drying a substrate of claim 10, further comprising:

a pneumatic tube along a base of the spray shield and sliding door;

a magnetic ball disposed within the pneumatic tube; and

a magnetic latch configured to the sliding door,

wherein the magnetic latch is configured to slideably attach the sliding door to the pneumatic tube so that movement of the magnetic ball within the pneumatic tube slides the sliding door to position the sliding door in one of the open position or a closed position.

14. The system for rinsing and drying a substrate of claim 10, wherein the chuck is configured to be exchangeable with a chuck of a particular size for each of a plurality of substrate sizes

15. The system for rinsing and drying a substrate of claim 10, wherein the chuck is a hollow chuck providing simultaneous access to both the active surface and the backside surface of the substrate.

16. The system for rinsing and drying a substrate of claim 10, wherein each of the pair of supply lines of the first dispense arm and each of the pair of supply lines of the second dispense arm is configured to supply one of an etching fluid, a cleaning fluid, a rinsing fluid, and a drying agent.

18. The system for preparing a substrate of claim 17, further comprising:

a magnetic connection coupling the first dispense arm with the second dispense arm so that as the first dispense arm and the second dispense arm move between the center region and the peripheral edge of the substrate, the first dispense arm and the second dispense arm remain aligned on opposite surfaces of the substrate.

19. The system for preparing a substrate of claim 17, further comprising:

a spray shield surrounding the substrate in the chuck, the spray shield being configured with a sliding door, wherein when the sliding door is in an open position access is provided to insert and remove the substrate from the fingers of the chuck.

20. The system for preparing a substrate of claim 17, wherein the chuck is configured to be removable and the system is configurable to accept a chuck of a particular size for each of a plurality of substrate sizes

21. The system for preparing a substrate of claim 17, wherein the chuck is a hollow chuck providing access to both the active surface and the backside surface at the same time.

22. The system for preparing a substrate of claim 17, wherein each of the first pair of supply lines of the first dispense arm and each of the second pair of supply lines of the second dispense arm is configured to supply one of an etching fluid, a cleaning fluid, a rinsing fluid, and a drying agent.

23. The system for preparing a substrate of claim 17, wherein the system is integrated with at least one brush box scrubber as an integrated substrate processing module.

24. The system for preparing a substrate of claim 17, wherein the system is integrated with a substrate processing cluster module including a wafer handling system, a load and unload module, and an etch process module.

25. The system for preparing a substrate of claim 17, wherein the system is integrated with a substrate processing cluster module including a wafer handling system, a load and unload module, and chemical mechanical planarization process module.

26. The system for preparing a substrate of claim 17, wherein the system is integrated with a substrate processing cluster module including a wafer handling system, a load and unload module, an etch process module, and chemical mechanical planarization process module.

17. A system for preparing a substrate, comprising:

(a) a chuck having fingers for edge gripping the substrate, the chuck being configured to rotate the substrate;

(b) a first dispense arm positioned beside an active surface of the substrate, the first dispense arm being capable of moving between a center region and a peripheral edge of the active surface of the substrate, the first dispense arm further having a first pair of supply lines for delivering fluids over the active surface of the substrate, the first pair of supply lines being angled in a direction toward the peripheral edge; and

(c) a second dispense arm positioned beside a backside surface of the substrate, the second dispense arm being capable of moving between a center region and a peripheral edge of the backside surface of the substrate, the second dispense arm further having a second pair of supply lines for delivering fluids over the backside surface of the substrate, the second pair of supply lines being angled in a direction toward the peripheral edge.