Method and apparatus for cleaning substrate using atomizing nozzle

Abstract

A chemical mechanical polishing system includes a first polishing station including a first table to support a first polishing pad; a transfer station for receiving the substrate from the robot; a carrier head movable on a predetermined path from the polishing station to the transfer station; a gas flow regulator having an input for a carrier gas; a liquid flow regulator having an input for a cleaning liquid; and a fluid ejection cleaner at a position along the predetermined path. A fluid jet cleaner includes an atomizing nozzle including an input port coupled to a gas flow regulator, an injection port coupled to a liquid flow regulator, and an output port, the output port is positioned to spray cleaning liquid entrained in the carrier gas onto a substrate held by the carrier head when the carrier head is above the fluid jet cleaner.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to substrate cleaning after chemical mechanical polishing. Background Technology

[0002] Integrated circuits are typically formed on a substrate by sequentially depositing conductive, semiconducting, or insulating layers on a silicon wafer. One fabrication step involves depositing a fill layer and planarizing the fill layer over a non-planar surface. For some applications, the fill layer is planarized until the top surface of the patterned layer is exposed. For example, a conductive fill layer may be deposited on a patterned insulating layer to fill trenches or holes in the insulating layer. After planarization, portions of the metal layer remaining between the raised patterns of the insulating layer form vias, plugs, and lines that provide conductive paths between thin-film circuits on the substrate. For other applications, such as oxide polishing, the fill layer is planarized, for example by polishing for a predetermined time period, to leave a portion of the fill layer over the non-planar surface. Furthermore, photolithography often requires planarization of the substrate surface.

[0003] Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is a widely accepted planarization method. This method typically requires mounting a substrate on a carrier head or polishing head. The exposed surface of the substrate is usually positioned against a rotating polishing pad. The carrier head provides a controlled load on the substrate to push it against the polishing pad. An abrasive polishing slurry is typically supplied to the surface of the polishing pad.

[0004] During polishing, debris and slurry may adhere to the substrate surface, leading to defects. Therefore, after polishing, the substrate can be transferred to a cleaning system for cleaning, such as using one or more megasonic cleaners, rotary brush cleaners, or polishing pad cleaners. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In one aspect, the fluid jet cleaner includes an atomizing nozzle, an input port for a carrier gas, an injection port for a cleaning liquid, and an output port, the output port being positioned to spray the cleaning liquid entrained in the carrier gas onto a substrate.

[0006] In another aspect, the fluid jet cleaner includes a nozzle having a convergent-divergent nozzle design to spray cleaning liquid onto a substrate.

[0007] In another embodiment, the cleaning module includes a support for holding the substrate and a fluid jet cleaner having multiple nozzles arranged in a line extending in radius of the substrate.

[0008] In another case, cleaning liquid is sprayed onto the substrate from a nozzle at a speed of 100 m / s to 1200 m / s to clean the substrate after polishing.

[0009] In another aspect, the chemical mechanical polishing system includes: a first polishing station including a first worktable to support a first polishing pad; a transfer station for receiving a substrate from a robot; a carrier head movable from the polishing station to the transfer station along a predetermined path; a gas flow regulator having an input for a carrier gas; a liquid flow regulator having an input for a cleaning liquid; and a fluid jet cleaner positioned along the predetermined path. The fluid jet cleaner includes an atomizing nozzle having an input port coupled to the gas flow regulator, an injection port coupled to the liquid flow regulator, and an output port positioned to spray the cleaning liquid entrained in the carrier gas onto the substrate held by the carrier head when the carrier head is positioned above the fluid jet cleaner.

[0010] Specific implementations of the subject matter described in this specification may be implemented in order to achieve one or more of the following technical advantages.

[0011] Defects can be reduced without significantly impacting production volume, thereby increasing yield. Cleaning nozzles can be integrated into the polishing system, allowing for pre-cleaning of the substrate before it is transported to a dedicated cleaning system. This allows the substrate to remain in the polishing system for a longer period without increasing the risk of defects (e.g., due to slurry condensation on the substrate), increasing the flexibility in scheduling substrate transport to the cleaning system, which in turn improves production volume.

