Substrate handling in a modular polishing system having a single substrate cleaning chamber

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) systems, and more particularly, to modular polishing systems for manufacturing semiconductor devices. In one embodiment, a polishing system includes a first portion having a plurality of polishing stations disposed therein, and a second portion coupled to the first portion, the second portion including a substrate cleaning system. The substrate cleaning system includes a wet-in / dry-out substrate cleaning module including a chamber housing defining a chamber volume. The polishing system further includes a substrate handler located in the second portion, wherein the substrate handler is positioned to transfer substrates into and out of the wet-in / dry-out substrate cleaning module through one or more openings formed in one or more sidewalls of the chamber housing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments described herein generally relate to equipment for manufacturing electronic devices, and more specifically, to systems for cleaning and drying substrate surfaces after chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) of substrates in semiconductor device manufacturing processes. Background Technology

[0002] Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is commonly used in the fabrication of high-density integrated circuits to planarize or polish material layers deposited on a substrate. In a typical CMP process, the substrate is held in a carrier head that presses the back side of the substrate against a rotating polishing pad in the presence of a polishing fluid. Material is removed from the surface of the substrate's material layers in contact with the polishing pad through a combination of chemical and mechanical activity provided by the polishing fluid and the relative motion of the substrate and the polishing pad. Typically, after one or more CMP processes are completed, the polished substrate is further processed to one or more post-CMP substrate processing operations, such as one or a combination of cleaning, inspection, and measurement operations. Once the post-CMP operations are complete, the substrate can be shipped from the CMP-processed area to the next device fabrication process, such as photolithography, etching, or deposition processes.

[0003] To save valuable manufacturing space and reduce labor costs, a CMP system typically includes: a first part, such as a back-end part, comprising multiple polishing stations; and a second part, such as a front-end part, integrated with the first part to form a single polishing system. The first part may include one or a combination of a post-CMP substrate cleaning system, a substrate surface inspection station, and / or a pre- or post-CMP metrology station. The post-CMP cleaning system is used to clean and dry the substrate surface after the polishing process. Typically, one or more substrate handlers (e.g., robots) are used to move substrates between modules of the post-CMP system.

[0004] Unfortunately, undesirable contaminants (such as residual water, polishing fluids, polishing byproducts, and cleaning fluids) often remain on the substrate transport surface of the substrate transporter and / or are frequently reintroduced onto it. Cross-contamination and / or reintroduction of contaminants onto the substrate transport surface results in contaminants being reintroduced onto the clean and dry substrate surface before the substrate is removed from the polishing system. This contamination of the active surfaces of the substrate can adversely affect device performance and / or cause device failure, resulting in suppressed yields of usable devices formed on the substrate.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need in this field for cleaning systems and methods that address the aforementioned problems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) systems and integrated cleaning systems for cleaning and drying substrate surfaces after polishing, as well as related methods. In one embodiment, a polishing system includes: a first portion having a plurality of polishing stations disposed therein; and a second portion coupled to the first portion, the second portion including a substrate cleaning system. The substrate cleaning system includes a wet-in / dry-out substrate cleaning module, the wet-in / dry-out substrate cleaning module including a chamber housing defining a chamber volume. The polishing system further includes a substrate transporter located in the second portion, wherein the substrate transporter is positioned to transport a substrate in and out of the wet-in / dry-out substrate cleaning module through one or more openings formed in one or more sidewalls of the chamber housing. Attached Figure Description

[0007] To gain a more detailed understanding of the features described above in this disclosure, reference can be made to the embodiments for a more specific description of the disclosure briefly outlined above, some of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be noted that the drawings merely illustrate exemplary embodiments and should therefore not be construed as limiting their scope, and other equivalent embodiments are permissible.

[0008] Figure 1 This is a schematic side view of a polishing station, which is one or more of the polishing stations that can be used as one of the modular polishing systems described herein, according to one embodiment.

[0009] Figure 2A This is a schematic top sectional view of a modular polishing system according to one embodiment.

[0010] Figure 2B yes Figure 2A A schematic perspective view of a modular polishing system.

[0011] Figure 2C This is a schematic top view of a modular polishing system according to another embodiment.

[0012] Figure 2D According to one embodiment, it is compatible with Figures 2A to 2C A schematic side view of the horizontal pre-cleaning (HPC) module used in conjunction with the modular polishing system.

[0013] Figures 3A to 3B Is it possible to... Figures 2A to 2B A schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a Single Substrate Cleaning (SSC) module used in conjunction with a modular system polishing system.

[0014] Figure 4A yes Figures 2A to 2B A schematic top view of one of the substrate transporters shown.

[0015] Figure 4B According to another embodiment, it is compatible with Figures 2A to 2B A top view of a substrate transporter used in conjunction with a modular system polishing system.

[0016] Figures 5A to 5B yes Figure 3A A schematic perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a wet cleaning chamber is shown.

[0017] Figures 6A to 6B Is it possible to... Figures 2A to 2B A schematic top cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a Single Substrate Cleaning (SSC) module used in conjunction with a modular polishing system.

[0018] Figure 6C According to one embodiment Figure 6A A schematic perspective view of the external portion of the chamber.

[0019] To facilitate understanding, the same reference numerals have been used as much as possible to indicate common elements across the figures. It is contemplated that elements and features of the embodiments may be advantageously combined in other embodiments without further explanation. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) systems for the semiconductor device manufacturing industry. More specifically, the embodiments herein relate to cleaning modules for improving CMP systems.

[0021] Generally, the various cleaning modules of a cleaning system are used to clean and dry the surface of a polished substrate. A typical cleaning system includes multiple wet cleaning stations, such as one or more polishing stations, one or more spraying stations, and one or more brush cassettes, as well as a drying station. The polished substrate is transferred from the polishing station in a first part of the polishing system to the cleaning system in a second part of the polishing system using a substrate transporter. Typically, the polished substrate has residual polishing fluid, water, and other polishing contaminants on its surface and is therefore transferred from the first part to the second part in a “wet” condition. The substrate transporter used for transporting the substrate is configured to transport the substrate in a wet condition and is generally referred to as a “wet” substrate transporter or robot. Once in the first part, the substrate is transferred between the various cleaning modules using one or more wet substrate transporters before being transferred to the drying station. The substrate is transferred to the drying station using the wet substrate transporter, and the substrate is removed from the drying station using different substrate transporters configured to handle dry substrates (i.e., “dry” substrate transporters).

[0022] Figure 1This is a schematic side view of an example polishing station 100 that can be used as one or more polishing stations in the polishing modules of the modular polishing system described herein. Here, the polishing station 100 includes a stage 104 with a polishing pad 102 fixed thereon and a substrate carrier 106. The substrate carrier 106 faces the stage 104 and the polishing pad 102 mounted thereon. The substrate carrier 106 is used to push the material surface of a substrate 180 disposed thereon against the polishing surface of the polishing pad 102 while simultaneously rotating about a carrier axis 110. Typically, the stage 104 rotates about a stage axis 112 while the rotating substrate carrier 106 sweeps back and forth from the inner radius to the outer radius of the stage 104 to partially reduce uneven wear on the polishing pad 102.

[0023] Polishing station 100 further includes a fluid delivery arm 114 and a pad conditioner assembly 116. The fluid delivery arm 114 is positioned above the polishing pad 102 and is used to deliver a polishing fluid (e.g., a polishing slurry in which abrasive particles are suspended) to the surface of the polishing pad 102. Typically, the polishing fluid contains a pH adjuster and other chemically active ingredients (such as oxidants) to enable chemical mechanical polishing of the material surface of the substrate 180. The pad conditioner assembly 116 is used to adjust the polishing pad 102 by pressing a fixed abrasive adjustment disk 118 against the surface of the polishing pad 102 before, after, or during polishing of the substrate 180. Pressing the adjustment disk 118 against the polishing pad 102 includes rotating the adjustment disk 118 about axis 120 and sweeping the adjustment disk 118 from the inner radius to the outer radius of the stage 104. The adjustment disk 118 is used to abrade, remove, and remove polishing byproducts or other debris from the polishing surface of the polishing pad 102.

[0024] Figure 2A This is a schematic top sectional view of a modular polishing system 200 having an integrated cleaning system 232 formed according to the embodiments described herein. Figure 2B yes Figure 2A A schematic perspective view of a modular polishing system. Here, the modular polishing system 200 includes a first part 205 and a second part 220 coupled to the first part 205. The first part 205 includes a plurality of polishing stations 100a, 100b, such as... Figure 1 The polishing station 100 described is not shown here to reduce visual clutter.

[0025] Part 220 includes multiple system loading stations 222, one or more substrate transporters 224, 226, one or more metering stations 228, and one or more location-specific polishing (LSP) modules 229. Figure 2BThe substrate cleaning system 232. One or more substrate transporters 224, 226 are used individually or in combination to transfer substrate 180 between the first portion 205 and the second portion 220, thereby moving the substrate within the second portion 220, including moving it between its various modules, stations, and systems, and conveying the substrate to and from the system loading station 222. The LSP module 229 is typically configured to polish only a portion of the substrate surface using a polishing member (not shown) having a surface area smaller than that of the substrate to be polished. The LSP module 229 is typically used after the substrate has already been polished within the polishing module to correct (e.g., remove additional material) a relatively small portion of the substrate.

[0026] The substrate cleaning system 232 facilitates the removal of residual polishing fluid and polishing byproducts from the surface of the substrate after polishing the substrate 180. Here, the substrate cleaning system 232 includes one or more first cleaning modules (such as one or more horizontal pre-cleaning (HPC) modules 230). Figure 2D (further described below) , one or more second cleaning modules 234 (such as brush boxes and / or spray stations) and one or more third cleaning modules (such as one or more single substrate cleaning (SSC) modules 236 (three are shown)). In some embodiments, the substrate cleaning system 232 further includes one or more fourth cleaning modules 235 configured to clean polishing fluid residues from the surface of the substrate using a solution of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2).

