Wet processing using a fluid meniscus, apparatus and method

• US 20070084560A1
• Filed: 10/16/2006
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Materials And Technologies, Corp.
• Original Assignee: Materials And Technologies, Corp.
• Inventors: Fuentes, Ricardo
• Granted Patent: US 8,852,383 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/345.110
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/161 from plating step, e.g. inkjet
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/02 Electroplating of selected surface areas
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67057 with the semiconductor substrates being dipped in baths or vessels
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67086 with the semiconductor substrates being dipped in baths or vessels
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6715 Apparatus for applying a liquid, a resin, an ink or the like H01L21/67126 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 134/902 Semiconductor wafer

Abstract

A wet processing apparatus and method that takes advantage of a fluid meniscus to process at least a portion of a surface of an object. After one surface of the object has been processed another side or surface of the object can be similarly processed. This processing can be coating, etching, plating, to name a few. An application of the apparatus and method is in the semiconductor processing industry, especially, the processing of wafers and substrates. The method and apparatus also allows the processing of multiple surfaces of an electronic component.

Claims

1. An apparatus for performing a fluid meniscus process on an object, the object having a first surface and a second surface, comprising:

(a) at least one holding tank containing a fluid forming a fluid meniscus;

(b) a holding fixture for holding the object such that at least a portion of the fluid meniscus contacts and is transferred to at least a portion of the second surface of the object; and

(c) a fluid interaction element configured to interact with the at least a portion of the fluid meniscus that was transferred to the second surface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluid interaction element is configured to at least one of move, displace, remove, spread and dry the at least a portion of the fluid meniscus that was transferred to the second surface.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluid interaction element is an air device that is configured to blow air towards the at least a portion of the fluid meniscus that was transferred to the second surface.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluid interaction element is a vacuum device that is configured to provide a vacuum to the at least a portion of the fluid meniscus that was transferred to the second surface.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluid interaction element is a blade that is configured to move the at least a portion of the fluid meniscus that was transferred to the second surface.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluid interaction element is a capillary material that is configured to move the at least a portion of the fluid meniscus that was transferred to the second surface.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluid interaction element is moveable relative to the object.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the fluid interaction element is configured to move into and/or out of a path defined by the movement of the object.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein a movement of the fluid interaction element corresponds to a motion of the object.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the movement of the fluid interaction element corresponds to at least one of a speed and a direction of motion of the object.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the movement of the fluid interaction element is actuated by an actuator, the actuator being at least one of pneumatic and electromagnetic.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein at least one of the fluid interaction element and the object are configured to move relative to each other, the relative motion including at least one of translation, rotation, oscillation, and/or portions, combinations, or superpositions of said motions.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluid interaction element is configured to provide a gas on at least a portion of the first surface of the object so as to prevent the at least a portion of the fluid meniscus that was transferred to the second surface from moving to the first surface.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the gas is provided so as to prevent liquid, vapor and/or gas generated by the at least a portion of the fluid meniscus that was transferred to the second surface from moving to the first surface.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the holding fixture functions in combination with the fluid interaction element so as to prevent the at least a portion of the fluid meniscus that was transferred to the second surface from moving to the first surface.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the holding tank has a shape, and imparts a corresponding shape to the fluid meniscus, that includes one of a long rectangle, a “

pie”

shape, a “

D”

shape, a round shape, and combinations, superpositions or distortions of said shapes.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to remove the at least a portion of the fluid meniscus from contact with the second surface of the object after at least one such contact.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the object is selected from a group consisting of semiconductor wafer, substrate, metal and non-metal composites, metal and non-metallic material, silicon, indium phosphide, ceramic, glass, group IV element, group III-V compound, group II-VI compound, and binaries and ternaries thereof.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the object is held by the holding fixture using at least one of mechanical, vacuum, electrostatic, fluidic, magnetic and electromagnetic operation.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluid is selected from a group consisting of an etching fluid, a plating fluid, a solvent, a photo resist, a developer and a stripper.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluid in the holding tank is at least one of re-circulated, agitated, heated and replenished.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the object has at least one coating of at least one material, and wherein the coating is selected from a group consisting of metal, organic material, inorganic material, insulator and resist.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the holding tank has at least one channel to hold the fluid.

24. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the holding tank has at least one overflow channel.

25. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluid is injected onto the holding tank using at least one pump.

26. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluid etches the at least a portion of the second surface of the object, and wherein the object is selected from a group consisting of semiconductor wafer, substrate, metal and non-metal composites, metal and non-metallic material, silicon, indium phosphide, ceramic, glass, group IV element, group III-V compound, group II-VI compound, and binaries and ternaries thereof.

27. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluid meniscus is used to perform a function selected from a group consisting of etching, thinning, electroplating, micro-structure release, cleaning, electronic device fabrication, electrochemical processing, photochemical processing, photo-electro plating, optoelectronic processing, patterning, resist application, developing, plating, coating and stripping.