A method for controlling damages in cleaning a semiconductor wafer comprising features of patterned structures, the method comprising: delivering a cleaning liquid over a surface of a semiconductor wafer during a cleaning process; and imparting sonic energy to the cleaning liquid from a sonic transducer during the cleaning process, wherein power is alternately supplied to the sonic transducer at a first frequency and a first power level for a first predetermined period of time and at a second frequency and a second power level for a second predetermined period of time, the first predetermined period of time and the second predetermined period of time consecutively following one another, wherein at least one of the cleaning parameters is determined such that a percentage of damaged features as a result of the imparting sonic energy is lower than a predetermined threshold.

A rinsing device for boosting the quality of the rinsing of a cleaning device to facilitate and improve the cleanness of surface cleaning, the rinsing device comprising a first tank (41) provided to collect wastewater coming from the cleaning device, a second tank (42) provided to store clean water, and a mechanical pumping device (15, 50) configured to pump clean water coming from the second tank (42) to wet the cleaning device.

A wafer cleaning apparatus includes a wafer roller rotating a wafer around a first direction parallel to a normal direction of a first surface of the wafer, a first brush facing the first surface of the wafer, a second brush facing a second surface of the wafer opposite to the first surface, a first cleaning tank disposed apart from the first brush and movable to accommodate at least a portion of the first brush, and a second cleaning tank disposed apart from the second brush and movable to accommodate at least a portion of the second brush. The first and second cleaning tanks include a first solution injection member connected to a first solution supply pipe and a second solution injection member connected to a second solution supply pipe, respectively. Each of the first and second solution injection members includes a bubble generating filter having a plurality of through-holes.

A wafer cleaning apparatus includes a wafer roller rotating a wafer around a first direction parallel to a normal direction of a first surface of the wafer, a first brush facing the first surface of the wafer, a second brush facing a second surface of the wafer opposite to the first surface, a first cleaning tank disposed apart from the first brush and movable to accommodate at least a portion of the first brush, and a second cleaning tank disposed apart from the second brush and movable to accommodate at least a portion of the second brush. The first and second cleaning tanks include a first solution injection member connected to a first solution supply pipe and a second solution injection member connected to a second solution supply pipe, respectively. Each of the first and second solution injection members includes a bubble generating filter having a plurality of through-holes.

A system for performing a Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) process is provided. The system includes a CMP module configured to polish a semiconductor wafer. The system further includes a cleaning brush assembly configured to clean the semiconductor wafer. The cleaning brush includes a rotation shaft and a brush member surrounding a segment of the rotation shaft. The system also includes an agitation transducer arranged to be distant from the brush member and configured to produce an agitated cleaning liquid to clean the cleaning brush assembly.

A method for cleaning a semiconductor wafer after a Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) process is provided. The method includes providing the semiconductor wafer into a cleaning module. The method further includes cleaning the semiconductor wafer by rotating a cleaning brush assembly. The method also includes applying an agitated cleaning liquid to clean the cleaning brush assembly.

A substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate holding device, a brush arm, a plurality of brush devices, a brush storage device, and a brush liquid supply system. The tip portion of the brush arm is configured as a brush holder to which the brush device can be attached and detached. A substrate held by the substrate holding device is cleaned with the brush device. The brush storage device stores unprocessed brush devices. The used brush device is removed from the brush holder. An unprocessed brush device stored in the brush storage device is attached to the brush holder. The brush storage device is configured so that a cleaning surface of the stored brush device is maintained in a state of being wetted with a processing liquid supplied from the brush liquid supply system.

A substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate holding device, a brush arm, a plurality of brush devices, a brush storage device, and a brush liquid supply system. The tip portion of the brush arm is configured as a brush holder to which the brush device can be attached and detached. A substrate held by the substrate holding device is cleaned with the brush device. The brush storage device stores unprocessed brush devices. The used brush device is removed from the brush holder. An unprocessed brush device stored in the brush storage device is attached to the brush holder. The brush storage device is configured so that a cleaning surface of the stored brush device is maintained in a state of being wetted with a processing liquid supplied from the brush liquid supply system.

A substrate is held in a horizontal attitude by a substrate holder. At a processing position, a lower surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder is cleaned by a lower-surface brush. The lower-surface brush is cleaned by a brush cleaner at a waiting position that overlaps with the substrate held by the substrate holder in an up-and-down direction and is below a processing position. The lower-surface brush is lifted and lowered by a lower-surface brush lifting-lowering driver between the processing position and the waiting position.

A cleaning apparatus performing cleaning treatment for a washing tool used for substrate washing by causing the washing tool to contact with a cleaning member while supplying a washing liquid to the washing tool includes a liquid extraction unit that extracts the washing liquid remaining in the washing tool or the washing liquid flowing out from the washing tool in the cleaning treatment, a color reaction unit that applies an iodine color reaction to the washing liquid extracted by the liquid extraction unit, and a determination unit that detects a coloration degree of the washing liquid subjected to the iodine color reaction and determines whether or not cleaning of the washing tool is completed based on the detected coloration degree.