Abstract: Apparatus for cleaning and rinsing wafers is disclosed. The apparatus includes an inner tank contained within an outer tank. The inner tank has an open top forming a weir edge around the entire top of the tank. A bottom opening in the inner tank is covered by a dump door. The inner tank is contoured so that its cross-sectional area decreases in a direction toward the bottom of the tank. Sprayer manifolds are positioned slightly above the top edge of the inner tank to spray water into the inner tank. Wafers are positioned in the inner tank on a support plate. Manifolds below the support plate allow filling of the tank with water and nitrogen gas. The dump door is opened or closed by a pneumatic piston depending on whether the inner tank is being dumped or filled. A controller operates the apparatus to cycle through a predetermined program including dump, partial dump, cascade and spraying cycles.

Abstract: A method for cleaning and rinsing wafers used in the production of integrated circuits is disclosed. The wafers are submerged in a tank containing deionized water and the method includes repeated cycles comprising the steps of (1) introducing deionized water into the filled tank for a preset period of time to create an upward flow of water in the tank and about the wafers, with the outflow of water flowing over the top edges of the tank, (2) partially draining the tank to a level just above the upper edges of the wafers, and (3) refilling the tank with fresh deionized water. The number of cycles can be repeated a preset number of times or the quality of the water in the tank can be monitored, with the cycles being repeated until a preset quality of water is achieved in the tank.