Methods and apparatus for substrate edge cleaning

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9443714-B2
Application number	US-201313785903-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2013
Priority date	Mar 5, 2013
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

A substrate cleaning apparatus may include a substrate support having a support surface to support a substrate to be cleaned, wherein the substrate support is rotatable about a central axis normal to the support surface; a first nozzle to provide a first cleaning gas to a region of the inner volume corresponding to the position of an edge of the substrate when the substrate is supported by the support surface of the substrate support; a first annular body disposed opposite and spaced apart from the support surface of the substrate support by a gap, the first annular body having a central opening defined by an inner wall shaped to provide a reducing size of the gap between the first annular body and the support surface in a radially outward direction; and a first gas inlet to provide a first gas to the central opening of the first annular body.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A substrate cleaning apparatus, comprising:
a substrate support having a support surface to support a substrate to be cleaned, wherein the substrate support is rotatable about a central axis normal to the support surface;
a first nozzle to provide a first cleaning gas to a region corresponding to the position of a radial edge of the substrate away from the central axis when the substrate is supported by the support surface of the substrate support, wherein the first nozzle is positioned to face the edge of the substrate when the substrate is supported by the support surface;
a first annular body disposed opposite and spaced apart from the support surface of the substrate support by a gap, the first annular body having a central opening defined by an inner wall of the first annular body extending from a first side of the first annular body remote from the support surface to a second side of the first annular body proximate to the support surface, wherein the central opening proximate to the support surface is sized to expose a predominant portion of the support surface, and wherein the inner wall is shaped to provide a reducing size of the gap between the first annular body and the support surface in a radially outward direction; and
a first gas inlet to provide a first gas to the central opening of the first annular body.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a process chamber having a first volume, wherein the substrate support is disposed within the first volume.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate support supports the substrate on a second side at a center of the substrate.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate support supports the substrate on the edge of the substrate.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate support is configured to rotate the substrate while exposing the edge of the substrate to the first nozzle.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first cleaning gas comprises about 10% to about 50% solid carbon dioxide and about 90% to about 50% gaseous carbon dioxide.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a second nozzle to provide a second cleaning gas to the region corresponding to the position of the edge of the substrate when the substrate is disposed on the support surface of the substrate support, wherein the second nozzle is positioned to face the edge of the substrate when the substrate is supported by the support surface.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the second cleaning gas comprises about 1% to about 20% solid carbon dioxide and about 99% to about 80% gaseous carbon dioxide.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first nozzle is disposed at an angle of about −175 degrees to about 175 degrees from a plane extending horizontally outward from a center of the substrate when positioned on the support surface.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the gap is between about 2 mm to about 10 mm.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the gap extends to a location corresponding to the edge of the substrate when disposed on the support surface.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a second annular body disposed opposite and spaced apart from a second side of the substrate by a second gap, the second annular body having a central opening defined by an inner wall of the second annular body extending from a first side of the second annular body remote from the second side of the substrate to a second side of the second annular body proximate to the second side of the substrate, wherein the central opening of the second annular body proximate to the second side of the substrate is sized to expose a predominant portion of the second side of the substrate, and wherein the inner wall of the second annular body is shaped to provide a reducing size of the second gap between the second annular body and the second side of the substrate in a radially outward direction.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising a second gas inlet to provide a second gas to the central opening of the second annular body.

14. A substrate cleaning apparatus, comprising:
a substrate support having a support surface to support a substrate to be cleaned, wherein the substrate support is rotatable about a central axis normal to the support surface;
a first annular body disposed opposite and spaced apart from the support surface such that the first annular body is spaced apart by a gap from the substrate when supported on the substrate support, the first annular body having a central opening defined by an inner wall of the first annular body extending from a first side of the first annular body remote from the support surface to a second side of the first annular body proximate to the support surface, wherein the inner wall is shaped to provide a radially outward reducing size of the gap between the first annular body and the substrate when supported on the substrate support;
a first gas inlet to provide a first gas to the central opening of the first annular body; and
a first nozzle, disposed radially outside of the first annular body, to provide a first cleaning gas to a region corresponding to the position of an edge of the substrate away from the central axis when the substrate is supported by the support surface of the substrate support.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the gap is between about 2 mm to about 10 mm.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the gap extends to a location corresponding to an edge of a first side of the substrate when the substrate is supported on the substrate support.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising:
a second annular body disposed opposite and positioned to be spaced apart from a second side of the substrate, when present, by a second gap, wherein the second annular body has a central opening defined by an inner wall of the second annular body extending from a first side of the second annular body remote from the second side of the substrate to a second side of the second annular body proximate to the second side of the substrate, wherein the central opening of the second annular body proximate to the second side of the substrate is sized to expose a predominant portion of the second side of the substrate, and wherein the inner wall of the second annular body is shaped to provide a reducing size of the second gap between the second annular body and the second side of the substrate in a radially outward direction; and
a second gas inlet to provide a second gas to the central opening of the second annular body.

18. A substrate cleaning apparatus, comprising:
a process chamber having an inner volume;
a substrate support disposed in the inner volume and having a support surface to support a substrate to be cleaned, wherein the substrate support is rotatable about a central axis normal to the support surface;
a first annular body having a central opening defined by an inner wall of the first annular body, the inner wall extending from a first side of the first annular body remote from the support surface to a second side of the first annular body proximate to the support surface, wherein the inner wall is shaped proximate to the support surface to provide a gap between the inner wall and the substrate when disposed on the substrate support, wherein the gap reduces in size in a radially outward direction;
a first gas inlet to provide a first gas to the central opening of the first annular body; and
a first nozzle, disposed radially outside of the first annular body and positioned to face an edge of t

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Holden James Matthew
• Suh Song-Moon
• Egan Todd
• Ghosh Kalyanjit
• Volfovski Leon
• Rice Michael R
• Giljum Richard

Classifications

• H10P72/0414 Primary

  using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles · CPC title

• H10P70/56

  Cleaning of wafer backside · CPC title

• H10P70/54

  Cleaning of wafer edges · CPC title

• H10P70/30

  Cleaning after the substrates have been singulated · CPC title

• H10P72/0406 Primary

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