Brush for cleaning wafer

• US 7,469,443 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2005
• Issued: 12/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Liou, Huey-Chiang, Moinpour, Mansour, Tregub, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Spisich; Mark
• Application Number:
  US11/032,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20060151003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,450 Days
• Field of Search: 15/971, 151/02, 152/441, 152/444, 152/30, 152/301.6
• US Class Current: 15/230.16
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 1/32 using rotary cleaning members
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 1/34 rotating about an axis parallel to the surface
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/04 Cleaning involving contact with liquid
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67046 using mainly scrubbing means, e.g. brushes

Abstract

In a formulation of a wafer cleaning brush, forming a polymer solution with a plurality of nano-scale porogens or with a synthetic pore forming agent and curing the polymer solution to form a porous polymeric material.

Claims

1. A wafer cleaning brush, comprising:

a core; and

a plurality of spaced-apart nodules disposed to protrude from the core, each of the nodules having a first portion proximately located relative to the core, the first portion including a plurality of micro-size pores, and a second portion distally located relative to the core, the second portion including a plurality of nano-size pores, and each of the nodules including a protrusion of a first porous polymeric material having the plurality of micro-size pores and a layer of a second porous polymeric material having the plurality of nano-size pores coated over a part of the protrusion to form the second portion, with the first portion being an exposed part of the protrusion not coated by the layer.

2. The wafer cleaning brush according to claim 1, wherein the first porous polymeric material is formed from a first mixture of a polyvinyl alcohol and a porous forming agent;

and the second porous polymeric material is formed from a second mixture of the polyvinyl alcohol and a plurality of porogens.

3. The wafer cleaning brush according to claim 1, wherein the nano-size pores have a diameter of less than 1 um.

4. The wafer cleaning brush according to claim 3, wherein the micro-size pores have a diameter greater than 1 um.