Patent · US Expired

System for drying semiconductor wafers using ultrasonic or low frequency vibration

US6119367A · kind A · utility

29Cited by
5References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 5, 1999
Grant dateSep 19, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 5, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L21/67034
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In order to remove water adhering to the surfaces of cleaned semiconductor wafers W, a vibration transmitting device 20 capable of approaching the surfaces of the semiconductor wafers W, and an oscillator 25 for applying an ultrasonic vibration to the vibration transmitting device 20. The oscillator 25 is driven to apply the ultrasonic vibration to the vibration transmitting plates 24 of the vibration transmitting device 20 and to apply energy of the ultrasonic vibration to a gas between the vibration transmitting device 20 and the surfaces of the semiconductor wafer W to remove water adhering the surfaces of the semiconductor wafers W. Thus, it is possible to surely remove water adhering to the surfaces of cleaned objects to be treated, to dry the objects without the need of a dry gas of an organic solvent vapor, such as IPA.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.