US5351360A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Cleaning device for a wafer mount plate
Assignee: Enya Systems Ltd
•
Filing: 1992-06-05
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Granted: 1994-10-04
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Expires: 2012-06-05
Abstract
Abstract A cleaning device for cleaning adhesive particles and other foreign matter from a disk-shaped wafer mount plate used in semiconductor fabrication comprises a plurality of support rollers supporting the wafer mount plate horizontally for rotation about its own axis. One or more driving rollers are brought into frictional contact with the peripheral side surface of the wafer mount plate to rotationally drive the same. An upper surface washing brush, a lower surface washing brush and a side surface washing brush are movable into brushing contact with the upper, lower and peripheral side surfaces, respectively, of the wafer mount plate for simultaneously brushing all the surfaces thereof while a washing liquid is sprayed thereon. Then rinsing liquid is sprayed on the wafer mount plate, which is thereafter dried by blowing drying gas thereon.
Inventors
- 👤 Shizuo Suzuki
- 👤 Noriyoshi Yokosuka
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 16:50
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P72/00; H10P72/04; H10P72/0402; H10P72/0406; H10P72/0411; H10P72/0412; B; B24; B24B; B24B37/00; B24B37/34; B24B37/345; B08; B08B; B08B1/00; B08B1/30; B08B1/32; B08B1/34; B08B1/36; F; F26; F26B; F26B11/00; F26B11/18; F26B21/00; F26B21/50; H10P72/0408; H10P72/30; H10P72/32; H10P72/3202; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S134/00; Y10S134/902
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
156 words
A cleaning device for cleaning a wafer mount plate, comprising: supporting means for rotatably supporting a wafer mount plate having upper and lower surfaces bounded by a peripheral side surface to undergo rotation in a generally horizontal plane such that all the surfaces of the wafer mount plate are exposed during rotation of the wafer mount plate, the supporting means including a set of rotatable rollers for rotatably supporting thereon the lower surface of the wafer mount plate, the rollers being positioned beneath the wafer mount plate about a given axis and rotatably supporting the wafer mount plate for rotation about the given axis; driving means for rotationally driving the wafer mount plate; supplying means for supplying washing liquid to the surfaces of the wafer mount plate during rotation thereof; and brushing means for brushing simultaneously the upper, lower and peripheral side surfaces of the wafer mount plate while the washing liquid is being supplied thereto.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
156 words
A cleaning device for cleaning a wafer mount plate, comprising: supporting means for rotatably supporting a wafer mount plate having upper and lower surfaces bounded by a peripheral side surface to undergo rotation in a generally horizontal plane such that all the surfaces of the wafer mount plate are exposed during rotation of the wafer mount plate, the supporting means including a set of rotatable rollers for rotatably supporting thereon the lower surface of the wafer mount plate, the rollers being positioned beneath the wafer mount plate about a given axis and rotatably supporting the wafer mount plate for rotation about the given axis; driving means for rotationally driving the wafer mount plate; supplying means for supplying washing liquid to the surfaces of the wafer mount plate during rotation thereof; and brushing means for brushing simultaneously the upper, lower and peripheral side surfaces of the wafer mount plate while the washing liquid is being supplied thereto.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
A cleaning device according to claim 1; wherein the driving means includes means for rotationally driving at least one of the rollers constituting the supporting means to thereby rotationally drive the wafer mount plate about the given axis.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
A cleaning device according to claim 1; wherein the driving means includes at least one rotationally driven driving roller engageable with the peripheral side surface of the wafer mount plate to rotationally drive the wafer mount plate about the given axis.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
54 words
A cleaning device according to claim 3; including displaceable mounting means mounting the driving roller for movement into and out of engagement with the peripheral side surface of the wafer mount plate; and means for displacing the mounting means to move the driving roller into and out of engagement with the wafer mount plate.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
43 words
A cleaning device according to claim 3; wherein the driving means includes a plurality of rotationally driven driving rollers engageable with the peripheral side surface of the wafer mount plate at different locations to jointly effect rotational driving of the wafer mount plate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
68 words
A cleaning device according to claim 1; wherein the brushing means comprises an upper surface washing brush movable into brushing contact with the upper surface of the wafer mount plate, a lower surface washing brush movable into brushing contact with the lower surface of the wafer mount plate, and a side surface washing brush movable into brushing contact with the peripheral side surface of the wafer mount plate.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
