# US 12,009,227 B2 · Electrostatic substrate cleaning system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,009,227 B2 - Document ID: US12009227B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/735,867 - Filed: 2022-05-03 - Published: 2022-11-10 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2021-05-07 - Assignees: KLA Corporation - Applicants: KLA Corporation - Inventors: Shai Mark; Adi Pahima - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12009227B2 ## CPC - H10P 72/0406: {for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like} - H10P 72/0408: {for drying} - B08B 6/00: Cleaning by electrostatic means - B08B 13/00: Accessories or details of general applicability for machines or apparatus for cleaning - H10P 70/12: {by dry cleaning only (H10P70/52 takes precedence)} - 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 ## Abstract A substrate cleaning system include a chamber and a substrate stage positioned within the chamber. The substrate stage is configured to secure a substrate for cleaning with a cleaning head. The substrate cleaning system includes a robot configured to transfer the substrate between a storage receptable and the substrate stage. The cleaning head includes a disposable electrode ribbon loaded on a roller assembly. The disposable electrode ribbon includes a positive electrode and a negative electrode and is configured to electrostatically clean the substrate by electrostatically removing particles from the substrate. The roller assembly is configured to advance the disposable electrode ribbon following cleaning of the substrate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A substrate cleaning system comprising: a chamber; a substrate stage positioned within the chamber and configured to secure a substrate for cleaning; and a cleaning head, wherein the cleaning head includes a disposable electrode ribbon loaded on a roller assembly, wherein the disposable electrode ribbon includes a positive electrode and a negative electrode, wherein the disposable electrode ribbon is configured to electrostatically clean the substrate by electrostatically removing particles from the substrate, wherein the roller assembly is configured to advance the disposable electrode ribbon following cleaning of the substrate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The substrate cleaning system of claim 1, further comprising: a substrate handling sub-system, wherein the substrate handling sub-system includes a robot, wherein the robot is configured to transfer the substrate between a storage receptable and the substrate stage within the chamber. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The substrate cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the electrostatically cleaning the substrate is performed via dielectrophoresis, wherein the particles move away from the substrate in a direction of an electric field gradient formed by the disposable electrode ribbon. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The substrate cleaning system of claim 1, wherein particles disposed on the substrate detach from the substrate and are collected by the disposable electrode ribbon. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The substrate cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the storage receptable comprises a Front Opening Unified Pod (FOUP). ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The substrate cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the substrate stage is configured to actuate the substrate to a position under the cleaning head. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The substrate cleaning system of claim 1, further comprising a cleaning head lift actuator and a proximity sensor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The substrate cleaning system of claim 7, wherein the cleaning head lift actuator is configured to lower the cleaning head to a selected cleaning distance above the substrate, wherein the proximity sensor is configured to identify when the selected cleaning distance between the cleaning head and a top surface of the substrate is attained. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The substrate cleaning system of claim 1, further comprising a controller, wherein the controller includes one or more processors and memory, wherein one or more program instructions are maintained in the memory, wherein the one or more program instructions are configured to cause the one or more processors to: direct the robot to transfer the substrate between a storage receptable and the substrate stage within the chamber. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The substrate cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the one or more program instructions are configured to cause the one or more processors to: direct the cleaning head lift actuator to lower the cleaning head to a selected cleaning distance above the substrate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The substrate cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the one or more program instructions are configured to cause the one or more processors to: direct the stage to actuate the substrate along a path beneath the cleaning head. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The substrate cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the one or more program instructions are configured to cause the one or more processors to: apply a bias voltage between the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the disposable electrode ribbon. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The substrate cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the one or more program instructions are configured to cause the one or more processors to: advance the roller to expose an unused portion of the disposable electrode ribbon. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The substrate cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a semiconductor wafer. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the roller assembly comprises one or more rollers, wherein the one or more rollers are configured to secure the disposable electrode ribbon. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the one or more rollers are rotatable to advance the disposable electrode ribbon. ### Claim 17 An apparatus comprising: a roller assembly; and a disposable electrode ribbon loaded on the roller assembly, wherein the disposable electrode ribbon includes a positive electrode and a negative electrode, wherein the disposable electrode ribbon is configured to electrostatically clean a substrate by electrostatically removing particles from the substrate, wherein the roller assembly is configured to advance the disposable electrode ribbon following cleaning of the substrate. ### Claim 18 A method of cleaning a substrate comprising: transferring a substrate from a substrate storage receptable to a substrate stage; actuating, with the substrate stage, the substrate to a position under a cleaning head; actuating, with a cleaning lift assembly, the substrate to a selected cleaning distance above the substrate; activating a disposable electrode ribbon including a positive electrode and a negative electrode to electrostatically clean a surface of the substrate by removing particles from the substrate, wherein the disposable electrode ribbon is activated by applying a bias voltage between the positive electrode and the negative electrode; and advancing a roller to expose an unused portion of the disposable electrode ribbon. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the activating the disposable electrode ribbon to electrostatically clean the surface of the substrate comprises: activating the disposable electrode ribbon to electrostatically clean the substrate is performed via dielectrophoresis. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising: determining whether the selected cleaning distance has been attained via a proximity sensor.