Workpiece plating and rinse apparatus and method

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a fluid head that is configured to eject a first fluid (e.g., a liquid state fluid) and a second fluid (e.g., a gaseous state fluid). The fluid head is movable in a rotatable-fashion and a translatable-fashion such that the fluid head may be utilized to increase a speed and decrease a period of time for cleaning and drying a workpiece after an electro-chemical polishing (ECP) process or step. The fluid head may also be utilized to increase a speed and decrease a period of time for beveling an edge of a conductive layer on the workpiece. The present disclosure is also directed to methods for cleaning and drying the workpiece as well as beveling the conductive layer of the workpiece utilizing the fluid head.

1 . A system, comprising:
 a workpiece case including a closed position and an opened position;   a fluid head including a fluid outlet, the fluid head including:
 a first mode of operation in which a first fluid is ejected from the fluid outlet of the fluid head; and 
 a second mode of operation in which a second fluid is ejected from the fluid outlet of the fluid head, and 
   wherein the workpiece case is configured to, in operation, hold a workpiece within the workpiece case when in the closed position, and the workpiece case is configured to, in operation, allow the workpiece to be removed from the workpiece case when in the opened position.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid head is rotatable and moveable. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first fluid is different from the second fluid. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the first fluid is in a liquid state and the second fluid is in a gaseous state. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the first fluid is water (H 2 O) and the second fluid is air. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the workpiece case is rotatably movable. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 when the fluid head is in the first mode of operation, the first fluid is ejected towards the workpiece case to clean the workpiece case; and   when the fluid head is in the second mode of operation, the second fluid is ejected towards the workpiece case to dry the workpiece case.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the workpiece is a wafer. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the workpiece case includes a first portion and a second portion that is movable with respect to the first portion, and the second portion is movable between the opened position and the closed position. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid head further includes a third mode of operation in which a third fluid is ejected from the fluid outlet of the fluid head, the third fluid is different from the first fluid and the second fluid, respectively. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a workpiece bath configured to, in operation, receive the workpiece and submerge the workpiece within a bath fluid within the workpiece bath. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the workpiece case is a clamshell case. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a static eliminator configured to prevent contaminant particles and debris from being statically attracted to a workpiece when the fluid head is in the second mode of operation. 
     
     
         14 . A method, comprising:
 placing a workpiece within a workpiece case;   closing the workpiece case to hold the workpiece in a stationary position with respect to the workpiece case;   submerging the workpiece within the workpiece case within a bath fluid in a workpiece bath by moving the workpiece case towards the workpiece bath;   forming a layer of material on the workpiece when submerged within the workpiece bath;   removing the workpiece from the workpiece bath by moving the workpiece case away from the workpiece bath;   orienting a fluid head to face towards the workpiece and the workpiece case;   rotating the workpiece and the workpiece case and activating the fluid head to eject a first fluid at the workpiece and the workpiece case;   after rotating the workpiece and the workpiece case and activating the fluid head to eject the first fluid at the workpiece and the workpiece case, rotating the workpiece and the workpiece case and activating the fluid head to eject a second fluid at the workpiece and the workpiece case different from the first fluid; and   after rotating the workpiece and the workpiece case and activating the fluid head to eject the second fluid at the workpiece and the workpiece case, stopping rotation of the workpiece and the workpiece case.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the layer of material is a layer of conductive material plated onto a surface of the workpiece. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising after stopping rotation of the workpiece and the workpiece case, opening the workpiece case and removing the workpiece from the workpiece case. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the first fluid in a liquid state and the second fluid is in a gaseous state. 
     
     
         18 . A method, comprising:
 rotating a workpiece and exposing a peripheral portion of a conductive layer at a first edge of the workpiece and on a surface of the workpiece to an acidic fluid through a fluid pathway structure;   rotating the workpiece and exposing a second edge of the conductive layer spaced inward from the first edge of the workpiece to a first fluid through a fluid head; and   rotating the workpiece and exposing the second edge of the conductive layer to a second fluid different from the first fluid through the fluid head.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising forming the conductive layer on the surface of the workpiece. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein forming the conductive layer further includes:
 placing the workpiece within a workpiece case;   closing the workpiece case to hold the workpiece in a stationary position with respect to the workpiece case;   submerging the workpiece within the workpiece case within a bath fluid in a workpiece bath by moving the workpiece case towards the workpiece bath;   forming a layer of material on the workpiece when submerged within the workpiece bath;   removing the workpiece from the workpiece bath by moving the workpiece case away from the workpiece bath;   orienting the fluid head to face towards the workpiece and the workpiece case;   rotating the workpiece and the workpiece case and activating the fluid head to eject the first fluid at the workpiece and the workpiece case;   after rotating the workpiece and the workpiece case and activating the fluid head to eject the first fluid at the workpiece and the workpiece case, rotating the workpiece and the workpiece case and activating the fluid head to eject a second fluid at the workpiece and the workpiece case;   after rotating the workpiece and the workpiece case and activating the fluid head to eject the second fluid at the workpiece and the workpiece case, stopping rotation of the workpiece and the workpiece case; and   after stopping rotation of the workpiece and the workpiece case, opening the workpiece case and removing the workpiece from the workpiece case.