Megasonic Precision Cleaning Of Semiconductor Process Equipment Components And Parts

Abstract

Apparatuses are provided for cleaning a processing component using megasonic energy including megasonic jets in combination with selective chemistries to remove sub-micron particulate contaminants from the surfaces of the processing component that is used in cleaning semiconductor, medical, or any other processing substrates. The apparatus includes a processing chamber having a carrier element that is configured to support the processing component. The carrier element includes a mechanism to flip the processing component within the processing chamber during cleaning. A jet assembly equipped with a megasonic transducer is used to provide high frequency megasonic acoustically energized fluid to a surface of the processing component, during cleaning.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for cleaning a processing component, comprising:
 a processing chamber having a carrier element, wherein the carrier element is capable of supporting the processing component, when present, within the processing chamber, the carrier element having a mechanism for flipping and rotating the processing component within the processing chamber during cleaning; and   a jet assembly including a megasonic transducer, the jet assembly extending through an opening into a cavity defined in the processing chamber, the jet assembly configured to supply acoustically energized fluid to a surface of the processing component,   wherein the processing component is a part of a processing tool.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the jet assembly includes a nozzle portion, the nozzle portion configured to generate acoustic energy and apply the acoustic energy to a fluid traveling along a throughway of the nozzle portion to provide the acoustically energized fluid. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the nozzle portion includes a rotating nozzle that is configured to spray the acoustically energized fluid using scanning or sweeping motion to the surface of the processing component exposed to the fluid. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the jet assembly includes a body portion coupled to a nozzle portion, the body portion configured to generate acoustic energy and apply the acoustic energy to a fluid traveling along a throughway of the body portion to provide the acoustically energized fluid at the nozzle portion. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the acoustically energized fluid is provided from an application of megasonic energy having a frequency of about 600 KHz to about 2 MHz. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the acoustically energized fluid includes deionized water. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the acoustically energized fluid includes any one of an aqueous alkali solution, an aqueous acidic solution, a neutral surfactant solution, an acidic surfactant solution, a basic surfactant solution, an aqueous surfactant solution, or a mixture of organic solvent and water. 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus for cleaning a processing component, comprising:
 a processing chamber having a carrier element, wherein the carrier element is capable of supporting the processing component, when present, within the processing chamber, the carrier element having a mechanism for flipping and rotating the processing component within the processing chamber during cleaning; and   a jet assembly extending into a cavity defined in the processing chamber, the jet assembly includes a body portion, a nozzle portion and a megasonic transducer,
 the body portion of the jet assembly including a throughway with an inlet and an outlet, wherein fluid from a fluid source is received into the throughway through the inlet, 
 the nozzle portion of the jet assembly equipped with the megasonic transducer, the nozzle portion being coupled to the outlet of the body portion, the megasonic transducer within the nozzle portion configured to acoustically energize the fluid as the fluid from the throughway travels through the nozzle portion before being sprayed onto a surface of the processing component received within the processing chamber, 
   wherein the processing component is part of a processing tool.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the nozzle portion includes a rotating nozzle that is configured to spray the acoustically energized fluid to the surface of the processing component using scanning or sweeping motion. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the jet assembly extends through an opening into a cavity defined in the processing chamber. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the jet assembly extends over an edge into a cavity defined in the processing chamber. 
     
     
         12 . An apparatus for cleaning a processing component, comprising:
 a processing chamber having a carrier element, wherein the carrier element is capable of supporting the processing component, when present, within the processing chamber, the carrier element having a mechanism for flipping and rotating the processing component within the processing chamber during cleaning; and   a jet assembly extending into a cavity defined within the processing chamber, the jet assembly includes a body portion, a nozzle portion and a megasonic transducer,
 the body portion of the jet assembly including a throughway with an inlet and an outlet, wherein fluid from a fluid source is received into the throughway through the inlet, the body portion equipped with the megasonic transducer that is configured to generate acoustic energy, the generated acoustic energy being propagated to the fluid received into the throughway; 
 the nozzle portion of the jet assembly being coupled to the outlet of the body portion so as to receive the acoustically energized fluid from the body portion and spray onto exposed surfaces of the processing component received within the processing chamber, 
   wherein the processing component is part of a processing tool.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the nozzle portion includes a rotating nozzle that is configured to spray the acoustically energized fluid to the surface of the processing component using scanning or sweeping motion.