Single wafer dryer and drying methods

US7980255B2 · 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 Mavleiv · Truckee, US
• Haoquan Fang · Sunnyvale, US
• Shijian Li · San Jose, US
• Guy Shirazi · Herzliya, IL
• Jianshe Tang · San Jose, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 28, 2007
• Grant date: Jul 19, 2011
• Expiry date: Aug 28, 2027

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S414/139
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

In a first aspect, a module is provided that is adapted to process a wafer. The module includes a processing portion having one or more features such as (1) a rotatable wafer support for rotating an input wafer from a first orientation wherein the wafer is in line with a load port to a second orientation wherein the wafer is in line with an unload port; (2) a catcher adapted to contact and travel passively with a wafer as it is unloaded from the processing portion; (3) an enclosed output portion adapted to create a laminar air flow from one side thereof to the other; (4) an output portion having a plurality of wafer receivers; (5) submerged fluidnozzles; and/or (6) drying gas flow deflectors, etc. Other aspects include methods of wafer processing.