System and method for the sonic-assisted cleaning of substrates utilizing a sonic-treated liquid

1. A method of processing a substrate comprising:

a) supporting a substrate having a surface;

b) rotating the substrate about a rotational axis;

c) flowing a liquid from a liquid source through a first sonic energy source to apply a first some energy having a first power level to the liquid, thereby convening the liquid into a sonic treated liquid;

d) positioning a vibration transmitter so that at least a portion of the vibration transmitter is adjacent the surface of the substrate, the vibration transmitter acoustically coupled to a second sonic energy source;

e) applying the sonic-treated liquid to the surface of the substrate so as to form a film of the sonic-treated liquid on the surface of the substrate that couples the portion of the transmitter to the surface of the substrate; and

f) applying second sonic energy, generated by the second sonic energy source and having a second power level, from the vibration transmitter through the sonic-treated liquid and to the surface of the substrate;

wherein the first power level is greater than the second power level; and

wherein the first sonic energy does not contact the surface of the substrate.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first sonic energy applied by the first sonic energy source has a different frequency than the second sonic energy applied by the second sonic energy source.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein step c) comprises applying the first sonic energy via the first sonic energy source to the liquid so as to cavitate the liquid.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein step c) comprises applying the first sonic energy via the first sonic energy source to the liquid so as to achieve a desired bubble size in the liquid.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

applying an untreated liquid to the surface of the substrate so as to form a layer of the untreated liquid on the surface of the substrate, the vibration transmitter being in contact with the layer of the untreated liquid; and

wherein the sonic-treated liquid is supplied to the surface of the substrate at or near the vibration transmitter.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein step a) comprises supporting the substrate in a substantially horizontal orientation.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein step b) comprises rotating the substrate while maintaining the substantially horizontal orientation.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the sonic-treated liquid is supplied to the surface of the substrate at a location that is within 90 circumferential degrees of the vibration transmitter.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the surface of the substrate is a device side of the substrate.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate is a semiconductor wafer and the surface has technology nodes having a width of 100 nanometers or less.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein step a) comprises supporting the substrate in a substantially horizontal orientation so that the surface is facing the vibration transmitter.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the first power level is greater than 50 Watts/cm 2 and the second power level is between 0.5 and 10 Watts/cm 2 .

13. A method of processing a semiconductor wafer comprising:

a) supporting a semiconductor wafer having a surface, the surface having technology nodes having a width of 100 nanometers or less;

b) rotating the semiconductor wafer about a rotational axis;

c) flowing a liquid from a liquid source through a first sonic energy source to apply a first sonic energy generated by the first sonic energy source to the liquid, thereby converting the liquid into a sonic-treated liquid;

d) positioning a vibration transmitter so that at least a portion of the vibration transmitter is adjacent the surface of the semiconductor wafer, the vibration transmitter acoustically coupled to a second sonic energy source;

e) applying the sonic-treated liquid to the surface of the semiconductor wafer so as to form a film of the sonic-treated liquid on the surface of the semiconductor wafer that couples the portion of the transmitter to the surface of the semiconductor wafer; and

f) applying second sonic energy, generated by the second sonic energy source, from the transmitter through the sonic-treated liquid and to the surface of the semiconductor wafer;

wherein the first sonic energy does not contact the semiconductor wafer.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the first sonic energy has a first power level and the second sonic energy has a second power level, the first power level being greater than the second power level.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the first power level is greater than 50 Watts/cm 2 and the second power level is between 0.5 and 10 Watts/cm 2 .

16. A method of processing a substrate comprising:

a) supporting a substrate having a surface;

b) rotating the substrate about a rotational axis;

c) flowing a liquid front a liquid, source through a first sonic energy source to apply a first sonic energy to the liquid, thereby converting the liquid into a sonic-treated liquid;

d) positioning a vibration transmitter so that at least a portion of the vibration transmitter is adjacent the surface of the substrate, the vibration transmitter acoustically coupled to a second sonic energy source;

e) applying the sonic-treated liquid to the surface of the substrate so as to form a film of the sonic-treated liquid on the surface of the substrate that couples the portion of the transmitter to the surface of the substrate; and

f) applying second sonic energy generated by the second sonic energy source from the vibration transmitter through the sonic-treated liquid, and to the surface of the substrate;

wherein the first sonic energy does not contact the substrate.