Abstract: A device for holding wafer-shaped articles, such as semiconductor wafers, is equipped with a series of pins that are brought into contact with a peripheral edge of the wafer-shaped article, under control of a common gear ring or a series of conjointly operated gear sectors. In the regions of the gear ring or gear sectors engaging the pin assemblies, those elements are designed to yield more readily than other regions of the gear ring or gear sectors, to accommodate differential thermal expansion of the chuck components in the vicinity of the pin assemblies.

Abstract: A device for treating a disc-like article with a fluid, includes elements for dispensing a fluid onto the article and a chuck for holding and rotating the article around an axis perpendicular thereto. The chuck includes a base body, a drive ring, and gripping members for contacting the article at its edge. The gripping members are eccentrically movable with respect to the center of the article. The eccentric movement of the gripping members is driven by a drive ring rotatably mounted to the base body, so that the drive ring is rotatable against the base body around the axis. The relative rotational movement of the drive ring against the base body is carried out by either holding the base body and rotating the drive ring or by holding the drive ring and rotating the base body, whereby the to-be-held-part (drive ring or base body) is held without touching the respective to-be-held-part by magnetic force.

Abstract: Selective recovery of excess process fluid from within a closed process chamber is achieved by providing a magnetically drive ring chuck and at least one process fluid collector within the closed process chamber, with the ring chuck and the fluid collector being vertically movable relative to each other.

Abstract: A mixture of perhalogenic acid and sulfuric acid is unexpectedly stable at high temperatures and is effective in stripping photoresists, including difficult to treat ion-implanted photoresists, with short processing times. In use, no decomposition of the mixture is observed up to a temperature of 145° C. In the mixture, the sulfuric acid is highly purified and has a concentration of 96 wt % or greater. The perhalogenic acid is preferably H5IO6.

Abstract: A spin chuck for holding semiconductor wafers includes one or more damping mechanisms to limit the force with which chuck pins impact the wafer edge following wafer shift. The damping mechanism may be a linear or rotary dashpot. The dashpot or dashpots are mounted on a surface of the chuck body and include a control arm that contacts a common gear ring that in turn drives the chuck pins during radially inward and outward movement.

Abstract: A device for treating a disc-like article with a fluid, includes elements for dispensing a fluid onto the article and a chuck for holding and rotating the article around an axis perpendicular thereto. The chuck includes a base body, a drive ring, and gripping members for contacting the article at its edge. The gripping members are eccentrically movable with respect to the center of the article. The eccentric movement of the gripping members is driven by a drive ring rotatably mounted to the base body, so that the drive ring is rotatable against the base body around the axis. The relative rotational movement of the drive ring against the base body is carried out by either holding the base body and rotating the drive ring or by holding the drive ring and rotating the base body, whereby the to-be-held-part (drive ring or base body) is held without touching the respective to-be-held-part by magnetic force.

Abstract: Improved reduction of static charge in spin chucks is achieved by providing one or more pin assemblies which are formed from chemically inert material and which include an electrically conductive inlay.

Abstract: Method for drying a surface of a disc-shaped article includes covering the surface with a rinsing liquid, whereby a closed liquid layer is formed, and removing the rinsing liquid, wherein the rinsing liquid containing at least 50 wt. % water and at least 5 wt. % of a substance, wherein the substance lowers the surface energy of water, wherein the removing of the liquid is initiated by blowing gas onto the closed liquid layer, whereby the closed liquid layer is opened at on discrete area.

Abstract: A device for supporting and rotating a disc-like article includes: a first rotor including a support for supporting the disc-like article, wherein the first rotor is located within a process chamber, a second rotor connected to a drive mechanism for rotating the second rotor, wherein the second rotor is coupled to the first rotor by magnetic forces without touching the first rotor, and the second rotor is located outside the process chamber and a wall is arranged between the first rotor and the second rotor, and at least one magnetic couple, wherein the couple includes a first coupling part and a second coupling part, wherein the first coupling part includes a coupling magnet mounted to the first rotor and the second coupling part includes a high temperature superconducting material, wherein the magnetic couple(s) are arranged and/or formed so that no degree of freedom remains between the first and second rotor so that the first rotor moves together with the second rotor.

