Wafer edge cleaning utilizing polish pad material
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsUldis A. Ziemins, Donald J. Delehanty, Raymond M. Khoury, Jose M. Ocasio
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Abstract
An improvement is disclosed in a brush cleaning apparatus for cleaning a major surface of a wafer and including wafer guide wheels for transporting the wafer. The improvement includes a polish pad material disposed on a circumference of the guide wheels. The polish pad material is a material used in chemical-mechanical polishing of the wafer. The polish pad material contacts an edge portion of the wafer during cleaning thereof, thereby removing contaminants from the edge portion of the wafer, so that edge cleaning is performed in situ in addition to the brush cleaning of the major surface of the wafer.
Claims23
A method for cleaning an edge of a wafer, the method being performed after a process employing a slurry on the wafer, the method comprising the steps of:
- transporting the wafer using wafer drive wheels for rotating the wafer;
- and
- contacting the edge of the wafer with a polish pad material, the polish pad material being a material used in chemical-mechanical polishing of the wafer,
- wherein the transporting and the contacting are performed in a wafer cleaning apparatus for cleaning a major surface of the wafer.
In a brush cleaning apparatus for cleaning a major surface of a wafer and including wafer guide wheels for transporting the wafer, the improvement comprising:
- a polish pad material disposed on a circumference of the guide wheels, the polish pad material being a material used in chemical-mechanical polishing of the wafer,
- wherein the polish pad material contacts an edge portion of the wafer during cleaning thereof, thereby removing contaminants from the edge portion of the wafer, so that edge cleaning is performed in situ in addition to the brush cleaning of the major surface of the wafer.
The improvement of claim 19 further comprising a cylinder for moving the brush into and out of contact with the edge of the wafer.
In a brush cleaning apparatus for cleaning a major surface of a wafer and including wafer guide wheels for transporting the wafer, the improvement comprising:
- an applicator applying dilute hydrofluoric acid to the edge of the wafer, thereby removing contaminants from the edge portion of the wafer, so that edge cleaning is performed in situ in addition to the brush cleaning of the major surface of the wafer.
In a brush cleaning apparatus for cleaning a major surface of a wafer and including wafer guide wheels for transporting the wafer, the improvement comprising:
- a brush contacting the edge of the wafer, thereby removing contaminants from the edge portion of the wafer, so that edge cleaning is performed in situ in addition to the brush cleaning of the major surface of the wafer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.