Drying high aspect ratio features
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsEric J. Bergman, John L. Klocke, Paul McHugh, Stuart Crane, Richard W. Plavidal
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods of drying a semiconductor substrate may include applying a drying agent to a semiconductor substrate, where the drying agent wets the semiconductor substrate. The methods may include heating a chamber housing the semiconductor substrate to a temperature above an atmospheric pressure boiling point of the drying agent until a vapor-liquid equilibrium of the drying agent within the chamber has been reached. The methods may further include venting the chamber, where the venting vaporizes the liquid phase of the drying agent from the semiconductor substrate.
Claims20
A method of drying a semiconductor substrate, the method comprising:
- applying a drying agent to a semiconductor substrate, wherein the drying agent wets the semiconductor substrate;
- heating a chamber housing the semiconductor substrate to a temperature above an atmospheric pressure boiling point of the drying agent until vapor-liquid equilibrium of the drying agent is reached within the chamber;
- and
- venting the chamber, wherein the venting vaporizes the drying agent liquid phase from the semiconductor substrate.
A method of drying a semiconductor substrate, the method comprising:
- applying a drying agent to the semiconductor substrate, wherein the drying agent wets the semiconductor substrate;
- heating a chamber in which the semiconductor substrate is housed to cause an equilibrium to be reached between liquid and vapor phases of the drying agent, wherein the heating maintains at least a portion of the drying agent in a liquid form;
- and
- exposing the chamber to vacuum conditions, wherein the vacuum conditions evaporate and purge the drying agent from the chamber.
A method of drying a substrate, the method comprising:
- applying a drying agent to the substrate, wherein the drying agent wets the substrate;
- hermetically sealing a chamber housing the substrate;
- forming a vapor-liquid equilibrium of the drying agent within the chamber;
- increasing the temperature within the chamber to reduce the drying agent surface tension for a liquid fraction of the drying agent below a predetermined threshold and achieving a new vapor-liquid equilibrium;
- and
- depressurizing the chamber, wherein the depressurizing substantially removes liquid drying agent from the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.