Subnanometer-level light-based substrate cleaning mechanism

A method for cleaning a substrate in a substrate-cleaning mechanism, the method comprising:

• mounting a substrate in a substrate holder of the substrate-cleaning mechanism;
• rotating the substrate at a first rotational-velocity;
• selecting an energy level for one or more light source to clean the substrate and to remove particles and organic contaminants from the substrate and not cause damage to any surface of the substrate;
• impinging the one or more light sources onto at least one of a first face and a second face of the substrate by at least a front-side light source and a back-side light source to remove particles and organic contaminants from the substrate;
• spinning at least one turbine disk coupled to the substrate holder, the at least one turbine disk being configured to remove effluents produced during a cleaning operation, the at least one turbine disk having a plurality of spaced-apart fins, each of the fins being separated from adjacent fins by an opening formed within and near a periphery of the turbine disk;
• and
• evacuating the effluents away through the plurality of spaced-apart fins from both the substrate and a volume between an inner shield and an outer shield surrounding the substrate.