[0012] Details of one or more embodiments will be set forth in the following drawings and description. Other features and advantages will be apparent from the description, drawings, and claims. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 The illustration shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an example polishing apparatus.

[0014] Figure 2A and Figure 2B The illustration shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the transfer station.

[0015] Figure 3 The illustration shows a schematic top view of a substrate (shown in dashed lines) above a fluid jet cleaner.

[0016] Figure 4 The illustration shows a schematic side view of a substrate above a fluid jet cleaner.

[0017] Figure 5A The illustration shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a convergent-divergent nozzle.

[0018] Figure 5B The illustration shows a schematic cross-sectional view of another implementation of a convergent-divergent nozzle.

[0019] Figure 5C The illustration shows a schematic cross-sectional view of another implementation of a convergent-divergent nozzle.

[0020] In the accompanying drawings, similar reference numerals indicate similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0021] As mentioned above, after polishing, the substrate can be conveyed to the cleaning system. However, transporting the substrate from the final polishing station to the cleaner via a conveyor takes time. During this time, any debris or slurry on the substrate may dry and harden, making it more difficult for the cleaner to remove. To combat this effect, a spray of deionized (DI) water or water containing chemicals can be used, for example, by spraying the substrate through nozzles at the conveyor. This reduces the risk of the substrate drying out. Furthermore, spraying can wash away loose particles from the substrate. While this rinsing may be considered a “cleaning” step, spraying at low pressure will still leave some particles on the substrate, which may be unacceptable as customer demands for lower defect rates increase.

[0022] One technique to address this problem is to spray the substrate with a cleaning liquid from an atomizer (e.g., a convergent-divergent (CD) nozzle) at relatively high pressure. This provides a deeper cleaning than simply misting (e.g., from a sprayer). Furthermore, one or more atomizers can be provided in the loading hood of the conveyor station or at the cleaning station between workbenches, allowing the substrate to be cleaned while it is held by a carrier head and moves along its intended path. Therefore, this cleaning technique can be integrated into existing polishing systems without significantly impacting production volume.

[0023] Figure 1 An example of a polishing system 50 is illustrated. The polishing system 50 may include one or more polishing stations 100, a transfer station 200, and an optional inter-bench cleaning station 250.

[0024] Each of one or more polishing stations 100 includes a rotatable disc-shaped worktable 120 on which a polishing pad 110 is located. The polishing pad 110 may be a two-layer polishing pad having an outer polishing layer and a softer backing layer. At each polishing station 100, the worktable 120 is operable to rotate about a rotation axis 122. For example, a motor 124 (e.g., a DC induction motor) can rotate a drive shaft 126 to rotate the worktable 120.

[0025] Each polishing station 100 may include a port 130 to dispense a polishing liquid 132, such as an abrasive slurry, onto the polishing pad 110 (for simplicity, only one port is shown at a single station). Each polishing station 100 may also include a polishing pad adjuster to abrade the polishing pad 110 to maintain the polishing pad 110 in a consistent abrasive state.

[0026] The polishing apparatus 50 also includes a carrier head 140 operable to hold the substrate 10. The carrier head 140 is movable between the transfer station 200 and the polishing stations(s) 100. Specifically, the carrier head 140 is suspended from a support structure 150 (e.g., a turntable or a track). In the case of a turntable, rotation of the turntable (e.g., by actuator 152) causes the carrier head 140 to travel along the track about a central axis, and the turntable can sequentially load the carrier head 140 from the transfer station 200 to each polishing station 100 and back to the transfer station 200 along a predetermined path 160. In the case of a track, the carrier head 140 can be driven along the track by actuator 154. Thus, the track provides a predetermined path 160 for the carrier head to travel sequentially from the transfer station 200 to each polishing station 100 and back to the transfer station 200.

