Systems and Methods for Treating Substrates with Cryogenic Fluid Mixtures

A method for treating a microelectronic substrate, comprising

• receiving the microelectronic substrate in a vacuum process chamber comprising a fluid expansion component an inlet and an outlet;
• maintaining a process pressure of 35 Torr or less in the vacuum process chamber;
• receiving a fluid mixture to the fluid expansion component, the fluid mixture comprising nitrogen or argon, wherein the fluid mixture is at a temperature in the range from 70 K to 200 K and a pressure less than 800 psig;
• maintaining the fluid mixture to the fluid expansion component and the vacuum process chamber under a first group of process conditions;
• expanding the fluid mixture into the vacuum process chamber through the outlet such that the expanded fluid mixture flows across the microelectronic substrate;
• removing a first plurality of objects from the microelectronic substrate using the fluid mixture that flows across the microelectronic substrate;
• maintaining the fluid mixture to the fluid expansion component and the vacuum process chamber under a second group of process conditions where at least one process condition between the first group and the second group of process conditions are different;
• expanding the fluid mixture into the vacuum process chamber through the outlet such that the expanded fluid mixture flows across the microelectronic substrate;
• and
• removing a second plurality of objects from the microelectronic substrate using the fluid mixture that flows across the microelectronic substrate.