Method and apparatus for cleaning a substrate

Abstract

An apparatus for wet processing individual substrates comprising; a means for holding the substrate; a means for providing acoustic energy to a non-device side of the substrate; and a means for flowing a fluid onto a device side of the substrate.

1 . An apparatus for processing an individual substrate, comprising:
 a rotatable substrate holding bracket;   a platter supported in a chamber;   means for flowing a first chemical between said substrate and said platter;   means for applying a second liquid chemical to a topside of said substrate;   means for providing acoustic energy to a bottom side of said substrate; and   wherein said platter comprises a dished-out center area having sidewalls separated by a width greater than a width of said substrate for positioning said substrate within said dished-out center area.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 means for applying acoustic energy to said topside of said substrate.   
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said means for applying acoustic energy to said bottom side of said substrate and said means for applying acoustic energy to said topside of said substrate, further comprises a plurality of transducers for producing acoustic energy having a plurality of frequencies. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said dished-out center area is circular, and said width separating said sidewalls is a diameter. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein said dished-out center area has a top portion and a bottom portion, wherein said diameter separating said sidewalls at said top portion is larger than said diameter separating said sidewalls at said bottom portion. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said substrate is a wafer. 
   
   
       7 . An apparatus for processing an individual substrate comprising:
 a platter supported in a chamber, said platter having a frontside and a backside, wherein said platter frontside further comprises a dished-out center area having sidewalls;   a substrate holding bracket for positioning a substrate over said platter; and   an opening in said platter connected with a first fluid source.   
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , further comprising one or more acoustic wave transducers mounted on said platter backside, wherein said one or more acoustic wave transducers mounted on said platter backside cover 50-100% of said platter backside area. 
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein said dished-out center area is circular, and said sidewalls are separated by a diameter. 
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein said dished-out center area has a top portion and a bottom portion, wherein said diameter separating said sidewalls at said top portion is larger than said diameter separating said sidewalls at said bottom portion. 
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein said substrate is a wafer. 
   
   
       12 . An apparatus for wet processing a frontside of an individual substrate comprising:
 a platter supported in a chamber;   said platter having a frontside and backside wherein said platter includes a plurality of megasonics transducers formed on said platter backside;   wherein said platter further comprises a dished-out center area on said frontside of said platter, said dished-out center area having sidewalls separated by a width greater than a width of said substrate;   a substrate holder to position said substrate having a frontside and backside within said dished-out center area, wherein said substrate backside is separated by a gap from said platter frontside;   an opening in said platter to flow a fluid in said gap between said substrate backside and said platter frontside; and   a nozzle positioned over said substrate frontside for directing a cleaning liquid onto said frontside of said substrate.   
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said opening is positioned substantially in said center of said platter. 
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said platter has a diameter greater than said diameter of said substrate, and said gap separating said platter frontside and said substrate backside is a uniform distance. 
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said dished-out center area on said platter frontside is parallel to said substrate. 
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said dished-out center area is circular, and said width separating said sidewalls is a diameter. 
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein said dished-out center area has a top portion and a bottom portion, wherein said diameter separating said sidewalls at said top portion is larger than said diameter separating said sidewalls at said bottom portion. 
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said substrate is capable of being positioned such that a bottom surface of said substrate is submerged in said first chemical contained in said dished-out area while a top surface of said substrate is outside said first chemical contained in said dished-out area. 
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein approximately one half of said total surface area of said substrate is submerged within said first chemical. 
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said substrate is a wafer.