Method for removing particulates

Abstract

A method for removing particles includes providing an electric charge to a surface of a support and to the particles on the surface, moving a cleaning element toward the surface, and moving the cleaning element away from the surface. Providing the electric charge to the surface of the support and to the particles on the surface can cause the surface of the support and the particles on the surface to have the same negative electrical charge. The cleaning element has an electrostatically attractive layer that causes the particles having the negative electrical charge to move toward the cleaning element and to be attracted to the electrostatically attractive layer.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method of removing particles. BACKGROUND

[0002] Semiconductor integrated circuits have experienced exponential growth, resulting in generations of integrated circuits having smaller and more complex circuitry. In the course of integrated circuit development, functionality density (i.e., the number of interconnected devices per chip area) has generally increased while geometry size (i.e., the smallest component or line that can be produced) has decreased. This scaling down of the components of the integrated circuit permits an increase in production efficiency and a reduction in manufacturing costs. However, as the dimensions of the features made in the integrated circuits become smaller, the challenges in producing and manufacturing the integrated circuits also increase. As the design of integrated circuits has become more complex, the critical dimensions (CD) have correspondingly decreased, resulting in a decrease in the tolerable relative displacement of layers in the integrated circuit components. SUMMARY

[0003] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a method of removing particles includes providing a charge to a surface of a support and to particles on the surface, moving a cleaning element proximate to the surface, and moving the cleaning element away from the surface. The providing of the charge to the surface of the support and to the particles on the surface can cause the surface of the support and the particles on the surface to have a same negative electrical property. The cleaning element has an electrostatically attractive layer, causing the particles having the negative electrical property to move toward the cleaning element and to be attracted to the electrostatically attractive layer.

[0004] According to other embodiments of the present disclosure, a method of removing particles includes moving a charging device to a surface of a support, the charging device providing a first charge to the surface and to at least one particle on the surface, the charging device providing a second charge to a cleaning element, moving the cleaning element proximate to the surface, and moving the cleaning element away from the surface. The providing of the first charge by the charging device causes the surface and the particle on the surface to have a first electrical property, and the providing of the second charge by the charging device causes the cleaning element to have a second electrical property different from the first electrical property. The cleaning element having the second electrical property causes the particle having the first electrical property to move toward the cleaning element and to be attracted to the cleaning element.

[0005] According to other embodiments of the present disclosure, a method of removing particles includes moving a charging device to a surface of a support, the charging device providing an electric charge to particles of the surface, preparing a substrate, disposing an electrostatic adsorption layer on the substrate, moving the substrate relatively close to the surface of the support by a transfer robot, the particles of the surface being adsorbed to the electrostatic adsorption layer, and moving the substrate relatively away from the surface of the support by the transfer robot. The charging device providing the electric charge to the particles of the surface causes the particles to have a first potential. The substrate has a second potential, wherein a first potential difference is between the first potential and the second potential. The electrostatic adsorption layer has a third potential, wherein a second potential difference is between the first potential and the third potential, and the second potential difference is greater than the first potential difference. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0006] The present disclosure will be understood more fully from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

[0007] Figure 1 A flowchart of timing determination for cleaning a wafer and / or reticle support according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0008] Figure 2A And Figure 2C A front view of a support and particles according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0009] Figure 2B And Figure 2D Respectively, Figure 2A And Figure 2C Partial enlarged front views of

[0010] Figure 3 A flowchart of a method of removing particles from a surface of a wafer and / or reticle support according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0011] Figure 4A A front view of one of the steps of the method of removing particles according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0012] Figure 4B Is a partial enlarged front view of Figure 4A

[0013] Figure 5A A front view of one of the steps of the method of removing particles according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 5B Is a partial enlarged front view of Figure 5A ​​

[0015] Figure 6A A front view of one of the steps of a method of removing particles, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 6B A front view of one of the steps of a method of removing particles, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 6A

