US 6,634,371 B2Granted

Apparatus for removing contaminants from a workpiece using a chemically reactive additive

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorsRichard Hilliard Gaylord, III, Frederick William Kern, Jr., Donald Joseph Martin, Harald Franz Okorn-Schmidt, John Joseph Snyder, William Alfred Syverson

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Abstract

An apparatus for drying one or more workpieces. The apparatus includes the use of a chemically reactive additive to remove contaminants from the wafer surface during processing. In particular, during processing, a wafer is rinsed in a liquid bath and subsequently exposed to a chemically reactive additive. The chemically reactive additive creates a surface tension gradient that physically and chemically alters the properties of the film of the rinse liquid so that the liquid and any contaminants contained therein are removed from the water surface.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

a liquid bath;
and a workpiece,
wherein an edge of an extended portion of the workpiece is in contact with the liquid bath,
wherein the extended portion of the workpiece extends above a surface of the liquid bath,
wherein the liquid from the bath has formed a film on a surface of the extended portion of the workpiece, and wherein the surface of the extended portion of the workpiece includes a contaminant selected from the group consisting of an acid soluble contaminant, a base soluble contaminant, and combinations thereof,
wherein an additive is distributed within the liquid film in accordance with a concentration gradient, and wherein the additive is selected from the group consisting of an acid, a base and combinations thereof.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/855,092Filed 14 May 2001 · division
Priority: 24 Nov 1999
Published: US 2001/0020481 A113 Sep 2001
Granted: 21 Oct 2003
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

H10P 72/0408
For cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like: for drying
B08B 3/08
Cleaning involving contact with liquid: the liquid having chemical or dissolving effect
C11D 7/16
Salts: phosphates including polyphosphates
C11D 2111/22
Hard surfaces: electronic devices, e.g. PCBs or semiconductors