Apparatus and method for deposition of an electrophoretic emulsion

Abstract

The present invention provides a system that enables the use of electrophoretic resists in the microfabrication industry for the production of microelectronic devices and is of sufficiently high quality to be used as a replacement for, or supplement to, current photoresist deposition technology. This system enables the application of electrophoretic resists in automated equipment that meets the standards for cleanliness and production throughput desired by the microelectronic fabrication industry. The system, apparatus and method, for providing electrophoretic resist (“EPR”) layers on microelectronic workpieces for the microfabrication of microelectronic devices comprises a deposition station for receiving a microelectronic workpiece and depositing a layer of electrophoretic photoresist (EPR) thereon, a workpiece handling apparatus, and a control unit coupled to the workpiece handling apparatus and the deposition station for coordinating the processing of the workpiece in accordance with a predetermined sequence and set of processing parameters.

1 - 28 . (canceled)  
   
   
       29 . A method of processing a microelectronic workpiece, comprising: 
 depositing a layer of an electrophoretic material onto a processing side of the workpiece by contacting the processing side of the workpiece with a bath of an electrophoretic emulsion while isolating at least a region of the workpiece from contacting the electrophoretic emulsion; and    transporting the workpiece from the electrophoretic emulsion to a wet processing station by loading the workpiece onto a handling apparatus such that the handling apparatus contacts the region of the workpiece isolated from the electrophoretic emulsion.    
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29  wherein contacting the processing side of the workpiece with a bath of an electrophoretic emulsion comprises holding the workpiece at least substantially horizontal with the processing side in contact with the electrophoretic emulsion and applying an electrical potential to the workpiece.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 29  wherein contacting the processing side of the workpiece with a bath of an electrophoretic emulsion comprises holding the workpiece at least substantially horizontal with the processing side in contact with the electrophoretic emulsion and rotating the workpiece while applying an electrical potential to the workpiece and an electrode in the bath.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 29  wherein isolating at least a region of the workpiece from contacting the electrophoretic emulsion comprises sealing a perimeter portion of the processing side of the workpiece.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 29  further comprising inhibiting gases from residing on the processing side of the workpiece.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 29  further comprising inhibiting gases from residing on the processing side of the workpiece by removing bubbles from the electrophoretic emulsion before the bubbles reach the processing side of the workpiece.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 29  further comprising inhibiting gases from residing on the processing side of the workpiece by sweeping bubbles away from the processing side of the workpiece.  
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 29  further comprising pre-cleaning the workpiece in a pre-cleaning station in the same tool in which the deposition station is housed before depositing a layer of electrophoretic material onto the workpiece.  
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 29  further comprising rinsing the workpiece and/or a workpiece holder with a permeate solution in-situ within the deposition station.  
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 29  further comprising baking the layer of the electrophoretic material deposited onto the workpiece in a baking station in the same tool in which the deposition station is housed.  
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 29  further comprising developing the layer of the electrophoretic material deposited onto the workpiece in a second wet processing station in the same tool in which the deposition station is housed.  
   
   
       40 . A method of processing a microelectronic workpiece, comprising: 
 depositing a layer of an electrophoretic material onto a processing side of the workpiece by contacting the processing side with a bath of electrophoretic emulsion in an electrophoretic deposition station;    transporting the workpiece from the electrophoretic deposition station to a wet processing station by loading the workpiece onto a handling apparatus;    performing a wet process on the workpiece in the wet processing station;    transporting the workpiece from the wet processing station to a baking station by loading the workpiece onto the handling apparatus; and    baking the electrophoretic material on the processing side of the workpiece, wherein the electrophoretic deposition station, the wet processing station, and the baking station are co-located in a common cabinet.    
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 40  wherein contacting the processing side of the workpiece with a bath of an electrophoretic emulsion comprises holding the workpiece at least substantially horizontal with the processing side in contact with the electrophoretic emulsion while isolating at least a region of the workpiece from contacting the electrophoretic emulsion.  
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 40  wherein contacting the processing side of the workpiece with a bath of an electrophoretic emulsion comprises holding the workpiece at least substantially horizontal with the processing side in contact with the electrophoretic emulsion and rotating the workpiece while isolating at least a region of the workpiece from contacting the electrophoretic emulsion.  
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 40  further comprising inhibiting gases from residing on the processing side of the workpiece by removing bubbles from the electrophoretic emulsion before the bubbles reach the processing side of the workpiece.  
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 40  further comprising inhibiting gases from residing on the processing side of the workpiece by sweeping bubbles away from the processing side of the workpiece.  
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 40  further comprising rinsing the workpiece with a permeate solution in-situ within the deposition station.  
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 29 , comprising: 
 separating electrophoretic emulsion into a permeate solution and into a concentrated electrophoretic solution using an ultra filter.    
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein separating electrophoretic emulsion includes selectively operating the ultra filter on as-needed basis.  
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein separating electrophoretic emulsion includes operating the ultra filter substantially continuously.  
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein rinsing the workpiece and/or the workpiece holder comprises rinsing with a permeate solution at least partially recycled from the bath of the electrophoretic emulsion that has been filtered to separate out the permeate solution.  
   
   
       50 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein rinsing the workpiece and/or the workpiece holder includes selectively rinsing the workpiece and/or the workpiece holder with a controllable nozzle.  
   
   
       51 . The method of  claim 45 , comprising: 
 separating electrophoretic emulsion into a permeate solution and into a concentrated electrophoretic solution using an ultra filter.    
   
   
       52 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein separating electrophoretic emulsion includes selectively operating the ultra filter on as-needed basis.  
   
   
       53 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein separating electrophoretic emulsion includes operating the ultra filter substantially continuously.  
   
   
       54 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein rinsing the workpiece and/or the workpiece holder comprises rinsing with a permeate solution at least partially recycled from the bath of the electrophoretic emulsion that has been filtered to separate out the permeate solution.  
   
   
       55 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein rinsing the workpiece and/or the workpiece holder includes selectively rinsing the workpiece and/or the workpiece holder with a controllable nozzle.