Delivery of dissolved ozone

• US 6,645,874 B1
• Filed: 05/24/2001
• Issued: 11/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management)
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Torek, Kevin J., Morgan, Paul A., Morgan, Jonathan C.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, KIN CHAN
• Application Number:
  US09/864,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20010037816A1
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• Field of Search: 438/704, 438/705, 438/723, 438/748, 438/756, 134/1.3
• US Class Current: 438/723
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 2203/005 the liquid being ozonated
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/08 the liquid having chemical or dissolving effect substances used, see the relevant classes
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/427 using plasma means only
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31133 by chemical means
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67051 using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6708 using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles

Abstract

An apparatus and method for delivering ozone to a workpiece. In one embodiment, fluid is sprayed onto a workpiece placed in an ozone-rich environment. Alternatively, ozone is mixed with the fluid prior to spraying the fluid onto the workpiece. When spraying the fluid, the invention pulses the fluid at desired rates to create a substantially uniform layer of ozone-rich fluid on the workpiece. In another embodiment, the workpiece is also slowly rotated during at least a portion of the time the layer of ozone-rich fluid is applied to the workpiece.

Claims

1. A method for stripping a layer from a semiconductor wafer, the method comprising:

introducing ozone into a process chamber;

activating a water spray with water from a selector valve for a first predetermined amount of time, thereby creating a water layer over a layer of a semiconductor wafer, wherein the water layer transports concentrations of the ozone to the semiconductor wafer;

deactivating the water spray for a second predetermined amount of time, thereby controlling a thickness of the water layer, wherein during the deactivating, the selector valve redirects the water to allow continuous water flow through the selector valve; and

re-activating and re-deactivating the water spray with the selector valve until the ozone substantially removes portions of the layer from the semiconductor wafer.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising holding the semiconductor wafer stationary.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising rotating the semiconductor wafer below about 100 revolutions per minute (rpm).

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first predetermined amount of time is approximately five seconds.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second predetermined amount of time is approximately twenty seconds.

6. A method of removing unwanted material from a semiconductor workpiece, the method comprising:

providing a semiconductor workpiece in a reaction chamber, wherein the semiconductor workpiece includes unwanted material;

adding a reactive gas to the reaction chamber with unwanted material;

rotating the semiconductor workpiece;

activating a fluid spray within the reaction chamber with fluid from a valve;

deactivating the fluid spray within the reaction chamber wherein during the deactivating, the valve redirects the fluid flow; and

repeating the activating and the deactivating of the fluid spray while rotating the semiconductor workpiece, wherein the rotating and the activating and deactivating control a layer of the fluid spray over the semiconductor workpiece in a manner enhancing the reaction of the reactive gas with the unwanted material.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the activating ranges from about 3% to about 97% of the activating and deactivating time.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the rotating comprises rotational speeds below about 100 revolutions per minute (rpm).

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the rotational speed comprises about 3 rpm.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising heating the reaction chamber to a range from about 20°

C. to about 20°

C. to about 95°

C.

11. A method of removing unwanted material from a workpiece, the method comprising:

providing a workpiece in a process chamber, wherein the workpiece includes a semiconductor including unwanted material;

adding ozone to the process chamber to react with the unwanted material;

rotating the workpiece; and

removing unwanted material from a workpiece by pulsing fluid over the workpiece with fluid from a valve, wherein the value allows fluid flow to continue during the pulsing, wherein the rotating and the pulsing control a layer of the fluid over the semiconductor in a manner enhancing the reaction of the ozone with the unwanted material.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the pulsing fluid pulses through spray nozzles.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the pulsing comprises a duty cycle ranging from about 3% to about 97%.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the duty cycle comprises about 8%.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the duty cycle comprises about 20%.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the duty cycle comprises about 50%.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the duty cycle comprises about a 5 second activation and about a 20 second deactivation.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the duty cycle comprises about a 5 second activation and about a 60 second deactivation.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the duty cycle comprises about a 1 second activation and about a 1 second deactivation.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the rotating comprises rotational speeds below about 100 revolutions per minute (rpm).

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the rotational speed comprises about 3 rpm.

22. The method of claim 11, further comprising heating the process chamber.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the heating heats the process chamber to a range from about 20°

C. to about 95°

C.