[0027] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2B As shown, multiple SSC modules 236 are arranged in a vertically stacked configuration. This stacked arrangement of the SSC modules 236 facilitates the simultaneous processing of multiple individual substrates disposed in each of the SSC modules 236. Each of the SSC modules 236 is configured to clean the substrate using one or more “wet” cleaning and / or rinsing fluids and subsequently dry the substrate, thereby eliminating the need for time-consuming substrate transfer operations between individual wet cleaning and drying stations in conventional multi-station cleaning systems. Compared to conventional polishing systems, the use of multiple SSC modules 236 in a vertically stacked arrangement advantageously increases the substrate processing throughput density of the modular polishing system 200.

[0028] Here, the operation of the modular polishing system 200 is guided by a system controller 270. The system controller 270 includes a programmable central processing unit (CPU) 271, which operates in conjunction with memory 272 (e.g., non-volatile memory) and support circuitry 273. The support circuitry 273 is conventionally coupled to the CPU 271 and includes caches, clock circuitry, input / output subsystems, power supplies, and combinations thereof coupled to various components of the modular polishing system 200 to facilitate control of the modular polishing system. The CPU 271 is one of any form of general-purpose computer processor used in an industrial environment, such as a programmable logic controller (PLC), for controlling the various components and subprocessors of the processing system. The memory 272 coupled to the CPU 271 is non-transitory and is typically one or more readily available memories, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), floppy disk drives, hard disks, or any other form of digital storage device (local or remote).

[0029] Typically, memory 272 is in the form of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (e.g., non-volatile memory) containing instructions that, when executed by CPU 271, facilitate the operation of polishing system 200. The instructions in memory 272 are in the form of a program product, such as a program implementing the methods of this disclosure. The program code may conform to any of many different programming languages. In some examples, this disclosure may be implemented as a program product stored on a computer-readable storage medium for use with a computer system. The program product defines the functionality of embodiments (including the methods described herein).

[0030] Exemplary nontransitory computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to: (i) non-writable storage media on which information is persistently stored (e.g., read-only memory devices within a computer, such as CD-ROM discs readable by a CD-ROM drive, flash memory, ROM chips, or any type of solid-state non-volatile semiconductor memory device, such as a solid-state drive (SSD)); and (ii) writable storage media on which changeable information is stored (e.g., floppy disks or any type of solid-state random access semiconductor memory within a disk drive or hard disk drive). Such computer-readable storage media are embodiments of this disclosure when computer-readable instructions instructing the functions of the methods described herein are implemented. In some embodiments, the methods or portions thereof described herein are performed by one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other types of hardware implementations. In some other embodiments, the substrate handling and / or transport methods described herein are performed by a combination of software routines, ASICs, FPGAs, and / or other types of hardware implementations. One or more system controllers 270 may be used with one or any combination of the various modular polishing systems described herein and / or their individual polishing modules.

[0031] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2C As shown, each SSC module in SSC module 236 is disposed on opposite sides of the second portion 220, such that one or more substrate carriers 226 are disposed between them. In some embodiments, the modular polishing system 200 further includes one or more substrate holding stations 225a to 225b disposed between substrate carriers 224 and one or more substrate carriers 226, between individual substrate carriers 226, and / or between different modules and systems of the second portion 220 (e.g., holding station 225b). In some embodiments, the modular polishing system 200 includes a substrate holding station 225a disposed between the first portion 205 and the second portion 220 to facilitate staging and transfer of substrates between them. Here, substrate holding stations 225a to 225b are each configured to hold multiple substrates and can be used for staging wet or dry substrates to increase the flexibility of substrate handling operations and / or substrate processing sequences.

[0032] In some embodiments, the modular polishing system 200 further includes one or more first loading and locking chambers 240A disposed between the SSC module 236 and the substrate transporter 224 and / or one or more second loading and locking chambers 240B disposed between the respective substrate transporters 226A to 226B and between “wet” substrate processing areas. Typically, each of the loading and locking chambers 240A includes a chamber body or chamber wall defining a loading and locking volume in which a holding station 225b is disposed. Access to the loading and locking volume from the substrate transport area 221 where the substrate transporter 224 is located, the area where the SSC module 236 and / or the area where the substrate transporter 226A is located, is provided through openings disposed through the respective chamber walls between them, and each of the openings can be sealed with a door 241.

[0033] Typically, substrates are conveyed into and out of loading lock chambers 240A and 240B by individually opening and closing each of the doors 241 leading to the loading lock volume in a sequence that ensures no more than one door is open at any given time. Thus, loading lock chambers 240A to 240B can be used to fluidly isolate the atmospheres of the various modules and / or portions of the polishing system 200 from each other to prevent and / or significantly reduce the flow of contaminants between them. Therefore, clean and dry substrates already processed in SSC module 236 can be conveyed from SSC module 236 to loading lock chamber 240A and from loading lock chamber 240A to substrate transport area 221 without exposing the clean and dry substrates to the atmosphere of the “wet” substrate processing area 220B.