[0017] Figure 7 A flowchart of a method of removing particles from a surface of a support of a wafer and / or reticle, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 8 A front view of one of the steps of a method of removing particles, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 9 A front view of one of the steps of a method of removing particles, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 10 A front view of one of the steps of a method of removing particles, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 11 A front view of one of the steps of a method of removing particles, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 12A A front view of one of the steps of a method of removing particles, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 8 A front view of one of the steps of a method of removing particles, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 12B A front view of one of the steps of a method of removing particles, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 10 A front view of one of the steps of a method of removing particles, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 12C A front view of one of the steps of a method of removing particles, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 11 A front view of one of the steps of a method of removing particles, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 13A A front view of one of the steps of a method of removing particles, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 8 A front view of one of the steps of a method of removing particles, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 13B A front view of one of the steps of a method of removing particles, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 10 A front view of one of the steps of a method of removing particles, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 13C A front view of one of the steps of a method of removing particles, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 11 A front view of one of the steps of a method of removing particles, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 14 A lithographic apparatus, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; ​

[0029] Figure 15 A lithographic apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0030] SYMBOL DESCRIPTION

[0031] 100: flowchart

[0032] 102, 104, 106, 108, 110: step

[0033] 200: support

[0034] 200': support

[0035] 202: surface

[0036] 204: particle

[0037] 205: wafer support pin

[0038] 206: first positive charge

[0039] 208: first negative charge

[0040] 300: method

[0041] 302, 304, 306: step

[0042] 400: charging device

[0043] 402: charge

[0044] 404: direction

[0045] 406: second negative charge

[0046] 408: direction

[0047] 410: electrostatic force direction

[0048] 500: cleaning element

[0049] 502: substrate

[0050] 504: electrostatically attractive layer

[0051] 506: direction

[0052] 508: direction

[0053] 510: second positive charge

[0054] 600: direction

[0055] 700: method

[0056] 702, 703, 704, 706: step

[0057] 900: charge

[0058] 902: direction

[0059] 1200: third negative charge

[0060] 1202: direction

[0061] 1204: electrostatic force direction

[0062] 1206: third positive charge

[0063] 1208: direction

[0064] 1300: fourth positive charge

[0065] 1302: direction

[0066] 1304: electrostatic force direction

[0067] 1306: fourth negative charge

[0068] 1308: direction

[0069] 1400: lithography apparatus

[0070] 1402: radiation source

[0071] 1404: delivery system

[0072] 1406: light source system

[0073] 1408: mask stage

[0074] 1410: mask positioning drive element

[0075] 1412: projection system

[0076] 1414: wafer stage

[0077] 1416: wafer positioning drive element

[0078] 1418: adjuster

[0079] 1420: integrator

[0080] 1422: concentrator

[0081] 1500: direction

[0082] B: beam of radiation

[0083] M: mask

[0084] M1, M2, M3, M4, M5: partial enlargement

[0085] T: transfer robot

[0086] W: wafer DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0087] When an element is referred to as being "on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements can also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on" another element, there are no intervening elements present. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0088] In addition, spatially relative terms, such as "under", "below", "lower", "over", "upper" and the like, can be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. The spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. The devices can be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

[0089] As the trend of scaling continues, alignment and overlay issues in processes or measurements become more challenging as the dimensions of the elements continue to shrink. Small alignment or overlay errors during processing can result in wafer failure. Various elements and techniques have been used to reduce misalignment during manufacturing. For example, alignment marks can be used to ensure proper alignment between wafers when loaded into semiconductor manufacturing tools. In another example, wafer level correction systems can be used to ensure that wafers are level during manufacturing. However, particles generated by various processes can still cause alignment issues in semiconductor manufacturing, especially when the particles are on the surface of the wafer and / or reticle support. Accordingly, some embodiments of the disclosure provide a method of removing particles from the surface of a wafer and / or reticle support.

