US 11,682,552 B2
Apparatus for chemical mechanical polishing process
Chih-I Peng, Hsinchu (TW); Hsiu-Ming Yeh, Hsinchu (TW); and Yi-Chang Liu, Kaohsiung (TW)
Assigned to TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed on Oct. 21, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/659,293.
Application 16/659,293 is a division of application No. 15/964,632, filed on Apr. 27, 2018, granted, now 10,460,926.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/587,782, filed on Nov. 17, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0051809 A1, Feb. 13, 2020
Int. Cl. H01L 21/02 (2006.01); H01L 21/677 (2006.01); H01L 21/67 (2006.01); H01L 21/306 (2006.01); B24B 37/10 (2012.01)
CPC H01L 21/02057 (2013.01) [B24B 37/10 (2013.01); H01L 21/02074 (2013.01); H01L 21/30625 (2013.01); H01L 21/67051 (2013.01); H01L 21/67173 (2013.01); H01L 21/67219 (2013.01); H01L 21/67748 (2013.01); H01L 21/67259 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A processing system for performing a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process, the system comprising:
a CMP tool configured to polish a semiconductor wafer in a processing chamber of the CMP tool;
a wafer stage configured to support the semiconductor wafer in a chamber different from the processing chamber for facilitating the insertion of the semiconductor wafer into, and its subsequent removal from, the CMP tool, wherein no polishing process is performed on the semiconductor wafer supported on the wafer stage;
a plurality of spray nozzles positioned in the chamber and relative to the wafer stage;
a spray generator fluidly connected to the spray nozzles via flow lines and configured to convert a mixture to a mist spray, wherein the spray generator includes an ultrasonic oscillator; and
a controller configured to activate flow of the mist spray from the spray generator to the spray nozzles to discharge the mist spray over the semiconductor wafer supported by the wafer stage;
wherein the spray nozzles are arranged in a two-dimension array or a radial pattern;
wherein at least one of the spray nozzles is rotatable relative to a platform on which the spray nozzles are positioned to allow the mist spray to be discharged along a path inclined relative to a vertical direction.