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US 11,237,478 B2Granted
Cleaning module, cleaning apparatus and method of cleaning photomask
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsYi-Hsun Pan, Kun-Lung Hsieh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a method of cleaning a photomask, a wiper tape is guided from a wiper tape supplying reel, over a cleaning head, and then onto a wiper tape collecting reel. A section of the wiper tape over the cleaning head is brought into contact with an adhesive residue on a surface of the photomask. A relative movement is caused between the photomask and the section of the wiper tape to remove the adhesive residue from the surface of the photomask.
Claims20
A cleaning apparatus, comprising:
- a stage configured to support thereon a substrate to be cleaned;
- and
- at least one cleaning module moveable relative to the stage, the at least one cleaning module comprising:
- a support structure configured to rotatably support a wiper tape supplying reel and a wiper tape collecting reel;
- a cleaning head configured to, during a cleaning operation, clean the substrate supported on the stage with a wiper tape which is guided continuously along a wiper tape path from the wiper tape supplying reel, around a portion of the cleaning head, and then to the wiper tape collecting reel;
- a pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure exerted by the cleaning head on the substrate;
- and
- a driver configured to move the cleaning head in a first direction toward or away from the substrate in response to the pressure detected by the pressure sensor.
5 more elements
A cleaning apparatus, comprising:
- a support structure configured to rotatably support a wiper tape supplying reel and a wiper tape collecting reel;
- a cleaning head configured to, during a cleaning operation, clean a substrate supported on a stage with a wiper tape which is guided continuously along a wiper tape path from the wiper tape supplying reel, around a portion of the cleaning head, and then to the wiper tape collecting reel;
- a pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure exerted by the cleaning head on the substrate;
- a driver configured to move the cleaning head in a first direction toward or away from the substrate in response to the pressure detected by the pressure sensor;
- and
- a suction device configured to remove contaminants generated during the cleaning operation away from the cleaning head, the cleaning head, the wiper tape supplying reel and the wiper tape collecting reel being disposed on a same side of the substrate as the suction device.
3 more elements
A cleaning apparatus, comprising:
- a first rotational shaft;
- a first support structure coupled to the first rotational shaft, the first support structure configured to rotatably support a first wiper tape supplying reel and a first wiper tape collecting reel;
- a first cleaning head coupled to the first support structure, the first wiper tape supplying reel, the first wiper tape collecting reel, and the first cleaning head configured to, during a cleaning operation, guide a first wiper tape continuously along a first wiper tape path from the first wiper tape supplying reel, around a portion of the first cleaning head, and then to the first wiper tape collecting reel;
- a pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure exerted by the first cleaning head;
- a driver configured to move the first cleaning head in response to the pressure detected by the pressure sensor;
- and
- a suction device configured to remove contaminants generated during the cleaning operation away from the first cleaning head, the first cleaning head, the first wiper tape supplying reel and the first wiper tape collecting reel being disposed on a same side of a substrate as the suction device.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.