[0027] The carrier head 140 may include a retaining ring 142 to hold the substrate 10 below the flexible membrane 144. The carrier head 140 also includes one or more independently controllable pressurizable chambers defined by the membrane, for example, three chambers 146a to 146c, which can apply independently controllable pressure to associated areas on the flexible membrane 144, thereby applying pressure to the substrate 10. Although for ease of illustration... Figure 1 The diagram only shows three chambers, but there may be one or two chambers, or four or more chambers.

[0028] The bearing head 140 is also connected to a bearing head rotary motor 158 (e.g., a DC induction motor) via a drive shaft 156, allowing the bearing head to rotate about axis 159. The relative movement between the polishing pad 110 and the substrate 10 (e.g., provided by the rotation of the bearing head 140 and the stage 120) combined with the polishing liquid results in polishing of the exposed surfaces of the substrate 10.

[0029] Optionally, each carrier head 140 may oscillate laterally during the polishing operation, for example, by oscillating laterally on a slider on the support structure 150, or by oscillating laterally through the rotational oscillation of the turntable itself, or by sliding laterally along a track. In typical operation, the stage rotates about its central axis of rotation 125, and each carrier head rotates about its central axis 155 and translates laterally across the top surface of the polishing pad.

[0030] See Figure 2AThe substrate can be loaded into the carrier head 140 at a transfer station 200 including a loading shroud 210. The loading shroud can be moved vertically, for example, by an actuator 214. Inside the loading shroud 210 is a substrate support 212, such as an edge support ring, a lifting rod, or a base, to hold the substrate 10 before and / or after it is loaded into and removed from the carrier head 140. The substrate support 212 can be rotatable and / or vertically actuated, for example, by an actuator 214. The substrate support 212 can be mounted on or as part of the loading shroud 210.

[0031] The transfer station 200 may optionally include one or more nozzles 220 (e.g., sprayers) positioned within the loading shroud 210 to mount the substrate onto the substrate support 212 and / or by the carrier head 140 at the transfer station 200 (see [link]). Figure 2B During the holding process, rinsing fluid 222 (e.g., deionized water) is sprayed onto substrate 10. As an atomizer, nozzle 220 sprays a mist of rinsing fluid; the mist impacts substrate 10 at a relatively low pressure or energy density (i.e., relative to the atomizer discussed below). For example, the flow rate of the rinsing fluid can be from 50 cc / min to 500 cc / min, and the mist can exit the nozzle at a speed from 0.1 m / s to 100 m / s. Loading cover 210 can be used as a splash guard to prevent liquid from nozzle 220 from contaminating other components of the polishing system.

[0032] Back Figure 1 In operation, the substrate 10 can be transported via the end effector 282 of the robot 280, for example, from a cassette to a transfer station 200 and lowered onto a substrate support 212 (or the substrate support 212 can be raised to lift the substrate off the robot end effector 282). The robot end effector 282 retracts, and the substrate support 212 is raised (or the carrier head 140 is lowered) to insert the substrate 10 into the carrier head 140. As described above, the carrier head 140 moves along a predetermined path 160 to sequentially transport the substrate 10 to each polishing station 100. The carrier head 140 then returns to the transfer station 200, where the substrate is placed onto the substrate support 212 (or another substrate support with a loading hood in the transfer station). The substrate is picked up by the end effector 282 of the robot 280 and can be inserted into a dedicated cleaning system.

[0033] The polishing system 50 may include a controller 90, such as a programmable general-purpose computer with a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the medium having instructions to enable the computer to control various components of the polishing system 50, such as motor 124, motor 158, actuator 152, actuator 154, actuator 214, actuator 312, and flow regulator 342, flow regulator 352.

[0034] One or more fluid jet cleaners 300 are located at one or more positions along a predetermined path 160 traveling along the carrier head 140. For example, the fluid jet cleaner 300 may be positioned at a transfer station 200, for example, within a loading hood 210. Alternatively or additionally, the fluid jet cleaner 300 may be positioned at an inter-table station 240, i.e., at a position along path 160 between two tables 120 at two adjacent different polishing stations 200 along path 160. Alternatively or additionally, the fluid jet cleaner 300 may be positioned on path 160, between the transfer station 200 and the last polishing station 200 along path 160.

