Method and apparatus for fluid processing and drying a workpiece
A method and apparatus for fluid processing a workpiece are described. A gas can be used to agitate a fluid to improve cleaning and/or rinsing of a workpiece surface. The gas can reduce surface tension of the fluid to promote improved contact of the fluid with a surface of the workpiece. The surface of the workpiece can be dried by flowing gas along a portion of the workpiece surface during or after draining of the fluid.
1 . A method of fluid processing a workpiece, comprising:
providing the workpiece in a fluid disposed in a process module; and
agitating the fluid in the process module with a gas to facilitate contact of the fluid with a contaminant on a surface of the workpiece.
2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising flowing the gas through a micro-porous material to introduce the gas to the process module.
3 . The method of claim 1 further comprising removing the contaminant from the surface of the workpiece.
4 . The method of claim 1 wherein bubbles of gas agitate the fluid to reduce surface tension of the fluid.
5 . The method of claim 1 further comprising removing a portion of the fluid from the process module.
6 . The method of claim 1 further comprising performing a quick dump rinse to remove a portion of the fluid from the process module.
7 . The method of claim 1 further comprising drying the workpiece.
8 . An apparatus for fluid processing a workpiece, comprising:
a process module containing a fluid, the workpiece retained by a workpiece holder disposed in the fluid; and
a gas distributor disposed in a lower portion of the process module, the gas distributor introducing a gas into the process module to agitate the fluid to facilitate contact of the fluid with a contaminant on a surface of the workpiece.
9 . The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the gas distributor comprises a micro-porous material.
10 . The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the process module comprises a drain to remove a portion of the fluid from the process module.
11 . The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the gas distributor flows gas along the surface of the workpiece as the portion of the fluid is removed from the process module.
12 . A method of fluid processing a workpiece, comprising:
providing the workpiece in a fluid disposed in a process module;
flowing a gas through a micro-porous material; and
agitating the fluid in the process module with the gas to reduce surface tension of the fluid on a surface of the workpiece to facilitate contact of the fluid with a contaminant on the surface of the workpiece.
13 . An apparatus for fluid processing a workpiece, comprising:
a process module containing a fluid, the workpiece retained by a workpiece holder disposed in the fluid; and
a gas distributor comprising a micro-porous material disposed in a lower portion of the process module, the gas distributor introducing a gas into the process module to agitate the fluid to facilitate contact of the fluid with a contaminant on a surface of the workpiece.
14 . A method of drying a workpiece, comprising:
providing the workpiece in a fluid disposed in a process module;
removing at least a portion of the fluid from the process module such that the fluid is removed from a surface of the workpiece; and
introducing a flow of a room temperature gas along a portion of the surface of the workpiece to dry said surface.
15 . The method of claim 14 wherein the gas includes a laminar flow pattern.
16 . The method of claim 14 wherein the flow of the room temperature gas accelerates the evaporation of fluid from at least the portion of the surface of the workpiece.
17 . The method of claim 14 wherein the temperature of the gas is between about 15° C. and about 25° C.
18 . An apparatus for drying a workpiece, comprising:
a process module containing a fluid, the workpiece retained by a workpiece holder disposed in the fluid;
a drain to remove at least a portion of the fluid from the process module to thereby remove the fluid from a surface of the workpiece; and
a gas distributor disposed in a lower portion of the process module, the gas distributor introducing a room temperature gas that flows along a portion of the surface of the workpiece exposed by removing the fluid to dry said surface.
19 . The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the gas distributor comprises a micro-porous material.
20 . The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the gas includes a laminar flow pattern.
21 . The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the flow of the room temperature gas accelerates the evaporation of fluid from at least the portion of the surface of the workpiece.