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US 8,137,474 B2Granted
Cleaning compound and method and system for using the cleaning compound
AssigneeLam Research Corporation
InventorsErik M. Freer, John M. de Larios, Katrina Mikhaylichenko, Michael Ravkin, Mikhail Korolik, Fred C. Redeker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cleaning compound is provided. The cleaning compound includes about 0.1 weight percent to about 10 weight percent of a fatty acid dispersed in water. The cleaning compound includes an amount of a base sufficient to bring a pH of the fatty acid water solution to about a level where above about 50% of the dispersed fatty acid is ionized. A method for cleaning a substrate, a system for cleaning a substrate, and a cleaning solution prepared by a process are also provided.
Claims15
A method of cleaning a substrate, comprising:
- applying an emulsion having a first immiscible liquid combined with a second immiscible liquid to a surface of the substrate, the second immiscible liquid forming a plurality of droplets dispersed within the first immiscible liquid, the emulsion further having solid particles distributed within the first immiscible liquid;
- directing the plurality of droplets of the second immiscible liquid to apply a force from some of the plurality of droplets to some of the solid particles, whereby some of the solid particles adhere to one or more contaminants present on the surface of the substrate under the applied force, whereby a solid particle-to-contaminant adhesion force exceeds a contaminant-to-substrate adhesion force;
- and
- moving the solid particles away from the substrate such that contaminants adhered to the solid particles are moved away from the substrate.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.