Patent ID: 9640495
Date: 2017-05-02
CPC Classifications: H01L

Claim:
1. A method of removing material from a semiconductor device, comprising: providing a semiconductor substrate comprising a length L, a first surface, and a second surface opposite the first surface; forming a layer of material over the first surface of the semiconductor substrate; providing a conveyor; providing a first air-knife disposed over the conveyor; providing a second air-knife disposed over the conveyor and offset from the first air-knife by a distance D that is less than the length L of the semiconductor substrate; placing the semiconductor substrate on the conveyor with the layer of material oriented facing away from the conveyor, the semiconductor substrate being placed on the conveyor before the first air-knife and before the second air-knife; advancing the semiconductor substrate along the conveyor and under the first air-knife so that a portion of the semiconductor substrate is disposed between the first air-knife and the second air-knife; forming a pool of etching solution by dispensing an etching solution onto the layer of material over the portion of the semiconductor substrate disposed between the first air-knife and the second air-knife; etching a portion of the layer of material disposed between the first air-knife and the second air-knife with the pool of etching solution; and removing the pool of etching solution and at least a portion of the layer of material etched by the pool of etching solution from the surface of the semiconductor substrate by moving the semiconductor substrate along the conveyor and past the second air-knife.