Method and apparatus for cleaning a substrate using an atomizing nozzle

The integration of an atomizer nozzle system for high-pressure cleaning within the polishing system addresses debris and slurry issues in CMP, enhancing substrate cleaning efficiency and yield by maintaining throughput.

JP2026514732APending Publication Date: 2026-05-13APPLIED MATERIALS INC
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-06-06
Publication Date
2026-05-13

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) processes result in debris and slurry adherence to substrates, leading to defects and inefficiencies in cleaning, which can worsen during transfer to dedicated cleaning systems due to drying and solidification, impacting throughput and yield.

Method used

Integration of an atomizer nozzle system within the polishing system for high-pressure spraying of cleaning solutions, utilizing convergent diffusion nozzles to effectively clean substrates in situ, reducing defects and maintaining throughput.

Benefits of technology

The system reduces defects and improves yield by deep cleaning substrates in the polishing system without significantly impacting throughput, allowing for flexible scheduling and enhanced substrate handling.

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Abstract

The chemical mechanical polishing system includes a first polishing station including a first platen supporting a first polishing pad; a transfer station receiving a substrate from a robot; a carrier head movable along a predetermined path from the polishing station to the transfer station; a gas flow regulator having an inlet for a carrier gas; a liquid flow regulator having an input for a cleaning fluid; and a jet cleaner fluid jet cleaner positioned along the predetermined path. The fluid jet cleaner includes an atomizer nozzle including an input port connected to the gas flow regulator; an injection port connected to the liquid flow regulator; and an output port positioned to spray a cleaning fluid accompanied by the carrier gas onto a substrate held by the carrier head when the carrier head is positioned above the fluid jet cleaner.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to cleaning of a substrate after chemical mechanical polishing.

Background Art

[0002] Typically, an integrated circuit is formed on a substrate by successively depositing a conductive layer, a semiconductive layer, or an insulating layer on a silicon wafer. A certain manufacturing process includes depositing a fill layer on a non-flat surface and planarizing the fill layer. For a particular application, the fill layer is planarized until the upper surface of the patterned layer is exposed. For example, a conductive fill layer can 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 patterns of the raised insulating layer form vias, plugs, and lines that become 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, and a portion of the fill layer remains on the non-planar surface. Further, planarization of the substrate surface is typically required for photolithography.

[0003] Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is one of the recognized planarization methods. In this planarization method, it is usually necessary to attach the substrate to a carrier or a polishing head. The exposed surface of the substrate is usually arranged to abut against a rotating polishing pad. The carrier head applies a controllable load to the substrate to press the substrate against the polishing pad. Typically, a polishing slurry for polishing is supplied to the surface of the polishing pad.

[0004] During polishing, debris and slurry adhere to the surface of the substrate, and defects may occur. Therefore, the substrate can be transferred to a cleaning system after polishing and cleaned using, for example, one or more of a megasonic cleaner, a rotary brush cleaner, or a buffing polishing pad cleaner.

Summary of the Invention

[0005] In one embodiment, the fluid jet cleaner includes an atomizer nozzle which includes an input port for a carrier gas, an injection port for a cleaning solution, and an output port which is arranged to spray the cleaning solution, accompanied by the carrier gas, onto a substrate.

[0006] In another embodiment, the fluid jet cleaner includes a nozzle having a convergent diffusion nozzle for spraying a cleaning solution onto a substrate.

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

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

[0009] In another embodiment, a chemical mechanical polishing system includes a first polishing station including a first platen supporting a first polishing pad; a transfer station receiving a substrate from a robot; a carrier head movable along 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 fluid; and a fluid jet cleaner positioned along a predetermined location. The fluid jet cleaner includes an atomizer nozzle having an input port connected to the gas flow regulator; an injection port connected to the liquid flow regulator; and an output port arranged to spray a cleaning fluid accompanied by the carrier gas onto a substrate held by the carrier head when the carrier head is positioned above the fluid jet cleaner.

[0010] Certain embodiments of the subject matter of the invention described herein may be implemented to achieve one or more of the following technical advantages:

[0011] Defects can be reduced without significantly impacting throughput, thereby improving yield. A cleaning nozzle can be integrated into the polishing system, allowing the substrates to be pre-cleaned before being transported to a dedicated cleaning system. This allows the substrates to remain in the polishing system for a longer period without increasing the risk of defects, for example, due to slurry aggregation on the substrate. This improves the flexibility of scheduling substrate supply to the cleaning system and can potentially increase throughput.

