IP Library Granted Patent US 12,453,989
Granted Patent B2
US 12,453,989 · App. 18/328,203 · Granted Oct 28, 2025

Apparatus for cleaning a back side of a substrate and method of cleaning a back side of a substrate

Inventors: Sunghun Eom (Cheonan-si, KR); Kangsul Kim (Cheonan-si, KR); Youngjun Son (Cheonan-si, KR); Seongyeol Choi (Cheonan-si, KR)
Assignee: SEMES CO., LTD.
B08B3/12H01L21/02052H01L21/67057
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,453,989
App. No.
18/328,203
Granted
Oct 28, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An apparatus for cleaning a back side of a substrate may include a cleaning assembly which may include a cleaning solution supply part receiving a cleaning solution and an ultrasonic wave supply part applying an ultrasonic wave to the cleaning solution such that a column of the cleaning solution is formed from the cleaning solution supply part toward the back side of the substrate. The back side of the substrate may be cleaned by contacting the column of the cleaning solution with the back side of the substrate.

Claims (65)

1. An apparatus for cleaning a back side of a substrate comprising:

at least one cleaning assembly, the at least one cleaning assembly comprising:

a cleaning solution supply part configured to receive a cleaning solution; and

an ultrasonic wave supply part configured to supply an ultrasonic wave to the cleaning solution such that a column of the cleaning solution is formed from the cleaning solution supply part toward the back side of the substrate,

wherein the back side of the substrate is configured to be cleaned by contacting the column of the cleaning solution with the back side of the substrate,

the column of the cleaning solution is configured to contact the back side of the substrate without spraying or applying high pressure to form the column of the cleaning solution,

the at least one cleaning assembly comprises a first cleaning assembly and a second cleaning assembly symmetrically disposed under the substrate,

the first cleaning assembly includes

a first ultrasonic wave supply part configured to generate a first ultrasonic wave having a first frequency to remove impurities having a first size from the back side of the substrate, and

the second cleaning assembly includes a second ultrasonic wave supply part configured to generate a second ultrasonic wave having a second frequency to remove impurities having a second size smaller than the first size from the back side of the substrate,

the first frequency is greater than or equal to 200 KHz and less than or equal to 400 KHz, and

the second frequency is greater than or equal to 0.4 MHz and less than or equal to 1.2 MHz.

2. The apparatus claim 1 , wherein

the first cleaning assembly includes a first cleaning solution supply part and the second cleaning assembly includes a second cleaning solution supply part, and

the first ultrasonic wave supply part forms the column of the cleaning solution from the first cleaning solution supply part toward the back side of the substrate and the second ultrasonic wave supply part forms the column of the cleaning solution from the second cleaning solution supply part toward the back side of the substrate.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first ultrasonic wave supply part is configured to generate the first ultrasonic wave having a first variable frequency and the second ultrasonic wave supply part is configured to generate the second ultrasonic wave having a second variable frequency.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a part configured to rotate the substrate; and

a positioning part configured to adjust a height of the at least one cleaning assembly,

wherein the part configured to rotate the substrate is configured to rotate the substrate, the ultrasonic wave supply part is configured to generate the ultrasonic wave and the positioning part contacts the column of the cleaning solution with the back side of the substrate in response to the back side of the substrate being cleaned, and

wherein the ultrasonic wave supply part does not operate and the part for rotating the substrate rotates the substrate in response to the back side of the substrate being dried.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the part configured to rotate the substrate is configured to support a central portion of the back side of the substrate.

6. An apparatus for cleaning a back side of a substrate comprising:

at least one cleaning assembly, the at least one cleaning assembly comprising:

a cleaning solution supply part configured to receive a cleaning solution; and

an ultrasonic wave supply part configured to supply an ultrasonic wave to the cleaning solution such that a column of the cleaning solution is formed from the cleaning solution supply part toward the back side of the substrate,

wherein the back side of the substrate is configured to be cleaned by contacting the column of the cleaning solution with the back side of the substrate,

wherein the cleaning solution supply part includes a bath and the ultrasonic wave supply part is configured to apply the ultrasonic wave from a bottom of the bath toward a top of the bath,

the at least one cleaning assembly comprises a first cleaning assembly and a second cleaning assembly symmetrically disposed under the substrate,