[0034] In some embodiments, a gas source 242, fluidly coupled to the loading lock volume, provides clean, dry air (CDA) or an inert gas (e.g., N2) to the loading lock volume. In some embodiments, the atmosphere in the substrate transport region 221 is maintained at a higher pressure than that in the first portion 205, and the loading lock chambers 240A-240B and the SSC module 236 are maintained at a pressure between the two. As the doors of the various chambers and modules open and close between the substrate transport region 221 and the first portion 205, a high-to-low pressure gradient is maintained from the substrate transport region to the first portion by the chambers positioned between the substrate transport region and the first portion, ensuring that airflow in the system moves from the substrate transport region 221 to the first portion 205. Thus, the pressure gradient prevents unwanted contaminants from flowing from the first portion 205, the processing region 220B, and the SSC module 236 into the loading lock chambers 240A-240B and / or into the substrate transport region 221. In one example, the voltage drop between sequentially positioned processing chambers or processing areas (such as between SSC module 236 and loading locking chambers 240A to 240B, or between substrate transport area 221 and loading locking chambers 240A to 240B) is between about 0.1 and about 5 inches wg.

[0035] In some embodiments, the loading locking chamber may remain closed during the substrate transfer process until the relative humidity on one or more sides of door 241 drops below a predetermined reference relative humidity (RH) value. RH can be reduced by initiating the inflow of an appropriate amount of inert gas from an inert gas supply source into a desired area on one side of door 241. For example, it is desirable to initiate the inflow of an appropriate amount of inert gas into loading locking chamber 240 before opening door 241 separating loading locking chamber 240 and SSC modules 236, 600b. Figure 2C or Figure 6B Alternatively, for example, it might be desirable to initiate the inflow of an appropriate amount of inert gas into the SSC modules 236, 600b to reduce the RH therein, and then ensure that a desired pressure gradient is formed between the chambers before opening the door 241 that separates the loading lock chamber 240 and the SSC modules 236, 600b.

[0036] Figure 2C The arrangement of the loading locking chambers 240A, 240B, substrate transporters 226a, 226b, and single substrate cleaning SSC module 236 allows for a defined substrate transport path (as indicated by arrows numbered sequentially 1-17), which advantageously reduces exposure between wet and dry substrates and the substrate transport surface, thereby reducing cross-contamination events that might otherwise be associated with them.

[0037] The standalone HPC module 230 in Figure 2DThe diagram shows a chamber body 281 defining a chamber volume 282, and a cleaning station 283, a pad carrier arm 284, and a pad adjuster station 285 commonly disposed within the chamber volume 282. The cleaning station 283 includes a vacuum suction cup 291 for supporting the substrate 180 in the horizontal direction and rotating the substrate 180 about axis A, and a fluid dispensing arm 288 for dispensing cleaning fluid to the surface of the substrate 180. The pad carrier arm 284 is pivotable about axis B to allow a cleaning pad 286, attached to a pad carrier 287, to sweep across the surface of the substrate 180 and apply downward pressure thereon. Here, the pad carrier arm 284 is configured to move the pad carrier 287 between the substrate 180 and the pad adjuster station 285, and thus move the cleaning pad 286. The pad adjuster station 285 includes a pad adjuster 289, such as a brush or a grinding disc, for cleaning and restoring the surface of the cleaning pad 286. The horizontal orientation of the vacuum suction cup 291 and the substrate 180 fixed thereon allows the cleaning pad 286 to apply greater force to the substrate 180, thereby achieving greater cleaning efficiency to remove polishing fluid byproducts (e.g., polishing fluid residues) that are difficult to remove from the surface of the substrate. Here, the cleaning fluid is collected using the discharge port 293 provided through the base 290 of the cavity 281, allowing the HPC module 230 to be positioned in the upper portion of the second section 220 to advantageously allow other modules or systems to be positioned below it.

[0038] Figures 3A to 3B It is available for use according to some embodiments. Figures 2A to 2B Schematic isometric view of a portion of the SSC module 236 or of a corresponding Single Substrate Cleaning (SSC) module 300a, 300b, which may replace it.

[0039] Here, each of the individual modules in SSC modules 300a and 300b includes a chamber housing 303 that defines a chamber volume 340 and a cleaning station (not shown) disposed within the chamber volume 340, such as Figures 6A to 6B One of the cleaning stations shown. Generally, SSC modules 300a and 300b are configured for both wet-processing the substrate to remove residual polishing contaminants (e.g., by using one or more cleaning fluids) and for subsequently drying the substrate. Therefore, each of the SSC modules 300a and 300b provides a separate single-substrate wet-in, dry-out cleaning system.

[0040] In this document, each of the SSC modules 300a and 300b has one or more slot-shaped openings, such as a first opening 301 and an optional second opening 302, which are disposed through one or more sidewalls 310 of the chamber housing 303. The first opening 301 and the second opening 302 provide access to the substrate transporter through the chamber volume 340, thereby facilitating the transfer of substrates in and out of the cleaning station. For example, in Figure 3A In this configuration, the SSC module 300a includes a first opening 301 disposed through one of the sidewalls 310 and an optional second opening 302 disposed in the same sidewall 310 as the first opening 301. Figure 3A As shown, the second opening 302 is located in a portion of the sidewall 310 below the first opening 301 (in the Y direction). In some embodiments, a "wet" substrate to be processed is conveyed into the chamber volume 340 through the second opening 302, and a "dry" substrate to be processed is conveyed out of the chamber volume 340 through the first opening 301. Alternatively, the first opening 301 and the second opening 302 may be disposed through different sidewalls, such as... Figure 3B As shown, a first opening 301 is disposed through a first sidewall 320 of a plurality of sidewalls 310, and a second opening 302 is disposed on a second sidewall 330 of a plurality of sidewalls 310. In embodiments where the first opening 301 and the second opening 302 are disposed through different sidewalls, the first opening 301 and the second opening 302 may be located at different or substantially the same position in the Y direction.

