METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HIGH EFFICIENCY POST CMP CLEAN USING ENGINEERED VISCOUS FLUID

• US 20160083676A1
• Filed: 08/31/2015
• Published: 03/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: BROWN, Brian J., REDEKER, Fred C., MIKHAYLICHENKO, Ekaterina
• Application Number:
  US14/840,146
• Publication Number:
  US 20160083676A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/146 Sulfuric acid esters
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 17/003 Colloidal solutions, e.g. gels; Thixotropic solutions or pastes
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 2111/22 Electronic devices, e.g. PCBs or semiconductors
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3753 Polyvinylalcohol; Ethers or esters thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3773 in liquid compositions
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0085 Apparatus for treatments of printed circuits with liquids not provided for in groups H05K3/02 - H05K3/46; conveyors and holding means therefor apparatus specially adapted for manufacturing assemblages of electric components, e.g. printed circuit boards, H05K13/00

Abstract

Embodiments of the present apparatus and methods for post CMP clean. More particularly, embodiments provide apparatus and methods for removing nano sized particles. One embodiment provides a method for cleaning a substrate. The method includes exposing the substrate to a viscoelastic fluid to remove small particles from the substrate. The viscoelastic fluid comprising a viscosity adjustor and an aqueous base.

Claims

1. A method for cleaning a substrate, comprising:

exposing the substrate to a viscoelastic fluid to remove small particles from the substrate, wherein the viscoelastic fluid comprising;

a viscosity adjustor; and

an aqueous base.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein exposing the substrate to the viscoelastic fluid comprises rotating the substrate while spraying the viscoelastic fluid towards the substrate.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

rotating a disk brush against the surface of the substrate.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the disk brush is made of polyvinyl acetate.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein exposing the substrate to the viscoelastic fluid comprising rotating the substrate in a bath of the viscoelastic fluid.

6. A method for post CMP cleaning, comprising:

exposing the substrate to a viscoelastic fluid to remove small particles from the substrate, wherein the viscoelastic fluid comprising;

a viscosity adjustor; and

an aqueous base; and

cleaning the substrate using at least one of a brush box, a rinsing station, a spray jet unit, a megasonic cleaner, or combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein exposing the substrate to the viscoelastic fluid comprises pre-cleaning the substrate in a pre-clean station before cleaning the substrate.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising rotating an ultra soft scrubber disk against the substrate while spraying the viscoelastic fluid towards the substrate.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein exposing the substrate to a viscoelastic fluid is performed after cleaning the substrate.

10. A viscoelastic fluid for cleaning a substrate, comprising:

an aqueous base; and

a viscosity adjustor for increasing a viscosity of the viscoelastic fluid.

11. The viscoelastic fluid of claim 10, wherein the viscosity adjustor comprises a polymer.

12. The viscoelastic fluid of claim 11, wherein the polymer comprises polyacrylamide (PAM), poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polyvinyl acetate (PVA), or combinations thereof.

13. The viscoelastic fluid of claim 11, wherein the viscosity adjustor further comprises a thickener.

14. The viscoelastic fluid of claim 13, wherein the thickener comprises glycol.

15. The viscoelastic fluid of claim 10, wherein the aqueous base is DI water.

16. The viscoelastic fluid of claim 15, wherein the DI water is about 95% by weight.

17. The viscoelastic fluid of claim 10, further comprising a pH adjustor.

18. The viscoelastic fluid of claim 17, wherein the pH adjustor comprises one of ammonium hydroxide (NH₄OH) and tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH).

19. The viscoelastic fluid of claim 10, further comprising a surfactant.

20. The viscoelastic fluid of claim 19, wherein the surfactant is ammonium dodecyl sulfate.