[0035] like Figure 2A and Figure 2B As shown, each fluid jet cleaner 300 may include one or more nozzles 320 (e.g., two to twenty nozzles, e.g., four nozzles) fixed to a support 310 to spray cleaning liquid 322 (see Figure 1). Figure 2B The liquid is sprayed onto the substrate 10. Specifically, each nozzle 320 is an atomizer. In the atomizer, the liquid is injected into a carrier gas stream, causing the carrier gas stream to carry the droplets at high speed. In contrast, the sprayer does not use a carrier gas; the liquid is forced through the nozzle under pressure and breaks into droplets due to the shape of the nozzle.

[0036] The cleaning fluid 322 can be water, such as deionized (DI) water. In some implementations, the carrier fluid is pure water. However, in some implementations, other chemicals, such as etchants, surfactants, inhibitors, or pH buffers, may be present in the cleaning fluid 322. For example, the cleaning fluid may contain water that is miscible with ammonia.

[0037] The carrier gas can be nitrogen, pure air (i.e., air filtered to remove particles), carbon dioxide, an inert gas (such as argon), or a combination of the above.

[0038] Multiple nozzles 320 are oriented to spray cleaning liquid 322 vertically upwards, for example, at an angle of 0 to 60 degrees relative to vertical (gravity). Thus, the cleaning liquid 322 impacts the substrate 10 at an angle of 0 to 60 degrees to the normal to the substrate surface. A potential advantage of positioning the substrate face down and spraying the cleaning liquid 322 upwards is that the cleaning liquid will naturally fall away without having to flow across the top surface of the substrate, thereby reducing the risk of curling or staining.

[0039] In operation, the carrier head 140 holds the substrate in a downward-facing position. Multiple nozzles 320 spray a cleaning liquid (e.g., DI water) onto the exposed surface of the substrate 10. The cleaning liquid impacts the substrate 10 with relatively high pressure or energy density (i.e., relative to the atomizer discussed above). For example, the flow rate of the cleaning liquid 322 can be from 5 cc / min to 500 cc / min, and the atomized fluid can exit the nozzle at a speed of 100 m / s to 1200 m / s. In some implementations, the atomized fluid exits the nozzle at supersonic speeds, such as Mach 1 to Mach 3.

[0040] In some implementations, the support 310 is vertically movable (e.g., by actuator 312) to adjust the distance between the nozzle 320 and the substrate 10. In some implementations, the support 310 and the nozzle 312 are vertically fixed. The outlet port of the nozzle 320 may be located 15 mm to 100 mm from the surface of the substrate 10.

[0041] When multiple nozzles 310 are present, the nozzles can be positioned in a line. For example, as Figure 3 As shown, the support head can be positioned to hold the substrate 10 such that the line of the nozzle 320 extends along a radius R passing through the center of the substrate. Furthermore, the nozzles 320 can be spaced sufficiently far apart such that the sprays 324 of cleaning liquid 322 from adjacent nozzles 320 do not overlap (see [reference]). Figure 2B To provide cleaning across the entire surface of substrate 10, the carrier head can rotate (indicated by arrow A) and oscillate laterally (indicated by arrow B) along an axis defined by the line of nozzle 320 (i.e., collinear with radius R). Alternatively, or in addition to the lateral oscillation of the carrier head, the support 310 can be driven by actuator 312 to oscillate along the axis defined by the line of nozzle 320. In either case, the amplitude of the lateral oscillation is sufficient to allow the spray 324 from the nozzle to scan and cover the entire radius of the substrate. Combined with the rotation of substrate 10, this results in substantially cleaning the entire surface of substrate 10. The carrier head and substrate 10 can rotate at speeds from 1 rpm to 250 rpm. The oscillation frequency can be between two and twenty times slower than the rotational speed.

