Abstract
Surfaces contaminated by solid particulates and organic films can be cleaned by exposing substrates to a beam of energetic microclusters. Microclusters are defined here as multiply charged, initially liquid aggregates with prevalent radii in the range 0.01–0.5 μm. An in-situ vacuum surface cleaning process is described using microcluster beams formed by electrohydrodynamic emission from capillary emitters. Surface cleaning mechanisms are proposed including a model based on transference of impulsive forces during collisions between microclusters and solid particles. Microshocks induced in thin contaminant films impacted by microclusters are also discussed. Implications of this novel technology for cleaning semiconductor wafers is emphasized.
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