Method and system for cleansing wafer in cmp process of semiconductor manufacturing fabrication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016293402-A1
Application number	US-201514674138-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 31, 2015
Priority date	Mar 31, 2015
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for cleaning a semiconductor wafer after a Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) process is provided. The method includes providing the semiconductor wafer into a cleaning module. The method further includes cleaning the semiconductor wafer by rotating a cleaning brush assembly. The method also includes applying an agitated cleaning liquid to clean the cleaning brush assembly.

First claim

1 . A method for processing a semiconductor wafer, comprising:
providing the semiconductor wafer into a Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) module; polishing the semiconductor wafer; removing the semiconductor wafer from the CMP module; cleaning the semiconductor wafer by a brush member surrounding a rotation shaft; supplying a cleaning liquid to an agitation transducer and agitating the cleaning liquid to an agitated cleaning liquid by the agitation transducer; supplying the agitated cleaning liquid along a predetermined path, wherein at least a section of the predetermined path is parallel to a rotation axis about which the rotation shaft rotates; and cleaning the brush member by using the agitated cleaning liquid.

2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the section of the predetermined path comprises a main flow path that is formed in the rotation shaft and extends along the rotation shaft, and the predetermined path terminates at an inner surface of the brush member that is in contact with the rotation shaft.

3 . (canceled)

4 . (canceled)

5 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the operation of cleaning the brush member by using the agitated cleaning liquid is performed when the semiconductor wafer is cleaned by the brush member or is performed after the removal of the semiconductor wafer.

6 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the operation of cleaning the semiconductor wafer by the brush member is performed for a time period ranging from about 20 seconds to about 80 seconds.

7 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the agitated cleaning liquid is agitated at a frequency in a range from about 500 KHz to about 2.5 MHz by the agitation transducer.

8 . A method for cleaning a semiconductor wafer after a Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) process, comprising:
providing the semiconductor wafer into a cleaning module; cleaning the semiconductor wafer by rotating a brush member surrounding a rotation shaft; and supplying a cleaning liquid to an agitation transducer and agitating the cleaning liquid to an agitated cleaning liquid by the agitation transducer; and supplying the agitated cleaning liquid along a predetermined path to clean the brush member, wherein at least a section of the predetermined path is parallel to a rotation axis about which the rotation shaft rotates.

9 . The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the section of the predetermined path comprises a main flow path that is formed in the rotation shaft and extends along the rotation shaft, and the predetermined path terminates at an inner surface of the brush member that is in contact with the rotation shaft.

10 . (canceled)

11 . (canceled)

12 . The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the operation of applying the agitated cleaning liquid to clean the brush member is performed when the semiconductor wafer is cleaned by the brush member or is performed after the removal of the semiconductor wafer.

13 . The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the operation of cleaning the semiconductor wafer by rotating the brush member is performed for a time period ranging from about 20 seconds to about 80 seconds.

14 . The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the agitated cleaning liquid is agitated at a frequency in a range from about 500 KHz to about 2.5 MHz by the agitation transducer.

15 - 20 . (canceled)

21 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the section of the predetermined path is formed in the agitation transducer that is separated from the brush member and extended along the rotation axis.

22 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the agitation transducer circumferentially surrounds a segment of the rotation shaft which is not covered by the brush member.

23 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the predetermined path extends across a gap between the brush member and the agitation transducer and terminates at an outer surface of the brush member that is adapted for cleaning the semiconductor wafer.

24 . The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the section of the predetermined path is formed in the agitation transducer that is separated from the brush member and extended along the rotation axis.

25 . The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the agitation transducer circumferentially surrounds a segment of the rotation shaft which is not covered by the brush member.

26 . The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the predetermined path extends across a gap between the brush member and the agitation transducer and terminates at an outer surface of the brush member that is adapted for cleaning the semiconductor wafer.

27 . A method for processing a semiconductor wafer, comprising:
providing the semiconductor wafer into a Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) module; polishing the semiconductor wafer; removing the semiconductor wafer from the CMP module; cleaning the semiconductor wafer by a cleaning brush assembly; supplying a cleaning liquid to an agitation transducer that is separated from the cleaning brush assembly and agitating the cleaning liquid to an agitated cleaning liquid by the agitation transducer; and cleaning an outer surface of the cleaning brush assembly by using the agitated cleaning liquid.

28 . The method as claimed in claim 27 , wherein applying the agitated cleaning liquid to clean the cleaning brush assembly comprises applying the agitated cleaning liquid toward the outer surface of a brush member of the cleaning brush assembly at an angle ranging from about 0 degrees to about 180 degrees relative to a rotation axis about which the cleaning brush assembly rotates.

29 . The method as claimed in claim 27 , wherein the operation of cleaning the semiconductor wafer by the cleaning brush assembly is performed for a time period ranging from about 20 seconds to about 80 seconds.

30 . The method as claimed in claim 27 , wherein the agitated cleaning liquid is agitated at a frequency in a range from about 500 KHz to about 2.5 MHz by the agitation transducer.

Assignees

• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tien Chia-Ying
• Hsueh Chia-Lin

Classifications

• H10P72/0412

  using mainly scrubbing means, e.g. brushes · CPC title

• H10P72/0406

  for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like · CPC title

• H10P70/277

  the processing being a planarisation of conductive layers · CPC title

• H10P70/237 Primary

  the processing being a planarisation of insulating layers · CPC title

• H10P70/15 Primary

  by wet cleaning only (H10P70/52 takes precedence) · CPC title