[0042] See Figure 4 The ratio of rotational speed to oscillation frequency can be equal to or less than the ratio of the width W of the area impacted by the spray 324 from the nozzle 320 on the substrate to the pitch of the spray 324 on the substrate. The ratio of rotational speed to oscillation frequency can be a non-positive integer.

[0043] Optionally, such as Figure 4 As shown, one or more atomizer nozzles 220 may be mounted on a support 310 for atomizing nozzles 320. Although Figure 4The diagram shows that the spray nozzle 220 and the atomizing nozzle 320 are collinear. In reality, the spray nozzle 220 can be offset along the direction of rotation, such as... Figure 3 As shown in the figure. Therefore, although the rinsing fluid 222 and the cleaning fluid 322 can be sprayed on the substrate at the same time, the rinsing fluid 222 and the cleaning fluid 322 do not need to hit the same area on the substrate 10.

[0044] See Figure 5A Each nozzle 320 may be a convergent-divergent (CD) nozzle. A convergent-divergent (CD) nozzle may also be described as a de Laval nozzle or a supersonic nozzle. Each nozzle 320 has a channel 328 extending through the nozzle 320, the channel 328 having an inlet port 330 at which gas 348 (e.g., gas from a gas source 340) enters the nozzle 320. The flow rate and / or pressure of the carrier gas 348 entering the inlet port 330 of the nozzle 320 may be controlled by a gas flow regulator 342. The gas flow regulator 342 may be a pump 342a, one or more valves 342b, or a combination of the above, and may optionally include a pressure sensor and / or a mass flow sensor, as well as a microcontroller, to control the pump 342a and / or valve 342b to achieve a desired carrier gas flow rate and / or pressure set by the controller 90.

[0045] Input port 320 leads to convergence section 332, where the channel through nozzle 320 narrows. From convergence section 332, gas enters bottleneck or throat 334, where the cross-sectional area of ​​nozzle 320 is at its minimum. In some implementations, throat 334 has a concave curvature relative to the channel centerline, opposite to the convex curvature of convergence section 332. However, other configurations are also possible; for example, the entire CD path is concave. Additionally, as... Figure 5C As shown, the inner surfaces of the convergent and divergent sections 332 and 336 of channel 328 are not curved along the centerline of the nozzle, but can be simple conical surfaces. The inner surface of the throat section 334 can be cylindrical, or a conical surface with a smaller slope (relative to the centerline of the channel) than the convergent section 332 and divergent section 336.

[0046] The diameter of channel 328 at its narrowest region can be 2 to 10 times smaller than the diameter of channel 328 at inlet port 330. The diameter of channel 328 at its narrowest region can be 1.5 to 10 times smaller than the diameter of channel 328 at outlet port 338. As the gas flows out of convergence section 332, through throat 33 and to divergence section 336, and exits outlet port 338, the gas velocity increases. Throat 204 causes an increase in the gas velocity flowing through throat 204. In some implementations, the gas velocity increases to supersonic speeds.

[0047] When nozzle 320 is an atomizer, cleaning fluid 322 flows from cleaning fluid source 350 through injection passage 360 ​​into channel 328. The flow rate and / or pressure of cleaning fluid 348 entering injection port 366 of injection passage 360 ​​can be controlled by gas flow regulator 352. Gas flow regulator 352 may be a pump 352a, one or more valves 352b, or a combination thereof, and may optionally include a pressure sensor and / or mass flow sensor and a microcontroller to control pump 352a and / or valve 352b to achieve the desired cleaning fluid flow rate and / or pressure set by controller 90.

[0048] Injection pathway 360 may simply terminate at an opening 362 flush with the sidewall of channel 328. Alternatively, injection pathway 360 may project (shown in dashed lines) into channel 328, for example, into the center of channel 328. Injection pathway 370 may be positioned to inject a droplet into convergence segment 332 (e.g., Figure 5B As shown), enters the throat 334 (as shown) Figure 5B As shown in the diagram), the liquid enters the divergence section 336, or directly after the divergence section 206. The high-speed airflow through the nozzle 320 atomizes the cleaning liquid 322 into droplets 354. The droplets are carried by the high-speed airflow and can impact the substrate at speeds of 10 m / s to 1200 m / s, for example, 100 m / s to 1000 m / s.

