# US 10,504,753 B2 · Brush cleaning apparatus, chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) system and wafer processing method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,504,753 B2 - Document ID: US10504753B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/105,242 - Filed: 2013-12-13 - Published: 2015-06-18 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-12-13 - Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. - Inventors: Chang-Sheng Lin; Hsin-Hsien Lu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10504753B2 ## CPC - H10P 72/0412: {using mainly scrubbing means, e.g. brushes} - B24B 37/34: Accessories - H10P 70/56: {Cleaning of wafer backside} - H10P 72/0414: {using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles} - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - B24B: MACHINES, DEVICES, OR PROCESSES FOR GRINDING OR POLISHING (grinding of gear teeth B23F, of screw-threads B23G1/36; by electro-erosion B23H; abrasive or related blasting B24C; tools for grinding, buffing or sharpening B24D; polishing compositions C09G1/00; abrasives C09K3/14; electrolytic etching or polishing C25F3/00; grinding arrangements for use on assembled railway tracks E01B31/17); DRESSING OR CONDITIONING OF ABRADING SURFACES; FEEDING OF GRINDING, POLISHING, OR LAPPING AGENTS ## Abstract A brush cleaning apparatus includes a wafer support configured to support a wafer, and at least one cleaning brush moveable relative to the wafer support. The at least one cleaning brush has opposite first and second sides, and, on the first side, a planar cleaning surface configured to come into contact with the wafer supported by the wafer support to remove contaminants from the wafer. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A brush cleaning apparatus, comprising: a wafer support configured to support a wafer; at least one planar cleaning brush moveable relative to the wafer support, the at least one planar cleaning brush having opposite first and second sides, and on the first side, a planar cleaning surface defined by a layer of porous material and configured to come into contact with the wafer supported by the wafer support to remove contaminants from the wafer, wherein an entirety of the planar cleaning surface of the at least one planar cleaning brush is configured to simultaneously contact the wafer; on the second side, a layer of core material having a first flat surface attached to the layer of porous material and having a second flat surface facing away from the layer of porous material; and wherein interior sidewalls of the layer of core material and the layer of porous material are aligned along lines to collectively define a plurality of holes respectively extending through both the layer of porous material and the layer of core material, wherein the plurality of holes are arranged in circular patterns, when viewed from a top-view of the at least one planar cleaning brush, which are concentric about a point at the center of the at least one planar cleaning brush. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The brush cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the porous material has a porosity in a range from 20% to 60%. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The brush cleaning apparatus of claim 2, wherein the porous material comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyamide (PA), polyurethane (PU), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The brush cleaning apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of holes are separated by smaller distances within the circular patterns than between adjacent ones of the circular patterns. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The brush cleaning apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one planar cleaning brush has a size that is greater than a size of the wafer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The brush cleaning apparatus of claim 2, wherein the layer of porous material has a smaller diameter than the core material. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The brush cleaning apparatus of claim 6, wherein the layer of core material comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of polypropene (PP), polythene (PE), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The brush cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interior sidewalls of the layer of core material and the layer of porous material continuously extend along the lines from the planar cleaning surface to the second flat surface. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The brush cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of holes has an average hole size in a range from 0.1 mm to 2.5 mm. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The brush cleaning apparatus of claim 9, wherein the plurality of holes is arranged at a hole pitch in a range from 2 to 5 times of the average hole size. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The brush cleaning apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: at least one nozzle configured to apply a cleaning liquid directly onto the second side of the at least one planar cleaning brush that faces away from the wafer. ### Claim 12 A brush cleaning apparatus, comprising: a wafer support configured to support a wafer; at least one cleaning brush comprising a porous material having a planar cleaning surface configured to come into contact with the wafer supported by the wafer support to remove contaminants from the wafer, wherein the planar cleaning surface is disposed along an uppermost surface of the porous material and extends as a continuous surface between outermost sidewalls of the porous material and wherein the porous material is coupled to a core material having interior sidewalls that define a plurality of holes arranged in circular patterns that are concentric about a center of the planar cleaning surface when viewed from a top-view of the planar cleaning surface; a moving mechanism configured to cause a relative translational movement between the wafer and the cleaning brush; and at least one nozzle configured to supply a cleaning liquid between the wafer and the cleaning brush. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The brush cleaning apparatus of claim 12, wherein the plurality of holes are separated by smaller distances within the circular patterns than between adjacent ones of the circular patterns. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The brush cleaning apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one cleaning brush comprises a pair of cleaning brushes for simultaneously cleaning opposite surfaces of the wafer. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The brush cleaning apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one cleaning brush is configured to perform a cleaning operation that does not substantially reduce a thickness of the wafer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The brush cleaning apparatus of claim 12, wherein the core material is coupled to a side of the porous material opposing the planar cleaning surface; wherein the porous material has an outermost sidewall that is laterally set back from an outermost sidewall of the core material; and wherein the interior sidewalls of the core material and interior sidewalls of the porous material are aligned along lines that are perpendicular to the planar cleaning surface to define a plurality of holes respectively extending completely through the porous material and the core material. ### Claim 17 A brush cleaning apparatus, comprising: a wafer support configured to support a wafer; a planar cleaning brush moveable relative to the wafer support, the planar cleaning brush having opposite first and second sides; wherein the first side comprises a planar cleaning surface defined by a planar topmost surface of a layer of porous material and configured to come into contact with the wafer supported by the wafer support to remove contaminants from the wafer; wherein the second side comprises a planar bottommost surface of a layer of core material and faces away from the layer of porous material, the layer of core material further comprising a topmost surface attached to a bottommost surface of the layer of porous material; and wherein interior sidewalls of the layer of core material and the layer of porous material collectively define a plurality of holes respectively extending through both the layer of porous material and the layer of core material, wherein the plurality of holes are configured to transfer a cleaning liquid, which is dispensed directly onto the planar bottommost surface of the layer of core material, from the planar bottommost surface of the layer of core material to the planar topmost surface of the layer of porous material. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The brush cleaning apparatus of claim 17, further comprising: a nozzle configured to dispense the cleaning liquid directly onto the planar bottommost surface of the layer of core material, the planar cleaning brush is directly between the wafer and the nozzle. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The brush cleaning apparatus of claim 18, wherein a line that is perpendicular to the planar topmost surface of the layer of porous material extends from the nozzle through the planar bottommost surface of the layer of core material. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The brush cleaning apparatus of claim 19, wherein the nozzle is separated from the planar bottommost surface of the layer of core material along the line.