Vapor-assisted cryogenic cleaning
AssigneeBOC Limited
InventorsSouvik Banerjee, Harlan Forrest Chung
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is directed towards the use of a reactive gas or vapor of a reactive liquid prior to or in combination with cryogenic cleaning to remove contaminants from the semiconductor surfaces or other substrate surfaces requiring precision cleaning. The reactive gas or vapor is selected according to the contaminants to be removed and the reactivity of the gas or vapor with the contaminants. Preferably, this reaction forms a gaseous byproduct which is removed from the substrate surface by the flow of nitrogen across the surface.
Claims18
A process for the removal of contaminants from a substrate surface requiring precision cleaning, comprising the steps of:
- a) applying at least one reactive gas or vapor of a reactive liquid to the substrate surface to react with the contaminants on the substrate surface;
- and b) cryogenically cleaning the surface of the substrate;
- to remove substantially all of the contaminants from the substrate surface.
A process of cleaning the surface of a semiconductor to remove contaminants comprising the steps of:
- a) applying at least one reactive gas or vapor of a reactive liquid to the surface of the substrate for reacting with the contaminants, thereby forming gaseous byproduct;
- b) keeping the at least one reactive gas or vapor in contact with the surface for up to 20 minutes;
- c) removing the gaseous byproducts;
- and c) cryogenically cleaning the surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.