US 12,482,675 B2
Systems and methods for in-situ Marangoni cleaning
Wei-Chun Hsu, Hsin-Chu (TW); Shu-Yen Wang, Hsin-Chu (TW); and Chui-Ya Peng, Hsinchu (TW)
Assigned to TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed on Jul. 11, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/770,574.
Application 18/770,574 is a division of application No. 17/874,103, filed on Jul. 26, 2022, granted, now 12,080,567.
Application 17/874,103 is a division of application No. 16/547,428, filed on Aug. 21, 2019, granted, now 11,923,210.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/724,848, filed on Aug. 30, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2024/0363373 A1, Oct. 31, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H01L 21/67 (2006.01); H01L 21/02 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 21/67057 (2013.01) [H01L 21/02057 (2013.01); H01L 21/67034 (2013.01); H01L 21/67248 (2013.01); H01L 21/67253 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
14. A cleaning chamber, comprising:
a tank region configured to accommodate a tank solution;
a drying region configured to accommodate a gas;
a solvent source configured to provide a solvent layer between the tank region and the drying region to separate the tank solution and the gas;
at least one sensor configured to measure a parameter value from the gas after a wafer is removed from the tank region through the solvent layer and placed within the drying region; and
at least one processor configured to:
determine, based on the parameter value measured by the at least one sensor, that a first parameter value from the gas exceeds a first predetermined threshold value;
determine, based on the parameter value measured by the at least one sensor, that a second parameter value from the gas exceeds a second predetermined threshold value, the second predetermined threshold value being a different type than that of the first predetermined threshold value;
determine, based on the parameter value measured by the at least one sensor, that a third parameter value from the gas exceeds a third predetermined threshold value, the third predetermined threshold value being a different type than that of the first predetermined threshold value;
perform a first remediation in response to determining that the first parameter value exceeds the first predetermined threshold value;
perform a second remediation in response to determining that the second parameter value exceeds the second predetermined threshold value, the second remediation being a different type than that of the first remediation; and
performing a third remediation in response to determining that the third parameter value exceeds the third predetermined threshold value, the third remediation being a different type than that of the first remediation,
wherein the first predetermined threshold value comprises a first value representing a threshold amount of NH3 within the gas in the drying region and the first remediation comprises increasing a concentration of N2 in the drying region and increasing a temperature in the drying region, and
wherein the second predetermined threshold value comprises a second value representing a threshold amount of a volatile organic compound (VOC) within the gas in the drying region and the second remediation comprises introducing a solvent that forms the solvent layer as a vapor into the drying region and increasing the temperature in the drying region.