Processing of semiconductor components with dense processing fluids and ultrasonic energy

A method for processing an article comprising:

• (a) introducing the article into a sealable processing chamber and sealing the processing chamber;
• (b) preparing a single-phase supercritical dense fluid by:
• (b1) cooling fluid in a separate liquefier to produce condensed subcritical fluid;
• (b2) supplying condensed subcritical fluid from the liquefier into a supply vessel;
• (b3) introducing the subcritical fluid from the supply vessel into a pressurization vessel and isolating the pressurization vessel;
• and
• (b4) heating the subcritical fluid at essentially constant volume and essentially constant density to yield a single-phase supercritical dense fluid;
• (b5) introducing one or more processing agents into the pressurization vessel
• before introducing the subcritical fluid into the pressurization vessel, or
• after introducing the subcritical fluid into the pressurization vessel but before heating the pressurization vessel, or
• after introducing the subcritical fluid into the pressurization vessel and after heating the pressurization vessel;
• (c) transferring at least a portion of the single-phase supercritical dense fluid from the pressurization vessel to the processing chamber, wherein the transfer of the single-phase supercritical dense fluid is driven by the difference between the pressure in the pressurization vessel and the pressure in the processing chamber, thereby pressurizing the processing chamber with transferred dense fluid;
• (d) introducing ultrasonic energy into the processing chamber and contacting the article with the transferred dense processing fluid to yield a spent dense processing fluid and a treated article;
• and
• (e) separating the spent dense processing fluid from the treated article.