Method and apparatus for removal of small particles from a surface
US4711256A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 19, 1985 |
| Grant date | Dec 8, 1987 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 19, 2005 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S148/017
- WIPO fieldSurface technology, coating
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A method for the removal of sub-micron contaminant particles from a surface, such as the surface of a semiconductor wafer. The method comprises washing the contaminated surface in a cleaning solution of a high-molecular-weight highly-fluorinated organic surfactant in a non-ionic highly-fluorinated organic carrier. The surface is then rinsed with a rinsing liquid, which is also a highly-fluorinated organic liquid, and which may be the same as the carrier liquid. In a preferred embodiment, a cascade rinsing method is provided in which the rinsing liquid for each rinsing step is the effluent of the subsequent rinsing step. In a further embodiment, the rinsing liquid has a lower boiling point than the surfactant to permit regeneration of the rinsing liquid by distillation of rinse effluent.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.