Electrochemical edge and bevel cleaning process and system
AssigneeNutool, Inc.
InventorBulent M. Basol
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides an edge cleaning system and method in which a directed stream of a mild etching solution is supplied to an edge area of a rotating workpiece, including the front surface edge and bevel, while a potential difference between the workpiece and the directed stream is maintained. In one aspect, the present invention provides an edge cleaning system that is disposed in the same processing chamber that is used for deposition or removal processing of the workpiece. In another aspect, the mild etching solution used for edge removal is also used to clean the front surface of the wafer, either simultaneously with or sequentially with the edge removal process.
Claims44
A method of removing a conductive material from a bevel edge of a conductive layer of a workpiece, including a front edge surface of the conductive layer, using an etching solution and an etching electrode in contact with the etching solution comprising the steps of:
- rotating the workpiece;
- directing a continuous stream of the etching solution to the bevel edge of the workpiece, including the front edge surface of the conductive layer, while rotating the workpiece;
- and
- applying a potential difference between the electrode and the conductive layer of the workpiece while step of directing occurs.
An apparatus for performing an edge bevel removal process on a front conductive surface edge of a workpiece comprising:
- a chamber;
- a moveable and rotatable workpiece holder that holds and rotates the workpiece;
- and
- an edge bevel removal system, the edge bevel removal system including:
- at least one edge conductor material removal device for supplying a continuous stream of an etching solution toward at least the front conductive surface edge of the workpiece;
- and
- an electrode adapted to physically contact the continuous stream and for supplying a potential difference between the continuous stream and the front conductive surface of the workpiece.
A method of performing edge bevel removal on a workpiece and cleaning of a front face of a workpiece using a solution comprising the steps of:
- rotating the workpiece;
- directing a continuous stream of a solution obtained from a source to a bevel edge of a conductive layer of the workpiece while rotating the workpiece to remove conductive material from the bevel edge at a first rate;
- and
- directing a spray of the solution obtained from to the source to a front face of the conductive layer of the workpiece while rotating the workpiece to clean the front face of the workpiece.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.