Aerosol substrate cleaner
OwnerBoris Fishkin, Kyle A. Browninventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for cleaning a substrate includes a source of pressurized carrier gas and a body of cleaning agent in liquid form. A first conduit directs the pressurized carrier gas from the carrier gas source to the body of cleaning agent. A second conduit carries a flow of the carrier gas away from the body of the cleaning agent. The carrier gas flow carried by the second conduit includes cleaning agent in vapor form acquired from the body of cleaning agent. A nozzle is coupled to the second conduit to cause droplets of the cleaning agent to impinge upon a first face of the substrate to be cleaned.
Claims26
An apparatus for cleaning a semiconductor substrate, comprising:
- a source of pressurized carrier gas;
- a supply of liquid cleaning solution containing a cleaning agent;
- a first line that directs the pressurized carrier gas through the liquid cleaning solution to generate a vapor that includes the carrier gas and the cleaning agent in vapor form;
- a second line that carries the vapor away from the supply of liquid cleaning solution;
- and
- a nozzle fluidly coupled to the second line to condense at least a portion of the vapor to produce droplets containing the cleaning agent and to cause the droplets to impinge upon at least a first surface of the substrate to remove contaminants thereon.
An apparatus for cleaning a semiconductor substrate, comprising:
- a source of pressurized carrier gas;
- a liquid cleaning solution containing a cleaning agent;
- a line in which the pressurized carrier gas is directed through the liquid cleaning solution to generate a vapor;
- a cooling unit to condense at least a portion of the vapor to produce droplets containing water, the cleaning agent and residual vapor;
- and
- a nozzle to cause the droplets to impinge upon at least a first surface of the substrate to remove contaminants thereon.
An apparatus for cleaning a semiconductor substrate, comprising:
- a source of pressurized carrier gas;
- a liquid cleaning solution containing a cleaning agent;
- a line in which the pressurized carrier gas is directed through the liquid cleaning solution to generate a vapor;
- a first nozzle to condense at least a portion of the vapor to produce droplets containing the cleaning agent, wherein the first nozzle causes the droplets to impinge upon at least a first surface of the substrate to remove contaminants thereon and
- a second nozzle to condense at least a portion of the vapor to produce droplets containing the cleaning agent, wherein the second nozzle causes the droplets to impinge upon a second surface of the substrate to remove contaminants thereon.
An apparatus for cleaning a semiconductor substrate, comprising:
- means for providing a carrier gas;
- a liquid solution containing a cleaning agent;
- means for directing the carrier gas through the liquid solution to produce a vapor including the cleaning agent;
- means for carrying the vapor;
- means for condensing the vapor to produce droplets containing the cleaning agent;
- and
- first means for causing droplets containing the cleaning agent to impinge upon at least a first surface of the substrate.
An apparatus for cleaning a semiconductor substrate having a residue resulting from chemical mechanical polishing comprising:
- a sparger for bubbling a carrier gas through a cleaning liquid to produce a vapor containing the cleaning agent;
- a mixing unit to contain the cleaning liquid wherein the pressure of the carrier gas is less than 100 psi above ambient pressure;
- a heater to heat the cleaning liquid in the mixing unit;
- a condenser to condense at least a portion of the vapor to produce, droplets including the cleaning agent;
- and
- a nozzle directing the droplets to impinge upon the surface of the substrate whereby the droplets remove the residue from the face of the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.