US 12,563,994 B2Granted

Breaking-in and cleaning method and apparatus for wafer-cleaning brush

AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.

InventorsChia-Ling Pai, Yu-Min Chang

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Abstract

A method of cleaning wafer-cleaning brushes includes passing a wafer having a first polished main side and an opposing unpolished backside between a pair of substantially cylindrical shaped wafer-cleaning brushes are rotated about an axial direction of the brushes while passing the wafer between the pair of wafer-cleaning brushes. A cleaning solution is applied to the brushes while passing the wafer between the pair of wafer-cleaning brushes. While passing between the pair of brushes, the first polished main side of the wafer faces a first direction, the first direction is an opposite direction to which a polished side of a production wafer faces during a subsequent polished wafer cleaning operation. The substantially cylindrical shaped wafer-cleaning brushes include a plurality of protrusions on an external surface of the brushes, and the brushes contact the wafer at least a portion of time the wafer is passing between the pair of brushes.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of cleaning wafer-cleaning brushes, comprising:

passing a dummy wafer having at least one unpolished main side between first and second cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brushes,
wherein an unpolished main side of the dummy wafer faces the first cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brush;
rotating the first and second cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brushes about an axial direction of the brushes while passing the dummy wafer between brushes;
applying a cleaning solution and megasonic waves to the brushes while passing the dummy wafer between the brushes;
cleaning a process wafer having a first polished main side and an opposing unpolished backside by passing the process wafer between the brushes,
wherein while passing the process wafer between the first and second cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brushes, the first polished main side of the process wafer faces a first direction toward the first cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brush;
and
contacting a first washboard to the first cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brush and contacting a second washboard to the second cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brush, wherein the first and second washboards are respectively contacted to the first and second cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brushes while the brushes are rotating about their axes,
wherein a side of the first cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brush oriented to contact the first washboard is opposite to a side of the first cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brush oriented to contact the process wafer, a side of the second cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brush oriented to contact the second washboard is opposite to a side of the second cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brush oriented to contact the process wafer,
wherein the first and second cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brushes and the first and second washboards are controlled by a controller to move into contact with each other and away from contact with each other in a cyclical manner during the cleaning the process wafer,
wherein the first and second cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brushes are controlled by the controller to move into contact and away from contact with the process wafer in a cyclical manner while the process wafer is passing between the brushes, and
wherein external surfaces of the first and second cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brushes include a plurality of protrusions, and the brushes contact the process wafer for at least a portion of time the process wafer is passing between the brushes.

9 more elements

A method of cleaning wafer-cleaning brushes, comprising:

passing a dummy wafer having at least one unpolished main side between first and second cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brushes,
wherein an unpolished main side of the dummy wafer faces the first cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brush;
rotating the first and second cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brushes about an axial direction of the brushes while passing the dummy wafer between brushes;
applying a cleaning solution and megasonic waves to the brushes while passing the dummy wafer between the brushes;
cleaning a process wafer having a first polished main side and an opposing unpolished backside by passing the process wafer between the brushes,
wherein while passing the process wafer between the first and second cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brushes, the first polished main side of the process wafer faces a first direction toward the first cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brush;
and
contacting a first washboard to the first cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brush and contacting a second washboard to the second cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brush, wherein the first and second washboards are respectively contacted to the first and second cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brushes while the brushes are rotating about their axes,
wherein a side of the first cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brush oriented to contact the first washboard is opposite to a side of the first cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brush oriented to contact the process wafer, a side of the second cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brush oriented to contact the second washboard is opposite to a side of the second cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brush oriented to contact the process wafer,
wherein the first and second cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brushes and the first and second washboards are controlled by a controller to move into contact with each other and away from contact with each other in a cyclical manner during the cleaning the process wafer,
wherein the first and second cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brushes are controlled by the controller to move into contact and away from contact with the process wafer in a cyclical manner while the process wafer is passing between the brushes,
wherein external surfaces of the first and second cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brushes include a plurality of protrusions, and the brushes contact the process wafer for at least a portion of time the process wafer is passing between the brushes, and
wherein the process wafer is rotated about an axis of the process wafer while passing between the brushes.

10 more elements

A method of cleaning wafer-cleaning brushes, comprising:

passing a dummy wafer having at least one unpolished main side between first and second cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brushes,
wherein an unpolished main side of the dummy wafer faces the first cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brush;
rotating the first and second cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brushes about an axial direction of the brushes while passing the dummy wafer between brushes;
applying a cleaning solution and megasonic waves to the brushes while passing the dummy wafer between the brushes;
cleaning a process wafer having a first polished main side and an opposing unpolished backside by passing the process wafer between the brushes,
wherein while passing the process wafer between the first and second cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brushes, the first polished main side of the process wafer faces a first direction toward the first cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brush;
and
contacting a first washboard to the first cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brush and contacting a second washboard to the second cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brush, wherein the first and second washboards are respectively contacted to the first and second cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brushes while the brushes are rotating about their axes,
wherein a side of the first cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brush oriented to contact the first washboard is opposite to a side of the first cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brush oriented to contact the process wafer, a side of the second cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brush oriented to contact the second washboard is opposite to a side of the second cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brush oriented to contact the process wafer,
wherein the first and second cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brushes and the first and second washboards are controlled by a controller to move into contact with each other and away from contact with each other in a cyclical manner during the cleaning the process wafer,
wherein the first and second cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brushes are controlled by the controller to move into contact and away from contact with the process wafer in a cyclical manner while the process wafer is passing between the brushes,
wherein external surfaces of the first and second cylindrical-shaped wafer-cleaning brushes include a plurality of protrusions, and the brushes contact the process wafer for at least a portion of time the process wafer is passing between the brushes, and
wherein a frequency of the megasonic waves ranges from 0.8 MHz to 2 MHz to the brushes while passing the dummy wafer between the brushes.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/500,849Filed 2 Nov 2023 · division
Priority: 17 Aug 2018
Published: US 2024/0066566 A129 Feb 2024
Granted: 24 Feb 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

H10P 72/0412
For wet cleaning or washing: using mainly scrubbing means, e.g. brushes
B08B 1/34
Using rotary cleaning members: rotating about an axis parallel to the surface
B08B 1/52
Involving cleaning of the cleaning members: using fluids
B08B 3/041
Cleaning involving contact with liquid: cleaning travelling work

Family

Application62/719,435Us provisional application · filed 17 Aug 2018
Application16/542,014Parent of this division · filed 15 Aug 2019
US 2024/0066566 A1Pre-grant publication · published 29 Feb 2024
US 11,839,907 B2Parent of this division
US 2020/0055100 A1Published application
US 12,563,994 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.