Steam-assisted single substrate cleaning process and apparatus
The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for cleaning a substrate. The method includes rotating a substrate disposed on a substrate support and spraying a front side of the substrate using steam through a front side nozzle assembly. A back side of the substrate is sprayed using steam through a back side dispenser assembly. A heated chemical is dispensed over the front side of the substrate.
1. A method of cleaning a substrate comprising:
rotating a substrate disposed on a substrate support;
spraying a front side of the substrate using steam through a front side nozzle assembly;
spraying a back side of the substrate using steam through a back side dispenser assembly; and
dispensing a heated chemical over the front side of the substrate comprising mixing the heated chemical and a nitrogen gas in a chemical heating and dispensing nozzle (POU nozzle).
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein spraying the front side of the substrate comprises applying a top spray nozzle above the substrate support.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the POU nozzle is movable between a center of the substrate and an outer perimeter of the substrate.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the POU nozzle comprises:
a first conduit coupled to a heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger is coupled to a steam source and a cleaning chemical source, wherein the heat exchanger releases the heated chemical into the first conduit of the POU nozzle; and
a second conduit coupled to a nitrogen gas source.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein spraying the back side of the substrate comprises releasing steam through a center opening of a back plate disposed below the substrate.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
rinsing the front side of the substrate using deionized water (DIW) through the front side nozzle assembly; and
rinsing the back side of the substrate using DIW through the back side dispenser assembly.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein rinsing the back side and the front side of the substrate comprises spraying the back side and the front side with steam and DIW.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein spraying the front side and the back side of the substrate comprises heating the substrate to a temperature of about 90° C. and about 140° C.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein spraying the back side of the substrate comprises releasing steam through a plurality of perforations of a back plate.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying megasonic energy to the substrate, wherein one or more vibrating transducer elements are disposed within a back plate.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein dispensing the heated chemical comprises dispensing about 20 mL to about 50 mL of chemicals to cover the front side of the substrate.
12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising drying the substrate by dispensing isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and DIW at a substrate temperature of about 25° C. to about 40° C.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
applying a nitrogen blanket over the front side of the substrate; and
rinsing the front side of the substrate with carbon dioxide dissolved DIW.
14. A method of cleaning a substrate comprising:
rotating a substrate disposed on a substrate support;
spraying a front side of the substrate from above the substrate using steam through a front side nozzle assembly;
spraying a back side of the substrate using steam through a back side dispenser assembly; and
dispensing a heated chemical over the front side of the substrate using a point of use (POU) nozzle disposed above the substrate support, the POU nozzle comprising a first conduit coupled to a fluid source and a second conduit coupled to a nitrogen source.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein spraying the back side of the substrate comprises releasing steam through a plurality of perforations of a back plate.
16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising applying megasonic energy to the substrate, wherein one or more vibrating transducer elements are disposed within a back plate.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the substrate support is disposed within a chamber, the chamber comprising a front side nozzle assembly disposed above the substrate support, the front side nozzle assembly configured to be coupled to a first steam source and a first deionized water (DIW) source.
18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the substrate support is disposed within a chamber, the chamber comprising a back side dispenser assembly disposed below the substrate support, the back side dispenser assembly configured to be coupled to a second steam source and a second DIW source.
19. A method of cleaning a substrate comprising:
rotating a substrate disposed on a substrate support disposed within a chamber, the chamber comprising:
a point of use (POU) nozzle disposed above the substrate support, the POU nozzle comprising a first conduit configured to be coupled to a fluid source and a second conduit configured to be coupled to a nitrogen source;
a front side nozzle assembly disposed above the substrate support, the front side nozzle assembly configured to be coupled to a first steam source and a first deionized water (DIW) source; and
a back side dispenser assembly disposed below the substrate support, the back side dispenser assembly configured to be coupled to a second steam source and a second DIW source;
spraying a front side of the substrate using steam through the front side nozzle assembly;
spraying the back side of the substrate using steam through the back side dispenser assembly; and
dispensing a heated chemical over the front side of the substrate.