# US 2022/0044946 A1 · Non-contact clean module

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- Number: US 2022/0044946 A1
- Document ID: US20220044946A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/507,450
- Filed: 2021-10-21
- Published: 2022-02-10
- Earliest claimed: 2018-08-06
- Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Inventors: Jagan RANGARAJAN; Adrian BLANK; Edward GOLUBOVSKY; Balasubramaniam Coimbatore JAGANATHAN; Steven M. ZUNIGA; Ekaterina MIKHAYLICHENKO; Michael A. ANDERSON; Jonathan P. DOMIN
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220044946A1

## CPC

- H10P 72/0414: {using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles}
- B08B 3/022: {Cleaning travelling work (B08B3/042 takes precedence)}
- B08B 5/023: {Cleaning travelling work}
- H10P 70/20: {Cleaning during device manufacture}
- H10P 72/7602: {the wafers being placed on a robot blade or gripped by a gripper for conveyance}
- H10P 72/7608: {characterised by a plurality of separate clamping members, e.g. clamping fingers}
- H10P 72/7618: {characterised by a movable susceptor, stage or support, others than those only rotating on their own vertical axis, e.g. susceptors on a rotating carrousel}
- B08B 2203/0288: Ultra or megasonic jets
- 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 module for cleaning a wafer comprises a wafer gripping device configured to support a wafer in a vertical orientation and comprises a catch cup and a gripper assembly. The catch cup comprises a wall that has an annular inner surface that defines a processing region and has an angled portion that is symmetric about a central axis of the wafer gripping device. The gripper assembly comprises a first plate assembly, a second plate assembly, a plurality of gripping pin, and a plurality of loading pin. The gripping pins are configured to grip a wafer during a cleaning process and the loading pins are configured to grip the wafer during a loading and unloading process. The cleaning module further comprises a sweep arm coupled to a nozzle mechanism configured to deliver liquids to the front and back side of the wafer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A cleaning module comprising:
a wafer gripping device configured to support a wafer in a vertical orientation, the wafer gripping device comprising:
a catch cup comprising a wall that has an annular inner surface defining a processing region; and
a gripper assembly, the gripper assembly comprising:
a first plate assembly comprising a plurality of loading pins, each of the plurality of loading pins configured to support an edge of the wafer that is oriented in the vertical orientation; and
a second plate assembly comprising a plurality of gripping pins, each of the plurality of gripping pins configured to be:
positioned a first distance from a central axis of the wafer gripping device based on the second plate assembly being positioned a second distance from the first plate assembly, wherein each of the plurality of gripping pins is configured to contact the edge of the wafer and hold the wafer in the vertical orientation when positioned the first distance from the central axis; and
positioned a third distance from the central axis based on the second plate assembly being positioned a fourth distance from the first plate assembly, wherein the third distance is greater than the first distance, and the fourth distance is greater than the second distance.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The cleaning module of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of gripping pins passes through a respective opening in the first plate assembly.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The cleaning module of claim 1, wherein the second plate assembly further comprises one or more features configured to contact the catch cup.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The cleaning module of claim 3, wherein the one or more features is configured to contact the catch cup and stop movement of the second plate assembly relative to movement of the first plate assembly.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The cleaning module of claim 3, wherein each gripping pin of the plurality of gripping pins is coupled to a respective element configured to contact the catch cup.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The cleaning module of claim 1, wherein the first plate assembly is connected to the second plate assembly via one or more spring mechanisms.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The cleaning module of claim 1, wherein the second plate assembly is coupled to the catch cup via one or more spring mechanisms.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The cleaning module of claim 7, wherein the one or more spring mechanisms is configured to be:
compressed based on the first plate assembly being the second distance from the second plate assembly; and
expanded based on the first plate assembly being the fourth distance from the second plate assembly.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The cleaning module of claim 1, wherein:
the catch cup further comprises a plurality of actuator pins; and
each of the plurality of gripping pins is coupled to a respective actuator element configured to:
engage with a respective one of the plurality of actuator pins; and
disengage from the respective one of the plurality of actuator pins.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The cleaning module of claim 1 further comprising:
a nozzle mechanism coupled to a sweep arm, the nozzle mechanism comprising:
a first nozzle oriented at a first angle with a surface of the first plate assembly and configured to provide a high energy fluid to the wafer; and
a second nozzle oriented at a second angle with the surface of the first plate assembly, wherein the second angle differs from the first angle and is configured to apply a second fluid to the wafer, and wherein the first nozzle is one of a megasonic nozzle and a jet nozzle configured to deliver a mixture of gas and liquid, and wherein the sweep arm is configured to move the nozzle mechanism over at least a portion of the first plate assembly.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The cleaning module of claim 1 further comprising a drive motor configured to:
impart horizontal motion on at least one of the first plate assembly and the second plate assembly; and
rotate the gripper assembly, the catch cup and the vertically oriented wafer simultaneously about the central axis during a cleaning process.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The cleaning module of claim 1, wherein the catch cup comprises:
one or more drain holes, wherein the catch cup is configured to guide moisture to the one or more drain holes as the catch cup is rotated about the central axis, and wherein each of the one or more drain holes is fluidly coupled to an interior region of the cleaning module through a respective air labyrinth shaped to mitigate moisture from flowing into the interior region.

