초록 ▼

The cleaning apparatus disclosed herein employs ultrasonic energy applied through a transducer face which overlies the entire wafer face. A cleaning liquid is introduced through the center of the transducer faceplate into the gap between the wafer and the faceplate. The transducer includes a plurali

The cleaning apparatus disclosed herein employs ultrasonic energy applied through a transducer face which overlies the entire wafer face. A cleaning liquid is introduced through the center of the transducer faceplate into the gap between the wafer and the faceplate. The transducer includes a plurality of piezoelectric transducer elements annularly distributed around the faceplate which are energized for synchronous vibration to provide an essentially uniform acoustic field over the faceplate. The faceplate is essentially flat over a majority of its surface but includes a plurality of grooves facilitating the venting of vapors created by cavitation during cleaning.

대표청구항 ▼

Apparatus for cleaning semiconductor wafers comprising: a chuck for holding a semiconductor wafer to be cleaned; above and aligned with said chuck, an ultrasonic transducer provided with a faceplate which fully overlies a wafer held in the chuck; drive means interconnecting said chuck and said trans

Apparatus for cleaning semiconductor wafers comprising: a chuck for holding a semiconductor wafer to be cleaned; above and aligned with said chuck, an ultrasonic transducer provided with a faceplate which fully overlies a wafer held in the chuck; drive means interconnecting said chuck and said transducer for bringing a wafer held in the chuck into face-to-face, closely spaced proximity to said transducer and for rotating the wafer during cleaning; means including an aperture in said faceplate for introducing a liquid into the gap between the wafer and the faceplate; and means for energizing said transducer to provide an essentially uniform acoustic field over said faceplate, said faceplate being flat over the majority of the surface facing the wafer but including also a plurality of grooves facilitating the venting of vapors created by cavitation during cleaning.