the first cleaning assembly includes

a first ultrasonic wave supply part configured to generate a first ultrasonic wave having a first frequency to remove impurities having a first size from the back side of the substrate, and

the second cleaning assembly includes a second ultrasonic wave supply part configured to generate a second ultrasonic wave having a second frequency to remove impurities having a second size smaller than the first size from the back side of the substrate,

the first frequency is greater than or equal to 200 KHz and less than or equal to 400 KHz, and

the second frequency is greater than or equal to 0.4 MHz and less than or equal to 1.2 MHz.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein

the first cleaning assembly includes a first cleaning solution supply part and the second cleaning assembly includes a second cleaning solution supply part, and

the first ultrasonic wave supply part forms the column of the cleaning solution from the first cleaning solution supply part toward the back side of the substrate and the second ultrasonic wave supply part forms the column of the cleaning solution from the second cleaning solution supply part toward the back side of the substrate.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first ultrasonic wave supply part is configured to generate the first ultrasonic wave having a first variable frequency and the second ultrasonic wave supply part is configured to generate the second ultrasonic wave having a second variable frequency.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising:

a part configured to rotate the substrate; and

a positioning part configured to adjust a height of the at least one cleaning assembly,

wherein

the part configured to rotate the substrate is configured to rotate the substrate,

the ultrasonic wave supply part is configured to generate the ultrasonic wave, and

the positioning part is configured to move the at least one cleaning assembly upward during a back side cleaning operation such that the column of the cleaning solution contacts the back side of the substrate during the back side cleaning operation, and

wherein the ultrasonic wave supply part does not operate and the part for rotating the substrate rotates the substrate in response to the back side of the substrate being dried.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the part configured to rotate the substrate is configured to support a central portion of the back side of the substrate.

11. An apparatus for cleaning a back side of a substrate comprising:

a part configured to rotate the substrate supporting a central portion of the back side of the substrate;

at least one cleaning assembly, the at least one cleaning assembly comprising:

a cleaning solution supply part configured to receive a cleaning solution; and

an ultrasonic wave supply part configured to apply an ultrasonic wave to the cleaning solution such that a column of the cleaning solution is formed from the cleaning solution supply part toward the back side of the substrate with the column of the cleaning solution contacting the back side of the substrate, and the apparatus further comprising:

a positioning part configured to adjust a height of the at least one cleaning assembly such that the column of the cleaning solution contacts the back side of the substrate,

the at least one cleaning assembly comprises a first cleaning assembly and a second cleaning assembly symmetrically disposed under the substrate,

the first cleaning assembly includes

a first ultrasonic wave supply part configured to generate a first ultrasonic wave having a first frequency to remove impurities having a first size from the back side of the substrate, and

the second cleaning assembly includes a second ultrasonic wave supply part configured to generate a second ultrasonic wave having a second frequency to remove impurities having a second size smaller than the first size from the back side of the substrate,

the first frequency is greater than or equal to 200 KHz and less than or equal to 400 KHz, and

the second frequency is greater than or equal to 0.4 MHz and less than or equal to 1.2 MHz.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the cleaning solution supply part includes a bath and the ultrasonic wave supply part is configured to apply the ultrasonic wave from a bottom of the bath toward a top of the bath.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein

the first cleaning assembly includes a first cleaning solution supply part and the second cleaning assembly includes a second cleaning solution supply part, and

the first ultrasonic wave supply part forms the column of the cleaning solution from the first cleaning solution supply part toward the back side of the substrate and the second ultrasonic wave supply part forms the column of the cleaning solution from the second cleaning solution supply part toward the back side of the substrate.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the part for rotating the substrate rotates the substrate, the ultrasonic wave supply part generates the ultrasonic wave and the positioning part contacts the column of the cleaning solution with the back side of the substrate when the back side of the substrate is cleaned, and

wherein the ultrasonic wave supply part does not operate and the part for rotating the substrate rotates the substrate when the back side of the substrate is dried.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 6, 2023
From: EOM, SUNGHUN; KIM, KANGSUL; SON, YOUNGJUN; CHOI, SEONGYEOL
To: SEMES CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 063865/0428 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2022-0076431 · Jun 22, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230415207A1 · Dec 28, 2023
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