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AssigneeNovellus Systems, Inc.
InventorsSanjay Gopinath, Patrick A. Van Cleemput, Francisco Juarez, Krishnan Shrinivasan
Estimating the term…
The present invention pertains to apparatus and methods for maintaining wafer back side, bevel, and front side edge exclusion during supercritical fluid processing. Apparatus of the invention include a pedestal and an exclusion ring. When the exclusion ring is engaged with the pedestal a channel is formed. A reactant-free supercritical fluid is passed through the channel and over a circumferential front edge of a wafer. The flow of reactant-free supercritical fluid protects the bevel and circumferential front edge of the wafer from exposure to reactants in a supercritical processing medium. The back side of the wafer is protected by contact with the pedestal and the flow of reactant-free supercritical fluid. Exclusion rings of the invention, when engaged with their corresponding pedestals make no or very little physical contact with the wafer front side.
An apparatus for immobilizing a wafer and preventing a reactant from contacting the back side, bevel, and a circumferential front edge of the wafer during a surface modification process on the front side of the wafer in a supercritical medium containing the reactant, the apparatus comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.