Method and apparatus for cleaning semiconductor photolithography tools
US7572342B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 2, 2006 |
| Grant date | Aug 11, 2009 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 10, 2027 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S438/906
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system for cleaning semiconductor lithography tools provides for cycling a polished-side down semiconductor wafer through the lithography tool using conventional automated robotics for loading and unloading the wafer from a vacuum chuck of the lithography tool. The vacuum chuck may provide a continuous clamping vacuum feature and may include a vacuum ring that surround the periphery of the vacuum chuck. The chuck and vacuum ring may advantageously be formed of a high accuracy ceramic or plastic such as ZeroDur ceramic. The polished side of the semiconductor wafer includes grooves in a polished surface and which extend inwardly from a peripheral edge of the wafer, the grooves provide gaps between the wafer and chuck allowing the wafer to be released by a slow loss of vacuum-pressure through the gaps. The pristine clean polished surface of the wafer getters contaminating particles from the chuck.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.