Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing system includes a platen to support a polishing pad, a carrier head to hold a substrate in contact with the polishing pad, a motor to generate relative motion, a steam generator, and an arm extending over the platen with and at least one opening to deliver steam from the steam generator onto the polishing pad. The steam generator includes a canister, a barrier in the canister dividing the canister into a lower chamber having a water inlet and an upper chamber having a steam outlet, a heating element configured to apply heat to a portion of lower chamber, and a nucleation surface positioned in the lower chamber. The barrier has apertures for steam to pass from the lower chamber to the upper chamber and allows for condensation to pass from the upper chamber to the lower chamber.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus has a heating system, a purge gas source, a purge liquid source, and a controller. The heating system includes a source of heated gas, an arm extending over a platen, and a manifold in the arm with an a plurality of openings positioned over the platen and separated from a polishing pad for delivering the heated gas onto the polishing pad. The controller is configured to cause the heated gas to flow from the source of heated gas through the manifold and the plurality of openings to heat the polishing pad during a polishing operation, and to cause the apparatus to perform a purging operation which alternates between flowing purge gas from the purge gas source and flowing purge liquid from the purge liquid source through the manifold and the plurality of openings.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing system includes a steam generator with a heating element to apply heat to a vessel to generate steam, an opening to deliver steam onto a polishing pad, a first valve in a fluid line between the opening and the vessel, a sensor to monitor a steam parameter, and a control system. The control system causes the valve to open and close in accordance with a steam delivery schedule in a recipe, receive a measured value for the steam parameter from the sensor, receive a target value for the steam parameter, and perform a proportional integral derivative control algorithm with the target value and measured value as inputs so as to control the first valve and/or a second pressure release valve and/or the heating element such that the measured value reaches the target value substantially just before the valve is opened according to the steam delivery schedule.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing system includes a steam generator with a heating element to apply heat to a vessel to generate steam, an opening to deliver steam onto a polishing pad, a first valve in a fluid line between the opening and the vessel, a sensor to monitor a steam parameter, and a control system. The control system causes the valve to open and close in accordance with a steam delivery schedule in a recipe, receive a measured value for the steam parameter from the sensor, receive a target value for the steam parameter, and perform a proportional integral derivative control algorithm with the target value and measured value as inputs so as to control the first valve and/or a second pressure release valve and/or the heating element such that the measured value reaches the target value substantially just before the valve is opened according to the steam delivery schedule.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing system includes a steam generator with a heating element to apply heat to a vessel to generate steam, an opening to deliver steam onto a polishing pad, a first valve in a fluid line between the opening and the vessel, a sensor to monitor a steam parameter, and a control system. The control system causes the valve to open and close in accordance with a steam delivery schedule in a recipe, receive a measured value for the steam parameter from the sensor, receive a target value for the steam parameter, and perform a proportional integral derivative control algorithm with the target value and measured value as inputs so as to control the first valve and/or a second pressure release valve and/or the heating element such that the measured value reaches the target value substantially just before the valve is opened according to the steam delivery schedule.

Abstract: A cleaning module for cleaning a wafer comprises a wafer gripping device configured to support a wafer in a vertical orientation and comprises a catch cup and a gripper assembly. The catch cup comprises a wall that has an annular inner surface that defines a processing region and has an angled portion that is symmetric about a central axis of the wafer gripping device. The gripper assembly comprises a first plate assembly, a second plate assembly, a plurality of gripping pin, and a plurality of loading pin. The gripping pins are configured to grip a wafer during a cleaning process and the loading pins are configured to grip the wafer during a loading and unloading process. The cleaning module further comprises a sweep arm coupled to a nozzle mechanism configured to deliver liquids to the front and back side of the wafer.

Abstract: A cleaning module for cleaning a wafer comprises a wafer gripping device configured to support a wafer in a vertical orientation and comprises a catch cup and a gripper assembly. The catch cup comprises a wall that has an annular inner surface that defines a processing region and has an angled portion that is symmetric about a central axis of the wafer gripping device. The gripper assembly comprises a first plate assembly, a second plate assembly, a plurality of gripping pin, and a plurality of loading pin. The gripping pins are configured to grip a wafer during a cleaning process and the loading pins are configured to grip the wafer during a loading and unloading process. The cleaning module further comprises a sweep arm coupled to a nozzle mechanism configured to deliver liquids to the front and back side of the wafer.

Abstract: A cleaning module for cleaning a wafer comprises a wafer gripping device configured to support a wafer in a vertical orientation and comprises a catch cup and a gripper assembly. The catch cup comprises a wall that has an annular inner surface that defines a processing region and has an angled portion that is symmetric about a central axis of the wafer gripping device. The gripper assembly comprises a first plate assembly, a second plate assembly, a plurality of gripping pin, and a plurality of loading pin. The gripping pins are configured to grip a wafer during a cleaning process and the loading pins are configured to grip the wafer during a loading and unloading process. The cleaning module further comprises a sweep arm coupled to a nozzle mechanism configured to deliver liquids to the front and back side of the wafer.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing system includes a steam generator with a heating element to apply heat to a vessel to generate steam, an opening to deliver steam onto a polishing pad, a first valve in a fluid line between the opening and the vessel, a sensor to monitor a steam parameter, and a control system. The control system causes the valve to open and close in accordance with a steam delivery schedule in a recipe, receive a measured value for the steam parameter from the sensor, receive a target value for the steam parameter, and perform a proportional integral derivative control algorithm with the target value and measured value as inputs so as to control the first valve and/or a second pressure release valve and/or the heating element such that the measured value reaches the target value substantially just before the valve is opened according to the steam delivery schedule.

Abstract: A cleaning module for cleaning a wafer comprises a wafer gripping device configured to support a wafer in a vertical orientation and comprises a catch cup and a gripper assembly. The catch cup comprises a wall that has an annular inner surface that defines a processing region and has an angled portion that is symmetric about a central axis of the wafer gripping device. The gripper assembly comprises a first plate assembly, a second plate assembly, a plurality of gripping pin, and a plurality of loading pin. The gripping pins are configured to grip a wafer during a cleaning process and the loading pins are configured to grip the wafer during a loading and unloading process. The cleaning module further comprises a sweep arm coupled to a nozzle mechanism configured to deliver liquids to the front and back side of the wafer.

Abstract: A cleaning module for cleaning a wafer comprises a wafer gripping device configured to support a wafer in a vertical orientation and comprises a catch cup and a gripper assembly. The catch cup comprises a wall that has an annular inner surface that defines a processing region and has an angled portion that is symmetric about a central axis of the wafer gripping device. The gripper assembly comprises a first plate assembly, a second plate assembly, a plurality of gripping pin, and a plurality of loading pin. The gripping pins are configured to grip a wafer during a cleaning process and the loading pins are configured to grip the wafer during a loading and unloading process. The cleaning module further comprises a sweep arm coupled to a nozzle mechanism configured to deliver liquids to the front and back side of the wafer.

Abstract: In one or more embodiments, a substrate holder apparatus is provided. A substrate holder apparatus includes a frame having multiple substrate contact supports configured to contact and support a substrate, and one or more vacuum ports configured to apply a vacuum at one or more locations along a bottom edge of a substrate. The one or more vacuum ports provide air outflow that removes liquid and/or residue along a bottom edge of the substrate after immersion into a tank. Assemblies including the substrate holder apparatus and methods of cleaning substrates with the substrate holder apparatus are provided, as are additional aspects.