IP Library Granted Patent US 9,646,858
Granted Patent B2
US 9,646,858 · App. 13/531,503 · Granted May 9, 2017

Semiconductor cleaner systems and methods

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,646,858
App. No.
13/531,503
Granted
May 9, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

In an embodiment, the present invention discloses a EUV cleaner system and process for cleaning a EUV carrier. The euv cleaner system comprises separate dirty and cleaned environments, separate cleaning chambers for different components of the double container carrier, gripper arms for picking and placing different components using a same robot handler, gripper arms for holding different components at different locations, horizontal spin cleaning and drying for outer container, hot water and hot air (70 C) cleaning process, vertical nozzles and rasterizing megasonic nozzles for cleaning inner container with hot air nozzles for drying, separate vacuum decontamination chambers for outgassing different components, for example, one for inner and one for outer container with high vacuum (e.g., <10 −6 Torr) with purge gas, heaters and RGA sensors inside the vacuum chamber, purge gas assembling station, and purge gas loading and unloading station.

Claims (13)

1. A system for cleaning a face of a workpiece, the system comprising

a chamber;

one or more first nozzles, wherein the one or more first nozzles are operable to deliver a cleaning liquid;

one or more second nozzles, wherein the one or more second nozzles are operable to deliver a megasonic liquid;

one or more third nozzles, wherein the one or more third nozzles are operable to deliver a drying gas;

a first mechanism for moving the one or more second nozzles in a first linear direction; and

a second mechanism for moving the workpiece in a second linear direction, wherein the second linear direction is different from the first linear direction;

wherein, the movement of the first mechanism in the first linear direction and the movement of second mechanism in the second linear direction together form a rasterizing plane upon which the first mechanism and the second mechanism effect simultaneous rasterized movement of the one or more second nozzles, where the rasterizing plane is parallel with the face of the workpiece.

2. A system as in claim 1 wherein the first linear direction is horizontal and the second linear direction is vertical.

3. A system as in claim 1 wherein the second one or more nozzles move cyclically from one side of the workpiece to an opposite side of the workpiece.

4. A system as in claim 1 wherein the workpiece moves vertically.

5. A system as in claim 1 wherein the one or more third nozzles are disposed above the one or more first nozzles.

6. A system as in claim 1 wherein the one or more second nozzles are disposed interspersed with the one or more first nozzles.

Assignments (6)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME 044142/0258 Recorded Nov 4, 2025
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
To: AZENTA, INC. (F/K/A BROOKS AUTOMATION, INC.); AZENTA US, INC. (F/K/A BROOKS LIFE SCIENCES, INC., F/K/A BIOSTORAGE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.)
Reel/Frame 073514/0609 →
SUBMISSION IS TO CORRECT AN ERROR MADE IN A PREVIOUSLY RECORDED DOCUMENT THAT ERRONEOUSLY AFFECTS THE IDENTIFIED APPLICATION(S), OR PATENT(S). Recorded Jan 19, 2022
From: BROOKS AUTOMATION (GERMANY) GMBH
To: BROOKS AUTOMATION (GERMANY) GMBH
Reel/Frame 058771/0795 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 20, 2021
From: REBSTOCK, LUTZ
To: BROOKS AUTOMATION (GERMANY) GMBH
Reel/Frame 058433/0764 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 9, 2021
From: BROOKS AUTOMATION,INC
To: BROOKS AUTOMATION HOLDING, LLC
Reel/Frame 058481/0740 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 9, 2021
From: BROOKS AUTOMATION HOLDING, LLC
To: BROOKS AUTOMATION US, LLC
Reel/Frame 058482/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 6, 2017
From: BROOKS AUTOMATION, INC.; BIOSTORAGE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 044142/0258 →