Apparatus and method for substrate preparation implementing a surface tension reducing process

• US 7,000,623 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2002
• Issued: 02/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Inventors: Welsh, Christopher M., Matsumoto, Jack T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Perrin, Joseph L.
• Application Number:
  US10/151,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20030000034A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 134/61, 134/63, 134/66, 134 78- 79, 134/95.1, 134/99.1, 134/144, 134/153, 134/158, 134/180, 134/200, 134/902, 15/77
• US Class Current: 134/95.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67034 for drying
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67051 using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 134/902 Semiconductor wafer

Abstract

Methods and systems for preparing a substrate implementing a surface tension reducing process are provided. In one example, a substrate preparation system includes a chuck which fingers for edge gripping the substrate. The chuck is hollow to provide simultaneous access to both active and backside surfaces of the substrate, and is configured to rotate the substrate. The system includes dispense arms positioned over the substrate surfaces. The dispense arms are capable of moving between a center region and a periphery of the substrate surfaces, and each dispense arm includes a pair of supply lines for delivering fluids over the substrate surfaces. A connection couples the upper dispense arm with the lower dispense arm so that the dispense arms synchronously move between the center region and the periphery of the substrate, and remain aligned on opposite surfaces of the substrate.

Claims

1. A system for rinsing and drying a substrate, comprising:

(a) a chuck having fingers for edge gripping the substrate, the chuck being configured to rotate the substrate;

(b) an upper dispense arm positioned over an active surface of the substrate, the upper dispense arm being capable of moving between a center region and a periphery of the active surface of the substrate, the upper dispense arm further having a pair of supply lines for delivering fluids over the active surface of the substrate;

(c) a lower dispense arm positioned below a backside surface of the substrate and being magnetically coupled to the upper dispense arm with a governor to limit a range of movement of the lower dispense arm, the lower dispense arm being capable of moving between a center region and a periphery of the backside surface of the substrate, and having a pair of supply lines for delivering fluids over the backside surface of the substrate; and

(d) a spray shield surrounding the substrate in the chuck, the spray shield having a section of the spray shield slideably configured to provide access to the chuck and to form a substantially solid spray shield surrounding the chuck,

wherein when the upper dispense arm and the lower dispense arm move between the center region and the periphery of the substrate, a magnetic coupling provides that the upper dispense arm and the lower dispense arm remain aligned on opposite surfaces of the substrate, and the governor limits the movement of the lower dispense arm prior to a cessation of movement by the upper dispense arm.

2. The system for rinsing and drying a substrate of claim 1, wherein the chuck is an exchangeable chuck configured to be exchangeable with a chuck of a particular size for each of a plurality of substrate sizes.

3. The system for rinsing and drying a substrate of claim 2, wherein the chuck is a hollow chuck providing access to both the active surface and the backside surface at the same time.

4. The system for rinsing and drying a substrate of claim 3, further comprising a hollow spindle,

wherein the hollow chuck is attached to the hollow spindle, the hollow spindle being configured to rotate and further configured to rotate the hollow chuck while providing access to both the active surface and the backside surface at the same time.

5. The system for rinsing and drying a substrate of claim 1, wherein each of the pair of supply lines of the upper dispense arm and each of the pair of supply lines of the lower dispense arm is configured to supply one of an etching fluid, a cleaning fluid, a rinsing fluid, and a drying agent.

6. The system for rinsing and drying a substrate of claim 5, wherein the cleaning fluid includes one of HF, NH₄OH, H₂O₂, HCl, HNO₃, H₂CO₃, HBr, H₃PO₄, and H₂SO₄.

7. The system for rinsing and drying a substrate of claim 5, wherein the drying agent includes one of isopropyl alcohol, diacetone, ethyllactate, ethylglycol, and methylpyrrolidon.

8. The system for rinsing and drying a substrate of claim 1, further comprising a substrate sensor configured to determine accurate positioning of a substrate in fingers of the chuck.

9. The system for rinsing and drying a substrate of claim 1, further comprising a hollow spindle,

wherein the chuck is attached to the hollow spindle.

10. A system for rinsing and drying a substrate, comprising:

(a) a hollow chuck having fingers for edge gripping the substrate, the hollow chuck being attached to a hollow spindle and configured to rotate the substrate;

(b) a first dispense arm positioned adjacent to an active surface of the substrate, the first dispense arm being capable of moving between a center region and a peripheral edge of the active surface of the substrate, the first dispense arm further having a pair of supply lines for delivering fluids over the active surface of the substrate;

(c) a second dispense arm positioned adjacent to a backside surface of the substrate, the second dispense arm being magnetically coupled to the first dispense arm with a governor to limit a range of movement of the second dispense arm and capable of moving between a center region and a peripheral edge of the backside surface of the substrate, the second dispense arm further having a pair of supply lines for delivering fluids over the backside surface of the substrate and;

(d) a spray shield surrounding the substrate in the hollow chuck, the spray shield having a section of the spray shield slidably configured to provide access to the hollow chuck and to form a substantially solid spray shield encircling the hollow chuck,

wherein when the first dispense arm and the second dispense arm move between the center region and the periphery of the substrate, a magnetic coupling provides that the first dispense arm and the second dispense arm remain aligned on opposite surfaces of the substrate, and the governor limits the movement of the second dispense arm prior to a cessation of movement by the first dispense arm.

11. The system for rinsing and drying a substrate of claim 10, further comprising:

a pneumatic tube along a base of the spray shield and the section of the spray shield;

a magnetic ball disposed within the pneumatic tube; and

a magnetic latch configured to the section of the spray shield,

wherein the magnetic latch is configured to slideably attach the section of spray shield to the pneumatic tube so that movement of the magnetic ball within the pneumatic tube slides the section of spray shield to configure the section of spray shield to one of providing access to the hollow chuck and forming the substantially solid spray shield encircling the hollow chuck.

12. The system for rinsing and drying a substrate of claim 10, wherein the hollow chuck is an exchangeable hollow chuck configured to be exchangeable with a hollow chuck of a particular size for each of a plurality of substrate sizes.

13. The system for rinsing and drying a substrate of claim 10, wherein the hollow chuck rotates on the hollow spindle and provides simultaneous access to both the active surface and the backside surface of the substrate.

14. The system for rinsing and drying a substrate of claim 10, wherein each of the pair of supply lines of the first dispense arm and each of the pair of supply lines of the second dispense arm is configured to supply one of an etching fluid, a cleaning fluid, a rinsing fluid, and a drying agent.

15. The system for rinsing and drying a substrate of claim 10, wherein the system is integrated with at least one brush box scrubber as an integrated substrate processing module.

16. The system for rinsing and drying a substrate of claim 10, wherein the system is integrated with a substrate processing cluster module including a wafer handling system, a load and unload module, and an etch process module.

17. The system for rinsing and drying a substrate of claim 10, wherein the system is integrated with a substrate processing cluster module including a wafer handling system, a load and unload module, and chemical mechanical planarization process module.

18. The system for rinsing and drying a substrate of claim 10, wherein the system is integrated with a substrate processing cluster module including a wafer handling system, a load and unload module, an etch process module, and chemical mechanical planarization process module.

19. The system for rinsing and drying a substrate of claim 10, wherein the hollow spindle is configured to rotate and is further configured to rotate the hollow chuck while providing simultaneous access to both the active surface of the substrate and the backside surface of the substrate.