### Claim 13

A wafer gripping device comprising:
a catch cup comprising a wall that has an annular inner surface defining a processing region;
a gripper assembly configured to support a wafer in a vertical orientation, the gripper assembly comprising:
a first plate assembly; and
a second plate assembly comprising a plurality of gripping pins, each of the plurality of gripping pins configured to be:
positioned a first distance from a central axis of the wafer gripping device based on the second plate assembly being positioned a second distance from the first plate assembly, wherein each of the plurality of gripping pins is configured to contact the edge of the wafer and hold the wafer in the vertical orientation when positioned the first distance from the central axis and in the processing region; and
positioned a third distance from the central axis based on the second plate assembly being positioned a fourth distance from the first plate assembly, wherein the third distance is greater than the first distance, and the fourth distance is greater than the second distance; and
a drive motor configured to impart horizontal motion to at least one of the first plate assembly and the second plate assembly to position the second plate assembly the first distance and the second distance from the first plate assembly.

### Claim 14

A method for cleaning a wafer in a cleaning module comprising a wafer gripping device, the method comprising:
positioning a gripper assembly in a loading position, wherein positioning the gripper assembly in the loading position comprises moving a first plate assembly of the gripper assembly away from a second plate assembly of the gripper assembly, and causes:
the first plate assembly to be positioned closer to an annular inner surface of a catch cup of the wafer gripping device that has an angled portion that is symmetric about a central axis of the wafer gripping device, and
a plurality of gripping pins of the second plate assembly to be moved to a position that is a first distance from the central axis;
positioning the gripper assembly in a cleaning position, wherein positioning the gripper assembly in cleaning position comprises moving the first plate assembly towards the second plate assembly, and causes:
the plurality of gripping pins to be positioned a second distance from the central axis so as to grip an edge of the wafer, which is disposed in a vertical orientation, between the plurality of gripping pins, wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance; and
rotating the gripper assembly, the catch cup, and the vertically oriented wafer simultaneously about the central axis during a cleaning process.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 further comprising rotating the gripper assembly, the catch cup, and the wafer simultaneously during axial motion of the wafer into the loading position or into the cleaning position.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 further comprising rotating of the gripper assembly, the catch cup and the wafer after axial motion of the wafer into the cleaning position.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 further comprising stopping the rotation of the gripper assembly, the catch cup, and the wafer before axial motion of the wafer into the loading position.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of gripping pins is coupled to a corresponding actuation element that engages a respective one of a plurality of actuator pins disposed within the catch cup based the gripper assembly being in the cleaning position.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein each of the plurality of actuating elements disengages from a respective one of the plurality of actuator pins based the gripper assembly being in the loading position.

### Claim 20 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 further comprising:
applying a first cleaning chemistry via a first nozzle of a nozzle mechanism coupled to sweep arm while the gripper assembly, the catch cup and the wafer are rotated, wherein the first cleaning chemistry a high energy fluid and the first nozzle is oriented at a first angle relative to a surface of the first plate assembly;
applying a second fluid via a second nozzle of the nozzle mechanism while the gripper assembly, the catch cup and the wafer are rotated, wherein the second nozzle is oriented at a second angle different than the first angle; and
applying a third cleaning chemistry to a back side of the wafer.