[0090] Figure 1An exemplary flowchart 100 for determining when to clean a wafer and / or reticle support is shown. The wafer and / or reticle support cleaning step 108 can be performed after any parameter change, such as after changing a different wafer / reticle type in step 102, after performing periodic maintenance of the equipment in step 104, or after performing equipment repair in step 106. The support is cleaned in step 108 to remove particles on the support before placing a target wafer and / or reticle on the support. After the cleaning in step 108, the wafer and / or reticle is placed on the support in step 110 and the target wafer and / or reticle is processed, tested, or analyzed. The flowchart 100 provides a flowchart for determining when to clean the support, and step 108 can be performed at any other time when the wafer and / or reticle support needs to be cleaned.

[0091] The target objects that can be placed on the support include wafers, reticles, or any other object that needs to be maintained horizontally during processing. The support can be a wafer stage / table, a reticle stage / table, an electrostatic chuck (e-chuck), or any other device having the same concept. The support has a larger area than the wafer and / or reticle. The wafer can have a diameter of about 200 mm, about 300 mm, about 450 mm, or any other suitable size. In some embodiments, the wafer stage is designed to have a plurality of wafer support pins that can be moved independently (from each other) and vertically (perpendicular to the surface of the wafer supported thereon). In other embodiments, the electrostatic chuck is designed to be a device that uses electricity to generate electrostatic forces, such as Coulomb forces and Johnsen-Rahbek forces, to hold the wafer and / or reticle in place during semiconductor processing.

[0092] In some embodiments, the wafer can be a bulk semiconductor wafer. For example, the wafer can include a silicon wafer. The wafer can include silicon or another elemental semiconductor material, such as germanium. In some embodiments, the wafer can include a compound semiconductor. The compound semiconductor can include gallium arsenide, silicon carbide, indium arsenide, indium phosphide, other suitable materials, or combinations of the above. In other embodiments, however, the wafer can include an alloy semiconductor, such as silicon germanium, silicon germanium carbide, gallium arsenic phosphide, or gallium indium phosphide. In other embodiments, the wafer can include a substrate of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) or germanium-on-insulator (GOI). The SOI substrate can be fabricated by separation by implantation of oxygen (SIMOX) techniques, wafer bonding techniques, other suitable techniques, or combinations of the above.

[0093] In some embodiments, the wafer includes an undoped substrate. In other embodiments, the wafer includes a doped substrate, such as a p-type substrate or an n-type substrate.

[0094] In some embodiments, the wafer includes different doped regions according to design requirements of the semiconductor device structure. The doped regions can include p-type wells and / or n-type wells. In some embodiments, the doped regions are doped with p-type dopants, for example, the doped regions can be doped with boron or boron fluoride. In some embodiments, the doped regions are doped with n-type dopants, for example, phosphorus or arsenic. In some embodiments, a portion of the doped regions is doped p-type while another portion is doped n-type.

[0095] In some embodiments, an interconnect structure can be formed on the wafer. The interconnect structure can include multiple layers of interlayer dielectric layers and dielectric layers. The interconnect structure can also include multiple layers of conductive features, such as conductive lines, conductive vias, and / or various conductive contacts, formed between the interlayer dielectric layers.

[0096] In some embodiments, the wafer has different device elements. For example, the device elements can include transistors (e.g., metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs), complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) transistors, bipolar junction transistors (BJTs), high-voltage transistors, high-frequency transistors, p-channel and / or n-channel field effect transistors (PFETs and / or NFETs), diodes, or other suitable elements). Different device elements can employ different fabrication processes, including deposition, etching, implantation, lithography, annealing, and / or other suitable fabrication processes.

[0097] In some embodiments, the device elements in the wafer can be connected to each other via interconnect structures and form an integrated circuit device. The integrated circuit device can include logic devices, memory devices (e.g., static random access memory (SRAM)), radio frequency (RF) devices, input / output (I / O) devices, system-on-chip (SOC) devices, image sensor devices, other suitable devices, or a combination thereof.

