Surface cleaning using a cryogenic aerosol
AssigneesAir Products and Chemicals, Inc., International Business Machines Corporation
InventorsWayne T. McDermott, Richard C. Ockovic, Jin J. Wu, Douglas W. Cooper, Alexander Schwarz, Henry L. Wolfe
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Abstract
A method is disclosed for cleaning microelectronics surfaces using an aerosol of at least substantially solid argon particles which impinge upon the surface to be cleaned and then evaporate and the resulting gas is removed by venting along with the contaminants dislodged by the cleaning method.
Claims17
A method for removing contaminating particles and/or films from a particle and/or film-containing surface using an impinging stream of an at least substantially solid argon particle-containing aerosol, comprising:
- expanding a pressurized gaseous argon-containing stream, which is at a temperature above the liquefaction point of argon at the existing stream pressure prior to expansion, forming at least substantially solid particles of argon in said stream by the cooling resulting from said expansion to form an at least substantially solid argon particle-containing aerosol, and directing said aerosol at said surface to remove said contaminating particles and/or film.
A method for removing contaminating particles and for films from a particle and/or film-containing surface using an impinging aerosol stream of solid argon particles in a nitrogen carrier gas comprising, precooling a gaseous mixture of argon and nitrogen to a temperature sufficient to condense out condensable impurities, separating the condensable impurities from the gaseous mixture, rapidly expanding the gaseous mixture from a pressure in the range of approximately 20 to 100 psig and a temperature above the liquefaction point of argon to a vacuum pressure condition, forming solid particles of argon in the gaseous mixture by the cooling resulting from the expansion to produce said aerosol stream, and directing said aerosol stream at said surface to remove said contaminating particles and/or film.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.