Method of using vertically configured chamber used for multiple processes
View Patent ↗The present invention relates to a containment chamber that is used for carrying out multiple processing steps such as depositing on, polishing, etching, modifying, rinsing, cleaning, and drying a surface on the workpiece. In one example of the present invention, the chamber is used to electro chemically mechanically deposit a conductive material on a semiconductor wafer. The same containment chamber can then be used to rinse and clean the same wafer. As a result, the present invention eliminates the need for separate processing stations for depositing the conductive material and cleaning the wafer. Thus, with the present invention, costs and physical space are reduced while providing an efficient apparatus and method for carrying out multiple processes on the wafer surface using a containment chamber.
1. A method of carrying out at least two processing steps on a workpiece, the method comprising the steps of:
lowering the workpiece into a lower section of a chamber;
carrying out a first processing step to remove conductive material from the workpiece in the lower section of the chamber;
raising the workpiece from the lower section to an upper section of the chamber;
positioning a movable guard between the lower section and the upper section that is adapted to prevent liquid introduced into the upper section of the chamber from entering the lower section of the chamber; and
carrying out a second processing step on the workpiece in the upper section using the liquid, whereby the liquid is prevented from entering the lower section of the chamber by the movable guard.
2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the first processing step comprises one of polishing and etching the conductive material from a surface on the workpiece.
3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the second processing step comprises one of rinsing, cleaning, depositing on, etching, modifying, and drying a surface on the workpiece.
4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the first processing step further includes the step of electro chemically depositing the conductive material on the workpiece.
5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the first processing step electro chemically removes the conductive material from the workpiece.
6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the second processing step comprises the step of chemically etching the workpiece in the upper section.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first process step in the lower chamber is performed so that a surface of the workpiece being operated upon is disposed in a substantially horizontal orientation.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising flowing the liquid out of the chamber after carryout out the second processing step.
9. A method of carrying out at least two processing steps on a workpiece, the method comprising the steps of:
carrying out a first processing step on the workpiece in an upper section after positioning a movable guard between the upper section and a lower section of a chamber, the first processing step using a liquid;
repositioning the movable guard such that the workpiece can be lowered into the lower section of the chamber;
lowering the workpiece into the lower section of the chamber; and
carrying out a second processing step on the workpiece in the lower section of the chamber, the second processing step taking place after the first processing step.
10. A method according to claim 9 , wherein the first processing step comprises one of rinsing, cleaning, depositing on, and etching a surface on the workpiece.
11. A method according to claim 10 , wherein the step of etching or modifying further comprises the step of providing a gas to the surface of the workpiece selected from a group consisting of O 2 , CF 4 , Cl 2 , NH 2 .
12. A method according to claim 11 , further comprising the step of heating the workpiece while the gas is provided to the surface of the workpiece.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first process step in the lower chamber is performed so that a surface of the workpiece being operated upon is disposed in a substantially horizontal orientation.
14. The method according to claim 9 further including the steps of:
raising the workpiece into the upper section of the chamber;
repositioning the movable guard between the upper section and the lower section of the chamber; and
carrying out a third processing step on the workpiece in the upper section of the chamber, the third processing step taking place after the second processing step.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the step of carrying out the second processing step includes removing conductive material from the workpiece in the lower section of the chamber.
16. A method according to claim 15 , wherein the second processing step comprises one of polishing and etching the conductive material from a surface on the workpiece.
17. A method according to claim 15 , wherein the second processing step further includes the step of electro chemically depositing the conductive material on the workpiece.
18. A method according to claim 15 , wherein the second processing step electro chemically removes the conductive material from the workpiece.
19. A method according to claim 14 , wherein the third processing step comprises one of rinsing, cleaning, depositing on, etching, modifying, and drying a surface on the workpiece.
20. A method of processing a workpiece using a vertical multi-chambered processing module comprising the steps of:
removing conductive material from the workpiece in a first chamber by applying a potential difference between the workpiece and an anode;
transferring the workpiece to a second chamber vertically disposed above the first chamber;
isolating the first chamber from the second chamber using a movable guard that is adapted to prevent liquid introducing to the second chamber from entering the first chamber; and
modifying the workpiece in the second chamber using the liquid, whereby the liquid is prevented from entering the first chamber by the movable guard.
21. A method of claim 20 , wherein the removing step further includes the step of depositing a material on the workpiece.
22. A method of claim 20 , wherein the removing step further includes the step of electro chemically mechanically depositing a conductive material on the workpiece.
23. A method of claim 20 , wherein the removing step include 1 polishing the conductive material from the workpiece.
24. The method of claim 20 , wherein the removing step includes electro chemically removing a conductive material from the workpiece.
25. The method of claim 20 , wherein the modifying step includes cleaning a surface of the workpiece.
26. The method of claim 20 , wherein the modifying step includes chemically etching a surface of the workpiece.
27. The method of claim 20 , wherein the step of removing conductive material from the workpiece in a first chamber is performed so that a surface of the workpiece being operated upon is disposed in a substantially horizontal orientation.
28. The method of claim 20 , further comprising allowing the liquid to flow out of the second chamber after modifying the workpiece.