Method and apparatus for cleaning semiconductor wafer
AssigneeOki Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
InventorOsamu Kato
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wafer is placed on a rotatable stage to clean an upper surface of the wafer with a cleaning liquid while the stage and wafer are rotating. A cup-shaped cover is provided over the upper surface of the wafer. A frame portion of the cover is brought into close contact with a circumferential outer edge surface region of the wafer. Therefore, the upper surface of the wafer is cleaned without causing erosion in the circumferential outer edge surface region of the wafer. The shape of the cover is not limited to the cup-shape.
Claims32
A method for cleaning a wafer placed on a rotatable stage and having a surface divided into a cleaning region and a circumferential outer edge surface region defined outside the cleaning region, the method comprising:
- placing a cover over the wafer such that the cover is in contact with at least part of the circumferential outer edge surface region of the wafer;
- rotating the stage together with the wafer;
- and
- supplying a cleaning liquid to the surface of the rotating wafer to clean the cleaning region of the wafer while the cover is in contact with the at least part of the circumferential outer edge surface region of the wafer.
A method for cleaning a wafer placed on a rotatable stage and having a surface divided into a cleaning region and a circumferential outer edge surface region outside the cleaning region, the method comprising:
- supplying a cleaning liquid to the surface of the wafer while the stage is rotating, to clean the surface of the wafer;
- and
- suctioning the cleaning liquid from at least part of the circumferential outer edge surface region of the wafer.
An apparatus for cleaning a wafer having a surface divided into a cleaning region and a circumferential outer edge surface region defined outside the cleaning region, the apparatus comprising:
- a rotatable stage for supporting a wafer thereon;
- a supply nozzle for supplying a cleaning liquid onto the surface of the wafer;
- and
- a cover placed over the wafer such that the cover is in contact with at least part of the circumferential outer edge surface region of the wafer to allow only the cleaning region to be cleaned by the cleaning liquid.
An apparatus for cleaning a wafer having a surface divided into a cleaning region and a circumferential outer edge surface region outside the cleaning region, the apparatus comprising:
- a rotatable stage for supporting a wafer thereon;
- a supply nozzle for supplying a cleaning liquid onto the surface of the wafer;
- and
- a suction nozzle connected to a suction device and disposed above the circumferential outer edge surface region of the wafer, for suctioning the cleaning liquid from at least part of the circumferential outer edge surface region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.