Brush box containment apparatus

• US 6,272,712 B1
• Filed: 07/07/2000
• Issued: 08/14/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Inventors: Ryle, Lynn, Whitelaw, Brett A., Ravkin, Michael, Olson, Lorin, Gockel, Thomas R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Randall E.
• Application Number:
  US09/612,537
• Time in Patent Office: 403 Days
• Field of Search: 15/77, 15/211, 15/883, 151/02
• US Class Current: 15/77
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67046 using mainly scrubbing means, e.g. brushes

Abstract

A semiconductor processing system, such as a system for scrubbing both sides of a wafer at the same time, that includes a brush box containment apparatus for use with highly-acidic or other volatile chemical solutions, a roller positioning apparatus and a (brush) placement device.

Claims

1. A brush box containment apparatus for use in scrubbing a substrate, said brush box containment apparatus comprising:

a first brush box;

a second brush box;

a base container configured to have disposed therein the first brush box and the second brush box; and

an outlet slot in the first brush box configured to open into an inlet slot in the second brush box thereby forming a passage through which the substrate can transition from the first brush box to the second brush box.

2. A brush box containment apparatus for use in scrubbing a substrate as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a first pair of brushes contained within the first brush box; and

a second pair of brushes contained within the second brush box.

3. A brush box containment apparatus for use in scrubbing a substrate as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

an entry slot defining an initial entrance path into the first brush box; and

an exit slot defining a final exit path out of the second brush box.

4. A brush box containment apparatus for use in scrubbing a substrate as recited in claim 3, wherein the substrate is configured to transition through the first brush box and the second brush box by moving through the entry slot, the outlet slot, the inlet slot, and the exit slot.

5. A brush box containment apparatus for use in scrubbing a substrate as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

an inner cover, the inner cover being configured to enclose the first brush box and the second brush box during substrate scrubbing.

6. A brush box containment apparatus for use in scrubbing a substrate as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

an outer cover being configured to mate over the inner cover.

7. A brush box containment apparatus for use in scrubbing a substrate as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a first drain defined in each of the first brush box and a first location in the base container; and

a second drain defined in each of the second brush box and a second location in the base container.

8. A brush scrubbing enclosure apparatus, comprising:

a first brush box;

a second brush box;

a base container configured to have disposed therein the first brush box and the second brush box;

an entry slot defining a path into the first brush box for a substrate;

an outlet slot defining an exit path out of the first brush box for the substrate;

an inlet slot defining a path into the second brush box for the substrate; and

an exit slot defining a path out of the second brush box for the substrate;

wherein each of the first brush box and the second brush box includes pairs of brushes for scrubbing the substrate.