Single wafer dryer and drying methods

US7513062B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Applied Materials, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Younes Achkire · San Francisco, US
• Alexander Lerner · Carmiel, IL
• Boris Govzman · Sunnyvale, US
• Boris Fishkin · Redwood City, US
• Michael Sugarman · San Francisco, US
• Rashid Mavliev · Truckee, US
• Haoquan Fang · Sunnyvale, US
• Shijian Li · San Jose, US
• Guy Shirazi · Herzliya, IL
• Jianshe Tang · San Jose, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 9, 2005
• Grant date: Apr 7, 2009
• Expiry date: Feb 28, 2026

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L21/67034
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

In a first aspect, a first method of drying a substrate is provided. The first method includes the steps of (1) lifting a substrate through an air/fluid interface at a first rate; (2) directing a drying vapor at the air/fluid interface during lifting of the substrate; and (3) while a portion of the substrate remains in the air/fluid interface, reducing a rate at which a remainder of the substrate is lifted through the air/fluid interface to a second rate. The drying vapor may form an angle of about 23° with the air/fluid interface and/or the second rate may be about 2.5 mm/sec.