Wafer edge wheel with drying function
AssigneeLam Research Corporation
InventorJohn Parks
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An edge wheel for supporting and rotating a disk-shaped substrate includes a wheel body having a peripheral groove configured to support an edge of a substrate and at least one radial channel extending into said wheel body from said peripheral groove. An edge wheel dryer and a method for processing a disk-shaped substrate are also described.
Claims24
An edge wheel for supporting and rotating a disk-shaped substrate, the edge wheel comprising:
- a wheel body having a peripheral groove configured to support an edge of a substrate;
- and
- at least one radial channel extending into said wheel body from said peripheral groove.
An edge wheel assembly for a disk-shaped substrate processing apparatus, said edge wheel assembly comprising:
- an edge wheel comprising a wheel body having a groove formed in an outer periphery of said wheel body, said groove being configured to engage an edge of said substrate, a through-hole formed at an axis of the edge wheel, and a radial channel extending inward from said groove;
- and
- a shaft extending through said through-hole, said radial channel being in at least periodic fluid communication with a stationary port on one of said wheel and said shaft as said edge wheel rotates on said shaft.
An edge wheel dryer comprising:
- a plurality of edge wheels each having a groove configured to engage an edge of a substrate, at least one of said edge wheels having a radial channel extending inward from said groove;
- and
- a vacuum source, said radial channel being in fluid communication with said vacuum source.
A method for processing of a disk-shaped substrate comprising:
- rotationally supporting said substrate by a plurality of edge wheels, each edge wheel having an groove at its periphery that engages an edge of said substrate, each edge wheel being allowed to rotate on its axis thereby allowing said substrate to rotate on its axis, one or more of said edge wheels being a drive wheel;
- spinning said substrate by applying a rotational force by a drive wheel;
- and
- drying an interface between said substrate and at least one of said edge wheels, said drying comprising supplying a vacuum to said interface via said radial channels formed in said at least one of said edge wheels.
A method for processing of a disk-shaped substrate comprising:
- rotationally supporting said substrate by a plurality of edge wheels, each edge wheel having an groove at its periphery that engages an edge of said substrate, each edge wheel being allowed to rotate on its axis thereby allowing said substrate to rotate on its axis, one or more of said edge wheels being a drive wheel;
- spinning said substrate by applying a rotational force to said drive wheels;
- and
- wetting an interface between said substrate and at least one of said edge wheels, said wetting comprising supplying a liquid to said interface via radial channels formed in said at least one of said edge wheels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.