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Single wafer backside wet cleanRelated Patent Categories: Cleaning And Liquid Contact With Solids, Liquid Treating Forms And Mandrels, For Metallic, Siliceous, Or Calcareous Basework, Including Chemical Bleaching, Oxidation Or ReductionSingle wafer backside wet clean description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070181149, Single wafer backside wet clean. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/891,849, filed on Jun. 25, 2001, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/603,792, filed on Jun. 26, 2000, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. Priority to both U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 09/891,849 and 09/603,792 are claimed. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to the field of cleaning of a substrate surface and more particularly to the backside cleaning of a single semiconductor wafer. [0004] 2. Background of the Related Art [0005] In semiconductor substrate (wafer, substrate or other workpeice) cleaning, particle removal is essential. Generally, most particle removal processes focus on the device side of a wafer as contamination left on the device side can cause a malfunctioning device. However, removing backside particles from a wafer is just as important. Contamination left on the non-device side (backside) can also cause a number of problems. Backside contamination can cause the photolithography step on the front side to be out of focus. Contamination on the backside can cause contamination of the processing tools, which in turn can contaminate the front side of the wafer. Additionally, metallic contamination on the backside, when present during a high temperature operation, can diffuse through the silicon wafer and contaminate the device side of the wafer and cause device defects. [0006] Particles can be removed by chemical means or by mechanical means. In current state of the art, particles are usually removed by both a combination of mechanical means and chemical means. The current state of the art is spray processing to clean the non-device side of a wafer. Alternatively, a batch process that places a number of wafers into a bath filled with a liquid may be used. Optionally, high frequency (megasonic) irradiation may be applied to the liquid to enhance the cleaning process. [0007] In addition, some semiconductor device fabrications utilize hydrophobic wafers. Hydrophobic wafers tend to repel liquids. Consequently, backside cleaning of hydrophobic wafers with conventional methods of cleaning has not been effective or efficient. Currently, there are no effective single wafer cleaning techniques that are able to sufficiently clean both sides of a hydrophobic wafer simultaneously. [0008] Therefore, there remains a need for a more effective and efficient process suitable for a single wafer back-side cleaning. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0009] Methods are disclosed for cleaning a backside of a substrate in a single substrate cleaning tool. In one embodiment, a method is provided for cleaning a backside of a substrate that includes placing the substrate parallel to a platter, wherein the backside of the substrate is facing the top side of the platter in a spaced apart relation, thus defining a gap therebetween and flowing a liquid through the platter and into continuous contact with the entire backside of the substrate and the top side of the platter. [0010] In another embodiment, a method is provided for cleaning a backside of a substrate that includes placing the substrate parallel to a platter having a top side and a bottom side, wherein the backside of the substrate is spaced apart from the top side of the platter forming a gap between the backside of the substrate and the top side of the platter and filling the gap with a cleaning liquid provided through the platter. [0011] In another embodiment, a method is provided for cleaning a backside of a substrate that includes placing the substrate parallel to a platter having a top side and a bottom side, wherein the backside of the substrate is facing the top side of the platter in a horizontal orientation. Then the backside of the substrate is spaced approximately 3.0 to 4.0 millimeters from the top side of the platter. Subsequently, a cleaning liquid is flowed through the platter into continuous contact with the entire backside of the substrate and the top side of the platter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0012] So that the manner in which the above recited aspects of the invention are attained and can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to the embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. [0013] It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments. [0014] FIG. 1 is a sectional view of one embodiment of a wafer cleaning chamber; [0015] FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view of one embodiment of a center-section of a platter and a wafer having a flow of liquids therebetween; [0016] FIG. 3 is a top plan view of one embodiment of a wafer holding bracket; [0017] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the platter having a wafer disposed on a bracket; and [0018] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a sequence for cleaning the backside of a wafer. [0019] To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, wherever possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. It is contemplated that features of one embodiment may be beneficially incorporated in other embodiments without further recitation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Continue reading about Single wafer backside wet clean... Full patent description for Single wafer backside wet clean Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Single wafer backside wet clean patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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