Single phase proximity head having a controlled meniscus for treating a substrate

• US 7,997,288 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2007
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Inventors: Kabansky, Alex, de Larios, John, Ravkin, Mike
• Primary Examiner(s): Perrin; Joseph L
• Application Number:
  US11/774,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20080266367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,502 Days
• Field of Search: 134/56.R, 134/57.R, 134/58.R, 134/95.1, 134/95.2, 134/95.3, 134/99.1, 134/102.3, 134/166.R, 134/167.R, 134/198, 134/902, 344/07, 34/58, 34/92, 34/77
• US Class Current: 134/95.2
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/04 Cleaning involving contact with liquid
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67028 for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67051 using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 134/902 Semiconductor wafer

Abstract

A system for processing a substrate is described. The system includes a proximity head, a mechanism, and a liquid supply. The proximity head is configured to generate a controlled meniscus. Specifically, the proximity head has a plurality of dispensing nozzles formed on a face of the proximity head. The dispensing nozzles are configured to supply a liquid to the meniscus and the suction holes are added to remove a used liquid from the meniscus. The mechanism moves the proximity head or the substrate with respect to each other while maintaining contact between the meniscus and a surface of the substrate. The movement causes a thin layer of the liquid to remain on the surface after being contacted by the meniscus. The liquid supply is in fluid communication with the dispensing nozzles, and is configured to balance an amount of the liquid delivered to the meniscus with an amount of liquid removed from the meniscus, the amount of liquid removed from the meniscus including at least the thin layer of the liquid remaining on the surface of the substrate.

Claims

1. A system for processing a substrate, the system comprising:

a first proximity head having a plurality of dispensing nozzles and a plurality of suction ports substantially surrounded by the plurality of dispensing nozzles, the first proximity head capable of defining a first meniscus over a surface of the substrate when present, and wherein the first proximity head does not include surrounding gas inputs, separate from the dispensing nozzles, disposed beside of the plurality of dispensing nozzles; and

a second proximity head for generating a second meniscus over the surface of the substrate when present, the second proximity being positioned adjacent to the first proximity head, the second proximity head includes a plurality of dispensing nozzles that are substantially surrounded by a plurality of suction ports, and further including a plurality of gas nozzles substantially surrounding the suction ports, wherein the plurality of dispensing nozzles and plurality of suction ports are formed in a respective face of the first and second proximity heads, the respective faces having a substantially flat surface, and the first and second proximity heads having a length that is greater than a width, and the length extends at least a diameter of the substrate;

wherein the positioning of the first and second proximity heads adjacent to each other orients the length of the first and second proximity heads parallel to each other;

wherein the first and second proximity heads direct the respective faces in a same direction toward and proximate to the substrate when present;

a mechanism to hold the first and second proximity heads adjacent and parallel to each other.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein in the first proximity head, further comprising:

a liquid supply system in fluid communication with the dispensing nozzles;

a liquid removal system in fluid communication with the suction ports; and

a control unit coupled to each of the liquid supply system and the liquid removal system;

wherein the liquid removal system of the first proximity head is coupled to a retrieval tank that feeds back to the liquid supply system for reuse as directed by the control unit.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a carrier for holding the substrate, the carrier being connected to a track that enables the carrier to move under the first and second proximity heads and expose the surface of the substrate to the first meniscus followed by the second meniscus.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a control unit for controlling the movement of the carrier having the substrate.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the dispensing nozzles of the first proximity head are perpendicular to the face of the first proximity head.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the dispensing nozzles of the first proximity head are angled toward the suction ports of the first proximity head.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the section ports of the first proximity head are arranged along a center region of the face of the first proximity head.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the dispensing nozzles of the first proximity head define a loop around in the face of the first proximity head.

9. A system for processing a substrate, the system comprising:

a proximity head configured to generate a controlled meniscus formed from a liquid chemical, the proximity head having a plurality of dispensing nozzles and a plurality of suction ports formed on a face of the proximity head, the proximity head having a length that extends at least a diameter of the substrate and a width that is less than the length, the plurality of dispensing nozzles oriented to substantially surround the plurality of suction ports that are oriented at about a center region of the face of the proximity head;

a chemical supply comprising a container containing a supply of the liquid chemical, the dispensing nozzles being in fluid communication with the chemical supply;

a vacuum source, the suction ports being in fluid communication with the vacuum source to remove fluid from the center region of the face of the proximity head and a surface of the substrate when present; and

a control unit, the control unit operatively connected to the chemical supply, the vacuum source, the control unit balancing a flow of the liquid chemical to and from the controlled meniscus so that the controlled meniscus remains in a stable state;

wherein the face of the proximity head does not include surrounding gas inputs, separate from the dispensing nozzles, disposed beside of the plurality of dispensing nozzles;

wherein the vacuum source is coupled to a retrieval tank that feeds back to the container for reuse of liquid chemical as directed by the control unit.

10. The system for processing a substrate of claim 9, wherein the vacuum source comprises a vacuum pump.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the chemical supply further comprises a downwardly extending supply line and a control valve, the chemical being delivered to the proximity head under influence of gravity, the valve controlling a flow rate of the chemical through the supply line.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the chemical supply further comprises a metering pump, the metering pump being operated by the control unit to supply the chemical to the proximity head at a controlled flow rate.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the vacuum source further comprises an evacuation tank in fluid communication with the suction ports, and a pressure meter configured to generate a signal representative of a pressure within the evacuation tank, the vacuum source being in fluid communication with the evacuation tank, the control unit operating the vacuum source in response to the signal to maintain the pressure within the evacuation tank at a desired level, thereby controlling an amount of the chemical removed from the meniscus by the suction ports.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the stable state of the meniscus comprises a meniscus having a substantially constant volume.

15. A system for processing a substrate, the system comprising:

a proximity head configured to generate a meniscus formed from a liquid, the proximity head having a plurality of dispensing nozzles and a plurality of suction ports formed on a face of the proximity head, the proximity head having a length that extends at least a diameter of the substrate and a width that is less than the length, the plurality of dispensing nozzles oriented to substantially surround the plurality of suction ports that are oriented at about a center region of the face of the proximity head;

wherein the face of the proximity head does not include surrounding gas inputs disposed beside of the plurality of dispensing nozzles;

wherein the suction ports oriented about the center region are distributed along the length of the proximity head, and the dispensing nozzles oriented to substantially surround the plurality of suction ports define an loop of dispensing nozzles; and

wherein the suction ports are coupled to a retrieval tank that feeds back for reuse of the liquid to the proximity head.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a supply comprising a container containing a supply of the liquid obtained from the retrieval tank, the dispensing nozzles being in fluid communication with the supply;

a vacuum source, the suction ports being in fluid communication with the vacuum source to remove fluid from the center region of the face of the proximity head and a surface of the substrate when present; and

a control unit, the control unit operatively connected to the supply, the vacuum source, the control unit balancing a flow of the liquid to and from the meniscus so that the meniscus remains in a stable state.