Integrated system for processing semiconductor wafers

1. An integrated system for processing a plurality of wafers, wherein each wafer has a conductive front surface, the system comprising:

a plurality of processing subsystems, wherein each processing subsystem comprises a process chamber for depositing on or removing from the conductive front surface of each wafer at least a portion of a conductive material and a cleaning chamber for removing residues that accumulate on the wafer during prior usage of the respective process chamber, wherein the process chamber and the cleaning chamber are vertically stacked; and

a wafer handling subsystem for transporting the wafer into or out of the plurality of processing subsystems and into or out of a wafer holding system.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the process chamber of each of the plurality of process subsystems is an electrochemical mechanical deposition chamber.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the process chamber of each of the plurality of process subsystems is an electrochemical deposition chamber.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the process chamber of each of the plurality of process subsystems is an chemical mechanical polishing chamber.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the process chamber of each of the plurality of process subsystems is an electrochemical polishing chamber.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the processing subsystems are disposed in a cluster arrangement adjacent the wafer-handling subsystem.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the wafer-handling subsystem includes at least one wafer-handling robot.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning chamber in each of the processing subsystems removes the residue by performing cleaning using a fluid and drying.

9. The system according to claim 8 wherein the fluid is water.

10. The system according to claim 8 , wherein each cleaning chamber in each of the processing subsystems removes a portion of the conductive material deposited near an edge of the wafer.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the wafer-handling subsystem only handles wafers that are dry.

12. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the wafer-handling subsystem only handles wafers that are dry.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

at least a certain one of the plurality of processing subsystems is capable of operating upon one size wafer and another one of the plurality of processing subsystems is capable of operating upon a different size wafer than the one size wafer.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the process chamber of each of the plurality of processing subsystems is an electrochemical mechanical deposition chamber.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the process chamber of each of the plurality of processing subsystems is an electrochemical deposition chamber.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the process chamber of each of the plurality of processing subsystems is one of a chemical mechanical polishing chamber and an electrochemical polishing chamber.

17. An integrated system for processing a plurality of wafers, wherein each wafer has a conductive front surface, the system comprising:

a plurality of processing subsystems, wherein each processing subsystem comprises a process chamber for depositing on or removing from the conductive front surface of each wafer at least a portion of a conductive material and a cleaning chamber disposed vertically with respect to the process chamber for removing residues that accumulate on the wafer during prior usage of the respective process chamber; and

a wafer handling subsystem for transporting the wafer into or out of the plurality of processing subsystems and into or out of a wafer holding system, wherein the wafer-handling subsystem includes first and second wafer-handling robots,

the first wafer handling robot configured to remove each wafer from a cassette, place the wafer in a buffer, and subsequently remove each wafer from the buffer and replace the wafer in the cassette; and

the second wafer handling robot configured to remove each wafer from the buffer, place the wafer in one of the plurality of processing subsystems, and subsequently remove each wafer from the one processing subsystem and replace the wafer in the buffer.

18. The system according claim 17 , wherein the wafer-handling subsystem only handles wafers that are dry.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the process chamber of each of the plurality of processing subsystems is an electrochemical mechanical deposition chamber.

20. The system of claim 18 , wherein the process chamber of each of the plurality of processing subsystems is an electrochemical deposition chamber.

21. The system of claim 18 , wherein the process chamber of each of the plurality of processing subsystems is an chemical mechanical polishing chamber.

22. The system of claim 18 , wherein the process chamber of each of the plurality of processing subsystems is an electrochemical polishing chamber.

23. The system of claim 17 , wherein:

at least a certain one of the plurality of processing subsystems is capable of operating upon one size wafer and another one of the plurality of processing subsystem is capable of operating upon a different size wafer than the one size wafer; and

the first and second robots are each capable of handling the one and the different size wafer.

24. An integrated system for processing a plurality of wafers, wherein each wafer has a conductive front surface, the system comprising:

a plurality of processing subsystems, wherein each processing subsystem comprises a process chamber for depositing on or removing from the conductive front surface of each wafer at least a portion of a conductive material and a cleaning chamber disposed within the processing subsystem for removing residues that accumulate on the wafer during prior usage of the respective process chamber, wherein the process chamber and the cleaning chamber are vertically stacked;

an anneal chamber capable of annealing at least one wafer; and

a wafer handling subsystem for transporting the wafer into or out of the plurality of processing subsystems and into or out of a wafer holding system.

25. The system of claim 24 , wherein the process chamber of each of the plurality of processing subsystems is an electrochemical mechanical deposition chamber.

26. The system of claim 24 , wherein the process chamber of each of the plurality of processing subsystems is an electrochemical deposition chamber.

27. The system of claim 24 , wherein the process chamber of each of the plurality of processing subsystems is a chemical mechanical polishing chamber.

28. The system of claim 24 , wherein the process chamber of each of the plurality of processing subsystems is an electrochemical polishing chamber.

29. The system of claim 24 , wherein each of the processing subsystems are disposed in a cluster arrangement adjacent the wafer-handling subsystem.

30. The system of claim 29 , wherein the wafer-handling subsystem includes at least one wafer-handling robot.

31. The system according to claim 24 , wherein the cleaning chamber in each of the processing subsystems removes the residue by performing cleaning using a fluid and drying.

32. The system according to claim 31 , wherein each cleaning chamber in each of the processing subsystems removes a portion of the conductive material deposited near an edge of the wafer.

33. The system according to claim 32 , wherein the wafer-handling subsystem only according to the wafer-handling subsystem only handles wafers that are dry.

34. The system according to claim 24 , wherein the wafer-handling subsystem only handles wafers that are dry.

35. An integrated system for processing a plurality of wafers, wherein each wafer has a conductive front surface, the system comprising:

a plurality of processing subsystems, wherein each processing subsystem comprises a process chamber for depositing on or removing from the conductive front surface of each wafer at least a portion of a conductive material and a cleaning chamber disposed within the processing subsystem for removing residues that accumulate on the wafer during prior usage of the respective process chamber;

an anneal chamber capable of annealing at least one wafer; and

a wafer handling subsystem for transporting the wafer into or out of the plurality of processing subsystems and into or out of a wafer holding system, wherein the wafer-handling subsystem includes first and second wafer-handling robots,

the first wafer handling robot configured to remove each wafer from a cassette, place the wafer in a buffer, and subsequently remove each wafer from the buffer or the anneal chamber and replace the wafer in the cassette; and

the second wafer handling robot configured to remove each wafer from the buffer, place the wafer in one of the plurality of processing subsystems, and subsequently remove each wafer from the one processing subsystem and place the wafer in the buffer or the anneal chamber.

36. The system according to claim 35 , wherein the wafer-handling subsystem only handles wafers that are dry.

37. The system of claim 36 , wherein the process chamber of each of the plurality of processing subsystems is an electrochemical mechanical deposition chamber.

38. The system of claim 36 , wherein the process chamber of each of the plurality of processing subsystems is an electrochemical deposition chamber.

39. The system of claim 36 , wherein the process chamber of each of the plurality of processing subsystems is a chemical mechanical polishing chamber.

40. The system of claim 36 , wherein the process chamber of each of the plurality of processing subsystems is an electrochemical polishing chamber.