In-Situ Marangoni Wafer Cleaning for Particle Control Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional techniques for preventing particle contamination during semiconductor fabrication, such as Marangoni drying, are not entirely satisfactory as they may still result in particle deposition on wafers, requiring expensive hardware and significant overhead, and do not consistently produce reliable results.
Innovation Solution
An automated in-situ Marangoni cleaning system that utilizes sensors to monitor gas parameters within the cleaning chamber, allowing for real-time detection of contamination and automated remediation processes to improve wafer cleaning, including adjustments to humidity, temperature, and gas composition, ensuring effective removal of particles during the cleaning process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual adjustment of flow rate and pressure is performed, then Marangoni drying can be optimized, but operator overhead and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Sensors monitor parameters such as temperature, humidity, and solvent concentration in real-time, providing feedback to the control system to automatically adjust process conditions and maintain optimal Marangoni drying effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-regulation through automated control algorithms that adjust flow rates, temperatures, and solvent vapor concentrations based on sensor readings, eliminating the need for manual operator intervention
2Object-affected harmful factors
If expensive hardware is deployed for contamination prevention, then particle removal capability is enhanced, but system cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Complex mechanical particle removal systems are replaced with a vapor-phase chemical process that uses solvent vapor to facilitate particle detachment and removal, reducing the need for expensive mechanical hardware
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses controlled changes in temperature, humidity, and solvent vapor concentration to create optimal conditions for particle removal, replacing the need for expensive dedicated particle removal hardware
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively reduces particle contamination on wafers by enabling real-time monitoring and adaptive remediation, enhancing the reliability of the cleaning process and reducing the need for extensive hardware and manual adjustments, thereby improving the overall efficiency and effectiveness of semiconductor fabrication.
Implementation Method 1
A method known as Marangoni drying creates a surface tension gradient to induce liquid to flow from the wafer in a manner that reduces liquid on the wafer, and thus avoids streaking, spotting, and residue marks
Implementation Method 2
An automated in-situ Marangoni cleaning system that utilizes sensors to monitor gas parameters within the cleaning chamber, allowing for real-time detection of contamination and automated remediation processes
Data Source
AI summary
In an embodiment, a method includes: immersing a wafer in a bath within a cleaning chamber, removing the wafer out of the bath through a solvent and into a gas within the cleaning chamber, determining a parameter value from the gas; and performing remediation within the cleaning chamber in response to determining that the parameter value is beyond a threshold value.