Wafer scrubbing device having brush assembly and mounting assembly forming spherical joint

• US 6,820,298 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2001
• Issued: 11/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Yu, Ying, Sugarman, Michael, White, John M
• Primary Examiner(s): Snider, Theresa T.
• Application Number:
  US09/838,959
• Publication Number:
  US 20020152567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: 15/77, 15/211, 151/79, 153/92, 15/883, 403/321, 403/322.1, 403/322.3, 403/322.4, 403/324, 403/325
• US Class Current: 15/77
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 1/32 using rotary cleaning members
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67046 using mainly scrubbing means, e.g. brushes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/591 having operating mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/599 Spring biased manipulator

Abstract

A brush mounting system for a wafer scrubbing device includes a brush mandrel and a mounting assembly on which the brush mandrel is mounted. The mounting assembly includes a mounting member adapted to be mounted to a wall of the wafer scrubbing device, and a bearing secured to the mounting member. A brush support is rotatably mounted on the bearing and has an outer end that includes a contact surface adapted to contact the brush mandrel. The contact surface has a spherical profile. The brush mandrel includes a corresponding contact surface having a spherical profile, so that the brush mandrel and the mounting assembly form a spherical joint at the point of contact.

Claims

1. A mounting assembly for a wafer-scrubber brush, comprising:

a bearing;

a brush support rotatably mounted on the bearing and having an outer end adapted to couple to a brush mandrel; and

a flexible coupling adapted to flexibly mount the bearing to a mounting member.

2. The mounting assembly of claim 1, wherein the outer end of the brush support includes a contact surface adapted to contact the brush mandrel, the contact surface having a spherical profile.

3. The mounting assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a housing in which the bearing is mounted; and

a second bearing mounted in the housing;

the housing being mounted on the flexible coupling.

4. The mounting assembly of claim 1, wherein the outer end of the brush support includes a contact surface that compensates for a difference in an axial alignment of the mounting member and a second mounting member used in supporting the brush mandrel.

5. The mounting assembly of claim 1, wherein the outer end of the brush support includes a contact surface that compensates for a difference in an axial alignment of the mounting member and the brush mandrel.

6. The mounting assembly of claim 1, further comprising the mounting member, wherein the mounting member is adapted to be pivotably mounted to a wall of a wafer scrubbing device.

7. The mounting assembly of claim 1, wherein the outer end of the brush support includes a contact surface that has a convex shape adapted to mate with a concave portion of the brush mandrel.

8. The mounting assembly of claim 1, wherein the outer end of the brush support includes a contact surface that has a concave shape adapted to mate with a convex portion of the brush mandrel.

9. The mounting assembly of claim 1, further comprising a spring enclosed in the brush support and adapted to bias the outer end of the brush support against the brush mandrel.

10. A mounting assembly for a wafer-scrubber brush, comprising:

a mounting member adapted to be mounted to a wall of a wafer scrubbing device;

a bearing secured to the mounting member; and

a brush support rotatably mounted on the bearing and having an outer end that includes a contact surface adapted to contact a brush mandrel, the contact surface having a spherical profile;

wherein the outer end of the brush support includes an extension member that extends outwardly beyond the contact surface and is adapted to limit rotational motion of the outer end of the brush support relative to the brush mandrel.

11. The mounting assembly of claim 10, wherein the contact surface compensates for a difference in an axial alignment of the mounting member and a second mounting member used in supporting the brush mandrel.

12. The mounting assembly of claim 10 wherein the contact surface compensates for a difference in an axial alignment of the mounting member and the brush mandrel.

13. The mounting assembly of claim 10, wherein the mounting member is adapted to be pivotably mounted to the wall of a wafer scrubbing device.

14. The mounting assembly of claim 10, wherein the contact surface has a convex shape adapted to mate with a concave portion of the brush mandrel.

15. The mounting assembly of claim 10, wherein the contact surface has a concave shape adapted to mate with a convex portion of the brush mandrel.

16. The mounting assembly of claim 10, further comprising a spring enclosed in the brush support and adapted to bias the outer end of the brush support against the brush mandrel.