Claims
- 1. A method for cleaning a semiconductor wafer comprising:
immersing a wafer in a liquid comprising water, said wafer including a front face, a back face, and an edge; providing a substantially particle free environment adjacent to said front face and said back face as said liquid is being removed; and introducing a cleaning enhancement substance during said providing step, said cleaning enhancement substance doping said liquid which is attached to said front face and said back face to cause a concentration gradient of said cleaning enhancement substance in said attached liquid to accelerate fluid flow of said attached liquid off of said wafer.
- 2. The method of claim 1 further comprising introducing a drying source adjacent to said wafer, said drying source removing said liquid attached to said edge.
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein said providing step leaves a thin boundary layer of said liquid attached to said front face and said back face.
- 4. The method of claim 3 wherein said boundary layer is about 1,000 Å and less.
- 5. The method of claim 3 wherein said boundary layer is about 100 Å and less.
- 6. The method of claim 1 wherein said cleaning enhancement substance is selected from a group consisting of a surfactant, isopropyl alcohol, di-acetone alcohol, helium, carbon dioxide, ammonia, and 1-methoxy-2-propanol.
- 7. The method of claim 1 wherein said liquid during said introducing step removes particles off said front face and said back face.
- 8. The method of claim 7 wherein said particles are each substantially less than about 0.2 microns in diameter.
- 9. The method of claim 1 wherein said liquid is substantially free from particles greater than about 0.2 microns in diameter and less.
- 10. The method of claim 1 wherein said cleaning enhancement substance is mixed with a carrier gas, said carrier gas being selected from a group consisting of air, nitrogen, inert gas, and argon.
- 11. The method of claim 1 wherein said cleaning enhancement substance is mixed with a carrier gas, said carrier gas comprising said cleaning enhancement substance being mixed with said substantially particle free environment.
- 12. The method of claim 1 wherein said wafer is at an angle from a vertical position.
- 13. The method of claim 12 wherein said angle is less than about 15 degrees.
- 14. The method of claim 1 wherein said wafer is substantially free from oxidation before said immersing step.
- 15. The method of claim 1 wherein said wafer is a recently etched wafer.
- 16. The method of claim 1 wherein said wafer is substantially stationary during said providing and introducing steps, said substantially stationary wafer is substantially free from mechanical movement.
- 17. The method of claim 1 wherein said cleaning enhancement substance is a trace amount of polar organic compound ranging in concentration from about 1,000 ppm and less.
- 18. The method of claim 1 wherein said cleaning enhancement substance is a trace amount of polar organic compound ranging in concentration from about 500 ppm and less.
- 19. The method of claim 1 wherein said liquid is removed at a rate of about 5.0 mm/sec. or less as measured from said front surface.
- 20. The method of claim 1 wherein said liquid is removed at a rate between about 0.25 mm/sec. and 5.0 mm./sec. as measured from said front surface.
- 21. The method of claim 1 wherein said liquid is removed at a rate between about 0.5 mm/sec. and 2.5 mm./sec. as measured from said front surface.
- 22. Apparatus for cleaning a semiconductor wafer comprising:
a vessel adapted to immerse a wafer in a liquid comprising water, said wafer including a front face, a back face, and an edge; a first control valve operably coupled to said vessel and adapted to provide a substantially particle free environment adjacent to said front face and said back face as said liquid is being removed; and a second control valve operably coupled to said vessel and adapted to introduce a cleaning enhancement substance, said cleaning enhancement substance doping said liquid which is attached to said front face and said back face to cause a concentration gradient of said cleaning enhancement substance in said attached liquid to accelerate fluid flow of said attached liquid off of said wafer.
- 23. Apparatus of claim 22 further comprising a controller operably coupled to a plurality of nozzles and adapted to introduce a drying source comprising a drying fluid from said plurality of nozzles to said edge of said partially completed semiconductor wafer, said nozzles pulsing said drying fluid to remove said liquid from said edge.
- 24. Apparatus of claim 22 wherein said plurality of nozzles includes a first nozzle set and a second nozzle set, said first nozzle set being directed to pulse drying fluid to said edge and said front face for a first selected time, and said second nozzle set being directed to pulse drying fluid to a second said edge and said back face for a second selected time.
- 25. Apparatus of claim 23 wherein said second selected time is less than said first selected time.
- 26. Apparatus of claim 24 wherein said second selected time is about two times or more than said first selected time.
- 27. Apparatus of claim 22 wherein said liquid is substantially free from particles greater than about 0.2 microns in diameter and less.
- 28. Apparatus of claim 22 wherein said cleaning enhancement substance is mixed with a carrier gas, said carrier gas being selected from a group consisting of air, inert gas, nitrogen, and argon.
- 29. Apparatus of claim 28 wherein said carrier gas is at a temperature ranging from about 75° C. to about 175° C.
- 30. Apparatus of claim 22 wherein said wafer is at an angle from a vertical position.
- 31. Apparatus of claim 22 wherein said angle is less than about 15 degrees.
- 32. Apparatus of claim 22 wherein said wafer is substantially free from oxidation.
- 33. Apparatus of claim 22 wherein said wafer is a recently etched wafer.
- 34. Apparatus of claim 22 wherein said wafer is substantially stationary.
- 35. Apparatus of claim 22 wherein said cleaning enhancement substance is a trace amount of polar organic compound ranging in concentration from about 1,000 ppm and less.
- 36. Apparatus of claim 22 wherein said cleaning enhancement substance is a trace amount of polar organic compound ranging in concentration from about 500 ppm and less.
- 37. Apparatus of claim 22 wherein said first control valve is adapted to remove said liquid at a selected rate of about 5.0 mm/sec. or less as measured from said front surface.
- 38. Apparatus of claim 22 wherein said control valve is adapted to remove said liquid at a selected rate between about 0.33 mm/sec. and 2.5 mm. sec. as measured from said front surface.
- 39. Apparatus for holding a plurality of substrates, said apparatus comprising:
a lower support, said lower support comprising a plurality of first ridges, each of said first ridges providing a support for a lower substrate portion; and an upper support, said upper support comprising a plurality of second ridges, each of said second ridges providing a support for an upper substrate portion; wherein said lower substrate portion and said upper substrate portion are defined on a substrate; and wherein said first ridges and said second ridges draw liquid from said substrate.
- 40. Apparatus of claim 39 further comprising a center support, said center support comprising a plurality of third ridges, each of said third ridges providing a support for a center substrate portion, said ridges draw liquid from said substrate.
- 41. Apparatus of claim 39 wherein each of said first ridges and said second ridges comprise a bevelled portion, said bevelled portion meeting at a lower center portion and an upper center portion.
- 42. Apparatus of claim 39 wherein said lower substrate portion is a lower edge of said substrate.
- 43. Apparatus of claim 39 wherein said upper substrate portion is an upper edge of said substrate.
- 44. A method for cleaning and drying objects having surfaces, said method comprising:
immersing an object in a liquid comprising water, said object including a face; and providing a substantially particle free environment adjacent to said face; and introducing a carrier gas comprising a cleaning enhancement substance and mixing said carrier gas with said substantially particle free environment, said cleaning enhancement substance doping said liquid which is attached to said face to cause a concentration gradient of said cleaning enhancement substance in said attached liquid to accelerate fluid flow of said attached liquid off of said object.
- 45. The method of claim 44 wherein said object is selected from a group consisting of a flat panel display, a disk drive, a disk, a semiconductor wafer, a patterned semiconductor wafer, and a masked semiconductor wafer.
- 46. A method for cleaning and drying objects having surfaces, said method comprising:
immersing an object in a liquid comprising water, said object including a face, said liquid being substantially free from particles greater than about 0.5 microns; and providing a substantially particle free environment adjacent to said face, said substantially particle free environment is substantially free from particles greater than about 0.5 microns; wherein said substantially particle free environment is provided a selected rate of about 2.5 mm/sec. or less as measured from said face, said substantially particle free environment accelerating fluid flow of attached liquid off of said face.
- 47. The method of claim 46 wherein said substantially particle free environment is substantially free from particles greater than about 0.1 microns.
- 48. The method of claim 46 wherein said liquid is substantially free from particles greater than about 0.1 microns.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/157,765, filed Sep. 21, 1998, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/862,083, filed May 22, 1997, which is a divisional of application Ser. No. 08/555,634, filed Nov. 8, 1995, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/437,541, filed May 9, 1995, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/339,326, filed Nov. 14, 1994, all in the name of the present assignee, and all hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08555634 |
Nov 1995 |
US |
Child |
08862083 |
May 1997 |
US |
Continuations (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09157765 |
Sep 1998 |
US |
Child |
10014113 |
Dec 2001 |
US |
Parent |
08862083 |
May 1997 |
US |
Child |
09157765 |
Sep 1998 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08437541 |
May 1995 |
US |
Child |
08555634 |
Nov 1995 |
US |
Parent |
08339326 |
Nov 1994 |
US |
Child |
08437541 |
May 1995 |
US |