Single side workpiece processing

• US 8,104,488 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2007
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Rye, Jason A., Hanson, Kyle M., Woodruff, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barr, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Osterhout, Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US11/782,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20080011334A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,652 Days
• Field of Search: 134/180, 134/181, 134/200, 134/902, 438/689, 438/694, 438/758, 294/64.1, 294/64.2, 294/64.3
• US Class Current: 134/180
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67051 using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67126 Apparatus for sealing, encapsulating, glassing, decapsulating or the like processes H01L23/02, H01L23/28
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6719 characterized by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67259 Position monitoring, e.g. misposition detection or presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6838 with gripping and holding devices using a vacuum; Bernoulli devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68728 characterised by a plurality of separate clamping members, e.g. clamping fingers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68735 characterised by edge profile or support profile
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68785 characterised by the mechanical construction of the susceptor, stage or support
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68792 characterised by the construction of the shaft

Abstract

A centrifugal workpiece processor for processing semiconductor wafers and similar workpieces includes a head which holds and spins the workpiece. The head includes a rotor having a gas system. Gas or air is sprayed or jetted from inlets in the rotor to create a rotational gas flow. The rotational gas flow causes pressure conditions which hold the edges of a first side of the workpiece against an angled annular surface on the rotor. The rotor and the workpiece rotate together. Guide pins adjacent to a perimeter may help to align the workpiece with the rotor. Outlets through the rotor allow gas to flow out of the rotor.

Claims

1. A workpiece processor comprising:

a bowl having one or more process fluid inlets;

a head which may be engaged with the bowl during workpiece processing;

a rotor supported on the head and rotatable relative to the head, with the rotor adapted to hold a workpiece having a diameter D at a workpiece position and with the rotor having an outer annular sidewall around the workpiece position;

a pressurized gas supply connected to a gas inlet line on the rotor;

a plurality of gas inlets in the annular sidewall of the rotor, with the gas inlet line connecting to the gas inlets;

an annular slot extending around the rotor, and concentric with a rotation axis of the rotor, and with the annular slot having a diameter less than D;

a plurality of bores extending into the rotor and connecting into the annular slot; and

wherein the pressurized gas supply and the gas inlets are configured to spray gas into a space above the workpiece position to hold a workpiece in the workpiece position using only gas pressure forces.

2. The workpiece processor of claim 1 with the slot extending upwardly and radially outwardly from the sidewall of the rotor.

3. The workpiece processor of claim 1 with substantially each of the bores forming an angle AA with a diameter of the rotor extending through the bore, and with angle AA ranging from about 50-75 degrees.

4. The workpiece processor of claim 1 with the rotor having at least 40 bores substantially equally spaced apart around a lower rim of the rotor.

5. The vvorkpiece processor of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of spaced apart wafer locating pins on the outer annular surface.

6. The workpiece processor of claim 1 with the inner annular surface extending at an upward angle towards a central axis of the rotor.

7. The workpiece processor of claim 1 with the rotational gas flow system further including an annular outflow space leading from cylindrical space within the rotor to the slot.

8. A processor for processing a workpiece having a workpiece diameter, comprising:

a bowl having one or more process fluid nozzles;

a head associated with the bowl;

a rotor in the head;

a motor in the head linked to the rotor, for rotating the rotor;

an interior space in the rotor surrounded by an annular sidewall of the rotor, with the annular sidewall having a diameter greater than the workpiece diameter;

a plurality of gas openings in the annular sidewall and positioned at least partially tangent to the annular sidewall sidewalls;

an annular slot extending radially outwardly and upwardly from the interior space of the rotor;

a plurality of bores leading from the annular slot to an outer surface of the rotor, and with substantially each bore oriented on an axis forming an acute angle with a radius of the rotor; and

wherein the plurality of gas openings in the annular sidewall are positoned to project a pressurized gas into the interior space of the rotor, to create a circular flow of gas in the interior space within the rotor to hold a workpiece in the workpiece position using only gas pressure forces.

9. The processor of claim 8 wherein the acute angle is a leading angle relative to a rotation direction of the rotor.

10. The processor of claim 8 further comprising a counter bore in the lower end of the rotor, with the counter bore having an upper annular surface extending radially outward from the slot.

11. The processor of claim 10 with the upper annular surface oriented at a non-perpendicular angle to an axis of rotation of the rotor.

12. A workpiece processor comprising:

a bowl having one or more process fluid nozzles;

a head supported on a head lifter for moving the head into and out of engagement with the bowl;

a rotor supported on the head and rotatable relative to the head, with the rotor having a lower annular end, and the rotor adapted to hold a workpiece at a workpiece position above the lower annular end of the rotor;

a pressurized gas supply connected to a gas inlet line on the rotor;

a plurality of gas nozzles in the rotor, with the gas nozzles located on one or more diameters surrounding the workpiece position and with the gas inlet line connecting to the gas nozzles;

an annular slot extending around the rotor concentric with a rotation axis of the rotor, with the annular slot intersecting the lower annular end of the rotor at an acute angle;

a plurality of bores extending into the rotor and connecting into the annular slot; and

wherein the gas nozzles between the lower annular end of the rotor and the workpiece position, and with the pressurixed gas supply and the gas nozzles configured to hold a workpiece in place in the workpiece position with no element of the rotor contacting a down-facing side of a workpiece in the rotor.