US 12,327,738 B2
Integrated semiconductor part cleaning system
Jenn C. Chow, San Jose, CA (US); David W. Groechel, Los Altos Hills, CA (US); Tuochuan Huang, Saratoga, CA (US); Dorothea Buechel-Rimmel, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Han Wang, Palo Alto, CA (US); Li Wu, Fremont, CA (US); and Gang Peng, Fremont, CA (US)
Assigned to Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on May 1, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/400,603.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/666,529, filed on May 3, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2019/0341276 A1, Nov. 7, 2019
Int. Cl. H01L 21/67 (2006.01); B08B 3/02 (2006.01); B08B 3/12 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 21/67051 (2013.01) [B08B 3/02 (2013.01); B08B 3/12 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A chamber component cleaning system, comprising:
an enclosure comprising a body and a base, the body having an input port and an output port for one or more chamber components to enter and exit the enclosure;
a spray station disposed within the enclosure, wherein the spray station comprises a spray station enclosure, a spray nozzle, and a spray station holder operable to retain a chamber component and position the chamber component in a path of a flow of a first cleaning fluid delivered from the spray nozzle disposed within the spray station enclosure;
a first cleaning station disposed within the enclosure, the first cleaning station comprising:
at least one cleaning station nozzle bar disposed in a clean station enclosure, the cleaning station nozzle bar configured to provide a flow of a second cleaning fluid to the chamber component when the chamber component is disposed within the clean station enclosure;
a cleaning station holder operable to retain and rotate the chamber component in any orientation within the clean station enclosure, the cleaning station holder having a plurality of apertures disposed therethrough;
a pumping mechanism, the pumping mechanism operable to force the second cleaning fluid through the plurality of apertures and then through at least one of features and holes of the chamber component;
a sensor box coupled to the first cleaning station via a conduit, the sensor box having at least one sensor operable to monitor at least one of particle size and particle count, and able to monitor pH, and conductivity of the second cleaning fluid pumped to the sensor box; and
at least one movable transducer to provide ultrasonic energy to portions of the chamber component;
a dry station disposed within the enclosure, wherein the dry station comprises a dry station enclosure and a drying knife, the drying knife configured to deliver a drying agent to the chamber component while the chamber component is disposed within the dry station enclosure; and
a component transfer mechanism disposed within the enclosure, wherein:
the component transfer mechanism is configured to transfer the chamber component between at least the spray station, the first cleaning station, and the dry station; and
each of the spray station enclosure, the cleaning station enclosure, and the dry station enclosure have an opening for the component transfer mechanism to capture the chamber component and release the chamber component.
 
7. A method for cleaning a chamber component, comprising:
positioning a chamber component into an enclosure of a chamber component cleaning system, the enclosure having a least a spray station, first cleaning station, and dry station disposed therein;
transferring a chamber component to a spray station using a component transfer mechanism;
providing a flow of a cleaning spray at a first pressure on portions of the chamber component and positioning the portions of the chamber component in a path of the flow of the cleaning spray;
transferring the chamber component to a first cleaning station using the component transfer mechanism, the transferring the chamber component to the first cleaning station comprising retaining the chamber component with a holder of the first cleaning station, the holder of the first cleaning station having a plurality of apertures disposed therethrough;
soaking the chamber component in a first cleaning fluid at the first cleaning station;
forcing the first cleaning fluid through the plurality of apertures and through at least one of features and holes of the chamber component with a pumping mechanism, and providing ultrasonic energy to the portions of the chamber component;
pumping at least a portion of the first cleaning fluid to a sensor box with the pumping mechanism, the sensor box coupled to the first cleaning station via a conduit;
monitoring at least one of a particle size and a particle count with at least one sensor of the sensor box;
monitoring a pH and a conductivity of the first cleaning fluid with at least one sensor of the sensor box;
transferring the chamber component to a dry station using the component transfer mechanism; and
drying the chamber component in the dry station using a flow of a drying agent at a third pressure and positioning the portions of the chamber component in a path of the flow of the drying agent.