[0041] exist Figure 3B In this embodiment, the first sidewall 320 and the second sidewall 330 are disposed on opposite sides of the SSC module 300b. In other embodiments, the first opening 301 and the second opening 302 may be configured to pass through corresponding sidewalls orthogonal to each other. Advantageously, the first opening 301 and the second opening 302 are placed on different sidewalls 320, 330 and / or the same sidewall 310. Figure 3A The openings, each dedicated to the transfer of wet or dry substrates, aim to minimize cross-contamination between wet substrates entering the SSC module 236 and dry substrates leaving the SSC module 236. The first opening 301 and the second opening 302 may be positioned at substantially the same or different vertical heights relative to the base plate (i.e., in the Y direction).

[0042] Figure 4A and Figure 4B It can be used as Figures 2A to 2C A schematic top view of substrate carriers 226a and 226b of one or more substrate carriers 226 shown. The substrate carriers 226a and 226b are configured to move substrates in the X, Y, and Z directions, and in some embodiments, change the orientation of the substrate from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation and vice versa, to facilitate substrate transfer between various modules and systems of the modular polishing system 200. Here, the substrate carriers 226a and 226b include one or more arms 401, each arm having a terminal actuator 403 (shown in dashed lines) coupled thereto. Figure 4A In the process, the substrate transporter 226a has a single terminal actuator 403, which can be used to transfer wet substrates to and from SSC modules 300a, 300b and to remove dry substrates.

[0043] exist Figure 4B In this embodiment, the substrate transporter 226b includes a first arm 401a and a second arm 401b, and corresponding first and second terminal actuators 403a and 403b coupled thereto (shown in dashed lines). Here, the first terminal actuator 403a is dedicated to handling wet substrates, i.e., substrates to be transferred to SSC modules 300a and 300b, while the second terminal actuator 403b is dedicated to handling dry substrates, i.e., substrates 300a and 300b to be transferred from SSC modules. By using dedicated terminal actuators 403a and 403b to transfer substrates to SSC modules 300a and 300b, undesirable transfer of contaminants received from the surface of the wet substrates transferred to SSC modules 300a and 300b to the surface of the dry substrates transferred out of SSC modules 300a and 300b is reduced as desired. In some embodiments, the first terminal actuator 403a is used to transfer the substrate to the SSC modules 300a and 300b through the first opening 301, and the second terminal actuator 403b is used to transfer the substrate out of the SSC modules 300a and 300b through the second opening 302.

[0044] Figures 5A to 5B These are schematic perspective views of alternative embodiments of the corresponding Single Substrate Cleaning (SSC) modules 500a to 500b, each SSC module serving as... Figures 2A to 2C This is a portion of or an alternative to the SSC module 236 shown. Here, the SSC module 500a includes a chamber housing 303 defining a chamber volume 340. The chamber housing 303 includes a plurality of sidewalls 310, one of which has a first opening 301 formed therein, and a tunnel 501 is aligned with the first opening 301 and extends outward from the sidewall 310 to define a substrate transfer tunnel 505a. In some embodiments, the tunnel 501 is coupled to an actuator 507 configured to move the tunnel away from the first opening 301, for example, by moving the tunnel up or down (in the Y direction) relative to the sidewall 310. In those embodiments, the tunnel 501 can move away from the first opening 301 when a dry substrate is transferred out of the chamber volume 340, and the tunnel 501 can move back to align with the first opening 301 when a wet substrate is transferred into the chamber volume 340. Therefore, in those embodiments, tunnel 501 can be used to prevent the wet substrate from transferring contaminants to the surface of opening 301 and / or sidewall 310 of SSC module 500a when the substrate is loaded therein.

[0045] In some embodiments, such as Figure 5BAs shown, tunnel 503 is fixedly coupled to SSC module 500b, such as being fixedly coupled to sidewall 310 of SSC module 500b, and is aligned with first opening 301 to define substrate transfer tunnel 505b therewith. In those embodiments, the tunnel may extend outward from sidewall 310, extend inward from sidewall 310 to at least partially occupy chamber volume 340, or both (as shown). In other embodiments, tunnel 503 is aligned with second opening 302. In some embodiments, SSC module 500b includes a plurality of tunnels 503, each tunnel being aligned with a corresponding opening 301, 302 to define a corresponding substrate transfer tunnel 505b therewith. Typically, in each of these embodiments, one of the openings 301, 302 is used to transfer a wet substrate into the chamber volume 340, and the other of the two openings 301, 302 is used to transfer a dry substrate out of the chamber volume 340, thereby minimizing the reintroduction of contaminants and / or fluids to the surface of the dry substrate.

[0046] In some embodiments, the first opening 301 and / or the second opening 302 include a door (not shown) and a door actuator (not shown), which can be used to seal the first opening 301 and / or the second opening 302 in a closed position to allow the substrate to move in and out of the first opening 301 and / or the second opening 302 in an open position. When the door is in the closed position, the interior of the SSC module 500b, such as the chamber volume 340, is ideally isolated from the environment of the second portion 220 to limit the inflow of contaminants from the second portion.