[0049] To ensure that the droplets 354 of the sprayed cleaning liquid impact the substrate at sufficient velocity to perform cleaning (as opposed to simple rinsing), for a nozzle having a channel with a diameter D1 of 1.2 mm at the narrowest section of the throat 334, a diameter D2 of 4 mm at the inlet port, and a diameter D3 of 2.4 mm at the outlet port, the pump 342 (and / or valve 344) can be set by the controller to deliver carrier gas at a flow rate of 10 standard liters per minute (SLPM) to 150 standard liters per minute (SLPM) per nozzle, and the valve 352 can be set by the controller 90 to dispense water into the injection passage 360 ​​at a flow rate of 5 cc / min to 500 cc / min per nozzle. The flow rate of the cleaning liquid (by volume) can be approximately 0.001% to 1% of the carrier gas flow rate, for example, 0.01% to 0.1% of the carrier gas flow rate.

[0050] Back Figure 2BThe fluid jet cleaner 300 may be located in the transfer station 200. The fluid jet cleaner 300 may be suspended such that the top of the nozzle is below the plane of the top surface 216 of the substrate support 212. If the substrate support 212 includes an annular ring (e.g., as an edge support ring or as a retaining support pin), the fluid jet cleaner 300 may be positioned such that the nozzle 320 is positioned inside the inner diameter of the ring. This provides an unobstructed path for the nozzle to reach the substrate 10 via the spray 324.

[0051] The fluid jet cleaner 300 can be mounted on the loading cover 210 or the substrate support 212, such that the support 310 and the nozzle 320 move vertically together with the loading cover 210 or the substrate support 212 under the action of the actuator 214. Alternatively, the fluid jet cleaner 300 is not mounted on the loading cover 210 or the substrate support 212, but can be moved independently by an actuator (e.g., actuator 312).

[0052] During operation, the substrate 10 can be sprayed through the atomizing nozzle 320 of the fluid jet cleaner 300 and through the sprayer nozzle 220. Therefore, the substrate 10 can be impacted by liquids at different pressures or energy densities (e.g., rinsing liquid and cleaning liquid). In particular, the cleaning liquid impacts the substrate 10 with a higher pressure or energy density than the rinsing liquid. However, in some implementations, only the fluid jet cleaner 300 is used, or only the fluid jet cleaner 300 is present.

[0053] Back Figure 1 The fluid jet cleaner 300 may be located at the inter-table station 240. The inter-table station may operate similarly to the transfer station 200, but without the need for substrate supports. The inter-table station 240 may include a protective shroud 242 to surround the fluid jet cleaner 300 to prevent spray deflected from the substrate from contaminating other components of the polishing system. The inter-table station 240 may also include a spray nozzle 242 to rinse the substrate, as discussed above.

[0054] Although convergent-divergent atomizing nozzles have been discussed in the context of face-down substrates held by a carrier head in polishing systems, the fluid jet cleaner 300 can be used in other situations. For example: • Sufficiently high pressure can be used to guide fluid (such as cleaning liquid) through the atomizer nozzle, so that droplets arrive at and impact the substrate with an energy density similar to that of the atomizer configuration discussed above.

[0055] • When sprayed by a fluid jet cleaner, the substrate can be on a support other than the carrier head, for example, on a support in a transfer station.

[0056] • The substrate can be positioned face up and held on this support, wherein the fluid jet cleaner directs cleaning liquid downward onto the substrate.

[0057] • Fluid jet cleaners can be used as dedicated cleaners, rather than being integrated into polishers.

[0058] • Instead of moving the substrate, the substrate can be fixed in place while the fluid jet cleaner moves to scan the substrate.

