Multi-stage substrate cleaning method and apparatus

An apparatus for cleaning a substrate, comprising:

• a substrate carrier defined to move a substrate in a substantially linear path while maintaining the substrate in a substantially horizontal orientation;
• a drive rail and a guide rail defined to provide for controlled linear movement of the substrate carrier, such that the substrate carrier is maintained in the substantially horizontal orientation along the substantially linear path, the substantially linear path defined by the drive rail and the guide rail;
• a first processing head mounted in physical contact with a top surface of the drive rail, the first processing head mounted in physical contact with a top surface of the guide rail, a vertical position of the first processing head indexed to both a vertical position of the drive rail and a vertical position of the guide rail such that the vertical position of the first processing head is indexed to a vertical position of the substrate carrier, the first processing head positioned over the substantially linear path of the substrate such that the first processing head is defined to dispense a cleaning material on the substrate through an underside of the first processing head and dispense a rinsing fluid on the substrate through the underside of the first processing head, the first processing head defined to apply a controlled vacuum suction through the underside of the first processing head to remove cleaning material and a portion of the rinsing fluid from the substrate so as to leave a residual thin film of the rinsing fluid on the substrate, the first processing head defined to extend below the top surface of the drive rail and below the top surface of the guide rail such that the underside of the first processing head is positioned between the top surface of the drive rail and a bottom surface of the drive rail and between the top surface of the guide rail and a bottom surface of the guide rail;
• and
• a second processing head mounted in physical contact with the top surface of the drive rail, the second processing head mounted in physical contact with the top surface of the guide rail, a vertical position of the second processing head indexed to both the vertical position of the drive rail and the vertical position of the guide rail such that the vertical position of the second processing head is indexed to the vertical position of the substrate carrier, the second processing head positioned over the path of the substrate behind the first processing head relative to a direction of travel of the substrate carrier, the second processing head defined to dispense the cleaning material through an underside of the second processing head to impact the residual thin film of the rinsing fluid present on the substrate, the second processing head defined to dispense the rinsing fluid through the underside of the second processing head onto the substrate so as to rinse the cleaning material from the substrate, the second processing head defined to extend below the top surface of the drive rail and below the top surface of the guide rail such that the underside of the second processing head is positioned between the top surface of the drive rail and the bottom surface of the drive rail and between the top surface of the guide rail and the bottom surface of the guide rail.