[0047] Figure 6A This is a schematic top sectional view of a portion of an SSC module 600a according to another embodiment, which can be used as... Figures 2A to 2B The SSC module 236 shown is a part of or an alternative to it. Here, the SSC module 600a is shown as integrated with a portion of the modular polishing system 200b, which is substantially similar to... Figures 2A to 2B Modular polishing system 200. In one embodiment that may be combined with other embodiments disclosed herein, such as having... Figures 3A to 3B and Figures 5A to 5B In any combination of the features shown, the SSC module 600a has two separate sections: a wet region 610 and a dry region 610, and the modular polishing system 200b uses... Figure 4B The described second substrate transporter 226b transports substrates in and out of two regions. As described above, the second substrate transporter 226b has two substrate transporter arms 401, 402, each of which can be dedicated to wet substrate transport or dry substrate transport in order to reduce cross-contamination between the re-wet region 610 and the dry region 620.

[0048] In some embodiments, the terminal actuator cleaning and / or drying system 603 is disposed adjacent to the second substrate transporter 226b. The terminal actuator cleaning and / or drying system 603 enables the same substrate transporter arm 401 to be used for transporting both wet and dry substrates 180 by cleaning and / or drying the substrate transporter arm 401 between substrate transfer operations. Typically, the terminal actuator cleaning and / or drying system 603 includes one or more jet nozzles coupled to a fluid source. During cleaning operations, the cleaning and / or drying system 603 directs a stream of cleaning fluid (e.g., deionized (DI) water) to one or more portions of the substrate transporter arm or terminal actuator to remove any unwanted contaminants. During drying operations, the cleaning and / or drying system 603 may direct gases (e.g., N2, CDA) and / or other types of fluids (e.g., alcohol-containing vapors) through one or more of the substrate transporter arms or terminal actuators to facilitate the drying of these components.

[0049] The wet zone 610 may include several components to clean the substrate 180 and also to prevent the substrate 180 from drying prematurely, which could leave debris or other undesirable particles on the substrate 180. For example, the wet zone 610 may include a set of wet lifting rods 612a, which are part of the substrate support 621 and disposed within the wet processing module 611. The wet processing module 611 includes a wet processing cup 616 configured to collect any fluid applied to the surface of the substrate during the wet cleaning process performed in the wet zone 610 of the SSC module 600a. The wet processing cup 616 may be connected to a drainage system (not shown) and a drain pipe (not shown).

[0050] The wet zone 610 includes one or more spray bars 614 (three shown), such as more than two spray bars 614, or three or more spray bars 614. Each of the spray bars 614 includes a plurality of nozzles that direct fluid (e.g., DI water) onto the substrate 180 when the spray bar is positioned above the substrate 180. Here, each of the one or more spray bars 614 includes a plurality of nozzles. In some embodiments, a first fluid source 681 and a second fluid source 682 are fluidly coupled to each of the spray bars 614. In one embodiment, the first fluid source 681 supplies DI water to the spray bar 614. In one embodiment, the second fluid source 682 supplies one or more cleaning fluids (e.g., acids, alkalis, solvents, desiccants (e.g., alcohol), etc.) to the spray bar 614. A system controller 270 controls the first fluid source 681 and / or the second fluid source 682. In one embodiment, a wet substrate placement sensor (not shown) is provided in the wet zone 610 to detect whether the substrate 180 transported to the wet zone 610 is sufficiently wet. If it is determined before or during wet processing in wet zone 610 that the substrate 180 is not sufficiently wetted, the spray bar can be activated to deliver fluid to the surface of the substrate. After the wet cleaning process performed in wet zone 610 of SSC module 600a is completed, a desiccant and / or gas can be applied to the substrate before it is transferred to dry zone 620.

[0051] Additionally, the SSC module 600a may include a separate third substrate transporter 615 configured to transport the substrate 180 between a wet region 610 and a dry region 620. This third substrate transporter 615 allows the wet region 610 and the dry region 620 to be separated within the SSC module 600a. The SSC module 600a may include a substrate transporter cleaning and / or drying system (not shown) disposed therein. The substrate transporter cleaning and / or drying system may be similar to the system described above used with the terminal actuator cleaning and / or drying system 603.

[0052] Residues and other unwanted particles may remain on the outer edge of substrate 180; therefore, a device for cleaning the outer edge of substrate 180 is desired. For example, during different times of a substrate cleaning process performed in SSC module 600a, wheel 619 may be moved by an actuator (not shown) and selectively positioned to clean the edge of substrate 180. Alternatively, or in conjunction with wheel 619, spray nozzle 618 may be positioned to clean the edge of substrate 180 by spraying a cleaning fluid (e.g., DI water) along the edge of substrate 180. Substrate 180 rotates on substrate support 621 such that spray nozzle 618 or wheel 619 cleans the entire outer edge of substrate 180. Motor 622 powers the rotation of substrate support 621.

