Electrochemical edge and bevel cleaning process and system
AssigneeASM Nutool, Inc.
InventorBulent M. Basol
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An edge cleaning system and method is disclosed in which a directed stream of a mild etching solution is supplied to an edge area of a rotating workpiece, including the front surface edge and bevel, while a potential difference between the workpiece and the directed stream is maintained. In one aspect, the present invention provides an edge cleaning system that is disposed in the same processing chamber that is used for deposition or removal processing of the workpiece. In another aspect, the mild etching solution used for edge removal is also used to clean the front surface of the wafer, either simultaneously with or sequentially with the edge removal process.
Claims36
A method of removing a conductive material from a bevel edge of a conductive layer of a workpiece, including a front edge surface of the conductive layer, using a process solution and an etching electrode in contact with the process solution comprising:
- processing a top surface of the conductive layer in the process solution;
- establishing a proximity between the etching electrode and the bevel edge in the process solution by moving at least one of the etching electrode and the workpiece after processing;
- rotating the workpiece after establishing the proximity;
- and
- applying a potential difference between the etching electrode and the bevel edge of the conductive layer of the workpiece in the process solution while rotating the workpiece.
An apparatus for processing a conductive surface of a workpiece and removing conductive material from an edge bevel of the conductive surface using a process solution, comprising:
- a process electrode immersed in the process solution configured to process a conductive front surface of the workpiece;
- a workpiece holder configured to hold and move the workpiece;
- and
- an edge bevel removal electrode immersed in the process solution;
- and
- a power supply configured to establish a potential difference between the edge bevel removal electrode and the conductive layer so that when the edge bevel is close to the etching electrode, the conductive material from the edge bevel is removed.
A method of plating and performing edge bevel removal on a workpiece using a solution in a chamber, comprising:
- processing a conductive layer on a front surface of the workpiece in the solution while applying a potential difference between a process electrode and the front surface of the workpiece;
- moving an edge bevel of the workpiece near an etching electrode after processing, wherein the etching electrode is in the solution;
- rotating the workpiece;
- and
- applying a potential difference between the etching electrode and the conductive layer of the workpiece in the process solution to remove conductive material from the edge bevel while rotating the workpiece.
A method of removing a conductive material from an edge region of a conductive surface of a workpiece using a process solution and an electrode in contact with the process solution, comprising:
- processing a front surface of the workpiece using the process solution;
- rotating the workpiece;
- contacting the edge region of the conductive surface of the workpiece with the process solution while rotating;
- positioning the edge region of the workpiece adjacent to the electrode while contacting and rotating;
- and
- after positioning, applying a potential difference between the electrode and the conductive surface of the workpiece while contacting and rotating.
An apparatus for performing an edge bevel removal process on a front conductive surface edge of a workpiece comprising:
- a chamber containing a process solution and a process electrode configured to process a front surface of the workpiece in the process solution;
- a moveable and rotatable workpiece holder configured to hold and rotate the workpiece in the process solution;
- and
- an edge bevel removal structure including an etching electrode adapted to physically contact the process solution and to supply a potential difference with respect to the front conductive surface edge of the workpiece as the front conductive surface edge of the workpiece is disposed near the edge bevel removal structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.