Side-specific cleaning apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus for cleaning of a microelectronic workpiece having a front side, a back side, and an edge includes a chamber and a fixture within the chamber that is adapted to hold one or more microelectronic workpieces. At least one transducer is located within the chamber and preferably adjacent to the edge of the microelectronic workpiece. The method includes the steps of immersing the front side, back side, and edge of the microelectronic workpiece in a first processing fluid while preferably rotating the microelectronic workpiece. The microelectronic workpiece is then rinsed and dried and immersed in a second processing fluid such that the back side and edge of the microelectronic workpiece are immersed in the second processing fluid, while preferably rotating the microelectronic workpiece, without exposing the front surface of the microelectronic workpiece to the second processing fluid. Vibrational energy, preferably in the form of megasonics, is introduced during at least one of the immersions steps.

1 . An apparatus for processing a microelectronic workpiece having a front side, a back side and an edge, comprising: 
 a chamber;    a fixture in the chamber for holding a workpiece; and    at least one sonic transducer at one side of the chamber and positioned relative to the fixture so that the transducer is adjacent to the edge of a workpiece placed in the fixture.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the back side of the microelectronic workpiece is spaced apart from a bottom wall of the chamber by less than about 0.2 inches.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further including at least one sonic transducer at a bottom wall of the chamber, for providing sonic energy to the back side of the microelectronic workpiece placed in the fixture.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the fixture is rotatable within the chamber.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , further comprising a motor coupled to the fixture.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the chamber is made of a sonic energy absorbing material.  
   
   
       7 . An apparatus for processing a microelectronic workpiece having a front side, a back side and an edge, comprising: 
 a chamber;    a rotor in the chamber for holding and rotating a workpiece in the chamber;    at least one liquid inlet for providing a liquid into the chamber;    at least one liquid outlet for removing liquid from the chamber; and    at least one sonic transducer in or on the chamber.    
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the sonic transducer is at one side of the chamber and positioned relative to the fixture so that the transducer is adjacent to the edge of a workpiece placed in the fixture.  
   
   
       9 . The processor of  claim 8 , wherein the chamber is disk-shaped, and the back side of a microelectronic workpiece placed into the rotor is spaced apart from a bottom wall of the chamber by less than about 0.2 inches.  
   
   
       10 . The processor of  claim 7  further comprising at least one second sonic transducer at one side of the chamber and positioned relative to the rotor so that the transducer is adjacent to the edge of a workpiece placed in the rotor.  
   
   
       11 . An apparatus for processing a workpiece comprising: 
 a first rotor engageable with a second rotor to form a workpiece processing chamber;    one or more inlets in the processing chamber;    one or more outlets in the processing chamber, to allow removal of fluid from the chamber by centrifugal force generated by rotating the processing chamber; and    at least one sonic transducer associated with the first rotor.    
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 11  further comprising means for at least partially filling the chamber with a liquid.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the means for at least partially filling the chamber with a liquid comprises one or more valves for substantially closing off the outlets.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the first rotor is a top rotor, and the outlets are adjacent to an outer perimeter of the top rotor.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 14  further comprising a seal between the top rotor and the bottom rotor.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the inlets are generally centrally located substantially on a rotation axis of the processing chamber.  
   
   
       17 . An apparatus for processing a workpiece comprising: 
 a first rotor;    a second rotor engageable with the first rotor to form a workpiece processing chamber;    with the processing chamber having one or more fluid inlets and one or more fluid outlets; and    a valve at one or more of the fluid outlets, for opening and closing the outlets.    
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 17  wherein the outlets are adjacent to an outer perimeter of the first rotor, for removal of liquid from the chamber via centrifugal force when the chamber rotates.  
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 17  further including one or more sonic transducers associated with the processing chamber.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 19  wherein the sonic transducer is supported on and is rotatable with, the first rotor.