Apparatus for cleaning semiconductor substrates
US6324715A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 7, 1999 |
| Grant date | Dec 4, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 7, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S134/902
- WIPO fieldChemical engineering
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A cleaning method and apparatus using very dilute Standard Clean 1 (SC1) for cleaning semiconductor substrates, including silicon wafers. The SC1 is delivered to the core of a brush where the solution is absorbed by the brush and then applied by the brush onto the substrate. This delivery system applies the chemical solutions uniformly to the semiconductor substrate and reduces the volumes of chemical solutions used in a scrubbing process. The process of the present invention uses SC1 to convert substrate surfaces from a hydrophobic state to a hydrophilic surface state while cleaning the wafer with the brush. A hydrophilic surface state is necessary to successfully remove surface contaminants by chemical mechanical brush cleaning.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.