Patent · US Expired

Electrostatic particle removal and characterization

US5584938A · kind A · utility

31Cited by
5References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateDec 10, 1993
Grant dateDec 17, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 10, 2013

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10T436/25375
  • WIPO fieldChemical engineering
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

An electrostatic decontamination method and decontamination device (10) is disclosed for decontaminating the surface of a semiconductor substrate. The decontamination device (10) includes particle ionizing device (24) that charges contaminating particles (26) on the surface of semiconductor substrate (16) thereby creating ionized particles. Decontamination device (10) also includes substrate biasing device (12) for creating a charge accumulation layer (14) at the top of semiconductor substrate (16) so that the charge accumulation layer (14) has the same charge sign as the ionized particles. In addition, the invention analytically characterizes particles using contaminating particle isolator (44) which contains a particle ionizing device (24) that charges contaminating particles (26) on the surface of semiconductor substrate (16) thereby creating ionized particles. Contaminating particle isolator (44) includes substrate biasing device (12) operable to create charge accumulation layer (14) at the top of semiconductor substrate (16) so that the charge accumulation layer (14) has the same charge sign as the ionized particles. Contaminating particle isolator (44) also includes particle …

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.