Patent ID: 6648979
Filing Date: 2003-11-18
Classification: B08B,H01L

Abstract:
A wafer cleaning apparatus comprising:a carrier sustaining a wafer against a cleaning agent, said wafer intermediate said carrier and said cleaning agent; a liquid supply furnishing cleaning liquid to a surface of said wafer for cleaning; an end effector having a first end and a second end, wherein said end effector includes a cleaning head comprising: a holder depending from a shaft, said holder having a plurality of holes; a plurality of studs having heads disposed on a first side of said holder, said plurality of studs slidably extending through said plurality of holes and extending on a second side of said holder; a base portion having one end coupled to said holder with said plurality of studs, wherein said base portion is biased towards said wafer and allowed to vertically translate to and from said holder, limited by a length of said plurality of studs intermediate of said base portion and said second side of said holder; and a cleaning agent extending from an other end of said base portion, said cleaning agent correspondingly allowed to vertically translate with said base portion relative to a support surface sustaining the wafer against said cleaning agent; said end effector holding said cleaning agent at said first end, said second end having a fixed distance to a surface of said carrier sustaining said wafer, said cleaning agent having a floating movement relative to said surface of said carrier and floating movement perpendicular to said surfaces of said wafer and said carrier, said cleaning agent having a bias towards said wafer that provides a constant force against said wafer independent of the topography of said surface of said wafer, said cleaning agent operably cleans said surface of said wafer in surface contact with said cleaning agent by slidable contact therebetween; and an arm assembly and a shaft capable of supporting said end effector at said second end.