Apparatus and method for depositing and planarizing thin films of semiconductor wafers

Abstract

One of many embodiments of a substrate preparation system is provided which includes a head having a head surface where the head surface is proximate to a surface of the substrate. The system also includes a first conduit for delivering a first fluid to the surface of the substrate through the head, and a second conduit for delivering a second fluid to the surface of the substrate through the head, where the second fluid is different than the first fluid. The system also includes a third conduit for removing each of the first fluid and the second fluid from the surface of the substrate where the first conduit, the second conduit and the third conduit act substantially simultaneously. In an alternative embodiment, a method for processing a substrate is provided that includes generating a fluid meniscus on a surface of the substrate and applying acoustic energy to the fluid meniscus. The method also includes moving the fluid meniscus over the surface of the substrate to process the surface of the substrate.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to cleaning and drying of semiconductor wafers, and more particularly, to apparatus and techniques for more efficiently removing fluids from wafer surfaces while reducing contamination and wafer cleaning costs. Background technique [0002] In the semiconductor chip fabrication process, it is well known that there is a need to clean and dry wafers that have undergone fabrication operations that leave undesirable residues on the wafer surface. Examples of such fabrication operations include plasma etching (eg, tungsten etch back (WEB)) and chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). In CMP, a wafer is placed in a holder, which pushes the surface of the wafer against a rolling conveyor belt. The conveyor belt is polished using a slurry containing chemicals and abrasive materials. Unfortunately, this process tends to leave slurry particles and residue on the wafer surface. If left on the wafer, undesired residual material and par...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

As is often the case today, such deposits reduce the yield of good wafers and increase the cost of manufacturing semiconductor wafers

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