# US 11,908,681 B2 · Semiconductor fabricating system having hybrid brush assembly

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- Number: US 11,908,681 B2
- Document ID: US11908681B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/865,737
- Filed: 2022-07-15
- Published: 2022-11-03
- Granted: 2024-02-20
- Earliest claimed: 2020-02-10
- Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Hsuan-Ying Mai; Hui-Chun Lee
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11908681B2

## CPC

- H10P 70/56: {Cleaning of wafer backside}
- B08B 1/12: Brushes
- B08B 1/36: rotating about an axis orthogonal to the surface
- B08B 3/04: Cleaning involving contact with liquid
- G03F 7/70991: {Connection with other apparatus, e.g. multiple exposure stations, particular arrangement of exposure apparatus and pre-exposure and/or post-exposure apparatus; Shared apparatus, e.g. having shared radiation source, shared mask or workpiece stage, shared base-plate; Utilities, e.g. cable, pipe or wireless arrangements for data, power, fluids or vacuum}
- H10P 70/60: {Cleaning only by mechanical processes}
- H10P 72/0412: {using mainly scrubbing means, e.g. brushes}
- 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
- B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
- G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G)

## Abstract

In accordance with some embodiments, a semiconductor fabricating system is provided. The semiconductor fabricating system includes a wafer stage and a brush assembly moveable located below the wafer stage. The brush assembly includes a base plate, an inner brush member and an outer brush member. The inner brush member is positioned on the base plate, and the outer brush member surrounds the inner brush member. Inner grooves in the inner brush member are shallower than outer grooves in the outer brush member. The semiconductor fabricating system also includes a shaft and an actuator. The shaft is connected to the base plate, and the actuator is connected to shaft. The semiconductor fabricating system further include a controller programmed to send electric signals to the actuator to drive the base plate to rotate around a rotation axis.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A semiconductor fabricating system, comprising:
a wafer stage;
a brush assembly, moveably located below the wafer stage and comprising:
a base plate;
an inner brush member positioned on the base plate, the inner brush member comprising first, second, third, and fourth inner protruding portions sequentially arranged around a rotation axis in a sequential order of the first inner protruding portion, the second inner protruding portion, the third inner protruding portion, and then the fourth inner protruding portion; and
an outer brush member surrounding the inner brush member, the outer brush member comprising first, second, third, and fourth outer protruding portions sequentially arranged around the rotation axis in a sequential order of the first outer protruding portion, the second outer protruding portion, the third outer protruding portion, and then the fourth outer protruding portion, wherein a distance between the first and second outer protruding portions of the outer brush member is greater than a distance between the first and second inner protruding portions of the inner brush member, and inner grooves in the inner brush member are shallower than outer grooves in the outer brush member;
a shaft, connected to the base plate;
an actuator, connected to the shaft; and
a controller programmed to send electric signal to the actuator to drive the base plate to rotate around the rotation axis.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor fabricating system of claim 1, wherein the outer brush member is made of a material having a lower structural strength than a material of the inner brush member.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor fabricating system of claim 1, wherein the outer grooves extend radially.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor fabricating system of claim 1, wherein the inner grooves extend radially.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor fabricating system of claim 1, wherein the inner grooves are substantially aligned with the outer grooves.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor fabricating system of claim 1, wherein the outer brush member has an inclined sidewall facing the inner brush member.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor fabricating system of claim 1, wherein a ring groove is formed between the inner brush member and the outer brush member, and a bottom of the ring groove is lower than bottoms of the inner grooves.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor fabricating system of claim 1, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth inner protruding portions define the inner grooves therebetween, and the first, second, third, and fourth outer protruding portions define the outer grooves therebetween.

### Claim 9

A semiconductor fabricating system, comprising:
a chamber;
a wafer holder in the chamber and having a bottom surface for holding a wafer;
a brush assembly in the chamber and movable below the bottom surface of the wafer holder, wherein the brush assembly comprises:
a base plate;
an inner brush member disposed on the base plate and comprising:
a first base portion; and
protruding portions protruding from the first base portion of the inner brush member; and
an outer brush member disposed on the base plate and comprising:
a second base portion directly between the base plate and the first base portion of the inner brush member, wherein the first base portion and the second base portion have different materials; and
a peripheral portion over the second base portion of the outer brush member and surrounding the protruding portions of the inner brush member, wherein the protruding portions of the inner brush member define inner grooves therebetween, and the peripheral portion of the outer brush member has outer grooves therein, and widths of the outer grooves are greater than widths of the inner grooves;
a shaft, connected to the base plate of the brush assembly;
an actuator, connected to the shaft; and
a controller programmed to send electric signal to the actuator to drive the base plate to move below the bottom surface of the wafer holder.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The semiconductor fabricating system of claim 9, wherein a height of the peripheral portion of the outer brush member is higher than a height of the protruding portions of the inner brush member.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The semiconductor fabricating system of claim 9, wherein the peripheral portion of the outer brush member has a tapered top portion in a cross-sectional view.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The semiconductor fabricating system of claim 9, wherein the inner brush member is made of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA).

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The semiconductor fabricating system of claim 9, wherein the outer brush member is made of resin material.

### Claim 14

A semiconductor fabricating system, comprising:
a chamber;
a wafer holder suspending from a top surface of the chamber;
a first brush assembly in the chamber and comprising:
a first base plate;
an inner brush member over the first base plate; and
an outer brush member over the first base plate and surrounding the inner brush member, wherein the outer brush member has a vertical thickness greater than a vertical thickness of the inner brush member, wherein the outer brush member has a material softer than a material of the inner brush member, wherein the outer brush member has a tapered top portion in a cross-sectional view, wherein an upper surface of the inner brush member is in a level position that is higher than a lowermost position of the tapered top portion and lower than an uppermost position of the tapered top portion, wherein the inner brush member comprises inner grooves, wherein the outer brush member comprises outer grooves, and wherein the inner and outer grooves are substantially aligned;
a first manipulate module connected to the first brush assembly and configured to manipulate a movement of the first brush assembly in the chamber;
a second brush assembly in the chamber, wherein the second brush assembly has a configuration different from the first brush assembly; and
a second manipulate module connected to the second brush assembly and configured to manipulate a movement of the second brush assembly in the chamber.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The semiconductor fabricating system of claim 14, wherein the first brush assembly is disposed lower than the wafer holder.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The semiconductor fabricating system of claim 14, wherein the second brush assembly is disposed lower than the wafer holder.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The semiconductor fabricating system of claim 14, wherein the second brush assembly comprises:
a base plate; and
a brush member over the base plate.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The semiconductor fabricating system of claim 17, wherein there is no groove in the brush member of the second brush assembly.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The semiconductor fabricating system of claim 14, wherein widths of the outer grooves are greater than widths of the inner grooves.

### Claim 20 (depends on 14)

The semiconductor fabricating system of claim 14, wherein the inner brush member comprises a plurality of inner protruding portions arranged around a rotation axis, the outer brush member comprises a plurality of outer protruding portions arranged around the rotation axis, and a distance between two adjacent outer protruding portions is greater than a distance between two adjacent inner protruding portions.