US 5,853,962 AGranted

Photoresist and redeposition removal using carbon dioxide jet spray

AssigneeEco-Snow Systems, Inc.

InventorCharles W. Bowers

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A method of removing photoresist or redeposited material from a substrate or other surface using a carbon dioxide jet spray. A substrate having photoresist or redeposited material on its surface is disposed in an environmental enclosure. A carbon dioxide jet spray is generated and directed onto the surface of the substrate and photoresist or redeposited material. The carbon dioxide jet spray cools or freezes the material and causes a mismatch in the thermal coefficient of expansion of the material and the substrate. The material debonds from the substrate due to the induced thermal shock to the material. This rapid shrinkage loosens the material and allows the solid particles in the spray to knock the material from the surface of the substrate. The removed photoresist or redeposited material may be collected in a filter, and removed.

Claims4

Dependent claims

A method of removing photoresist or material redeposited from photoresist removal from a surface of a substrate, said method comprising the steps of:

disposing a substrate having photoresist or material redeposited from photoresist removal deposited on its surface in an environmental process enclosure;
coupling a carbon dioxide jet spray cleaning system to the environmental process enclosure that has a nozzle and orifice assembly that is oriented towards the photoresist material;
generating a carbon dioxide jet spray using the nozzle and orifice assembly;
directing the carbon dioxide jet spray onto the surface of the substrate and the photoresist or material redeposited from photoresist removal;
cooling the photoresist or material redeposited from photoresist removal and the substrate using the carbon dioxide jet spray to cause differential expansion of the photoresist or material redeposited from photoresist removal relative to the substrate and debonding of the photoresist or material redeposited from photoresist removal from the surface of the substrate without erosion of the substrate;
collecting the photoresist or material redeposited from photoresist removal;
and
removing the photoresist or material redeposited from photoresist removal.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.