[0012] Details of one or more embodiments are described in the accompanying drawings and the following specification. Other features and advantages will be obvious from these descriptions and drawings, as well as from the claims. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of an example polishing apparatus. [Figure 2A] A schematic cross-sectional view of the transfer station is shown. [Figure 2B] A schematic cross-sectional view of the transfer station is shown. [Figure 3] A schematic top view of the substrate (dotted line) on top of the fluid jet cleaner is shown. [Figure 4] This is a schematic side view of the substrate on top of a fluid jet cleaner. [Figure 5A] A schematic cross-sectional view of the convergent diffusion nozzle is shown. [Figure 5B] A schematic cross-sectional view of another implementation configuration of the convergent-diffusion nozzle is shown. [Figure 5C] A schematic cross-sectional view of another implementation configuration of the convergent-diffusion nozzle is shown. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] In the figure, similar reference numerals indicate similar elements.

[0015] As described above, after polishing, the substrate can be transferred to a cleaning system. However, some time is required to transfer the substrate from the final polishing station through the transfer station to the cleaner. During this time, any debris or slurry on the substrate may dry and solidify, making removal from the cleaner more difficult. To counteract this effect, the substrate can be sprayed with a mist of deionized (DI) water or water containing chemicals, for example, by a nozzle at the transfer station. This reduces the risk of the substrate drying out. Furthermore, the spraying can rinse loose particles from the substrate. While such rinsing may be considered a "cleaning" step, spraying at low pressure may still leave particles on the substrate, which may be unacceptable given the increasing customer demand for reduced defect rates.

[0016] A technique that can address this problem involves spraying a cleaning solution onto the substrate at relatively high pressure using an atomizer, such as a convergent diffusion (CD) nozzle. This can provide deeper cleaning than, for example, simply spraying a mist from a nebulizer. In addition, one or more atomizers can be provided in the load cup of the transfer station or in the inter-platen cleaning station so that cleaning can be performed while the substrate is held by the carrier head and while the substrate is moving along the expected path. Thus, this cleaning technique can be incorporated into existing polishing systems without significantly impacting throughput.

[0017] Figure 1 shows an example of a polishing system 50. The polishing system 50 may include one or more polishing stations 100, a transfer station 200, and optionally an inter-platen cleaning station 250.

[0018] Each polishing station 100 includes a rotatable disc-shaped platen 120 on which a polishing pad 110 is positioned. The polishing pad 110 may be a two-layer polishing pad having an outer polishing layer 112 and a softer backing layer 114. In each polishing station 100, the platen 120 is operable to rotate around a rotation axis 122. For example, a motor 124 (e.g., a DC induction motor) may rotate the platen 120 by turning a drive shaft 126.

[0019] Each polishing station 100 may include a port 130 for supplying a polishing fluid 132, such as a polishing slurry, onto the polishing pad 110 (ports are shown in only one station for simplification). Each polishing station 100 may also include a polishing pad conditioner for polishing the polishing pad 110 to maintain a consistent polished state.

[0020] The polishing apparatus 50 also includes a carrier head 140 that is operable to hold the substrate 10. The carrier head 140 is movable between the transfer station 200 and the polishing stations 100. Specifically, the carrier head 140 is suspended from a support structure 150, for example, a carousel or a track. In the case of a carousel, for example, the rotation of the carousel by an actuator 152 can cause the carrier head 140 to orbit around a central axis, thereby allowing the carrier head 140 to be transported sequentially along a predetermined path 160 from the transfer station 200 to each polishing station 100 and back to the transfer station 200. In the case of a track, the carrier head 140 may be driven along the track by an actuator 154. Thus, the track provides a predetermined path 160 for the carrier head to move sequentially from the transfer station 200 to each polishing station 100 and back to the transfer station 200.

[0021] The carrier head 140 can include a retaining ring 142 for holding the substrate 10 under the flexible membrane 144. The carrier head 140 also includes one or more individually controllable pressurizable chambers (e.g., three chambers 146a - 146c) defined by the membrane. These chambers can apply individually controllable pressures to associated zones on the flexible membrane 144 (and thus on the substrate 10). Only three chambers are shown in FIG. 1 for clarity, but there may be one or two chambers, or four or more chambers.