Abstract: Method and device for wet treating a defined peripheral edge-region of a wafer-shaped article having a first surface plane W1, a second surface plane W2 and an edge surface. The device includes a support for holding the wafer-shaped article; liquid dispensing members for dispensing liquid onto the first surface plane W1 of the wafer-shaped article not facing the support and liquid guiding member connected to the support for guiding at least a part of the liquid around the edge surface of the wafer-shaped article towards the second surface plane W2 of the wafer-shaped article facing the support thereby wetting at least the edge surface, wherein the liquid guiding member has the form of a ring.

Abstract: A device for liquid treatment of a defined area of a wafer-shaped article, especially of a wafer, in which a mask is kept at a defined short distance to the wafer-shaped article such that liquid can be retained between the mask and the defined area of the wafer-shaped article by capillary force.

Abstract: A cleaning fluid including dispersed gas avoids using ultrasonic energy to induce cavitation by subjecting a liquid containing dissolved gas to a pressure reduction in a bubble machine, to generate a gas/liquid dispersion. The cleaning fluid can be used to clean articles such as semiconductor wafers using a device that includes a holder and a vibrator for supplying ultrasonic or megasonic energy to the article.

Abstract: Improved resistance to temperature-related degradation or deformation in a wafer-supporting chuck is provided by at least one shielding member that physically and/or thermally shields chuck components from effects of elevated temperature processing fluids.

Abstract: A spin chuck in an apparatus for single wafer wet processing has structures at its periphery that, in combination with a supported wafer, form a series of annular nozzles that direct flowing gas from a chuck-facing surface of the wafer, around the edge of the wafer, and exhaust the gas away from the non-chuck-facing surface of the wafer, thereby preventing treatment fluid applied to the non-chuck-facing surface from contacting the edge region of the wafer. Retaining pins with enlarged heads engage the wafer edge and prevent it from being displaced upwardly when a high flow rate of gas is utilized.

Abstract: Improved durability and longevity of spin chucks is achieved by using a composite support pin structure in which a pin body of a chemically inert plastic includes a hollow cavity containing an insert formed from a material whose Young's modulus is greater than that of the inert plastic.

Abstract: Improved removal of ion-implanted photoresist in a single wafer front-end wet processing station is achieved by combining gaseous ozone and heated sulfuric acid such that a gas/liquid dispersion or foam of ozone in sulfuric acid is applied in a layer to the wafer surface to be treated.

Abstract: Disclosed is a fluid discharging device (1) for separately discharging at least two fluids comprising and inner nozzle (3) for discharging a first fluid and a coaxially arranged outer nozzle (12) for discharging a second fluid.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for depositing a film onto a substrate, with a sputter deposition process wherein the sputter deposition process is a direct current sputter deposition wherein the film consists of at least 90 wt-% of an inorganic material having semiconductor properties whereby the film of the inorganic material M2 is directly deposited as crystalline structure, so that at least 50 wt-% of the deposited film has a crystalline structure wherein the source material (target) used for the sputter deposition consists of at least 80 wt-% of the inorganic material M2. wherein the inorganic material is selected from a group including binary, ternary, and quaternary compounds including sulphur, selenium, tellurium, indium, and/or germanium.

Abstract: In a spin-chuck with plural collector levels, a separate exhaust controller is provided for each level. This permits selectively varying gas flow conditions among the collector levels, so that the ambient pressure at one level does not adversely affect device performance in an adjacent level.

Abstract: A device for wet treating a peripheral area of a wafer-shaped article includes holding elements for holding and rotating the wafer-shaped article at its edge, a first and a second liquid treatment units for supplying liquid towards the peripheral area. The holding elements include rollers for driving the wafer-shaped article at its edge. The first liquid treatment unit includes a first liquid carrier for providing a first liquid to wet a first section of the peripheral area, a first liquid supply nozzle for supplying liquid to the first liquid carrier, and a first liquid discharging channel for removing liquid from the first liquid carrier.