Single workpiece processing system

• US 6,969,682 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2003
• Issued: 11/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Semitool Incorporated (Applied Materials Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kuntz, Jon, Peace, Steven L., Hanson, Kyle M., Wirth, Paul Z., Bruner, Scott A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, GRANVILL D
• Application Number:
  US10/693,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20040129302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 438/694, 438/758, 438/906, 438/913, 118715-723, 118729-730, 118900-902, 134153-157, 156/345.55
• US Class Current: 438/694
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/32134 by liquid etching only
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67017 Apparatus for fluid treatment H01L21/67126, H01L21/6715 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6715 Apparatus for applying a liquid, a resin, an ink or the like H01L21/67126 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 438/906 Cleaning of wafer as interim step
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 438/913 Diverse treatments performed in unitary chamber

Abstract

A system for processing wafers includes a robot moveable within an enclosure to load and unload workpieces into and out of workpiece processors. A processor includes an upper rotor having alignment pins, and a lower rotor having one or more openings for receiving the alignment pins to form a processing chamber around the workpiece. The alignment pins center the workpiece relative to a rotor spin axis and to an etch or drain groove in the upper rotor. A first fluid outlet delivers processing fluid to a central region of the workpiece. The processing fluid is distributed across the workpiece surface via centrifugal force generated by spinning the processing chamber. Purge gas is optionally delivered into the processing chamber through an annular opening around the first fluid outlet to help remove processing fluid from the processing chamber.

Claims

1. A system for processing a workpiece, comprising:

a plurality of workpiece processors, with at least one of the workpiece processors comprising;

a first rotor including a plurality of alignment pins;

a second rotor including one or more receiving surfaces for receiving the alignment pins, with the first and second rotors forming a workpiece processing chamber when the alignment pins are engaged with the second rotor; and

a robot moveable between the workpiece processors for loading and unloading the workpiece into and out of one or more of the processors.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the alignment pins includes a tapered leading end, and wherein the receiving surface comprises a tapered opening for receiving the tapered leading ends of the alignment pins.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the alignment pins are positioned at least partially around a periphery of the first rotor such that an inner surface of each of the alignment pins contacts or closely contains an edge of the workpiece to align the workpiece within the processing chamber.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of support pins on at least one of the first rotor and the second rotor for contacting at least one of an upper surface and a lower surface of a workpiece located in the processing chamber.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the support pins are positioned to contact the workpiece at locations outside of a fluid path used for processing an edge of the workpiece.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising a drain groove in the first rotor, and wherein the support pins are positioned at least 3 mm radially inwardly from an outer edge of the drain groove.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the receiving surface on the second rotor comprises a plurality of holes in the lower rotor.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of horizontally oriented weep holes in the first rotor for removing processing fluid from the processing chamber.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the first rotor is an upper rotor, on top of the second rotor.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the receiving surface comprises a tapered wall on the second rotor.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising a fluid applicator in the first rotor for delivering a processing fluid to a central region of the workpiece.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the fluid applicator comprises a spray nozzle.

13. The system of claim 1 further comprising a fluid delivery path extending through at least one of the first rotor and the second rotor and terminating adjacent a circumferential outer edge of the rotor.

14. A system for processing a workpiece, comprising:

a plurality of workpiece processors, with at least one of the workpiece processors comprising;

a first rotor;

a second rotor engageable with the first rotor to form a workpiece processing chamber;

a fluid applicator for delivering a processing fluid to a central portion of a workpiece located in the processing chamber;

a substantially annular opening around an outer periphery of the fluid applicator;

a purge gas source for delivering a purge gas through the annular opening into the processing chamber; and

a robot moveable between the workpiece processors for loading and unloading the workpiece into and out of one or more of the processors.

15. The system of claim 14 further including a fluid delivery tube within the fluid applicator and terminating flush with a lower end of the fluid applicator.

16. The system of claim 14 further comprising a plurality of alignment pins on the first rotor for engaging the second rotor to align the workpiece within the processing chamber.

17. A system for processing a workpiece, comprising:

a plurality of workpiece processors, with at least one of the workpiece processors comprising;

a first rotor;

a second rotor engageable with the first rotor to form a workpiece processing chamber;

a shield plate between the first and second rotors for directing the first processing fluid to the edge of the workpiece; and

a robot moveable between the workpiece processors for loading and unloading the workpiece into and out of one or more of the processors.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising a fluid applicator for delivering a processing fluid onto the shield plate.

