Wafer manufacturing cleaning apparatus, process and method of use

Abstract

A cleaning wafer or substrate for use in cleaning, or in combination with, components of, for example, integrated chip manufacturing equipment. The cleaning substrate can include a substrate having varying predetermined surface features, such as one or more predetermined adhesive, non-tacky, electrostatic, or projection, depression, or other physical sections. The predetermined features can provide for more effective cleaning of the components with which they are used, such as in an integrated chip manufacturing apparatus in the place of the integrated chip wafer. The cleaning substrate can be urged into cleaning or other position by vacuum, mechanical, electrostatic, or other forces. The cleaning substrate can be adapted to accomplish a variety of functions, including abrading or polishing. The cleaning substrate may made by a novel method of making, and it may then be used in a novel method of use in combination with chip manufacturing apparatus.

1 . A cleaning wafer mountable in a semi-conductor wafer manufacturing apparatus, comprising a resilient cleaning pad having a first side opposing a second, cleaning side, the second, cleaning side being non-planar and including at least one pre-formed cleaning side section and a second pre-formed cleaning side section, with the one pre-formed cleaning side section being greater in thickness than the second cleaning side section. 
     
     
         2 . The cleaning wafer of  claim 1  wherein the cleaning wafer also has one or more additional pre-formed cleaning side sections, with each such additional pre-formed cleaning side section being different in axial thickness than one or more among the one and the second pre-formed cleaning side section. 
     
     
         3 . The cleaning wafer of  claim 1  for cleaning a predetermined surface during chip wafer manufacturing and wherein the configuration of the cleaning side is predetermined to conform to the shape of the predetermined surface to be cleaned. 
     
     
         4 . The cleaning wafer of  claim 1  wherein the first cleaning side section includes an adhesive free portion and the second cleaning side section includes a first adhesive portion. 
     
     
         5 . The cleaning wafer of  claim 4  wherein the second cleaning side section includes a second adhesive portion distinct from the first adhesive portion. 
     
     
         6 . The cleaning wafer of  claim 5  wherein the first adhesive portion includes adhesive having a different adhesive strength that the second adhesive portion. 
     
     
         7 . The cleaning wafer of  claim 2  wherein the first cleaning side section includes an adhesive free portion and the second cleaning side section includes a first adhesive portion. 
     
     
         8 . The cleaning wafer of  claim 7  wherein the second cleaning side section includes a second adhesive portion distinct from the first adhesive portion. 
     
     
         9 . The cleaning wafer of  claim 8  wherein the first adhesive portion includes adhesive having a different adhesive strength that the second adhesive portion. 
     
     
         10 . The cleaning wafer of  claim 1  wherein the one cleaning side section comprises one or more compressible protrusions. 
     
     
         11 . The cleaning wafer of  claim 1  wherein the one cleaning side also includes a plurality of distinct predetermined tacky portions. 
     
     
         12 . The cleaning wafer of  claim 11  wherein the one cleaning side also includes a plurality of distinct predetermined tacky portions 
     
     
         13 . A method of cleaning integrated circuit manufacturing apparatus with a cleaning wafer having a plurality of differing predetermined surface features on the cleaning side of the cleaning wafer, the method comprising the steps of:
 A. identifying a cleaning wafer pad having a plurality of differing predetermined surface features mating with a portion of the integrated circuit manufacturing apparatus to be cleaned;   B. mounting the cleaning wafer on the integrated circuit manufacturing apparatus with respect to the mating portion of the integrated circuit manufacturing apparatus to be cleaned;   C. applying force to urge the cleaning wafer against the mating portion of the integrated circuit manufacturing apparatus; and   D. releasing the force and removing the cleaning wafer from the integrated circuit manufacturing apparatus.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the plurality of differing predetermined surface features includes at least one compressible projection section and the method includes in step C, compressing the compressible projection section against mating portion of the integrated circuit manufacturing apparatus. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the method includes, in step D, causing the compressible projection section to decompress and urge the cleaning wafer to at least partially separate from the mating portion of the integrated circuit manufacturing apparatus. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the plurality of predetermined surface features include at least one tacky section. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the plurality of predetermined surface features include a plurality of distinct tacky sections. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the plurality of predetermined surface features includes
 a plurality of sections of differing thickness.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the plurality of predetermined surface features includes
 a plurality of sections of differing thickness.   
     
     
         20 . A method of making a integrated chip manufacturing apparatus cleaning wafer, the method comprising the steps of:
 A. receiving information about a plurality of differing sections in an integrated chip manufacturing apparatus;   B. preparing a cleaning wafer having at least one cleaning side with a plurality of differing portions, with (i) one such portion corresponding to a first section among the differing sections in the integrated chip manufacturing apparatus and (ii) a second such portion corresponding to a second section among the differing sections in the integrated chip manufacturing apparatus.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the first portion of the cleaning wafer is a compressible section of differing thickness than the second portion of the cleaning wafer. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the second portion of the cleaning wafer includes a tacky material. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the second portion of the cleaning wafer includes a tacky material. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the second portion of the cleaning wafer includes a plurality of differing tacky areas. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the second portion of the cleaning wafer includes a plurality of differing tacky areas. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the differing sections of the integrated chip manufacturing apparatus include a wafer manufacturing stage. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the differing sections of the integrated chip manufacturing apparatus include a wafer manufacturing stage. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the differing sections of the integrated chip manufacturing apparatus include a wafer manufacturing stage. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the differing sections of the integrated chip manufacturing apparatus include an end effector. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the differing sections of the integrated chip manufacturing apparatus include an end effector. 
     
     
         31 . An integrated chip manufacturing apparatus cleaning system comprising in combination:
 A. an integrated chip manufacturing apparatus having a plurality of differing apparatus sections;   B. an integral cleaning substrate mounted on the integrated chip manufacturing apparatus and having a predetermined first substrate portion with a first uncompressed thickness and a second predetermined substrate portion with a second uncompressed thickness differing from the first thickness, the first substrate portion corresponding to one apparatus section on the integrated chip manufacturing apparatus and the second substrate portion corresponding to a second apparatus section on the integrated chip manufacturing apparatus.   
     
     
         32 . The integrated chip manufacturing apparatus cleaning system of  claim 31  wherein the predetermined first substrate portion includes a compressible protrusion compressible against the one apparatus section. 
     
     
         33 . The integrated chip manufacturing apparatus cleaning system of  claim 31  wherein the predetermined second substrate portion has a tacky area abuttable with the second apparatus section. 
     
     
         34 . The integrated chip manufacturing apparatus cleaning system of  claim 32  wherein the predetermined second substrate portion has a tacky area abuttable with the second apparatus section. 
     
     
         35 . The integrated chip manufacturing apparatus cleaning system of  claim 31  wherein the predetermined second substrate portion has a plurality of differing tacky areas abuttable with the second apparatus section. 
     
     
         36 . The integrated chip manufacturing apparatus cleaning system of  claim 32  wherein the predetermined substrate portion has a plurality of differing tacky areas abuttable with the second apparatus section. 
     
     
         37 . The integrated chip manufacturing apparatus cleaning system of  claim 36  wherein the differing tacky areas including a first tacky area having one level of tack and a second tacky area including a differing level of tack.