[0022] The carrier head 140 is also connected by a drive shaft 156 to a carrier head rotation motor 158, e.g., a DC induction motor, whereby the carrier head can rotate about the axis 159. The combination of the polishing liquid and the relative movement between the polishing pad 110 and the substrate 10 (e.g., brought about by the rotation of the carrier head 140 and the platen 120) results in the polishing of the exposed surface of the substrate 10.

[0023] Optionally, each carrier head 140 can vibrate laterally during the polishing operation, e.g., on a slider on the support structure 150, or by the rotational vibration of the carousel itself, or by sliding along a track. In a typical operation, the platen rotates about its central axis of rotation 125, each carrier head rotates about its central axis 155, and translates laterally across the upper surface of the polishing pad.

[0024] Referring to Figure 2A, the substrate can be loaded into the carrier head 140 at a transfer station 200 including a load cup 210. The load cup may be vertically movable, for example, by an actuator 214. Inside the load cup 210 are substrate supports 212, such as edge support rings, lift pins, or pedestals, for holding the substrate 10 before it is loaded into the carrier head 140 and / or after it is unloaded from the carrier head 140. The substrate supports 212 may be rotatable and / or vertically movable, for example, by an actuator 214. The substrate supports 212 may be mounted on the load cup 210 or may be part of the load cup 210.

[0025] The transfer station 200 optionally includes one or more nozzles 220 (e.g., atomizers) located within a load cup 210, which can spray a rinse fluid 222 (e.g., deionized water) onto the substrate 10 while the substrate is placed on the substrate support 212 and / or held by the carrier head 140 in the transfer station 200 (see Figure 2B). As a nebulizer, the nozzles 220 spray a mist of the rinse fluid, which collides with the substrate 10 at a relatively low pressure or energy density (i.e., compared to the atomizer described later). For example, the flow rate of the rinse fluid may be 50 to 500 cc / min, and the mist may be discharged from the nozzles at a speed of 0.1 to 100 m / s. The load cup 210 can function as a splash guard to prevent liquid from the nozzles 220 from contaminating other components in the polishing system.

[0026] Returning to Figure 1, during operation, the substrate 10 is transported by the robot 280's end effector 282, for example, from the cassette to the transfer station 200, and lowered onto the substrate support 212 (or the substrate support 212 can be raised to lift the substrate from the robot end effector 282). The robot's end effector 282 retracts, the substrate support 212 rises (or the carrier head 140 lowers), and the substrate 10 is inserted into the carrier head 140. As described above, the carrier head 140 moves along a predetermined path 160, transporting the substrate 10 sequentially to each polishing station 100. The carrier head 140 then returns to the transfer station 200, where the substrate is piled up on the substrate support 212 (or on the substrate support of another load cup in the transfer station). The substrate can be removed by the robot 280's end effector 282 and inserted into a dedicated cleaning system.

[0027] The polishing system 50 may include a controller 90, for example, a programmed general-purpose computer having a processor, and a non-temporary computer-readable medium having instructions for the computer to control various components of the polishing system 50, such as motors 124, 158, actuators 152, 154, 214, 312, and flow regulators 342, 352.

[0028] One or more fluid jet cleaners 300 are positioned at one or more locations along a predetermined path 160 to which they are moved by the carrier head 140. For example, a fluid jet cleaner 300 may be positioned at a transfer station 200, for example, in a load cup 210. Alternatively or additionally, a fluid jet cleaner 300 may be positioned at an inter-platen station 240, i.e., at two adjacent polishing stations 200 along the path 160, along the path 160 between two platens 120. Alternatively or additionally, a fluid jet cleaner 300 may be positioned on the path 160 between the last polishing station 200 and the transfer station 200 along the path 160.

[0029] As shown in Figures 2A and 2B, each fluid jet cleaner 300 may include one or more nozzles 320, for example, two or more nozzles fixed to a support 310, for example, four nozzles, to spray cleaning fluid 322 (see Figure 2B) onto the substrate 10. Specifically, each nozzle 320 is an atomizer. In an atomizer, liquid is injected into a carrier gas flow so that the carrier gas flow carries the droplets at high speed. In contrast, a nebulizer does not use a carrier gas, and the liquid is pushed through the nozzle by pressure and divided into droplets by the shape of the nozzle.

