Method and apparatus for wet treatment of solid surfaces

A method of cleaning the surface of a dielectric film formed in a process of producing a semiconductor device, wherein the film surface is possibly contaminated with colloidal silica, the method comprising the steps of:

• disposing said dielectric film at a location outside of an electrolysis tank;
• electrolyzing purified water in said electrolysis tank to prepare a fresh anodic water which contains hydrogen ions (H.sup.+) and a fresh cathodic water which contains hydroxide ion (OH.sup.-);
• separating the anodic water and the cathodic water from each other;
• and
• separately drawing the fresh anodic water and the fresh cathodic water out of said electrolysis tank to continuously bring said fresh cathodic water into contact with the surface of the dielectric film at said location outside of said electrolysis tank.

An apparatus for wet treatment of a surface or surfaces of an inorganic material part, comprising:

• an electrolysis tank provided with an anode, a cathode and a porous membrane which allows ions to pass therethrough and partitions the tank into an anode chamber in which the anode is positioned and a cathode chamber in which the cathode is positioned;
• water feed means for feeding purified water into said electrolysis tank;
• a DC power supply means for applying a DC voltage between said anode and said cathode;
• an electromagnetic radiation means for irradiating water in the anode and cathode chambers of said electrolysis tank with an electromagnetic wave not longer than 400 nm in wavelength;
• a first treatment tank for receiving the inorganic material part subject to wet treatment, said first treatment tank is connected to said cathode chamber of said electrolysis tank to continuously receive fresh cathodic water which is prepared by the electrolysis of water and contains hydroxide ion (OH.sup.-) from said cathode chamber;
• and
• a second treatment tank for receiving the inorganic material part subject to wet treatment, said second treatment tank is connected to said anode chamber of said electrolysis tank to continuously receive a fresh anodic water which is prepared by the electrolysis of water and contains hydrogen ion (H.sup.+) from said anode chamber.

An apparatus for wet treatment of a surface or surfaces of an inorganic material part, comprising:

• an electrolysis tank provided with an anode, a cathode and a porous membrane which allows ions to pass therethrough and partitions the tank into an anode chamber in which the anode is positioned and a cathode chamber in which the cathode is positioned;
• water feed means for feeding purified water into said electrolysis tank;
• a DC power supply means for applying a DC voltage between said anode and said cathode;
• an electromagnetic radiation means for irradiating water in the anode and cathode chambers of said electrolysis tank with an electromagnetic wave not shorter than 3000 nm in wavelength;
• a first treatment tank for receiving the inorganic material part subject to wet treatment, said first treatment tank is connected to said cathode chamber of said electrolysis tank to continuously receive fresh cathodic water which is prepared by the electrolysis of water and contains hydroxide ion (OH.sup.-) from said cathode chamber;
• and
• a second treatment tank for receiving the inorganic material part subject to wet treatment, said second treatment tank is connected to said anode chamber of said electrolysis tank to continuously receive a fresh anodic water which is prepared by the electrolysis of water and contains hydrogen ion (H.sup.+) from said anode chamber.

An apparatus for wet treatment of a surface or surfaces of an inorganic material part, comprising:

• an electrolysis tank provided with an anode, a cathode and a porous membrane which allows ions to pass therethrough and partitions the tank into an anode chamber in which the anode is positioned and a cathode chamber in which the cathode is positioned;
• water feed means for feeding purified water into said electrolysis tank;
• a DC power supply means for applying a DC voltage between said anode and said cathode;
• an electromagnetic radiation means for irradiating water in the anode and cathode chambers of said electrolysis tank with an electromagnetic wave;
• a first treatment tank for receiving the inorganic material part subject to wet treatment, said first treatment tank is connected to said cathode chamber of said electrolysis tank to continuously receive fresh cathodic water which is prepared by the electrolysis of water and contains hydroxide ion (OH.sup.-) from said cathode chamber;
• and
• a second treatment tank for receiving the inorganic material part subject to wet treatment, said second treatment tank is connected to said anode chamber of said electrolysis tank to continuously receive a fresh anodic water which is prepared by the electrolysis of water and contains hydrogen ion (H.sup.+) from said anode chamber.