Touchless site isolation using gas bearing

摘要

A gas bearing seal using porous materials for distribution of gas flow can provide site isolation during wet processing. In some embodiments, a flow cell comprises a porous media gas bearing surrounding a periphery of the flow cell, isolating the liquid inside the flow cell from the ambient air outside the flow cell. In some embodiments, a protective chuck comprises a porous media gas bearing disposed in a middle of the protective chuck, isolating the liquid outside the protective chuck with the gaseous ambient generated by the porous media gas bearing.

主权项

1. A method for processing a substrate, comprising
providing a substrate, wherein the substrate comprises a first surface region and a second surface region; providing a flow cell, wherein the flow cell comprises a hollow interior operable to receive a fluid, a peripheral portion circumscribing the hollow interior, and an inlet operable to receive gas flow, wherein the peripheral portion comprises a bottom surface and the flow cell further comprises a porous medium disposed at the bottom surface of the peripheral region such that the porous medium circumscribes the hollow interior; flowing a gas to the inlet, wherein the gas exits the bottom surface of the peripheral portion through the porous medium; and lowering the flow cell onto the substrate, wherein the bottom surface of the peripheral portion is disposed in proximity to the first surface region, wherein the gas flow at the bottom surface of the peripheral portion confines a fluid disposed in the hollow interior of the flow cell from spreading from the first surface region of the substrate to the second surface region of the substrate.