SINGLE WAFER METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DRYING SEMICONDUCTOR SUBSTRATES USING AN INERT GAS AIR-KNIFE

• US 20090032068A1
• Filed: 10/12/2008
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Marohl, Dan A., Achkire, Younes, Franklin, Timothy J., Svirchevski, Julia, Stein, Nathan D.
• Application Number:
  US12/249,961
• Publication Number:
  US 20090032068A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/30
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67034 for drying

Abstract

In one aspect, a method is provided. The method comprises forming a meniscus at an interface between a substrate and a fluid surface by moving the substrate through the fluid; shortening the meniscus by applying an air knife to the meniscus at the interface between the substrate and the fluid surface; and Marangoni drying the substrate by applying a drying vapor to the shortened meniscus. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

forming a meniscus at an interface between a substrate and a fluid surface by moving the substrate through the fluid;

shortening the meniscus by applying an air knife to the meniscus at the interface between the substrate and the fluid surface; and

Marangoni drying the substrate by applying a drying vapor to the shortened meniscus.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein moving the substrate through the fluid further comprises:

inclining the substrate from a vertical orientation.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein moving the substrate through the fluid further comprises:

lifting the substrate from a tank of fluid along an inclined path.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the substrate is lifted by a substrate raising mechanism.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein forming the meniscus at the interface between the substrate and the fluid surface further comprises:

forming a first meniscus at an interface between a first side of the substrate and the fluid surface.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein forming the meniscus at the interface between the substrate and the fluid surface further comprises:

forming a second meniscus at an interface between a second side of the substrate and the fluid surface.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

applying a first air-knife to the first meniscus.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

applying a second air-knife to the second meniscus.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

setting a first and second gas delivery angle.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

applying the first air-knife at the first gas delivery angle, wherein the first gas delivery angle is at an angle inclined downwardly from a horizontal plane.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the first gas delivery angle is between 13°

-30°

.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

applying the second air-knife at the second gas delivery angle, wherein the second gas delivery angle is at an angle inclined downwardly from the horizontal plane.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the first and second gas delivery angles are different.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the first and second gas delivery angles are equal.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the air-knife is applied to applied to both hydrophilic and hydrophobic films on the substrate at the same first gas delivery angle.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the air-knife is a nozzle.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

employing gas flow rates between 10-30 liters/minute via the air-knife.

18. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

adjusting the first and second gas delivery angles.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein Marangoni drying the substrate further comprises:

applying the drying vapor to the shortened meniscus via the air-knife.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

employing a Marangoni drying nozzle to supply the Marangoni drying vapor to the shortened meniscus.