SINGLE-SIDED HIGH THROUGHPUT WET ETCHING AND WET PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 20090212019A1
• Filed: 02/23/2009
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Materials And Technologies, Corp.
• Original Assignee: Materials And Technologies, Corp.
• Inventors: FUENTES, Ricardo I.
• Application Number:
  US12/390,993
• Publication Number:
  US 20090212019A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 216/92
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 3/18 only one side of the work coming into contact with the liquid or other fluent material B05C3/02 takes precedence
• 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 21/6776 Continuous loading and unloading into and out of a processing chamber, e.g. transporting belts within processing chambers

Abstract

A processing system includes a plurality of chucks, each of the chucks configured to support a substrate such that a bottom surface of the substrate is exposed, a track configured to guide the plurality of chucks along a continuous path, and a processing arrangement configured to process the bottom surface of each substrate when the track guides the respective chuck over the processing arrangement, the processing arrangement including a fluid meniscus arranged to contact the bottom surface of each substrate when the track guides the respective chuck over the processing arrangement.

Claims

1. A processing system, comprising:

a chuck configured to support a substrate such that a bottom surface of the substrate is exposed;

a track configured to guide the chuck along a continuous path; and

a processing arrangement configured to process the bottom surface of the substrate when the track guides the chuck over the processing arrangement, the processing arrangement including a fluid meniscus arranged to contact the bottom surface of the substrate when the track guides the chuck over the processing arrangement.

2. The processing system according to claim 1, wherein the path lies within a horizontal plane.

3. The processing system according to claim 1, wherein the path lies within a vertical plane.

4. The processing system according to claim 1, wherein the system comprises a plurality of chucks.

5. A processing system, comprising:

a plurality of chucks, each of the chucks configured to support a substrate such that a bottom surface of the substrate is exposed;

a conveyor configured to guide the plurality of chucks along a continuous path; and

a processing arrangement configured to process the bottom surface of each substrate when the track guides the respective chuck over the processing arrangement, the processing arrangement including a fluid meniscus arranged to contact the bottom surface of each substrate when the conveyor guides the chucks over the processing arrangement.

6. The processing system according to claim 5, wherein at least two of the chucks are laterally spaced and arranged at the same location along the path.

7. The processing system according to claim 5, wherein the conveyer includes links.

8. The processing system according to claim 7, wherein at least two of the chucks are disposed laterally on a common link.

9. The processing system according to claim 5, wherein the chucks are provided in conjunction with multifunction heads.

10. The processing system according to claim 5, wherein the chucks are provided in conjunction with planar heads.

11. The processing arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the chucks are built into the conveyor.

12. A method of processing substrates, comprising:

mounting a substrate to a chuck;

moving the chuck along a track that forms a continuous path; and

passing the substrate over a processing arrangement such that the processing arrangement causes exposed bottom surface of the substrate to contact a fluid meniscus of the processing arrangement.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the passing step includes cleaning the bottom surface of the substrate.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the passing step includes rinsing the bottom surface of the substrate.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the passing step includes drying the bottom surface of the substrate.