Apparatus for fluid processing a workpiece

摘要

A method of fluid processing a semiconductor workpiece, including disposing a workpiece holder with a housing capable of containing a fluid, the workpiece holder retaining the workpiece, providing an agitation system connected to the housing and comprising a member disposed within the housing adjacent the workpiece holder, and agitating the fluid by moving the member substantially parallel to a surface of the workpiece with a non-uniform oscillatory motion, the non-uniform oscillatory motion being a series of substantially continuous geometrically asymmetric oscillations wherein each consecutive oscillation of the series is geometrically asymmetric having at least two substantially continuous opposing strokes wherein reversal positions of each substantially continuous stroke of the substantially continuous asymmetric oscillation are disposed asymmetrically with respect to a center point of each immediately preceding substantially continuous stroke of the oscillation.

主权项

1. An apparatus for fluid processing a workpiece, comprising:
an agitation system configured to be disposed within a fluid processing system adjacent a workpiece holder and agitate a fluid in said fluid processing system for treating microelectronic workpieces, said agitation system comprising a fluid agitation member having at least one fluid agitation hole therein; an agitation drive system comprising a motor operatively connected to said agitation member; and a controller operatively coupled to said agitation drive system, and programmed to effect movement of said agitation member relative to and substantially parallel with a workpiece supporting surface of said workpiece holder with an oscillatory motion, the oscillatory motion being a series of substantially continuous oscillations, wherein each consecutive oscillation of the series includes a first stroke and an opposing second stroke and wherein the first stroke includes a starting point and an ending point, and the second stroke includes a starting point and an ending point, and the ending point of the first stroke coincides with the starting point of the second stroke to thereby define a reversal position, and further wherein the second stroke is not symmetrical to the first stroke with respect to the reversal position such that each oscillation is asymmetrical, and further wherein the starting point of the first stroke is offset from the ending point of the second stroke, wherein said agitation member comprises two agitation plates spaced apart from and adjoined to one another by a spacer such that said agitation member together with said two agitation plates form a single assembly, wherein said workpiece holder is configured to include at least a first workpiece and a second workpiece, wherein said workpiece holder is insertable between said two agitation plates such that the first workpiece faces one of said two agitation plates and the second workpiece, arranged in an opposing direction to said first workpiece, faces another of said two agitation plates.