[0030] The cleaning solution 322 may be water (e.g., deionized water (DI)). 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 solution 322. For example, the cleaning solution can be a mixture of water and ammonia.

[0031] 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 thereof.

[0032] One or more nozzles 320 are oriented to spray the cleaning solution 322 vertically upward, for example, at an angle of 0° to 60° with respect to the vertical (gravity). Thus, the cleaning solution 322 collides with the substrate 10 at an angle of 0° to 60° from the normal to the substrate surface. A potential advantage of spraying the cleaning solution 322 upward with the substrate in a downward position is that the cleaning solution does not need to flow across the top surface of the substrate but falls naturally, thereby reducing the risk of beading or staining.

[0033] During operation, the carrier head 140 holds the substrate in a downward position. One or more nozzles 320 spray a cleaning solution (e.g., deionized water) onto the exposed surface of the substrate 10. The cleaning solution impacts the substrate 10 at a relatively high pressure or energy density (i.e., relative to the nebulizer described above). For example, the flow rate of the cleaning solution 322 may be 5 to 500 cc / min, and the atomized fluid may be discharged from the nozzle at a speed of 100 to 1200 m / s. In some implementations, the atomized fluid is discharged from the nozzle at supersonic speeds (e.g., Mach 1 to 3).

[0034] In some configurations, the support 310 is movable vertically, for example by an actuator 312, to adjust the distance between the nozzle 320 and the substrate 10. In some configurations, the support 310 and the nozzle 312 are fixed vertically. The exit port of the nozzle 320 may be located 15 to 100 mm from the surface of the substrate 10.

[0035] If multiple nozzles 310 are present, the nozzles may be arranged in a row. For example, as shown in Figure 3, the carrier head may be positioned to hold the substrate 10 such that the row of nozzles 320 extends along a radius R passing through the center of the substrate. In addition, the nozzles 320 can be spaced far enough apart so that the sprays 324 of cleaning fluid 322 from adjacent nozzles 320 do not overlap (see Figure 2B). To clean the entire surface of the substrate 10, the carrier head can rotate (indicated by arrow A) and vibrate laterally (indicated by arrow B) along an axis defined by the row of nozzles 320 (i.e., collinear with radius R). Alternatively, or in addition to the lateral vibration of the carrier head, the support 310 may be driven by an actuator 312 to vibrate along an axis defined by the row of nozzles 320. In either case, the magnitude of the lateral vibration is sufficient for the spray 324 from the nozzles to scan and cover the entire radius of the substrate. Combined with the rotation of the substrate 10, this can result in substantially cleaning the entire surface of the substrate 10. The carrier head and substrate 10 can rotate at speeds from 1 rpm to 250 rpm. The vibration frequency may be 2 to 20 times slower than the rotation speed.

[0036] Referring to Figure 4, the ratio of rotational speed to oscillation frequency may 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 may be a non-integer.

[0037] Optionally, one or more nebulizer nozzles 220 can be attached to the support 310 for the atomizer nozzles 320, as shown in Figure 4. Although Figure 4 shows the nebulizer nozzles 220 aligned with the atomizer nozzles 320, in practice, the nebulizer nozzles 220 can be offset along the rotational direction, as shown in Figure 3. Thus, the rinse fluid 222 and the cleaning fluid 322 can be sprayed onto the substrate simultaneously, but they do not need to collide with the same area on the substrate 10.

[0038] Referring to Figure 5A, each nozzle 320 can be a convergent-diffusion (CD) nozzle. A convergent-diffusion (CD) nozzle can also be described as a Laval nozzle or a supersonic nozzle. Each nozzle 320 has a channel 328 through 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 into the input port 330 of the nozzle 320 can be controlled by a gas flow regulator 342. The gas flow regulator 342 can be a pump 342a, one or more valves 342b, or a combination thereof, and optionally may include a pressure and / or mass flow sensor microcontroller to control the pump 342a and / or valves 342b to achieve a desired carrier gas flow rate and / or pressure set by the controller 90.

