# US 2018/0021818 A1 · Apparatus and Method for Cleaning Wafer Handling Equipment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0021818 A1 - Document ID: US20180021818A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/649,471 - Filed: 2017-07-13 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-25 - Assignees: KLA-Tencor Corporation - Applicants: KLA-Tencor Corporation - Inventors: William VanHoomissen; Val Estrin; Eric Jong - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180021818A1 ## CPC - H10P 72/0406: {for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like} - B08B 7/02: by distortion, beating, or vibration of the surface to be cleaned {(B08B7/0007 takes precedence)} - H10P 72/0432: {mainly by conduction} - H10P 72/19: {closed carriers} - H10P 72/3404: {Storage means} - H10P 72/3408: {Docking arrangements} - H10P 72/50: for positioning, orientation or alignment - H10P 72/7611: {characterised by edge profile or support profile} - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL ## Abstract A cleaning assembly for cleaning one or more wafer edge handling contact surfaces of wafer handling equipment includes a substrate and a cleaning ring. The substrate includes an edge portion that extends about the body of the substrate. The cleaning ring is reversibly attachable to the edge portion of the substrate. The cleaning ring is formed from a deformable material. The substrate and cleaning ring are sized for compatibility with a front opening unified pod (FOUP) or a wafer cassette of a semiconductor fabrication facility. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: a substrate, the substrate including an edge portion extending about the body of the substrate; and a cleaning ring, the cleaning ring reversibly attachable to the edge portion of the substrate, wherein the cleaning ring is formed from a deformable material. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the deformable material of the cleaning ring is coated with an adhesive material. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate has a ring shape. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the substrate includes a plurality of spokes. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate has a disk shape. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cleaning ring includes a notched internal edge. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the substrate includes a notched external edge. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the notched internal edge of the cleaning ring corresponds with the notched external edge of the substrate such that a bottom surface of the cleaning ring is flush with the bottom surface of the substrate when the cleaning ring is attached to the substrate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cleaning ring is configured to fit over the edge portion of the substrate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the cleaning ring is secured to the edge portion of the substrate via a compressive action of the deformable material of the cleaning ring. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cleaning ring is configured to interact with one or more horizontal contact surfaces of wafer handling equipment to provide a mechanical cleaning action to the one or more horizontal contact surfaces. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate and cleaning ring are sized for compatibility with at least one of a front opening unified pod (FOUP) or wafer cassette of a semiconductor fabrication facility. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: an actuator disposed on the substrate, wherein the actuator is configured to produce vibrations within the substrate such that the cleaning ring is actuated at least partially in at least one of a horizontal or vertical direction. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a heater disposed on the substrate, wherein the heater is configured to heat at least the edge portion of the substrate. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate includes one or more manifolds in the edge portion of the substrate to provide airflow at the edge portion of the substrate. ### Claim 16 An apparatus comprising: a substrate, wherein the substrate is non-circular and includes a plurality of protrusions; and a plurality of cleaning sections, each cleaning section reversibly attachable to an edge portion of a particular protrusion of the substrate, wherein each cleaning section is formed from a deformable material. ### Claim 17 An apparatus comprising: a front end opening unified pod device; a substrate, the substrate including an edge portion extending about the body of the substrate, wherein the substrate is positionable within the front end opening unified pod device; and a cleaning ring, the cleaning ring reversibly attachable to the edge portion of the substrate, wherein the cleaning ring is formed from a deformable material. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the deformable material of the cleaning ring is coated with an adhesive material. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the substrate has a ring shape. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the substrate includes a plurality of spokes. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the substrate has a disk shape. ### Claim 22 (depends on 17) The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the cleaning ring includes a notched internal edge. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the substrate includes a notched external edge. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the notched internal edge of the cleaning ring corresponds with the notched external edge of the substrate such that a bottom surface of the cleaning ring is flush with the bottom surface of the substrate when the cleaning ring is attached to the substrate. ### Claim 25 (depends on 17) The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the cleaning ring is configured to fit over the edge portion of the substrate. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the cleaning ring is secured to the edge portion of the substrate via a compressive action of the deformable material of the cleaning ring. ### Claim 27 (depends on 17) The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the cleaning ring is configured to interact with one or more horizontal contact surfaces of wafer handling equipment to provide a mechanical cleaning action to the one or more horizontal contact surfaces. ### Claim 28 (depends on 17) The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the substrate and cleaning ring are sized for compatibility with at least one of a front opening unified pod (FOUP) or wafer cassette of a semiconductor fabrication facility. ### Claim 29 (depends on 17) The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising: an actuator disposed on the substrate, wherein the actuator is configured to produce vibrations within the substrate such that the cleaning ring is actuated at least partially in at least one of a horizontal or vertical direction. ### Claim 30 (depends on 17) The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising: a heater disposed on the substrate, wherein the heater is configured to heat at least the edge portion of the substrate. ### Claim 31 (depends on 17) The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the substrate includes one or more manifolds in the edge portion of the substrate to provide airflow at the edge portion of the substrate. ### Claim 32 A method comprising: providing a substrate, the substrate including an edge portion extending about the body of the substrate; providing a cleaning ring formed from a deformable material; attaching the cleaning ring to the substrate; disposing the substrate within a front end opening unified pod of a semiconductor device fabrication facility; transferring the front end opening unified pod between one or more process tools of the semiconductor facility; and cleaning one or more contact surfaces of one or more wafer handling devices of the semiconductor device fabrication facility with the cleaning ring attached to the substrate.