Methods for drying and cleaning objects using aerosols

A method for removing at least one contaminant particle having diameter of at least 0.3 .mu.m from at least one exposed surface of an object, the method comprising the steps of:

• placing a selected object to be cleaned in an enclosed chamber;
• admitting a sufficient amount of a rinse liquid having a selected surface tension into the enclosed chamber so that the selected object is partly or fully submerged in the rinse liquid;
• admitting into the enclosed chamber, at a volume flow rate r2 lying in a first selected volume flow range, a selected liquid that has a surface tension that is substantially lower than the surface tension of the rinse liquid;
• forming aerosol droplets of the selected liquid within the enclosed chamber;
• allowing a portion of the aerosol droplets to form a film of the selected liquid on an exposed surface of the rinse liquid;
• draining the rinse liquid from the enclosed chamber at a volume flow rate r1 lying in a second selected volume flow range, and allowing the film of the selected liquid to form on exposed surfaces of the selected object;
• and
• allowing the film of selected liquid to displace the rinse liquid on the exposed surfaces of the selected object and to thereby remove said at least one contaminant particle having a diameter of at least 0.3 .mu.m from said at least one exposed surface of the selected object.