[0039] The input port 320 connects to a converging section 332 through which the channel passing through the nozzle 320 narrows. From the converging section 332, the gas enters the choke point or throat section 334, where the cross-sectional area of ​​the nozzle 320 is minimized. In some implementations, the throat section 334 has a concave curvature with respect to the channel's centerline, in contrast to the convex curvature of the converging section 332. However, other configurations are possible, for example, the entire CD passage is concave. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5C, the inner surfaces of the converging and diffusing sections 332, 336 of the channel 328 can be simple conical surfaces, rather than curving along the centerline of the nozzle. The inner surface of the throat section 334 may be cylindrical, or it may be a conical surface with a smaller inclination (with respect to the channel's centerline) than the converging and diffusing sections 332, 336.

[0040] The diameter of channel 328 in its narrowest region may be 2 to 10 times smaller than the diameter of channel 328 at the inlet port 330. The diameter of channel 328 in its narrowest region may be 1.5 to 10 times smaller than the diameter of channel 328 at the outlet port 338. The gas velocity increases as the gas flows from the converging section 332 through the throat section 33 to the diffusion section 336 and out through the output port 338. The throat section 204 increases the velocity of the gas flowing through the throat section 204. In some implementations, the gas velocity increases to supersonic speeds.

[0041] With the nozzle 320 acting as an atomizer, the cleaning fluid 322 flows from the cleaning fluid source 350 through the injection passage 360 ​​into the channel 328. The flow rate and / or pressure of the cleaning fluid 348 into the injection port 366 of the injection passage 360 ​​can be controlled by a gas flow regulator 352. The liquid flow regulator 352 may consist of a pump 352a, one or more valves 352b, or a combination thereof, and may optionally include a pressure and / or mass flow sensor microcontroller that controls the pump 352a and / or valves 352b to achieve a desired cleaning fluid flow rate and / or pressure set by the controller 90.

[0042] The injection passage 360 ​​may simply terminate at an opening 362 that is coplanar with the side wall of the channel 328. Alternatively, the injection passage 360 ​​may protrude into the channel 328 (e.g., into the center of the channel 328). The injection passage 370 may be positioned to inject droplets into the converging section 332 (as shown in Figure 5B), the throat section 334 (as shown in Figure 5B), the diffusion section 336 (as shown in Figure 5B), or immediately after the diffusion section 206. A high-speed gas flow through the nozzle 320 atomizes the cleaning solution 322 into droplets 354. The droplets are carried at high speed by the gas flow and may collide with the substrate at speeds of 10 to 1200 m / s, for example, 100 to 1000 m / s.

[0043] In the case of a nozzle having a diameter D1 of 1.2 mm at the narrowest section of the throat portion 334, a diameter D2 of 4 mm at the inlet port, and a diameter D3 at the outlet port, the controller 90 can configure the nozzle and valve 352 to dispense water into the injection passage 360 ​​at a flow rate of 5 to 500 cc / min per nozzle, which can be set by the controller to supply carrier gas at a standard flow rate (SLPM) of 10 to 15 per minute. The flow rate of the cleaning solution (volume basis) can be about 0.001% to 1%, for example 0.01% to 0.1%, of the flow rate of the carrier gas.

[0044] Returning to Figure 2B, the fluid jet cleaner 300 can be positioned within the transfer station 200. The fluid jet cleaner 300 can be suspended from the upper surface of the nozzle below the plane of the upper surface 216 of the substrate support 212. If the substrate support 212 includes an annular ring, such as an edge support ring or a ring that holds support pins, the fluid jet cleaner 300 can be positioned such that the nozzle 320 is located within the inner diameter of the ring. This provides the nozzle with an unobstructed path for the spray 324 to reach the substrate 10.

[0045] The fluid jet cleaner 300 can be mounted on a load cup 210 or substrate support 212 such that the support 310 and nozzle 320 move vertically together with the load cup 210 or substrate support 212 under the operation of the actuator 214. Alternatively, the fluid jet cleaner 300 may not be mounted on a load cup 210 or substrate support 212 and may be moved independently by an actuator, such as actuator 312.

[0046] During operation, the substrate 10 can be sprayed by both the atomizing nozzle 320 and the nebulizer nozzle 220 of the fluid jet cleaner 300. Thus, the substrate 10 can be struck by liquids (e.g., rinsing liquid and cleaning liquid) at different pressures or energy densities. In particular, the cleaning liquid strikes the substrate 10 at a higher pressure or energy density than the rinsing liquid. However, in some implementation configurations, only the fluid jet cleaner 300 is used or present.