[0053] To prevent fluid buildup on the exposed surface of the wet area 610 of the SSC module 600a, the exposed inner surface 630 may be angled or inclined to direct fluid toward the drain pipe 605. The drain pipe is positioned at a relatively low portion of the SSC module 600a. In one embodiment, which may be combined with other embodiments disclosed herein, the SSC module 600a includes a seal (not shown) to prevent fluid from escaping from the wet area 610 and impacting the dry area 620 and / or other portions of the chamber.

[0054] The dry region 620 of the SSC module 600a includes a set of dry lifting rods 613 configured to support the substrate 180 during drying. The dry region 620 further includes ionizer rods 678 disposed adjacent to the substrate support 621 on the dry region 620. The ionizer rods 678 are capable of guiding airflow to create an air curtain that impacts the substrate 180 as it is transferred from the wet region 610 to the dry region 620. A power source 679 is used to ionize the gas flowing from the ionizer rods 678 as it exits the ionizer rods 678. The resulting ionized gas is used to remove any residual charge formed on the substrate 180 during processing.

[0055] In some embodiments, a physical separator 631 is disposed between a wet region 610 and a dry region 620. The physical separator 631 may include a slot-shaped opening sized to allow a substrate to be transferred between the wet region 610 and the dry region 620 by a third substrate transporter 615.

[0056] To further reduce unwanted airflow, the SSC module 600a may include an airflow management system (not shown). In one embodiment, which may be combined with other embodiments disclosed herein, the airflow management system includes a HEPA filter positioned above at least a portion of the processing area of ​​the SSC module 600a and a localized exhaust system. In one embodiment, the airflow management system is a device for maintaining positive pressure within the SSC module 600a during at least the transfer of one or more substrates 180 into and out of the SSC module 600a. In one embodiment, the airflow management system includes one or more loading latches coupled to an opening in the SSC module 600a.

[0057] In other embodiments, such as Figure 6B As shown, the SSC module 600b may have a single processing station within a chamber volume of 340, which is configured for subsequent sequential wet processing and drying of the substrate. Figure 6B In the SSC module 600b, which is basically similar to... Figures 2A to 2B Modular polishing system 200 or Figure 6A The modular polishing system 200b integrates modular polishing systems. Here, the SSC module 600b may include... Figures 3A to 3B , Figures 5A to 5B and Figure 6A Any or a combination of the features described herein. Here, the SSC module 600b is configured for both wet processing (e.g., cleaning using one or more fluids) and drying in the area of ​​chamber volume 340 using the same substrate support 621. Here, the substrate is conveyed to the substrate support using a first set of lifting rods (here, wet lifting rods 612a). Once the substrate has been cleaned and dried, the substrate is lifted from the substrate support 621 using a second set of lifting rods (here, dry lifting rods 612b) to facilitate pickup of the substrate by the substrate transporter arm. Thus, the wet lifting rods 612a, on which there may be residual fluid, do not come into contact with the dry substrate, and as desired, the reintroduction of residual fluid from the wet lifting rods 612a to the substrate surface can be avoided.

[0058] Figure 6C According to one embodiment Figure 6A A schematic perspective view of the outer portion of the SSC module 600a. In one embodiment, which may be combined with other embodiments disclosed herein, tunnel 501 is aligned with first opening 301 to define a substrate transport tunnel 505c registered thereto. Tunnel 505c is intended to prevent fluid and / or other contaminants disposed on the surface of a wet substrate 180 entering the SSC module 600a through the first opening 301 from dripping onto or migrating to the surface 302 of a dry substrate 180 exiting the SSC module 600a from the second opening. The wet substrate 180 enters the tunnel 505c in direction A at inlet 660, and the dry substrate exits the second opening 302 in direction B before being transported to other processing areas of the modular polishing system 200b (e.g., one of a plurality of system loading stations 222).

[0059] Here, the width of each of tunnels 505a to 505c is greater than the diameter of the substrate to be processed, for example, greater than 320 mm, greater than about 350 mm, or between about 300 mm and about 400 mm. Tunnels 505a to 505c have a height sufficient to accommodate the substrate and the end effector of the substrate transporter, such as about 2.5 cm or greater, about 5 cm or greater, about 7.5 cm or greater, or about 10 cm or greater, or between about 2.5 cm and about 20 cm, such as between about 2.5 cm and about 15 cm, or between about 2.5 cm and about 10 cm. In some embodiments, such as when the tunnel extends outward or inward from the sidewall 310 into the chamber volume 340, the length of the tunnel may be greater than about 100 mm, such as greater than about 150 mm, greater than about 200 mm, greater than about 250 mm, or greater than about 300 mm, or between about 100 mm and about 1000 mm, such as between about 100 mm and about 750 mm, or between about 100 mm and about 500 mm. In some embodiments, the length-to-height ratio (length to height, where the height is measured in the Y direction) is greater than 5:1, such as greater than about 10:1. The above tunnel sizes can be used for SSC modules whose size is set to handle 300 mm substrates. Appropriate scaling can be used for SSC modules whose size is set to handle substrates with different diameters.

[0060] Advantageously, the aforementioned wet cleaning system and related substrate handling and transfer scheme significantly reduce and / or eliminate the unwanted reintroduction of fluids and / or other contaminants to the dry substrate surface after wet-in / dry-out cleaning processes in single-wafer wet cleaning chambers. By preventing contaminant reintroduction onto the surface substrate after CMP post-cleaning processes, increased defect rates and suppressed usable device yields and / or associated device performance and reliability issues can be avoided as desired.

