Selective treatment of the surface of a microelectronic workpiece

Abstract

In a process for treating a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer, a processing fluid is selectively applied or excluded from an outer peripheral margin of at least one of the front or back sides of the workpiece. Exclusion and/or application of the processing fluid occurs by applying one or more processing fluids to the workpiece while the workpiece and a reactor holding the workpiece are spinning. The flow rate of the processing fluids, fluid pressure, and/or spin rate are used to control the extent to which the processing fluid is selectively applied or excluded from the outer peripheral margin.

1 . A process for treating a microelectronic workpiece having a first side, a second side, and an outer perimeter joining the first and second sides at their periphery, the process comprising the steps of: 
 applying a thin film exterior over the second side and over at least a portion of the outer perimeter;    at a subsequent time, selectively providing a processing fluid capable of removing at least the thin film to flow over an outer margin of the second side while preventing the processing fluid from flowing over the second side except for the outer margin, so as to the substantially remove the thin film from the outer margin of the second side.    
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the processing fluid is caused to flow over the first side and over the outer perimeter, as well as over the outer margin of the second side, so as to remove the thin film from the outer perimeter and so as to remove any contaminant that the processing is capable of etching or otherwise removing from the first side.  
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the thin film is substantially comprised of copper.  
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the-thin film is substantially comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of: silicon nitride, silicon oxide, polysilicon.  
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the thin film is substantially comprised of photoresist.  
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the thin film is substantially comprised of a mixture of hydrofluoric acid and hydrogen peroxide.  
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the thin film is substantially comprised of a mixture of an acid and an oxidizing agent.  
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the thin film is substantially comprised of mixture of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide.  
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the thin film is substantially comprised of a mixture of sulfuric acid and amoniun persulfate.