Controls of Ambient Environment During Wafer Drying Using Proximity Head

Abstract

A method for processing a substrate is provided which includes generating a fluid meniscus to process the substrate and applying the fluid meniscus to a surface of the substrate. The method further includes reducing evaporation of fluids from a surface in the substrate processing environment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for processing a substrate, comprising:
 generating a fluid meniscus to process the substrate, the fluid meniscus being defined between a surface of a proximity head and a surface of the substrate, and the proximity head is configured to deliver and remove fluid to and from a surface of the substrate at substantially a same time to maintain the fluid meniscus between the surface of the proximity head and the surface of the substrate;   applying the fluid meniscus to a surface of the substrate, the applying being performed by moving the fluid meniscus across the surface of the substrate, which enables progressive processing of unprocessed regions of the substrate as the fluid meniscus moves across the surface of the substrate; and   while the fluid meniscus moves across the surface of the substrate, managing a substrate processing environment so evaporation of fluids in unprocessed regions of the substrate is reduced.   
     
     
         2 . A method for processing a substrate as recited in  claim 1 , wherein managing the substrate processing environment comprises inputting a gas into the substrate processing environment to reduce an evaporation rate of fluids within the substrate processing environment. 
     
     
         3 . A method for processing a substrate as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the gas has a high relative humidity. 
     
     
         4 . A method for processing a substrate as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the gas with the high relative humidity is generated by transmitting gas into a liquid bath and capturing vapor that bubbles up through the liquid bath. 
     
     
         5 . A method for processing a substrate as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the gas with the high relative humidity has a relative humidity between about 50% and about 100%. 
     
     
         6 . A method for processing a substrate as recited in  claim 2 , wherein managing the substrate processing environment further comprises detecting fluid thickness on the fluid surface. 
     
     
         7 . A method for processing a substrate as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the gas maintains a concentration of a particular liquid in water. 
     
     
         8 . A method for processing a substrate as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the particular liquid is one of an alcohol, an acetone, and an azeotropic mixture. 
     
     
         9 . A method for processing a substrate as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the particular liquid is isopropyl alcohol (IPA). 
     
     
         10 . A method for processing a substrate as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the gas that maintains a concentration of the particular liquid in water is an N 2  carrier gas containing isopropyl alcohol (IPA) in vapor form. 
     
     
         11 . A method for processing a substrate as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the fluid meniscus is one or mixtures of chemicals, DIW and HCl, DIW and HF, DIW or IPA. 
     
     
         12 . A method for processing a substrate as recited in  claim 1 , wherein reduced evaporation reduces reassimilation water molecules to and from the surface of the substrate. 
     
     
         13 . A method for processing a substrate, comprising:
 generating a fluid meniscus to process the substrate, the fluid meniscus being defined between a surface of a proximity head and a surface of the substrate, and the proximity head is configured to deliver and remove fluid to and from a surface of the substrate at substantially a same time to maintain the fluid meniscus between the surface of the proximity head and the surface of the substrate;   applying the fluid meniscus to a surface of the substrate, the applying being performed by moving the fluid meniscus across the surface of the substrate, which enables progressive processing of unprocessed regions of the substrate as the fluid meniscus moves across the surface of the substrate; and   while the fluid meniscus moves across the surface of the substrate, applying a humidifying gas at a leading edge of the proximity head, so that evaporation in the unprocessed regions is reduced before the fluid meniscus encounters the unprocessed regions of the substrate.   
     
     
         14 . A method for processing a substrate as recited in  claim 13 , further comprising:
 processing the substrate in a chamber that includes additional humidifying gas that reduces evaporation of fluids on the surface of the substrate.   
     
     
         15 . A method for processing a substrate as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the humidifying gas is generated by transmitting gas into a liquid bath and capturing vapor that bubbles up through the liquid bath. 
     
     
         16 . A method for processing a substrate as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the humidifying gas has a relative humidity between about 50% and about 100%. 
     
     
         17 . A method for processing a substrate as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the humidifying gas applied at the leading edge of the proximity head produces a control envelope containing a humidity that is greater than other regions not in the leading edge. 
     
     
         18 . A method for processing a substrate as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the humidifying gas is provided with a carrier gas, the carrier gas being selected from one of IPA/N 2 , N 2 , clean dry air (CDA), Ar, O 2 /N 2 , or O 2 . 
     
     
         19 . A method for processing a substrate as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the fluid meniscus is one or mixtures of chemicals, DIW and HCl, DIW and HF, DIW or IPA. 
     
     
         20 . A method for processing a substrate as recited in  claim 13 , wherein reduced evaporation reduces reassimilation water molecules to and from the surface of the substrate.