Wafer holding pins and methods of using the same
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsChia-Lun Chen, Ming-Sung Hung, Po-Jen Shih, Wen-Hung Hsu
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Abstract
An apparatus includes a substrate stage configured to secure a substrate thereon and a motion mechanism configured to rotate the substrate stage. The substrate stage includes a plurality of holding pins for holding an edge of the substrate. Rotating the substrate stage causes a chemical solution dispensed on an upper surface of the substrate to spread outwardly toward the edge of the substrate. At least one of the plurality of holding pins includes at least one opening or at least one tapered side surface, or both, for guiding the chemical solution to flow off the substrate.
Claims20
An apparatus, comprising:
- a substrate stage configured to secure a substrate thereon, the substrate stage comprising a plurality of holding pins for holding an edge of the substrate;
- and
- a motion mechanism configured to rotate the substrate stage,
- wherein at least one of the plurality of holding pins comprises at least one opening or at least one tapered side surface, or both, for guiding a chemical solution spread on an upper surface of the substrate to flow off the substrate.
A wafer cleaning system, comprising:
- a wafer chuck configured to secure a silicon wafer thereon, the wafer chuck comprising a plurality of wafer clamps distributed thereon, each of the wafer clamps comprising a recess area configured to touch an outer edge of the silicon wafer;
- a liquid dispenser configured to dispense a cleaning liquid onto an upper surface of the silicon wafer;
- and
- a spinning mechanism configured to spread the cleaning liquid outwardly from the silicon wafer by spinning the wafer chuck,
- wherein the recess area on each of the wafer clamps comprises at least one drainage hole for permitting the cleaning liquid to flow off the outer edge of the silicon wafer and to pass through the wafer clamp.
A method for cleaning a wafer, comprising:
- securing the wafer on a wafer chuck, the wafer chuck comprising a plurality of holding pins distributed thereon, each holding pin comprising a recess area in contact with an outer edge of the wafer, the recess area comprising one or more holes extending through the holding pin;
- dispensing a cleaning liquid onto an upper surface of the wafer;
- and
- spinning the wafer to drive the cleaning liquid from an inner region of the wafer toward the outer edge of the wafer, off the outer edge of the wafer, through the one or more holes on each holding pin, and eventually off each holding pin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.