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US 7,115,023 B1Granted
Process tape for cleaning or processing the edge of a semiconductor wafer
AssigneeLam Research Corporation
InventorAleksander Owczarz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wafer bevel processing apparatus comprises a plurality of rollers for rotatably supporting a wafer, first process roller, a second process roller, and a process tape extending between the first process roller and the second process roller. The first and second process rollers are positioned to cause the process tape to contact an edge of the wafer when the wafer is loaded into the processing apparatus. The process tape is configured to frictionally prepare the edge where contact occurs with the process tape.
Claims19
An edge processing apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of support rollers positioned for rotatably supporting a substrate such that the substrate is rotatable on an axis perpendicular to a flat surface of the substrate;
- a first process roller and a second process roller, the first process roller and second process roller each having an axis of rotation, the axis of rotation being substantially parallel with the axis of the substrate;
- a process tape extending between the first process roller and the second process roller, the first and second rollers being positioned to cause the process tape to contact an edge of the substrate when the substrate is loaded into the processing apparatus, the process tape being configured to frictionally prepare the edge where contact occurs with the process tape;
- and
- wherein the first process roller and second process roller each have a circumferential groove formed in an outer circumference, the circumferential groove causing the process tape to substantially form around the edge and at least partially contact an edge region of the substrate when processing a substrate, the edge region comprising peripheral areas of front and back surfaces of the substrate.
2 more elements
An edge processing apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of support rollers positioned for rotatably supporting a substrate such that the substrate is rotatable on an axis perpendicular to a flat surface of the substrate;
- a first process roller and a second process roller, the first process roller and second process roller each having an axis of rotation, the axis of rotation being substantially parallel with the axis of the substrate;
- a process tape extending between the first process roller and the second process roller, the first and second rollers being positioned to cause the process tape to contact an edge of the substrate when the substrate is loaded into the processing apparatus, the process tape being configured to frictionally prepare the edge where contact occurs with the process tape;
- and
- wherein the first process roller and second process roller each have a circumferential groove formed in an outer circumference, the circumferential groove causing the process tape to substantially form around the edge and at least partially contact an edge region of the substrate when processing a substrate, the edge region comprising peripheral areas of front and back surfaces of the substrate.
2 more elements
An edge processing apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of support rollers positioned for rotatably supporting a substrate;
- a first process roller and a second process roller;
- a process tape extending between the first process roller and the second process roller, the first and second rollers being positioned to cause the process tape to contact an edge of the substrate when the substrate is loaded into the processing apparatus, the process tape being configured to frictionally prepare the edge where contact occurs with the process tape;
- a drive roller;
- a belt drive mechanism in mechanical communication with the drive roller, the belt drive mechanism being configured to cause the drive roller to rotate;
- a drive belt in tension and extending around at least the drive roller, the first process roller and the second process roller, the process tape contacting the drive belt where the drive belt wraps around the first and second process rollers, the drive belt supporting and stabilizing the process tape at a location of contact between the process tape and the substrate, the drive belt causing the process tape to advance when the drive belt is advanced using the belt drive mechanism.
3 more elements
A method for processing an edge of a substrate, the method comprising:
- rotating the substrate on an axis of the substrate;
- extending a process tape between a first process roller and a second process roller the first process roller and the second process roller each having an axis of rotation, the axis of rotation being substantially parallel with the axis of the substrate, the first process roller and the second process roller each having a circumferential groove formed around their perimeter;
- positioning a substrate such that the edge of the substrate contacts the process tape;
- engaging the circumferential grooves with the edge of the substrate;
- and
- processing an edge region of the substrate by causing the process tape to substantially form around the edge at least in part using circumferential grooves formed into the first and second process rollers, the edge region comprising peripheral areas of front and back surfaces of the substrate.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.