Removal of particles on back side of wafer

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an apparatus for fabricating a semiconductor device. The apparatus includes a mechanical structure that is operable to secure a position of a semiconductor wafer. The wafer has a front surface and a back surface. The apparatus includes a wafer cleaning device that is operable to clean a predetermined region of the wafer on the back surface. The predetermined region of the wafer at least partially overlaps with one or more alignment marks. The present disclosure also provides a method of fabricating a semiconductor device. The method includes loading a semiconductor wafer into a wafer handling system. The method includes removing contaminant particles from an edge region of the wafer from the back side. The alignment marks are located in the edge region. The method includes collecting the removed contaminant particles and discarding the collected contaminant particles out of the wafer handling system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising:
 a mechanical structure that is operable to secure a position of a semiconductor wafer, the wafer having a front surface and a back surface; and   a wafer cleaning device that is operable to clean a predetermined region of the wafer on the back surface, wherein the predetermined region of the wafer at least partially overlaps with one or more alignment marks.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is a component of a wafer handling system. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the apparatus is installed within a wafer pre-alignment unit of the wafer handling system. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the wafer cleaning device includes a brush operable to brush contaminant particles off of the predetermined region of the wafer on the back surface. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the wafer cleaning device includes an exhaust component operable to collect and dispose of wafer particles brushed off by the brush. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined region of the wafer is located near an edge of the wafer. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined region of the wafer has an annular ring shape. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined region of the wafer is spaced apart from an outer rim of the wafer by a predetermined distance. 
     
     
         9 . A semiconductor fabrication system, comprising:
 a wafer handling system that includes a wafer pre-alignment unit; and   a wafer cleaning mechanism installed within the wafer pre-alignment unit, the wafer cleaning mechanism being operable to clean an edge region of a semiconductor wafer from a back side of the wafer, wherein the wafer cleaning mechanism includes:
 a brush operable to brush contaminant particles off of the edge region of the back side of the wafer; and 
 an exhaust component operable to gather the brushed-off contaminant particles. 
   
     
     
         10 . The semiconductor fabrication system of  claim 9 , wherein the wafer has one or more alignment marks located in the edge region of the wafer. 
     
     
         11 . The semiconductor fabrication system of  claim 10 , wherein the brush is operable to brush the wafer as the wafer is spun, thereby creating a cleaning path on the wafer, and wherein the one or more alignment overlaps with the cleaning path. 
     
     
         12 . The semiconductor fabrication system of  claim 11 , wherein the cleaning path is shaped like an annular ring having a ring width substantially equal to a length of the brush. 
     
     
         13 . The semiconductor fabrication system of  claim 11 , wherein the cleaning path is separated from an outer rim of the wafer by a predetermined distance. 
     
     
         14 . The semiconductor fabrication system of  claim 9 , wherein the brush includes an anti-electrostatic brush. 
     
     
         15 . The semiconductor fabrication system of  claim 9 , wherein the exhaust component includes a pipe and a vacuum generator. 
     
     
         16 . A method of fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising:
 loading a semiconductor wafer into a wafer handling system, the semiconductor wafer having a front side and a back side and one or more alignment marks;   removing contaminant particles from an edge region of the wafer from the back side, wherein the one or more alignment marks are located in the edge region; and   collecting the removed contaminant particles and discarding the collected contaminant particles out of the wafer handling system.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the loading the wafer includes loading the wafer into a wafer pre-alignment unit of the wafer handling system. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the removing includes brushing the edge region using an anti-electrostatic brush while the wafer is being spun. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the collecting includes sucking the removed contaminant particles into a pipe. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the edge region of the wafer is shaped as an annular ring having a predetermined width, and wherein an outer boundary of the annular ring is spaced apart from an outer rim of the wafer by a predetermined distance.