Apparatus and method for delivering a treatment liquid and ozone to treat the surface of a workpiece

A method for treating a workpiece comprising the steps of:

• (a) contacting a workpiece having a thin aqueous liquid boundary layer on the surface thereof with ozone whereby the ozone moves through the boundary layer providing an increased concentration of ozone at the surface of the workpiece, and
• (b) reacting the ozone with the surface of the workpiece while the surface of the workpiece is at an elevated temperature wherein the thin aqueous liquid boundary layer is established on the surface of the workpiece by spraying aqueous liquid onto said surface and rotating the workpiece at a speed of rotation sufficient to control the thickness of the boundary layer.

A method for treating a workpiece comprising the steps of:

• (a) contacting a workpiece having a thin aqueous liquid boundary layer on the surface thereof with ozone whereby the ozone moves through the boundary layer providing an increased concentration of ozone at the surface of the workpiece, and
• (b) reacting the ozone with the surface of the workpiece while the surface of the workpiece is at an elevated temperature wherein the thin aqueous liquid boundary layer is established on the surface of the workpiece by supplying aqueous liquid in vapor form whereby the vapor condenses on the surface of the workpiece to form a thin aqueous liquid boundary layer thereon.

A method for treating a workpiece comprising the steps of:

• (a) contacting a workpiece having a thin aqueous liquid boundary layer on the surface thereof with ozone whereby the ozone can diffuse through the boundary layer to provide a diffusion-controlled reaction between the ozone and the surface of the workpiece, and
• (b) reacting the ozone with the surface of the workpiece while the surface of the workpiece is at an elevated temperature, wherein the thin aqueous liquid boundary layer is established by spraying a mixture of ozone and aqueous liquid onto the surface of the workpiece whereby the ozone separates from said aqueous liquid as the aqueous liquid forms said boundary layer.

A method for treating a workpiece comprising the steps of:

• (a) contacting a workpiece having at thin aqueous liquid boundary layer on the surface thereof with ozone whereby the ozone can diffuse through the boundary layer to provide a diffusion-controlled reaction between the ozone and the surface of the workpiece, and
• (b) reacting the ozone with the surface of the workpiece while the surface of the workpiece is at an elevated temperature, wherein the workpiece is heated by contacting the workpiece with a heated gas.

A method for treating a workpiece comprising the steps of:

• (a) depositing on the surface of the workpiece a thin aqueous liquid boundary layer whereby ozone can diffuse through the boundary layer, and
• (b) contacting the surface of the workpiece with ozone gas while the surface of the workpiece is at an elevated temperature whereby the ozone moves through the boundary layer providing an increased concentration of ozone at the surface of the workpiece to react with the surface of the workpiece.

A method for treating a workpiece comprising the steps of:

• (a) depositing on the surface of the workpiece a thin aqueous liquid boundary layer whereby ozone can diffuse through the boundary layer, and
• (b) contacting the surface of the workpiece with ozone gas while the surface of the workpiece is at an elevated temperature whereby the ozone moves through the boundary layer providing an increased concentration of ozone at the surface of the workpiece to react with the surface of the workpiece, wherein the thin aqueous liquid boundary layer is established on the surface of the workpiece by spraying aqueous liquid onto said surface and rotating the workpiece at a speed of rotation sufficient to control the thickness of the boundary layer.

A method for treating a workpiece comprising the steps of:

• (a) depositing on the surface of the workpiece a thin aqueous liquid boundary layer whereby ozone can diffuse through the boundary layer, and
• (b) contacting the surface of the workpiece with ozone gas while the surface of the workpiece is at an elevated temperature whereby the ozone moves through the boundary layer providing an increased concentration of ozone at the surface of the workpiece to react with the surface of the workpiece, wherein the thin aqueous liquid boundary layer is established on the surface of the workpiece by supplying aqueous liquid in vapor form whereby the vapor condenses on the surface of the workpiece to form a thin aqueous liquid boundary layer thereon.

A method for treating a workpiece comprising the steps of:

• (a) depositing on the surface of the workpiece a thin aqueous liquid boundary layer whereby ozone can diffuse through the boundary layer, and
• (b) contacting the surface of the workpiece with ozone gas while the surface of the workpiece is at an elevated temperature whereby the ozone reacts with the surface of the workpiece by way of a diffusion-controlled reaction, wherein the thin liquid boundary layer is established by spraying a mixture of ozone and aqueous liquid onto the surface of the workpiece whereby the ozone separates from said aqueous liquid as the aqueous liquid forms said boundary layer.

A method for treating a workpiece comprising the steps of:

• (a) depositing on the surface of the workpiece a thin aqueous liquid boundary layer whereby ozone can diffuse through the boundary layer, and
• (b) contacting the surface of the workpiece with ozone gas while the surface of the workpiece is at an elevated temperature whereby the ozone reacts with the surface of the workpiece by way of a diffusion-controlled reaction, wherein the workpiece is maintained at an elevated temperature by heating the workpiece, by contacting the workpiece with a heated gas.

A method for treating a workpiece comprising the steps of:

• (a) spraying the surface of the workpiece with aqueous liquid while rotating the workpiece to form a thin aqueous liquid boundary layer on the surface thereof, said boundary layer being sufficiently thin to permit ozone to diffuse therethrough, and
• (b) contacting the surface of the workpiece with ozone gas while the surface of the workpiece is at an elevated temperature whereby the ozone moves through the boundary layer providing an increased concentration of ozone at the surface of the workpiece to react with the surface of the workpiece.

An apparatus for treating a workpiece comprising:

• (a) means for forming a thin aqueous boundary layer on the surface of the workpiece, and
• (b) means for supplying ozone to the surface of the workpiece whereby the ozone can move through the boundary layer providing an increased concentration of ozone at the surface of the workpiece to react with the surface of the workpiece while the surface of the workpiece is at an elevated temperature.

An apparatus for treating a workpiece with ozone comprising:

• (a) a reaction chamber in which the workpiece is maintained during treatment with the ozone,
• (b) means associated with the reaction chamber for forming a thin aqueous boundary layer on the surface of the workpiece and
• (c) means for supplying ozone to the surface of the workpiece within the reaction chamber whereby the ozone can move through the boundary layer providing an increased concentration of ozone at the surface of the workpiece to react with the surface of the workpiece while the surface of the workpiece is at an elevated temperature.

An apparatus for treating a workpiece comprising:

• (a) means for forming a thin aqueous boundary layer on a surface of the workpiece;
• (b) means for rotating the workpiece at a speed of rotation sufficient to control the thickness of the boundary layer, and
• (c) means for supplying ozone to the surface of the workpiece whereby the ozone can move through the boundary layer providing an increased concentration of ozone at the surface of the workpiece to react with the surface of the workpiece while the surface of the workpiece is at an elevated temperature.

An apparatus for treating a workpiece comprising:

• (a) means for supplying an aqueous liquid in vapor form whereby the vapor condenses on a surface of the workpiece to form a thin aqueous boundary layer thereon, and
• (b) means for supplying ozone to the surface of the workpiece whereby the ozone can move through the boundary layer providing an increased concentration of ozone at the surface of the workpiece to react with the surface of the workpiece while the surface of the workpiece is at an elevated temperature.