Device and method for cleaning articles used in the production of semiconductor components

• US 7,047,984 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2001
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brooks Automation Ltd. (United Kingdom) (Azenta, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Brooks Automation Incorporated (Azenta, Inc.)
• Inventors: Blattner, Jakob, Federici, Rudy
• Primary Examiner(s): KORNAKOV, MIKHAIL
• Application Number:
  US10/312,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20030159712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,792 Days
• Field of Search: 153/45, 154/09, 154/151, 15/15.1, 154/05, 134/199, 134/198, 134/151, 134/133, 134/137, 134/103.2, 134/34, 134/1.3, 134/102.1, 134/1, 134/94.1, 34/60, 34/61, 34/85
• US Class Current: 134/1.3
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/82 Auxiliary processes, e.g. cleaning or inspecting
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70741 Handling masks outside exposure position, e.g. reticle libraries
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67028 for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like

Abstract

A cleaning device for use in the production of semiconductor components comprises two feed devices with which a fluid medium is guided across a respective surface of an object to be cleaned so that different faces of the object are simultaneously cleaned. At least two gas feeding devices, having one means each for directing a gas flow onto the surface of the object to be cleaned, open into a cleaning chamber supplying a pressurized cleaning gas. At least two extraction means are connected to the outside of the cleaning chamber for discharging the gas fed to the cleaning chamber. The object can be introduced into the cleaning chamber through at least one gap. At least two ionization means are used to ionize the gas and the particles that are present in the cleaning chamber. One ionization means each is mounted between a direction means and an extraction means.

Claims

1. A cleaning apparatus for semiconductor component production object, which is provided with two feed devices, each of which can be used to guide a fluid medium over a respective surface of the object which is to be cleaned so that a first and a second surface of the object can be cleaned simultaneously, the first surface being on a separate plane than the second surface, at least two gas feed devices for introducing a cleaning gas which is under superatmospheric pressure opening out into a cleaning chamber one of the at least two gas feed devices having an outlet for directing a gas stream onto the first surface of the object and another of the at least two gas feed devices having an outlet for directing a gas stream onto the second surface of the object, where the first and second surfaces are to be cleaned, the gas streams impinging the first and second surfaces of the object at an angle of less than 90°

, at least two suction means, by means of which gas which has been introduced into the cleaning chamber can be discharged, leading out of the cleaning chamber, and a support being present for holding the object in the cleaning chamber, in which apparatus

at least one object positioning gap in the cleaning chamber,

at least two ionization means, in each case one ionization means being located between in each case one directing means and one suction means, wherein each of the two ionization means is separated from the directing means.

2. The cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the gap is no more than 2 mm wider than a thickness of the object.

3. The cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the suction means is in each case formed in the vicinity of the gap.

4. The cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the suction means is in each case formed with a passage which is delimited by the gap.

5. The cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the support has a displaceable gripper.

6. The cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the object which is to be cleaned can be introduced into and removed from the cleaning chamber by means of the displaceable gripper.

7. The cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the cleaning chamber is of substantially symmetrical construction with respect to the plane in which the object which is to be cleaned can be introduced into the chamber through the gap.

8. The cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the suction means are arranged substantially in the direction of flow of the gas with respect to the directing means.

9. The cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized by a detection device for detecting soiling on objects.

10. The cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that cleaning of both sides of intermediate products of semiconductor components occurs simultaneously.

11. An apparatus for storing staged objects from semiconductor production that are staged to be cleaned, comprising a housing which is closed on all sides and in which there is a storage device with storage spaces for receiving and storing the objects, a handling device located within the housing for handling staged objects within the housing, and a discharge/introduction station for the objects in order for them to be taken out of and moved into the storage device, characterized in that a cleaning device as described in claim 1 is present in the housing for cleaning deposited particles from the objects.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, characterized by a detection device, which is arranged in the housing, for detecting soiling on semiconductor production means.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the detection device has at least one means for emitting light, by which at least one light beam can be guided onto at least on receiver means, by which the light reflected from the object is received and is fed to an evaluation unit in the form of a measurement signal, and this evaluation unit determines, on the basis of the measurement signal, whether the object is soiled.

14. A method for cleaning objects from semiconductor production comprising providing a cleaning chamber according to claim 1, in which a gaseous medium is passed over the object, and the medium, which has been passed over the object is ionized and extracted.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the medium at least predominately contains nitrogen.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the at least two ionization means being located on a first half of the cleaning chamber between one directing means and one suction means and another one of the at least two ionization means being located on a second half of the cleaning chamber between one directing means and one suction means for ionizing the cleaning gas and soiling particles located in the cleaning chamber.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the objects are reticles.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the at least one light beam is a laser beam.