[0061] Although the foregoing describes embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the present disclosure may be conceived without departing from the basic scope of the present disclosure, and the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A polishing system, comprising: The first part has a plurality of polishing stations disposed therein; The second part is coupled to the first part, and the second part includes a substrate cleaning system. The substrate cleaning system includes a wet-in, dry-out substrate cleaning module, and the wet-in, dry-out substrate cleaning module includes: A chamber housing defining a chamber volume, wherein a first sidewall of the chamber housing has a first opening formed therethrough, and wherein either the first sidewall or a second sidewall of the chamber housing has a second opening formed therethrough; A substrate support member disposed within the cavity volume; A first door, operable to cover or seal the first opening; A second door, operable to cover or seal the second opening; and A tunnel extending outward from the chamber housing, wherein the tunnel is aligned with the first opening to allow a substrate to be conveyed through it; and A substrate transporter, located in the second portion, wherein the substrate transporter is positioned to transfer a substrate into the chamber volume through the first opening, and wherein the substrate transporter comprises: A first terminal actuator, the first terminal actuator being coupled to a first arm; and The second terminal actuator is coupled to the second arm. The first terminal actuator is used to transfer a wet substrate into the cavity volume through the first opening, and the second terminal actuator is used to transfer a dry substrate out of the cavity volume through the second opening.

2. The polishing system of claim 1, further comprising a loading locking chamber adjacent to the substrate cleaning module, wherein an opening in the loading locking chamber is aligned with the second opening.

3. The polishing system of claim 1, wherein the second opening is disposed through the second sidewall and the second sidewall is adjacent to the first sidewall.

4. The polishing system of claim 1, wherein the second opening passes through the first sidewall and is disposed above the first opening.

5. The polishing system of claim 3, further comprising a second tunnel extending outward from the chamber housing, wherein the second tunnel is aligned with the second opening to allow a substrate to be conveyed through therethrough.

6. The polishing system of claim 5, wherein the tunnel is coupled to an actuator operable to move the tunnel away from the first opening or the second opening during substrate transfer into or out of the chamber volume.

7. A substrate cleaning system, comprising: A chamber housing defining a chamber volume, the first sidewall of the chamber housing having a first opening formed therethrough for receiving a substrate into the chamber volume; A substrate support member disposed within the cavity volume; A first lifting rod assembly, the first lifting rod assembly including a plurality of first rods for receiving a substrate from a substrate transporter and positioning the substrate on the substrate support; A second opening is formed through the chamber housing; A second lifting rod assembly, the second lifting rod assembly including a plurality of second rods, the plurality of second rods being positioned to lift the substrate from the substrate support to allow the substrate transporter to receive the substrate, wherein the plurality of second rods are different from the plurality of first rods; and The substrate transporter, positioned to transport a substrate into the chamber volume, wherein the substrate transporter includes: A first terminal actuator, the first terminal actuator being coupled to a first arm; and A second terminal actuator is coupled to a second arm, wherein the first terminal actuator is used to transfer a wet substrate into the chamber volume through the first opening, and the second terminal actuator is used to transfer a dry substrate out of the chamber volume through the second opening.

8. The substrate cleaning system of claim 7, further comprising: A tunnel extending outward from the chamber housing, wherein the tunnel is aligned with the first opening to allow a substrate to be conveyed through therethrough; A substrate transporter, the substrate transporter being positioned to transport a substrate into the chamber volume through the tunnel; A loading locking chamber is provided adjacent to the chamber housing, wherein an opening in the loading locking chamber is aligned with a second opening in the chamber housing.

9. The substrate cleaning system of claim 7, further comprising one or more first nozzles, the one or more first nozzles being positioned to direct drying fluid to the plurality of first lifting rods.

10. The substrate cleaning system of claim 7, further comprising a tunnel aligned with the first opening to define a substrate transport path therebetween.

11. The substrate cleaning system of claim 7, wherein the second sidewall of the chamber housing has the second opening formed therethrough, and the door is operable to cover or seal the second opening.

12. The substrate cleaning system of claim 11, further comprising a loading locking chamber adjacent to the substrate cleaning system, wherein an opening in the loading locking chamber is aligned with the second opening.

13. The substrate cleaning system of claim 12, wherein the second sidewall is adjacent to the first sidewall.

14. The substrate cleaning system of claim 10, wherein the second opening passes through the first sidewall and is disposed above the first opening.

15. The substrate cleaning system of claim 10, wherein the tunnel extends into the chamber volume.

16. The substrate cleaning system of claim 14, further comprising a second tunnel extending outwardly from the chamber housing, wherein the second tunnel is aligned with the second opening to allow the substrate to be conveyed through therethrough.

17. The substrate cleaning system of claim 14, wherein the tunnel is coupled to an actuator operable to move the tunnel away from the first opening or the second opening during substrate transport in and out of the chamber volume.

18. The substrate cleaning system of claim 9, further comprising one or more second nozzles disposed near the substrate support and positioned to direct fluid toward the outer peripheral edge of the substrate disposed thereon.

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