Wafer cleaning method and system
A wafer processing method and system are provided. The wafer processing system includes an isopropyl alcohol (IPA) evaporation system, an IPA condensation system, and a process chamber. The IPA evaporation system evaporates liquid IPA into IPA vapor. The IPA condensation system condenses a portion of the IPA vapor into distilled high purity liquid IPA. The process chamber rinses a semiconductor wafer in the process chamber using the distilled high purity liquid IPA, and displaces the distilled high purity liquid IPA using a remaining portion of the IPA vapor to dry the semiconductor wafer.
1 . A wafer processing system, comprising:
a heater configured to evaporate liquid IPA into IPA vapor;
a cooling system coupled to the heater, the cooling system configured to condense a portion of the IPA vapor into distilled high purity liquid IPA; and
a process chamber coupled to the heater and the cooling system, the process chamber configured to receive the distilled high purity liquid IPA from the cooling system and a remaining portion of the IPA vapor from the heater, the process chamber configured to
rinse a semiconductor wafer in the process chamber using the distilled high purity liquid IPA, and
displace the distilled high purity liquid IPA using the remaining portion of the IPA vapor to dry the semiconductor wafer,
wherein the heater and the cooling system are disposed outside the process chamber.
2 . The wafer processing system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a heat pump configured to transfer heat energy generated from the cooling system to the heater.
3 . The wafer processing system of claim 1 , wherein the process chamber is configured to rinse the semiconductor wafer using deionized water before rinsing the semiconductor wafer using the distilled high purity liquid IPA.
4 . The wafer processing system of claim 1 , wherein the process chamber is configured to displace the remaining portion of the IPA vapor using a nitrogen gas to dry the semiconductor wafer.
5 . The wafer processing system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a gas filter configured to filter the IPA vapor before the IPA vapor is condensed into the distilled high purity liquid IPA.
6 . The wafer processing system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an IPA filter configured to filter the liquid IPA that is left after the liquid IPA is evaporated into the IPA vapor.
7 . The wafer processing system of claim 6 , further comprising:
an IPA pump configured to pump the filtered liquid IPA into the heater.
8 . The wafer processing system of claim 1 , wherein the cooling system includes an overpressure vent.
9 . The wafer processing system of claim 1 , wherein one of the heater and the cooling system includes an over-temperature switch.