Systems, methods and apparatus for post-chemical mechanical planarization substrate cleaning
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsSteven M. Zuniga, Brian J. Brown
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments of the invention include systems, methods and apparatus for pre-cleaning a substrate after chemical mechanical planarization processing. Embodiments provide a housing; a chuck assembly configured to securely hold a substrate within the housing; and a buffing pad assembly configured to rotate against the substrate while supported within the housing. The buffing pad assembly includes a buff pad, a compressible sub-pad coupled to the buff pad, and a pad holder coupled to the compressible sub-pad and a buffing motor configured to rotate the buffing pad assembly. Numerous additional aspects are disclosed.
Claims20
A substrate pre-clean system comprising:
- a housing;
- a chuck assembly configured to securely hold a substrate within the housing;
- and
- a buffing pad assembly configured to rotate against the substrate and supported within the housing,
- wherein the buffing pad assembly includes:
- a buff pad,
- a compressible sub-pad coupled to the buff pad, and
- a pad holder coupled to the compressible sub-pad and a buffing motor configured to rotate the buffing pad assembly.
A pre-clean buffing pad assembly comprising:
- a buff pad;
- a compressible sub-pad coupled to the buff pad;
- and
- a pad holder coupled to the compressible sub-pad and a buffing motor configured to rotate the buffing pad assembly against a substrate.
A method of pre-cleaning substrates in a substrate pre-clean module, comprising:
- loading a substrate into a pre-clean system after chemical mechanical planarization processing;
- securing the substrate to a chuck assembly;
- rotating the substrate as a rotating buffing pad assembly is pressed against, rotated, and swept across the front side of the substrate;
- and
- maintaining a buff pad of the buffing pad assembly flat against the substrate despite tilting of a pad holder of the buffing pad assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.