A cleaning device according to claim 6; including means mounting the upper, lower and side surface washing brushes for movement into and out of brushing contact with the upper, lower and peripheral side surfaces, respectively, of the wafer mount plate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
A cleaning device according to claims 6; including means rotatably mounting the upper, lower and side surface washing brushes; and means for rotating the upper, lower and side surface washing brushes.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
32 words
A cleaning device according to claim 6; including plural side surface washing brushes each movable into brushing contact with the peripheral side surface of the wafer mount plate at different locations therearound.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
37 words
A cleaning device according to claim 1; wherein the driving means includes at least one rotationally driven driving roller engageable with the peripheral side surface of the wafer mount plate to rotationally drive the wafer mount plate.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
A cleaning device according to claim 1; including means including plural nozzles for directing drying gas onto the wafer mount plate.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
A cleaning device according to claim 11; including means mounting the nozzles for movement toward and away from the wafer mount plate.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
47 words
A cleaning device according to claim 11; wherein one of the nozzles is disposed to direct drying gas onto the upper surface of the wafer mount plate and another of the nozzles is disposed to direct drying gas onto the lower surface of the wafer mount plate.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
170 words
A cleaning device for cleaning a wafer mount plate, comprising: supporting means for rotatably supporting a wafer mount plate having upper and lower surfaces bounded by a peripheral side surface to undergo rotation in a generally horizontal plane such that all the surfaces of the wafer mount plate are exposed during rotation of the wafer mount plate; driving means for rotationally driving the wafer mount plate; supplying means for supplying washing liquid to the surfaces of the wafer mount plate during rotation thereof; and brushing means for brushing simultaneously the upper, lower and peripheral side surface of the wafer mount plate while the washing liquid is being supplied thereto, wherein the brushing means comprises an upper surface washing brush movable into brushing contact with the upper surface of the wafer mount plate, a lower surface washing brush movable into brushing contact with the lower surface of the wafer mount plate, and a side surface washing brush movable into brushing contact with the peripheral side surface of the wafer mount plate.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
170 words
A cleaning device for cleaning a wafer mount plate, comprising: supporting means for rotatably supporting a wafer mount plate having upper and lower surfaces bounded by a peripheral side surface to undergo rotation in a generally horizontal plane such that all the surfaces of the wafer mount plate are exposed during rotation of the wafer mount plate; driving means for rotationally driving the wafer mount plate; supplying means for supplying washing liquid to the surfaces of the wafer mount plate during rotation thereof; and brushing means for brushing simultaneously the upper, lower and peripheral side surface of the wafer mount plate while the washing liquid is being supplied thereto, wherein the brushing means comprises an upper surface washing brush movable into brushing contact with the upper surface of the wafer mount plate, a lower surface washing brush movable into brushing contact with the lower surface of the wafer mount plate, and a side surface washing brush movable into brushing contact with the peripheral side surface of the wafer mount plate.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
32 words
A cleaning device according to claim 14; including plural side surface washing brushes each movable into brushing contact with the peripheral side surface of the wafer mount plate at different locations therearound.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
24 words
A cleaning device according to claim 14; including means for supplying rinsing liquid to the surfaces of the wafer mount plate during rotation thereof.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
21 words
A cleaning device according to claim 16; including means including plural nozzles for directing drying gas onto the wafer mount plate.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
22 words
A cleaning device according to claim 17; including means mounting the nozzles for movement toward and away from the wafer mount plate.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
47 words
A cleaning device according to claim 17; wherein one of the nozzles is disposed to direct drying gas onto the upper surface of the wafer mount plate and another of the nozzles is disposed to direct drying gas onto the lower surface of the wafer mount plate.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1997-10-03 | 1998-04-04 | 1998-10-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2001-10-03 | 2002-04-04 | 2002-10-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2005-10-03 | 2006-04-04 | 2006-10-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |