Semiconductor substrate cleaning system

Abstract

A modular semiconductor substrate cleaning system is provided that processes vertically oriented semiconductor substrates. The system features a plurality of cleaning modules that may include a megasonic tank-type cleaner followed by a scrubber. An input module may receive a horizontally oriented substrate and rotate the substrate to a vertical orientation, and an output module may receive a vertically oriented substrate and rotate the substrate to a horizontal orientation. Each of the modules (input, cleaning and output) has a substrate support and may be positioned such that the substrate supports of adjacent modules are equally spaced. The modules are coupled by an overhead transfer mechanism having a plurality of substrate handlers spaced the same distance (X) as the substrate supports of the modules therebelow. The transfer mechanism indexes forward and backward the distance X to simultaneously transport semiconductor substrates through the cleaning system, lifting and lowering substrates from the desired modules wafer rotation/orientation sensors, an input module cart for transporting wafers between a substrate handler of a previous tool (such as a semiconductor substrate polisher) and a substrate handler of the cleaning system are also included.

1 . An apparatus adapted to rinse and dry a substrate, comprising: 
 a wet chamber containing a fluid and adapted to at least partially submerge a substrate;    a lifting mechanism adapted to lift the submerged substrate from the wet chamber;    a drying region positioned above the fluid contained in the wet chamber and having at least one nozzle adapted to spray a vapor adapted to reduce surface tension in a fluid film on the substrate as the substrate is lifted from the fluid contained in the wet chamber; and    a substrate support positioned above the drying region and adapted to receive the substrate from the lifting mechanism, the substrate support being rotatable to rotate the substrate into a substantially horizontal orientation.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a dry chamber positioned above the drying region and having the substrate support mounted therein.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising a hinge on which the dry chamber is rotatably mounted.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the dry chamber includes a door on which the substrate support is mounted.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the dry chamber includes a hinge on which the door is rotatably mounted.  
   
   
       6 . A method of rinsing and drying a substrate, comprising the steps of: 
 at least partially submerging a substrate in a tank of fluid with the substrate in a substantially vertical orientation;    lifting the substrate from the tank of fluid;    while lifting the substrate, spraying a drying vapor on the substrate to dry the substrate; and    rotating the dried substrate to a substantially horizontal position.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the sprayed drying vapor lowers surface tension of a fluid film on the substrate to perform Marangoni drying of the substrate.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the substrate is lifted into a dry chamber before the rotating step.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the drying vapor is sprayed though a tube having a plurality of holes.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising: 
 providing a flow of gas adapted to dilute the drying vapor.    
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the drying region includes a vertical motion stop adapted to secure the substrate in the drying region.