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US 7,070,832 B2Granted
Sublimating process for cleaning and protecting lithography masks
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorMichael Goldstein
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Spraying a surface of a reticle with carbon dioxide snow cleans the surface and removes particles. Further spraying the surface of the reticle with carbon dioxide snow at a temperature below a carbon dioxide sublimation temperature forms a solid carbon dioxide layer on the surface. The solid carbon dioxide layer prevents particles from contacting the surface of the reticle. The solid carbon dioxide layer may be removed, and the reticle may be used in a extreme ultraviolet lithography tool.
Claims10
A method comprising:
- applying carbon dioxide to a surface of a reticle;
- forming a solid carbon dioxide layer on the surface of the reticle at a temperature below a sublimation temperature of carbon dioxide, the solid carbon dioxide layer preventing particles from contacting the surface of the reticle;
- placing the reticle inside a lithography tool;
- removing the solid carbon dioxide layer from the surface of the reticle inside the lithography tool;
- and
- spraying the surface of the reticle with carbon dioxide inside the lithography tool.
3 more elements
A method comprising;
- spraying carbon dioxide to remove particles on a surface of a reticle;
- cooling the reticle to a temperature below a sublimation temperature of carbon dioxide;
- forming a solid carbon dioxide layer on the surface of the cooled reticle to prevent particles from contacting the surface of the reticle;
- placing the reticle inside a lithography tool;
- warming the reticle inside the lithography tool to sublimate the solid carbon dioxide layer;
- and
- spraying the surface of the reticle with carbon dioxide inside the lithography tool to remove particles on the surface.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.