Non-contact clean module

US11721563B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Applied Materials, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Jagan Rangarajan · San Jose, US
• Adrian Blank · Gilroy, US
• Edward Golubovsky · San Jose, US
• Balasubramaniam Coimbatore Jaganathan · Kanchinakote, IN
• Steven M. Zuniga · Soquel, US
• Ekaterina A. Mikhaylichenko · San Jose, US
• Michael A. Anderson · Santa Clara, US
• Jonathan P. Domin · Sunnyvale, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 21, 2021
• Grant date: Aug 8, 2023
• Expiry date: Oct 21, 2041

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B08B2203/0288
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A cleaning module for cleaning a wafer comprises a wafer gripping device configured to support a wafer in a vertical orientation and comprises a catch cup and a gripper assembly. The catch cup comprises a wall that has an annular inner surface that defines a processing region and has an angled portion that is symmetric about a central axis of the wafer gripping device. The gripper assembly comprises a first plate assembly, a second plate assembly, a plurality of gripping pin, and a plurality of loading pin. The gripping pins are configured to grip a wafer during a cleaning process and the loading pins are configured to grip the wafer during a loading and unloading process. The cleaning module further comprises a sweep arm coupled to a nozzle mechanism configured to deliver liquids to the front and back side of the wafer.