Method for Removing Bubbles from a Fluid Flowing Down Through a Plenum

Abstract

A system performs a method for removing air bubbles from a proximity head. The system pumps a fluid into a delivery passage in the proximity head that includes, input channels, a plenum, output channels, a return passage, and return channels. The fluid flows from the delivery passage through the input channels into the plenum. Each of the input channels has an inverted V-shaped opening into the plenum to urge any air bubbles in the plenum to flow upwards through the inverted V-shaped opening. The fluid flows from the plenum through the output channels onto a substrate. The system creates suction in the return passage which is connected to the return channels. The return channels suction the fluid from the substrate. A connecting passage connects the delivery passage and the return passage, allowing air bubbles to escape from the delivery passage into the return passage.

1 . A method for removing air bubbles from a fluid in a plenum of a head, comprising:
 pumping the fluid into a delivery passage in the head;   allowing the fluid to flow down from the delivery passage into the plenum through a plurality of input channels, wherein each of the input channels has an inverted V-shaped opening into the plenum to urge any air bubbles in the plenum to flow upwards through the inverted V-shaped opening;   allowing the fluid to flow down from the plenum onto a substrate through output channels in the head that are connected to the plenum; and   creating suction in a return passage in the head, wherein a connecting passage connects the delivery passage and the return passage and allows an amount of fluid to flow from the delivery passage to the return passage and wherein the amount is small in comparison to the total amount of fluid flowing from the delivery passage to the plenum.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising return channels in the head that connect to the return passage, wherein the return channels suction the fluid from the substrate. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising an operation of initializing the head to eliminate the air bubbles in the output channels, the plenum, the input channels, and the delivery channel by one or more alternating cycles of fluid delivery and idle time. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the number of alternating cycles is in the approximate range of 10 to 15. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a semiconductor wafer. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the head forms a meniscus on the substrate. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the substrate is a semiconductor wafer. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the fluid is a fluid selected from the group consisting of cleaning fluids and rinsing fluids. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the fluid is a fluid which performs Marangoni drying. 
     
     
         10 . A method for self-priming a head, comprising:
 initializing the head for creating a meniscus on a substrate by one or more repetitions of the following operations:
 pumping fluid into a delivery bore in the head that allows the fluid to flow through a plurality of input channels into a plenum and from the plenum through a plurality of output channels onto the substrate, wherein each of the input channels has an inverted V-shaped opening; and 
 removing air bubbles from the output channels, the plenum, the input channels, and the delivery bore, by suctioning the air bubbles through the plenum and through the inverted V-shaped openings into the delivery bore and through a connecting passage which connects the delivery bore to a return bore which outputs the air bubbles, wherein the connecting passage allows an amount of fluid to flow from the delivery bore to the return bore that is small in comparison to the total amount of fluid flowing down from the delivery bore into the plenum; and 
   creating the meniscus on a substrate by pumping the fluid into the delivery bore.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising return channels in the head that connect to the return bore, wherein the return channels suction the fluid from the substrate. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein each of the one or more repetitions alternates with idle time to form an alternating cycle. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the method uses a number of alternating cycles in the approximate range of 10 to 15. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the substrate is a semiconductor wafer. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the fluid is a fluid selected from the group consisting of cleaning fluids and rinsing fluids. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the fluid is a fluid which performs Marangoni drying. 
     
     
         17 . A method, comprising:
 pumping the fluid into a delivery passage in a proximity head, wherein the proximity head includes a plurality of input channels, a plenum, and a plurality of output channels;   allowing the fluid to flow into the plenum through the input channels, wherein each of the input channels has an inverted V-shaped opening into the plenum to urge any air bubbles in the plenum to flow through the inverted V-shaped opening;   allowing the fluid to flow from the plenum onto a substrate through the output channels; and   creating suction in a return passage in the proximity head, wherein a connecting passage connects the delivery passage and the return passage.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the connecting passage allows an amount of fluid to flow from the delivery passage to the return passage and wherein the amount is small in comparison to the total amount of fluid flowing from the delivery passage to the plenum. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising return channels in the proximity head that connect to the return passage, wherein the return channels suction the fluid from the substrate. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the proximity head forms a meniscus on the substrate.