Ultra-low particle semiconductor cleaner

US6491043B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• SCD Mountain View, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Raj Mohindra · Los Altos Hills, US
• Abhay Bhushan · Palo Alto, US
• Rajiv Bhushan · Palo Alto, US
• Suraj Puri · Los Altos, US
• John H. Anderson, Sr. · Milpitas, US
• Jeffrey Nowell · San Francisco, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 11, 2001
• Grant date: Dec 10, 2002
• Expiry date: Dec 11, 2021

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S134/902
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A method (400) for cleaning a semiconductor wafer. The method includes immersing (420) a wafer in a liquid comprising water. The wafer has a front face, a back face, and an edge. The method also includes providing a substantially particle free environment adjacent to the front face and the back face as the liquid is being removed. A step of introducing a carrier gas comprising a cleaning enhancement substance during the providing step (450) also is included. The cleaning enhancement substance dopes the liquid which is attached to the front face and the back face to cause a concentration gradient of the cleaning enhancement substance in the attached liquid to accelerate fluid flow of the attached liquid off of the wafer.