Surface cleaning using an argon or nitrogen 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 microelectronic surfaces using an aerosol of at least substantially solid argon or nitrogen 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 or nitrogen particle-containing aerosol, comprising:
- expanding a pressurized liquid argon or gaseous and/or liquid nitrogen-containing stream, which is at a temperature at the existing stream pressure prior to expansion so as to form at least substantially solid particles of argon or nitrogen in said stream by the cooling resulting from said expansion to form an at least substantially solid argon or nitrogen 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/or films from a particle and/or film-containing surface using an impinging aerosol stream of solid nitrogen particles comprising, precooling gaseous nitrogen to a temperature sufficient to condense out condensable impurities, separating the condensable impurities from the nitrogen, rapidly expanding the nitrogen from a pressure in the range of approximately 20 to 100 psig to a lower pressure condition, at a temperature so as to form solid particles of nitrogen 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.