[0047] Returning to Figure 1, the fluid jet cleaner 300 can be located in the inter-platen station 240. The inter-platen station can operate similarly to the transfer station 200 but does not require a substrate support. The inter-platen station 240 may include a shield 242 surrounding the fluid jet cleaner 300 to prevent the spray deflected from the substrate from contaminating other components in the polishing system. The inter-platen station 240 may further include a nebulizer nozzle 242 for rinsing the substrate as described above.

[0048] While the convergent diffusion atomizer nozzle has been described in relation to a downward-facing substrate held by a carrier head within a polishing system, the fluid jet cleaner 300 can also be used in other situations. For example, It may be possible to guide a fluid (e.g., cleaning solution) through the nebulizer nozzle at sufficiently high pressure so that liquid droplets reach and collide with the substrate at an energy density similar to that of the atomizer configuration described above. • When the substrate is sprayed by the fluid jet cleaner, it may be on a support other than the carrier head, for example, on a support within the transfer station. The substrate can be held in an upward position on such a support, and the fluid jet cleaner directs the cleaning fluid downward onto the substrate. • Fluid jet cleaners are not integrated into polishing machines, but can be used with dedicated cleaners. • The substrate is fixed and held in place, rather than moving, while the fluid jet cleaner moves to scan the substrate.

[0049] This specification includes several details, which should be interpreted not as limitations on the scope of claims, but as descriptions of features specific to particular embodiments. Certain features described herein in relation to separate embodiments may be combined. Conversely, various features described in relation to one embodiment may be realized separately or in any suitable subcombination in multiple embodiments.

[0050] Several embodiments have been described. It should be understood that various modifications are possible, provided they do not deviate from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, other embodiments fall within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A chemical mechanical polishing system, A first polishing station including a first platen for supporting a first polishing pad, A transfer station for receiving circuit boards from robots. A carrier head that can move along a predetermined path from the polishing station to the transfer station, Gas flow regulator with input for carrier gas, A liquid flow regulator having an input for the cleaning solution, and A fluid jet cleaner located along the predetermined path, comprising an atomizer nozzle including an input port connected to the gas flow regulator, an injection port connected to the liquid flow regulator, and an output port arranged to spray the cleaning fluid accompanied by the carrier gas onto the substrate held by the carrier head when the carrier head is positioned above the fluid jet cleaner. A system that includes this.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the atomizer nozzle includes a convergent diffusion nozzle.

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

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the fluid jet cleaner is located within the transfer station.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the transfer station comprises a vertical substrate support.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the atomizer nozzle is supported by the substrate support and is movable together with the substrate support.

7. The system according to claim 4, further comprising a nebulizer in the transfer station for spraying a rinse fluid onto the substrate.

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

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

10. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a nebulizer nozzle for spraying a rinse fluid onto the substrate when the carrier head is positioned above the fluid jet cleaner.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the atomizer nozzle and the nebulizer nozzle are attached to a common support.

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

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the fluid jet cleaner includes a plurality of atomizer nozzles arranged in a row.

14. The system according to claim 13, further comprising a controller configured to control a motor that drives the carrier head along the predetermined path, wherein the controller is configured to cause the motor to position the carrier head in the row of atomizer nozzles extending along the radius of the substrate held by the carrier head.

15. The system according to claim 16, further comprising a controller configured to rotate the carrier head at a rotational speed, sweeping a row of atomizer nozzles along a trajectory around the center of the substrate while the atomizer nozzles spray the cleaning solution onto the substrate.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to control the gas flow regulator and the liquid flow regulator so as to cover a width of spray of the cleaning liquid onto the substrate from each nozzle, and the pitch between the plurality of atomizer nozzles is greater than the width.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to vibrate the carrier head laterally over the plurality of atomizer nozzles while the atomizer nozzle sprays the cleaning solution onto the substrate.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to vibrate the carrier head laterally at a vibration frequency lower than the rotational speed of the carrier head.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the rotational speed is 2 to 20 times greater than the vibration frequency.

20. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to control the gas flow regulator and the liquid flow regulator so that the cleaning liquid is discharged from the atomizer nozzle at a rate of 100 to 1200 m / s.

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

22. The system according to 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 according to claim 1, comprising the liquid source and the cleaning solution, wherein the cleaning solution is water.