Method and apparatus for cleaning a wafer substrate

• US 20080011332A1
• Filed: 07/06/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Accretech USA Incorporated (Tokyo Seimitsu Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Accretech USA Incorporated (Tokyo Seimitsu Company Limited)
• Inventors: Robbins, Michael, Stratton, Scott, Sadam, Satish, Bailey, Joel, Huret, Jean-Michel, Forderhase, Paul
• Application Number:
  US11/825,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20080011332A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/56R
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 25/00 Manufacturing, calibrating, cleaning, or repairing instruments or devices referred to in the other groups of this subclass testing, calibrating or compensating compasses G01C17/38
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32366 Localised processing
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31116 by dry-etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31612 on a silicon body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67069 for drying etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6708 using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/681 using optical controlling means

Abstract

An edge area of the substrate processing device is disclosed. The edge area being processed is isolated from the remainder of the substrate by directing a flow of an inert gas through a plenum near the area to be processed thus forming a barrier while directing a flow of reactive species at an angle relative to the top surface of the substrate towards the substrate edge area thus processing the substrate edge area. A flow of oxygen containing gas into the processing chamber together with a negative exhaust pressure may contribute to the biasing of reactive species and other gases away from the non-processing areas of the substrate.

Claims

1. A system for processing the wafer comprising:

a multi-axis wafer support structure;

a processing chamber surrounding a portion of the support structure, said processing chamber having an oxygen containing atmosphere;

a plurality of reactive gas nozzles disposed within the chamber; and

a reactive gas source coupled to the nozzles, said reactive gas source having an automatic flow shutoff system.

2. The system according to claim 1 further comprising a clean flame ignition system.

3. The system according to claim 1 further comprising a flame quality control system which monitors the output of the flame.

4. The system according to claim 3 wherein the flame quality control system comprises a spectral fingerprint system which inspects the plurality of reactive gas nozzles.

5. The system according to claim 4 wherein the spectral fingerprint system determines if the energy output of the flame at a predetermined frequency is within a tolerance limits.

6. A substrate edge processing apparatus, comprising:

an isolator member comprising a nozzle manifold and an exhaust plenum, wherein the nozzle manifold covers a portion of an edge of the substrate and the exhaust plenum extends away from the substrate;

a movable support structure configured to move the substrate in at least three axes of direction;

a processing chamber disposed about the substrate and a portion of the movable support structure, said chamber containing an oxygen containing atmosphere at atmospheric pressure; and

a seal disposed between the movable support structure and the processing chamber.

7. The system according to claim 6 wherein the seal comprises a plate defining a groove fluidly coupled to a vacuum source.

8. The system according to claim 7 wherein the plate further defines an aperture surrounding a portion of the movable support structure, said aperture defining a second groove coupled to the vacuum source.

9. A system for processing the wafer comprising:

a processing chamber comprising an oxygen containing atmosphere at atmospheric pressure;

a multi-axis wafer support structure;

a plurality of reactive gas nozzles configured to direct flame onto only the edge portion of a wafer;

a reactive gas source coupled to the nozzles, said reactive gas source having an automatic flow shutoff system; and

a clean flame ignition system.

10. The system according to claim 9 further comprising a flame quality control system which monitors the output of the flame.

11. The system according to claim 10 wherein the flame quality control system comprises a spectral analysis system.

12. The system according to claim 11 wherein the spectral analysis system calculates a spectral output value for emissions from the flames.

13. The system according to claim 12 further comprising a controller configured to determine if the flames are ignited based on the spectral output value.

14. The system according to claim 13 wherein the controller provides a signal to the automatic flow shutoff system when the spectral output is below a predetermined value.

15. The system according to claim 9 wherein automatic flow shutoff system provides nonflammable gas to the reactive gas nozzles.

16. A wafer edge processing apparatus, comprising:

a movable wafer support structure;

a processing chamber disposed about a portion of the wafer support structure, said processing chamber comprising an oxygen containing atmosphere;

an isolator member coupled to the processing chamber, said isolator member comprising a nozzle manifold;

a clean flame ignition system which ignites reaction gas from the nozzle manifold to produce a reaction flame; and

a gas flow control system configured to regulate the flow of reactive gas to the nozzle manifold.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein a movable support structure is configured to move the wafer in r, z and θ

directions.

18. The wafer edge processing system of claim 16 wherein the oxygen containing atmosphere is CDA.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the clean igniter system comprises a ceramic hot body igniter.

20. The apparatus according to claim 16 further comprising a spectral analysis system for monitoring the spectrum of the reaction flame during the processing of a wafer.

21. The system according to claim 20 wherein the spectral analysis system calculates the area of a spectral output between a pair of predetermined wavelengths.

22. The system according to claim 21 wherein the nozzle manifold comprises a plurality of nozzles, each nozzle being feed with a different reactive gas.

23. The system according to claim 21 wherein the gas flow system provides an oxygen rich atmosphere into the processing chamber.

24. The system according to claim 23 wherein the gas flow system provides blocking flow gases.

25. The system according to claim 16 further comprising an exhaust system.

26. The system according to claim 16 further comprising a wafer inspection system configured to inspect the edge of the wafer.

27. The system according to claim 26 wherein the wafer inspection system utilizes thin film spectroscopic reflectivity.

28. The system according to claim 16 further comprising a labyrinth seal coupled to the movable wafer support structure to seal the processing chamber.