Touchless Site Isolation Using Gas Bearing
AssigneeIntermolecular, Inc.
InventorAaron Francis
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gas bearing seal using porous materials for distribution of gas flow can provide site isolation during wet processing. In some embodiments, a flow cell comprises a porous media gas bearing surrounding a periphery of the flow cell, isolating the liquid inside the flow cell from the ambient air outside the flow cell. In some embodiments, a protective chuck comprises a porous media gas bearing disposed in a middle of the protective chuck, isolating the liquid outside the protective chuck with the gaseous ambient generated by the porous media gas bearing.
Claims20
A substrate processing system comprising:
- a flow cell, the flow cell comprising:
- a hollow interior operable to receive a fluid;
- a peripheral portion circumscribing the hollow interior and comprising a bottom surface;
- a porous medium disposed at the bottom surface of the peripheral portion such that the porous medium circumscribes the hollow interior;
- and
- an inlet in fluid communication with the peripheral portion such that when gas is flowed into the peripheral portion through the inlet, the gas exits the bottom surface of the peripheral portion through the porous medium and is operable to confine a fluid disposed in the hollow interior of the flow cell from spreading from a first surface region of a substrate to a second surface region of the substrate when the bottom surface of the peripheral portion is disposed in proximity to the first surface region of the substrate.
A substrate processing system comprising:
- a flow cell, the flow cell comprising:
- a hollow interior operable to receive a fluid;
- a peripheral portion circumscribing the hollow interior and comprising a bottom surface;
- a porous medium disposed at the bottom surface of the peripheral portion such that the porous medium circumscribes the hollow interior;
- and
- an inlet in fluid communication with the peripheral portion such that when gas is flowed into the peripheral portion through the inlet, the gas exits the bottom surface of the peripheral portion through the porous medium and is operable to confine a fluid disposed in the hollow interior of the flow cell from spreading from a first surface region of a substrate to a second surface region of the substrate when the bottom surface of the peripheral portion is disposed in proximity to the first surface region of the substrate,
- wherein the flow cell further comprises an isolation wall extending from an upper portion of the flow cell into the hollow interior, wherein the isolation wall is spaced apart from an interior wall of the hollow interior such that bubbles formed at an interface between the gas flowing from the bottom surface of the peripheral portion and the fluid in the hollow interior are confined between the isolation wall and the interior wall of the hollow interior.
A substrate processing system comprising:
- a plurality of flow cells, each of the plurality of flow cells comprising:
- a hollow interior operable to receive a fluid;
- a peripheral portion circumscribing the hollow interior and comprising a bottom surface;
- a porous medium disposed at the bottom surface of the peripheral portion such that the porous medium circumscribes the hollow interior;
- and
- an inlet in fluid communication with the peripheral portion such that when gas is flowed into the peripheral portion through the inlet, the gas exits the bottom surface of the peripheral portion through the porous medium and is operable to confine a fluid disposed in the hollow interior of the flow cell from spreading from a first surface region of a substrate to a second surface region of the substrate when the bottom surface of the peripheral portion is disposed in proximity to the first surface region of the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.