Method and apparatus for cleaning wafers using multiple tanks
AssigneeYieldUP International
InventorsRaj Mohindra, David C. Wong, Suraj Puri
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cleaning system (1, 5) having multiple cleaning chambers (200) is provided. Each cleaning chamber (200) includes an interior region sufficient for immersing a carrier (242), which has at least one wafer disposed therein, into an ultra-clean liquid. The cleaning chamber (200) also has an inlet operably coupled to the interior region to introduce a gas into the interior region and a drain operably coupled to the interior region to remove the ultra-clean liquid from the interior region at a selected rate. A controller 14 is operably coupled to the chamber (200) for selectively controlling the selected rate. In an alternative embodiment, an installation technique (80) for the above cleaning system (1, 5) is provided.
Claims39
A method of installing a cleaning apparatus, said method comprising steps of:
- providing a fabrication floor having a used drying unit, said used drying unit operably coupled to power and a plurality of fluid lines, said drying unit occupying a floor space no greater than about thirty-six inches by about seventy-two inches and greater;
- removing said used drying unit from said fabrication floor by disconnecting said power and said plurality of fluid lines;
- and
- installing a cleaning apparatus onto said floor space no greater than about thirty-six inches by about seventy-two inches, said installing comprising connecting said power and said plurality of fluid lines to said cleaning apparatus, said cleaning apparatus comprising:
- a housing having a width portion no greater than about thirty-six inches and a length portion no greater than about seventy-two inches;
- wherein said housing comprises a plurality of cleaning chambers, at least two of said plurality of chambers being positioned next to each other so that a width of said two chambers is less than about thirty-six inches, each of said cleaning chambers comprising:
- an interior region sufficient for immersing a carrier into a liquid, said carrier comprising at least one wafer disposed therein;
- an inlet operably coupled to said interior region to introduce a gas into said interior region;
- a drain operably coupled to said interior region to remove said liquid from said interior region at a selected rate;
- and
- a controller operably coupled to said chamber for selectively controlling said selected rate.
A method of installing a cleaning apparatus on a fabrication floor having a used drying unit, said used drying unit operably coupled to power and a plurality of fluid lines, said drying unit occupying a floor space no greater than about thirty-six inches by about seventy-two inches and greater, said method comprising:
- removing said used drying unit from said fabrication floor by disconnecting said power and said plurality of fluid lines;
- and
- installing a cleaning apparatus onto said floor space no greater than about thirty-six inches by about seventy-two inches, said installing comprising connecting said power and said plurality of fluid lines to said cleaning apparatus, said cleaning apparatus comprising:
- a housing having a width portion no greater than about thirty-six inches and a length portion no greater than about seventy-two inches;
- wherein said housing comprises a plurality of cleaning chambers, at least two of said plurality of chambers being positioned next to each other so that a width of said two chambers is less than about thirty-six inches, each of said cleaning chambers comprising:
- an interior region sufficient for immersing a carrier into a liquid, said carrier comprising at least one wafer disposed therein;
- an inlet operably coupled to said interior region to introduce a gas into said interior region;
- a drain operably coupled to said interior region to remove said liquid from said interior region at a selected rate;
- and
- a controller operably coupled to said chamber for selectively controlling said selected rate.
A method of installing a cleaning apparatus, said method comprising:
- providing a fabrication floor having a used drying unit, said used drying unit operably coupled to power and a plurality of fluid lines, said drying unit occupying a floor space no greater than about thirty-six inches by about seventy-two inches and greater;
- removing said used drying unit from said fabrication floor by disconnecting said power and said plurality of fluid lines;
- and
- installing a cleaning apparatus onto said floor space no greater than about thirty-six inches by about seventy-two inches, said installing comprising connecting said power and said plurality of fluid lines to said cleaning apparatus, said cleaning apparatus comprising:
- a housing having a width portion no greater than about thirty-six inches and a length portion no greater than about seventy-two inches;
- wherein said housing comprises a cleaning chamber, a width of said chamber being less than about thirty-six inches, said cleaning chamber comprising:
- an interior region sufficient for immersing an object into a liquid;
- an inlet operably coupled to said interior region to introduce a gas into said interior region;
- a drain operably coupled to said interior region to remove said liquid from said interior region at a selected rate;
- and
- a controller operably coupled to said chamber for selectively controlling said selected rate.
A method of installing a cleaning apparatus on a fabrication floor having a used drying unit, said used drying unit operably coupled to power and a plurality of fluid lines, said drying unit occupying a floor space no greater than about thirty-six inches by about seventy-two inches and greater, said method comprising:
- removing said used drying unit from said fabrication floor by disconnecting said power and said plurality of fluid lines;
- and
- installing a cleaning apparatus onto said floor space no greater than about thirty-six inches by about seventy-two inches, said installing comprising connecting said power and said plurality of fluid lines to said cleaning apparatus, said cleaning apparatus comprising:
- a housing having a width portion no greater than about thirty-six inches and a length portion no greater than about seventy-two inches;
- wherein said housing comprises a cleaning chamber, a width of said chamber being less than about thirty-six inches, said cleaning chamber comprising:
- an interior region sufficient for immersing an object into a liquid;
- an inlet operably coupled to said interior region to introduce a gas into said interior region;
- a drain operably coupled to said interior region to remove said liquid from said interior region at a selected rate;
- and
- a controller operably coupled to said chamber for selectively controlling said selected rate.
A method of installing a cleaning apparatus on a fabrication floor having a spin/rinse dryer, said spin/rinse dryer operably coupled to power and a plurality of fluid lines, said spin/rinse dryer occupying a floor space no greater than about thirty-six inches by about seventy-two inches and greater, said method comprising:
- removing said spin/rinse dryer from said fabrication floor by disconnecting said power and said plurality of fluid lines;
- and
- installing a cleaning apparatus onto said floor space no greater than about thirty-six inches by about seventy-two inches, said installing comprising connecting said power and said plurality of fluid lines to said cleaning apparatus, said cleaning apparatus comprising:
- a housing having a width portion no greater than about thirty-six inches and a length portion no greater than about seventy-two inches;
- wherein said housing comprises a cleaning chamber, a width of said chamber being less than about thirty-six inches, said cleaning chamber comprising:
- an interior region sufficient for immersing an object into a liquid;
- an inlet operably coupled to said interior region to introduce a gas into said interior region;
- a drain operably coupled to said interior region to remove said liquid from said interior region at a selected rate;
- and
- a controller operably. coupled to said chamber for selectively controlling said selected rate.
A method of installing a cleaning apparatus, said method comprising:
- providing a fabrication floor having a spin/rinse dryer, said spin/rinse dryer operably coupled to power and a plurality of fluid lines, said drying unit occupying a floor space no greater than about thirty-six inches by about seventy-two inches and greater;
- removing said spin/rinse dryer from said fabrication floor by disconnecting said power and said plurality of fluid lines;
- and
- installing a cleaning apparatus onto said floor space no greater than about thirty-six inches by about seventy-two inches, said installing comprising connecting said power and said plurality of fluid lines to said cleaning apparatus, said cleaning apparatus comprising:
- a housing having a width portion no greater than about thirty-six inches and a length portion no greater than about seventy-two inches;
- wherein said housing comprises a cleaning chamber, a width of said chamber being less than about thirty-six inches, said cleaning chamber comprising:
- an interior region sufficient for immersing an object into a liquid;
- an inlet operably coupled to said interior region to introduce a gas into said interior region;
- a drain operably coupled to said interior region to remove said liquid from said interior region at a selected rate;
- and
- a controller operably coupled to said chamber for selectively controlling said selected rate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.