Process chamber and system for thinning a semiconductor workpiece

A process chamber for processing a plurality of semiconductor workpieces, the process chamber comprising:

• a chamber body having a first end, a second end, an outer wall, and an opening at the first end leading into a cavity, wherein a carrier retaining a plurality of workpieces is removably positioned within the cavity of the chamber;
• a door assembly adjacent the first end of the chamber body, the door assembly having a door that closes the opening of the chamber body;
• a motor connected to the chamber body to rotate the carrier within the cavity of the chamber body, and;
• a spray assembly having a manifold and a plurality of nozzles in communication therewith to spray a process fluid into the cavity of the chamber body and onto exposed portions of the plurality of workpieces in the carrier, the manifold having a first inlet port and an opposing second inlet port to provide fluid into the manifold.

A tool for thinning a plurality of semiconductor workpieces, the tool comprising:

• a cabinet;
• a process chamber in the cabinet, the process chamber comprising:
• a chamber body having a first end, a second end, an outer wall, an opening at the first end leading into a cavity, a vent in the chamber body to vent vapors from the cavity, and a drain trough in the chamber body to drain the process fluid from the cavity;
• a door assembly connected to the chamber body adjacent the first end of the chamber body, the door assembly having a door that closes the opening of the chamber body;
• and,
• a spray assembly having a manifold in association with a plurality of nozzles to spray a process fluid into the cavity of the chamber body and onto the semiconductor workpieces;
• a delivery tank in fluid communication with the process chamber, wherein the delivery tank retains a volume of the process fluid, and wherein the process fluid is delivered from the delivery tank to the spray assembly of the process chamber;
• and,
• a recirculation system fluidly connected between the exit port of the process chamber and the delivery tank to communicate used process fluid from the process chamber to the delivery tank.

A method for simultaneously processing a plurality of semiconductor workpieces, comprising the steps of:

• placing a plurality of workpieces in a carrier;
• loading the carrier in a process chamber, the process chamber comprising:
• a chamber body having a first end, a second end, an outer wall, and an opening at the first end leading into a cavity;
• a door assembly connected to the chamber body adjacent the first end of the chamber body, the door assembly having a door that moves from a first position whereby the door closes the opening to the cavity of the chamber body, to a second position whereby the opening to the cavity of the chamber body is accessible;
• and,
• a spray assembly having a manifold in communication with a plurality of nozzles to spray a process fluid into the cavity of the chamber body, the manifold having a first inlet port and a second opposing inlet port for receiving the process fluid;
• rotating the carrier in the cavity of the process chamber;
• and,
• spraying a process fluid from through the nozzles and on an exposed portion of the workpieces in the carrier.

A system for chemically thinning a batch of semiconductor workpieces, the system comprising:

• a plurality of workpiece stations, with at least one station having an apparatus comprising:
• a process chamber having a chamber body having a first end, a second end, an outer wall, and an opening at the first end leading into a cavity, the process chamber having a vent to vent vapors from the cavity of the process chamber, the vent extending from proximal the first end of the chamber body to proximal the second end of the chamber body, the process chamber also having a drain trough to drain process fluid from the cavity of the process chamber, the drain trough extending from proximal the first end of the chamber body to proximal the second end of the chamber body;
• a carrier for holding a plurality of the workpieces, the workpieces being retained about a peripheral portion of the workpieces, and the carrier being positioned in the cavity of the process chamber;
• a door assembly adjacent the first end of the chamber body, the door assembly having a door that selectively closes the opening of the chamber body;
• a motor connected to the chamber body to rotate the carrier and the workpieces therein;
• and,
• a spray assembly associated with the process chamber, the spray assembly having a nozzle to spray a process fluid into the cavity of the chamber body and onto the semiconductor workpiece to thin the workpiece.