Process for cleaning ceramic articles
AssigneeSaint-Gobain Ceramics & Plastics, Inc.
InventorsAndrew G. Haerle, Gerald S. Meder
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for cleaning ceramic workpieces such as SiC boats used in semiconductor fabrication is disclosed. The method comprises washing a virgin or used ceramic workpiece with a strong acid and then using a pelleted CO2 cleaning process on the acid-washed component. The inventive method has been found to produce a workpiece having a very low level of metallic and particulate contaminants on its surface.
Claims15
A process for cleaning a semiconductor processing component having an inorganic surface, the process comprising the steps of:
- a) exposing the inorganic surface to a solvent having at least 1 v/o of an acid selected from the group consisting of HF, acids having a pKa of less than about one, and mixtures thereof, and
- b) directing a flow of frozen CO2 pellets upon the surface, wherein after steps a) and b) are performed the inorganic surface has a metallic contaminant concentration of at most about 600 ppm, as measured by SIMS at a depth of about 10 nm.
A process for cleaning a semiconductor processing component having an inorganic surface, the process comprising the steps of:
- a) subjecting the component to blasting with green SiC particles;
- b) exposing the inorganic surface to a solvent having at least 1 v/o of an acid selected from the group consisting of HF, acids having a pKa of less than about one, and mixtures thereof;
- and
- c) predicting a flow of frozen CO2 pellets upon the surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.