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US 2003/0111095 A1Published application
Methods and apparatus for determining scrubber brush pressure
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsMichael N. Sugarman, Vladimir Galburt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a scrubber adapted to clean a semiconductor wafer, the torque of a brush rotation motor is monitored while a scrubber brush is in contact with the wafer and is being rotated by the motor. The position of the brush relative to the wafer may be adjusted based on the monitored torque to regulate the pressure applied to the wafer by the brush. Open loop positioning or closed loop control may be employed.
Claims38
A method comprising:
- rotating a brush in contact with a wafer;
- monitoring a torque of a motor which rotates the brush;
- and
- adjusting a position of the brush relative to the wafer based on the monitored torque.
1 more element
An apparatus comprising:
- a brush;
- a motor coupled to the brush so as to rotate the brush;
- a brush positioning mechanism adapted to adjust a position of the brush relative to a wafer;
- and
- a controller coupled to the motor and the brush positioning mechanism and adapted to:
- monitor a torque of the motor as the motor rotates the brush while the brush contacts a wafer;
- and
- allow adjustment of a position of the brush relative to the wafer based on the monitored torque.
5 more elements
A method for monitoring a pressure applied between a brush and a wafer, comprising:
- providing a brush;
- monitoring a first torque of a motor as the motor rotates the brush while the brush is not contacting a wafer;
- contacting a wafer with the brush;
- monitoring a second torque of the motor as the motor rotates the brush while the brush is contacting the wafer;
- subtracting the first torque from the second torque to obtain a net torque resulting from pressure applied between the brush and the wafer;
- and
- adjusting a position of the brush relative to the wafer based on the net torque.
4 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a brush;
- a motor coupled to the brush so as to rotate the brush;
- a brush positioning mechanism adapted to move the brush between a first position in which the brush does not contact a wafer and a second position in which the brush contacts the wafer;
- a limit mechanism adapted to define the second position;
- and
- a controller coupled to the motor and operative to:
- monitor a first torque of the motor as the motor rotates the brush while the brush is in the first position;
- monitor a second torque of the motor as the motor rotates the brush while the brush is in the second position and in contact with a wafer;
- and
- subtract the first torque from the second torque to obtain a net torque resulting from pressure applied between the brush and the wafer.
7 more elements
A method comprising:
- providing a brush having a first end and a second end;
- storing first data indicative of a position of the first end of the brush when the brush is in contact with a wafer during a scrubbing operation;
- and
- storing second data indicative of a position of the second end of the brush when the brush is in contact with the wafer during the scrubbing operation.
1 more element
An apparatus comprising:
- a brush having a first end and a second end;
- a motor adapted to rotate the brush;
- a first mechanism adapted to move the first end of the brush between a first position in which the first end of the brush is not in contact with a wafer and a second position in which the first end of the brush is in contact with the wafer;
- a second mechanism adapted to move the second end of the brush between a first position in which the second end of the brush is not in contact with the wafer and a second position in which the second end of the brush is in contact with the wafer;
- and
- a controller coupled to the motor, the first mechanism and the second mechanism and adapted to:
- monitor a torque of the motor as the motor rotates the brush while the brush contacts a wafer;
- and
- allow adjustment of the position of the first and second ends of the brush relative to the wafer based on the monitored torque.
6 more elements
A method comprising:
- placing a wafer between a first brush having a first end and a second end and a second brush having a first end and a second end;
- rotating the first and second brushes with a motor;
- scrubbing the wafer with the first and second brushes;
- monitoring a torque of the motor during scrubbing;
- and
- employing the monitored torque to adjust a position of the first ends of the first and second brushes and the second ends of the first and second brushes so as to maintain a predetermined pressure on the wafer during scrubbing.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.