19. The system of claim 17 further comprising a purge gas source for supplying a purge gas through a central opening in the shield plate.

20. The system of claim 17 further comprising a plurality of support pins on the first rotor for contacting an upper surface of the workpiece, with the support pins positioned to contact the upper surface of the workpiece at locations outside of a fluid path of the first processing fluid.

21. The system of claim 20 further including a drain groove in the first rotor and wherein the support pins are positioned radially inwardly from an outer edge of the drain groove by at least 2 mm.

22. A system for processing a workpiece, comprising:

a plurality of workpiece processors, with at least one of the workpiece processors including;

a first rotor;

a second rotor engageable with the first rotor to form a workpiece processing chamber;

a process fluid supply line in the second rotor having an outlet adjacent to an outside surface of the process chamber, for supplying a process fluid directly to an edge area of a workpiece, when a workpiece is placed into the processor; and

a robot moveable between the processors.

23. A system for processing a workpiece, comprising:

a plurality of workpiece processors, with at least one of the workpiece processors comprising;

a first rotor including an alignment means;

a second rotor including a receiving means for receiving the alignment means, with the first and second rotors forming a workpiece processing chamber when the alignment means is en with the receiving means; and

a robot moveable between the workpiece processors for loading and unloading the workpiece into and out of one or more of the processors.

24. The system of claim 23 further comprising a first fluid delivery means for delivering a first processing fluid to an upper surface of the workpiece, and a second fluid delivery means for delivering a second processing fluid to an edge of the workpiece.

25. A workpiece processor, comprising:

a first rotor including a plurality of alignment pins;

a second rotor including one or more receiving surfaces for receiving the alignment pins, with the first and second rotors forming a workpiece processing chamber when the alignment pins are engaged with the second rotor;

at least one inlet leading into the processing chamber, for supplying a process liquid onto the workpiece; and

at least one outlet in the processing chamber for removing process liquid.

26. The processor of claim 25 wherein the alignment pins are positioned at least partially around a periphery of the first rotor such that an inner surface of each of the alignment pins contacts or closely contains an edge of the workpiece to align the workpiece within the processing chamber.

27. The processor of claim 25 further comprising a plurality of support pins on at least one of the first rotor and the second rotor for contacting at least one of an upper surface and a lower surface of a workpiece located in the processing chamber, and with the support pins positioned to contact the workpiece at locations outside of a fluid path used for processing an edge of the workpiece.

28. The processor of claim 27 further comprising a drain groove in the first rotor, and wherein the support pins are positioned at least 3 mm radially inwardly from an outer edge of the drain groove.

29. The processor of claim 25 wherein the receiving surface comprises a tapered wall on the second rotor.

30. The processor of claim 25 further comprising a fluid delivery path extending through at least one of the first rotor and the second rotor and terminating adjacent a circumferential outer edge of the rotor.

31. A workpiece processor, comprising:

a first rotor;

a second rotor engageable with the first rotor to form a workpiece processing chamber;

a fluid applicator for delivering a processing fluid to a central portion of a workpiece located in the processing chamber;

a substantially annular opening around an outer periphery of the fluid applicator; and

a purge gas source for delivering a purge gas through the annular opening into the processing chamber.

32. The processor of claim 31 further including a fluid delivery tube within the fluid applicator and terminating flush with a lower end of the fluid applicator.

33. A workpiece processor, comprising:

a first rotor;

a second rotor engageable with the first rotor to form a workpiece processing chamber;

at least one chamber inlet for providing a process liquid into the processing chamber; and

a shield plate between the first and second rotors for directing a processing fluid to the edge of the workpiece.

34. The processor of claim 33 further comprising a fluid applicator for delivering a processing fluid onto the shield plate.

35. The processor of claim 33 further comprising a purge gas source for supplying a purge gas through a central opening in the shield plate.

36. A system for processing a workpiece, comprising:

a first rotor;

a second rotor engageable with the first rotor to form a workpiece processing chamber; and

a process fluid supply line in the second rotor having an outlet adjacent to an outside surface of the process chamber, for supplying a process fluid directly to an edge area of a workpiece, when a workpiece is placed into the processor.

37. A workpiece processor, comprising:

a first rotor including alignment means;

a second rotor including a receiving means for receiving the alignment means, with the first and second rotors forming a workpiece processing chamber when the alignment means is engaged with the receiving means;

at least one inlet in the processing chamber, for providing a process liquid into the processing chamber; and

at least one outlet in the processing chamber, for removing process liquid from the processing chamber.