Air purge cleaning for semiconductor polishing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9937536-B2
Application number	US-201213547275-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 12, 2012
Priority date	Jul 12, 2012
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are provided for cleaning a polishing module of a semiconductor polishing apparatus. Purge air flow can be supplied into the polishing module (e.g., directed towards a polishing unit, a shield, and/or other polishing components) to create turbulence air flow within the polishing module. An auxiliary exhaust can be invoked to exhaust one or more particulates removed from the polishing module by the turbulence air flow. A purge air flow cycle can be performed by cycling the purge air flow and the auxiliary exhaust between on and off states. One or more purge air flow cycles can be performed during a main air flow cycle where laminar air flow is supplied into the polishing module and exhausted using a main exhaust. In this way, one or more particulates can be cleaned from the polishing module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for cleaning a polishing module of a semiconductor polishing apparatus, comprising:
supplying laminar air flow into a polishing module comprising a polishing unit and one or more shields positioned relative to the polishing unit while a main exhaust is turned on, wherein the laminar air flow is supplied to a top side of the polishing unit;
turning on an auxiliary exhaust while the main exhaust is turned on and concurrently with the supplying laminar air flow; and
supplying purge air flow into the polishing module concurrently with the supplying laminar air flow and while the auxiliary exhaust is turned on, wherein the purge air flow is supplied to the top side of the polishing unit, wherein the purge air flow travels in a direction perpendicular to the laminar air flow, and wherein the purge air flow combines with the laminar air flow to result in turbulence air flow between the polishing unit and the one or more shields.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the laminar air flow travels in a direction parallel to a top surface of a polishing pad of the polishing unit.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the turning on an auxiliary exhaust increases a pressure within the polishing module.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the supplying purge air flow comprises:
cycling the purge air flow between an on state and an off state according to a purge air flow cycle interval.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
turning off the purge air flow; and
turning off the auxiliary exhaust after the turning off the purge air flow, wherein the auxiliary exhaust is turned on for a duration in which the purge air flow is supplied into the polishing module, and wherein the main exhaust is turned on for a duration in which the auxiliary exhaust is turned on.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
cycling the auxiliary exhaust between an on state and an off state according to an auxiliary exhaust cycle interval.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
removing one or more particulates from the polishing unit through the auxiliary exhaust using the turbulence air flow.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
removing one or more particulates from the one or more shields through the auxiliary exhaust using the turbulence air flow.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the supplying purge air flow comprises:
supplying the purge air flow into the polishing module of a chemical mechanical polisher responsive to the chemical mechanical polisher being in an idle state.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the purge air flow is directed through a plane perpendicular to a surface of the polishing unit that interfaces with a semiconductor wafer.

11. A method for cleaning a polishing module of a semiconductor polishing apparatus, comprising:
performing a purge air flow cycle comprising:
turning on an auxiliary exhaust, while a main exhaust is turned on, to exhaust turbulence air flow from a polishing module, the polishing module comprising a polishing unit and one or more shields positioned relative to the polishing unit, wherein the main exhaust is disposed below the polishing unit and the auxiliary exhaust is disposed below the main exhaust;
supplying purge air flow into the polishing module concurrently with supplying a laminar air flow into the polishing module, wherein the laminar air flow is introduced into the polishing module in a first direction and the purge air flow is introduced into the polishing module in a second direction that is not parallel to the first direction, and wherein the purge air flow combines with the laminar air flow to result in the turbulence air flow between the polishing unit and the one or more shields;
expelling, through the auxiliary exhaust, one or more particulates removed from the polishing module by the turbulence air flow;
turning off the purge air flow after expiration of a purge air flow cycle interval; and
turning off the auxiliary exhaust after expiration of an auxiliary exhaust cycle interval.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
performing one or more purge air flow cycles during a main air flow cycle.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
performing the main air flow cycle comprising:
turning on the main exhaust to exhaust the laminar air flow from the polishing module prior to turning on the auxiliary exhaust;
supplying the laminar air flow while the main exhaust is turned on;
turning off the laminar air flow; and
turning off the main exhaust.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the performing a purge air flow cycle, comprises:
performing the purge air flow cycle responsive to the polishing module being in an idle state.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the purge air flow is directed through a plane perpendicular to a surface of the polishing unit that interfaces with a semiconductor wafer.

16. A method for cleaning a polishing module of a semiconductor polishing apparatus, comprising:
supplying a laminar air flow into a polishing module comprising a polishing unit while the polishing module has a first pressure and while a main exhaust is turned on, wherein the laminar air flow is supplied from a first port disposed to a side of the polishing unit, and wherein the laminar air flow travels in a first plane parallel to a surface of a polishing pad of the polishing unit that interfaces with a semiconductor wafer;
turning on an auxiliary exhaust while the main exhaust is turned on and concurrently with the supplying laminar air flow to increase a pressure within the polishing module from a first pressure to a second pressure after beginning to supply the laminar air flow and while concurrently supplying the laminar air flow; and
after the polishing module has the second pressure, supplying a purge air flow into the polishing module while continuing to supply the laminar air flow and while the auxiliary exhaust is turned on, wherein the purge air flow is supplied from a second port disposed above the polishing unit, and wherein the purge air flow travels in a second plane perpendicular to the first plane to create turbulence air flow within the polishing module.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
discontinuing the supplying a purge air flow into the polishing module while continuing to supply the laminar air flow into the polishing module.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
reducing the pressure within the polishing module from the second pressure to the first pressure after the discontinuing the supplying a purge air flow.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the supplying a purge air flow comprises:
supplying the purge air flow into the polishing module responsive to a chemical mechanical polisher of the polishing module being in an idle state.

20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
removing one or more particulates from the polishing module using the turbulence air flow.

Assignees

• Lin Kuo Yin
• Peng Chih I
• Wu Kun Tai
• Tsai Teng Chun
• Chang Hsiang Pi
• Lo Cary Chia Chiung
• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lin Kuo-Yin
• Peng Chih-I
• Wu Kun-Tai
• Tsai Teng-Chun
• Chang Hsiang-Pi
• Lo Cary Chia-Chiung

Classifications

• H10P72/0406

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

• B24B37/34

  Accessories · CPC title

• B08B5/02

  Cleaning by the force of jets, e.g. blowing-out cavities {(airguns or nozzles per se B05B1/005)} · CPC title

• B08B9/093 Primary

  by the force of jets or sprays ({B08B9/0813} , B08B9/20 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01L21/67028

  Electricity · mapped topic