Apparatus And Method For Indirect Surface Cleaning
AssigneeRave, LLC
InventorsJeffrey E. LeClaire, Kenneth G. Roessler, David Brinkley
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Abstract
Methods for cleaning a surface of a substrate and for increasing the useable lifetime of a photomask substrate are provided. In one method, the surface of a substrate having a contaminating particulate disposed thereon is cleaned by directing a laser towards the substrate, generating a temperature increase in the substrate and transferring thermal energy from the substrate to the particulate to decompose the particulate. The laser has a wavelength that is substantially the same as a local maximum of the substrate absorption spectrum.
Claims20
A method for cleaning a surface of a substrate, comprising:
- directing a laser towards a substrate having a contaminating particulate disposed thereon, the laser having a wavelength that is substantially the same as a local maximum of the absorption spectrum of the substrate;
- generating a temperature increase in the substrate;
- and
- transferring thermal energy from the substrate to the particulate to decompose the particulate.
A method for increasing the useable lifetime of a photomask substrate, comprising:
- directing electromagnetic radiation through a protective material towards a substrate having a contaminating particulate disposed thereon, the radiation having a wavelength that is substantially the same as a local maximum of the absorption spectrum of the substrate;
- generating a temperature increase in the substrate;
- and
- transferring thermal energy from the substrate to the particulate to decompose the particulate.
A method for cleaning a surface of a substrate at least partially enclosed within a pellicle, comprising:
- directing a laser through a pellicle film towards a substrate having a contaminating particulate layer disposed thereon, the laser having a wavelength that is substantially the same as a local maximum of the absorption spectrum of the substrate;
- generating a temperature increase in the substrate;
- and
- transferring thermal energy from the substrate to the particulate layer to decompose at least a portion of the particulate layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.