Non-contact wet wafer holder

Abstract

The present invention relates to a load cup configured to speed up substrate transferring to and from a carrier head and to reduce corrosion during the transferring. One embodiment of the present invention provides a non-contact substrate holder comprising a pedestal having a top surface configured to support a substrate, and at least one injection port configured to eject a high velocity liquid stream on the top surface of the pedestal, wherein the liquid stream in configured to secure the substrate on the pedestal without the substrate contacting the top surface of the pedestal.

1 . A non-contact substrate holder, comprising:
 a pedestal having a top surface configured to support a substrate; and   an injection port disposed within the top surface of the pedestal and configured to eject a high velocity liquid stream onto the top surface of the pedestal and to direct the liquid stream substantially parallel to the top surface of the pedestal, wherein the liquid stream is configured to secure the substrate to the pedestal without contact between the substrate and the top surface of the pedestal.   
     
     
         2 . The non-contact substrate holder of  claim 1 , wherein the injection port comprises an insert disposed within a fluid channel. 
     
     
         3 . The non-contact substrate holder of  claim 1 , further comprising a sensor configured to detect presence of the substrate. 
     
     
         4 . The non-contact substrate holder of  claim 3 , wherein the sensor is a pressure transducer. 
     
     
         5 . The non-contact substrate holder of  claim 3 , wherein the sensor is positioned within the injection port. 
     
     
         6 . The non-contact substrate holder of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of injection ports disposed within the top surface. 
     
     
         7 . A method for transferring a substrate, comprising:
 holding the substrate using a first substrate holder;   flowing a liquid stream onto a support surface of a second substrate holder;   contacting a surface of the substrate with the liquid stream flowed onto the support surface of the second substrate holder;   releasing the substrate from the first substrate holder; and   attracting the substrate to the second substrate holder via the liquid stream, wherein the substrate does not contact the support surface of the second substrate holder.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein flowing the liquid stream comprises flowing deionized water. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein flowing the liquid stream comprises flowing a cleansing solution. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising detecting presence of the substrate using a pressure sensor disposed on the support surface of the second substrate holder. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein flowing the liquid stream comprises injecting high velocity liquid from an injection port disposed within the support surface of the second substrate holder. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein flowing the liquid stream comprises injecting a liquid from a plurality of injection ports disposed within the support surface of the second substrate holder. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the first substrate holder is a carrier head used in a polishing system. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the first substrate holder is a robot configured to transfer substrates. 
     
     
         15 . A method for chucking a substrate, comprising:
 flowing a liquid stream onto a support surface of a pedestal, wherein the liquid stream forms a liquid bed on the support surface of the pedestal; and   placing the substrate on the liquid bed, wherein a surface of the substrate is substantially parallel to the flow of the liquid stream, and the surface of the substrate does not contact the support surface of the pedestal.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the liquid stream flows at a high velocity. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the liquid stream comprises deionized water. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the liquid stream comprises a cleansing solution. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein flowing the liquid stream comprises injecting a high velocity liquid from an injection port disposed within the support surface of the pedestal. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising sensing the presence of the substrate using a pressure sensor disposed on the support surface of the pedestal.