Abstract: A method (400) for cleaning a semiconductor wafer. The method includes immersing (420) a wafer in a liquid comprising water. The wafer has a front face, a back face, and an edge. The method also includes providing a substantially particle free environment adjacent to the front face and the back face as the liquid is being removed. A step of introducing a carrier gas comprising a cleaning enhancement substance during the providing step (450) also is included. The cleaning enhancement substance dopes the liquid which is attached to the front face and the back face to cause a concentration gradient of the cleaning enhancement substance in the attached liquid to accelerate fluid flow of the attached liquid off of the wafer.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 21, 1998
Date of Patent:
March 5, 2002
Assignee:
SCD Mountain View
Inventors:
Raj Mohindra, Abhay Bhushan, Rajiv Bhushan, Suraj Puri, John H. Anderson Sr., Jeffrey Nowell