[0059] While this specification contains numerous details, these details should not be construed as limiting the scope of claims, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular examples. Some features described in this specification within the context of separate implementations may also be combined. Conversely, various features described within the context of a single implementation may also be implemented separately in multiple embodiments or any suitable sub-combination.

[0060] Many implementations have been described. However, it is understood that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, other implementations fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A chemical mechanical polishing system, comprising: A first polishing station, the first polishing station including a first worktable to support a first polishing pad; A transfer station for receiving a substrate from a robot; A carrier head that can move from the polishing station to the conveying station along a predetermined path; A gas flow regulator having an input for a carrier gas; A liquid flow regulator having an input for a cleaning liquid; as well as A fluid jet cleaner, positioned along a predetermined path, includes an atomizing nozzle comprising an input port coupled to a gas flow regulator, an injection port coupled to a liquid flow regulator, and an output port, the output port being positioned to spray the cleaning liquid entrained in the carrier gas onto the substrate held by the carrier head when the carrier head is positioned above the fluid jet cleaner.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the atomizing nozzle comprises a convergent-divergent nozzle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the diameter of the channel passing through the nozzle at the input port to the diameter of the channel at the narrowest part of the throat of the channel is between 2 and 10.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the fluid jet cleaner is positioned within the transfer station.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the transfer station includes a vertical substrate support.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the atomizing nozzle is supported by the substrate support and is movable within the substrate support.

7. The system of claim 4, further comprising a sprayer in the transfer station for spraying rinsing fluid onto the substrate.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a controller configured to control the gas flow regulator and the liquid flow regulator such that a first pressure of the cleaning liquid sprayed onto the substrate is greater than a second pressure of the cleaning liquid sprayed onto the substrate.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second polishing station, the second polishing station including a second workbench to support a second polishing pad, and wherein the fluid jet cleaner is positioned at an inter-workbench station between the first polishing station and the second polishing station along the predetermined path.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a spray nozzle for spraying flushing fluid onto the substrate when the carrier head is positioned above the fluid jet cleaner.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the atomizing nozzle and the sprayer nozzle are mounted on a common support.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising a controller configured to control the gas flow regulator and the liquid flow regulator such that a first pressure of the cleaning liquid sprayed onto the substrate is greater than a second pressure of the cleaning liquid sprayed onto the substrate.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the fluid jet cleaner comprises a plurality of atomizing nozzles arranged in a line.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a controller configured to control a motor driving the carrier head along the predetermined path, wherein the controller is configured to position the carrier head by the motor, wherein the line of the atomizing nozzle extends along the radius of the substrate held by the carrier head.

15. The system of claim 16, further comprising a controller configured to rotate the carrier head at a rotational rate to sweep the line of the atomizing nozzle along an orbit about the center of the substrate, while the atomizing nozzle sprays the cleaning liquid onto the substrate.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to control the gas flow regulator and the liquid flow regulator such that the spray coverage of the cleaning liquid from each nozzle on the substrate is a width, and wherein the pitch between the plurality of atomizing nozzles is greater than the width.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to cause the carrier head to oscillate laterally over the plurality of atomizing nozzles while the atomizing nozzles spray the cleaning liquid onto the substrate.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to cause the bearing head to oscillate laterally at an oscillation frequency less than the rotational speed of the bearing head.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the rotational rate is two to twenty times greater than the oscillation frequency.

20. The system of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to control the gas flow regulator and the liquid flow regulator such that the cleaning liquid exits the nozzle at a rate of 100 m / s to 1200 m / s.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the gas flow regulator such that the flow rate of the carrier gas entering the atomizing nozzle is between 10 SLPM and 150 SLPM, and the flow rate of the cleaning liquid entering the atomizing nozzle is between 5 cc / min and 500 cc / min.

22. The system of claim 1, comprising the gas source and the carrier gas, wherein the gas is air, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, or an inert gas.

23. The system of claim 1, comprising the liquid source and the cleaning liquid, wherein the cleaning liquid is water.

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