Fluid-confining apparatus and method of operating the same

Abstract

The fluid-confining apparatus includes at least a substrate holder, at least a confining fluid supplying tube, at least a confining fluid recovering tube, at least a process fluid supplying tube, and at least a process fluid recovering tube. The process fluid supplying tube supplies at least a process fluid, and makes the process fluid contact with at least a treatment region of a wafer. The confining fluid supplying tube continuity supplies at least a confining fluid. The confining fluid does not dissolve the process fluid. The flowing confining fluid can contact with at least a non-treatment region of the wafer, and confines the process fluid into a predetermined space.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A process equipment, comprising:
 at least a column-shaped platform; and   at least a fluid-confining apparatus, positioned on at least a sidewall of the column-shaped platform, the fluid-confining apparatus comprising:
 at least a substrate holder, disposed parallel to the sidewall of the column-shaped platform, adapted for holding at least a semiconductor substrate; 
 at least a fixing component, adapted for fixing the semiconductor substrate; 
 at least a process fluid supplying tube, adapted for supplying at least a process fluid; 
 at least a process fluid recovering tube, adapted for recovering the process fluid; 
 at least a confining fluid supplying tube, disposed around the semiconductor substrate, adapted for supplying at least a confining fluid; and 
 at least a confining fluid recovering tube, disposed around the semiconductor substrate, adapted for recovering the confining fluid. 
   
     
     
         2 . The process equipment of  claim 1 , further comprising at least an automatic process control system. 
     
     
         3 . The process equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the column-shaped platform is a vertical platform. 
     
     
         4 . The process equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the column-shaped platform includes a plurality of sidewalls. 
     
     
         5 . The process equipment of  claim 1 , further comprising at least a loading/unloading device, positioned on at least a sidewall of the column-shaped platform, adapted for loading/unloading the semiconductor substrate to/from the column-shaped platform. 
     
     
         6 . The process equipment of  claim 5 , wherein the loading/unloading device is disposed parallel to the sidewall of the column-shaped platform. 
     
     
         7 . The process equipment of  claim 5 , further comprising at least a transferring device, positioned around the column-shaped platform, adapted for transferring the semiconductor substrate to the loading/unloading device. 
     
     
         8 . The process equipment of  claim 7 , wherein the transferring device rotates the semiconductor substrate so that the semiconductor substrate is parallel to the loading/unloading device, and the semiconductor substrate is thereafter transferred into/from the loading/unloading device. 
     
     
         9 . The process equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the column-shaped platform includes a function of rotating horizontally and a function of moving vertically. 
     
     
         10 . The process equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the fixing component is a cathode electrode, and is electrically connected to the semiconductor substrate. 
     
     
         11 . The process equipment of  claim 10 , further comprising at least an anode system, wherein the anode system comprises at least an anode electrode and at least a sensor. 
     
     
         12 . The process equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid-confining apparatus is applied to at least an electro chemical plating process, at least a polishing process or at least a front side/backside/bevel cleaning process. 
     
     
         13 . A process equipment, comprising:
 at least a loading/unloading device, adapted for loading/unloading at least a semiconductor substrate;   at least a transferring device, adapted for transferring the semiconductor substrate;   at least a seed layer deposition chamber, adapted for performing at least a seed layer deposition process on the semiconductor substrate; and   at least a fluid-confining apparatus, comprising:
 at least a substrate holder, adapted for holding the semiconductor substrate; 
 at least a fixing component, adapted for fixing the semiconductor substrate; 
 at least a process fluid supplying tube, adapted for supplying at least a process fluid; 
 at least a process fluid recovering tube, adapted for recovering the process fluid; 
 at least a confining fluid supplying tube, disposed around the semiconductor substrate, adapted for supplying at least a confining fluid; and 
 at least a confining fluid recovering tube, disposed around the semiconductor substrate, adapted for recovering the confining fluid. 
   
     
     
         14 . The process equipment of  claim 13 , further comprising at least a barrier layer deposition chamber, adapted for performing at least a barrier layer deposition process on the semiconductor substrate. 
     
     
         15 . The process equipment of  claim 13 , further comprising at least an automatic process control system. 
     
     
         16 . The process equipment of  claim 13 , further comprising at least a drying chamber, adapted for performing at least a drying process and/or an annealing process on the semiconductor substrate. 
     
     
         17 . The process equipment of  claim 13 , further comprising at least a pre-deposition chamber, adapted for performing at least a pre-deposition process on the semiconductor substrate. 
     
     
         18 . The process equipment of  claim 13 , wherein the fixing component is a cathode electrode, and is electrically connected to the semiconductor substrate. 
     
     
         19 . The process equipment of  claim 18 , further comprising at least an anode system, wherein the anode system comprises at least an anode electrode and at least a sensor. 
     
     
         20 . The process equipment of  claim 13 , wherein the fluid-confining apparatus is applied to at least an electro chemical plating process, at least a front side/backside/bevel cleaning process, at least a chemical mechanical polishing process and/or at least a electro chemical mechanical polishing process. 
     
     
         21 . The process equipment of  claim 13 , wherein the process equipment is an all-in-one system or a cluster system. 
     
     
         22 . The process equipment of  claim 13 , wherein the process equipment is applied to at least a copper process. 
     
     
         23 . The process equipment of  claim 13 , wherein the transferring device comprises at least a robot arm or at least a conveying belt.