[0098] In some embodiments, the reticle can include a reflective mask. The structure of the reticle includes a substrate made of a suitable material, such as a low thermal expansion material (LTEM) or fused quartz. In different embodiments, the low thermal expansion material includes titanium dioxide (Ti02), doped silicon dioxide (Si02), or other suitable materials with low thermal expansion. The reticle can further include a reflective multiple layer deposited on the substrate. The reflective multiple layer can include a number of film pairs, such as molybdenum-silicon (Mo / Si) film pairs (e.g., in each film pair, a molybdenum layer is on top of or below a silicon layer), or molybdenum-beryllium (Mo / Be) film pairs, or other suitable materials that highly reflect light.

[0099] Referring to Figure 2A , which is an exemplary front view of a support seat according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, wherein Figure 2A the partial enlargement M1 of the dashed box illustrates Figure 2B . Figure 2A and Figure 2B , the support seat 200 of Figure 2C and Figure 2D may not have the wafer support pin 205. Furthermore, the steps of operation applied to Figure 2A and Figure 2B , the steps of operation applied to the support seat 200 of Figure 2C and Figure 2D . Unless otherwise specified, the description of the same elements discussed in the figures can be directly applied to other figures.

[0100] In some embodiments, after going through one or more semiconductor processes, the support seat 200 inevitably has some particles 204 attached to the surface 202 of the support seat 200. These particles 204 can come from particles in the gas, contaminants generated during the process, particles originally attached to the wafer, or other particle-generating situations. These particles 204 can cause alignment problems in the semiconductor process and generate wafers with defects.

[0101] Before performing the particle removal, the electrical property of the support seat 200 and the electrical property of the particles 204 on the surface 202 of the support seat 200 are generally in a state of electrical neutrality. In other words, as Figure 2B and Figure 2DAs illustrated, the number of first positive charges 206 on the support 200 or the support 200' is substantially equal to the number of first negative charges 208, and the number of first positive charges 206 on the microparticles 204 is also substantially equal to the number of first negative charges 208.

[0102] It should be noted that, for simplicity of presentation in the drawings, the size, number, position, shape, combination, or other physical characteristics of any positive charges and negative charges in the drawings have been adjusted to present an illustrative electrical representation of the positive charges and negative charges in the drawings. Furthermore, the support illustrated in the present disclosure is the support 200 with wafer support pins 205, which is merely an example and is not intended to be limiting. The purpose of the support is to hold any target object (e.g., a wafer or a reticle) that needs to be maintained horizontally, and thus any device having the same purpose is within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0103] Figure 1 Step 108 of the flowchart 100 can be achieved by the method of removing microparticles from the surface of a support for a wafer and / or a reticle provided by the present disclosure. Figure 3 A flowchart of a method 300 of removing microparticles from the surface of a support for a wafer and / or a reticle is illustrated according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Each step operation in the method 300 corresponds to Figure 4A 、 Figure 5A and Figure 6A respectively. For example, steps 302 and Figure 4A illustrate that the charging device 400 provides the electric charges 402 to the surface 202 of the support 200. For example, steps 304 and Figure 5A illustrate that the cleaning element 500 is moved close to the support 200, causing the microparticles 204 on the surface 202 of the support 200 to move close to the cleaning element 500 and to be adsorbed onto the electrostatic adsorption layer 504 of the cleaning element 500. For example, steps 306 and Figure 6A illustrate that the cleaning element 500 is moved away from the support 200.

[0104] Referring to Figure 4A , a simplified front view of step 302 of the method 300 is illustrated: the charging device 400 provides the electric charges 402 to the surface 202 of the support 200 and the microparticles 204 on the surface 202. In Figure 4A , the charging device 400 also includes a transmission system to move the charging device 400, a control system to provide the electric charges 402, and / or other devices. For simplicity of illustration, the above systems or devices are not illustrated in Figure 4A .

[0105] In some embodiments, the charging device 400 moves over the support pedestal 200 and the electric charge 402 can be provided to the surface 202 of the support pedestal 200 and the particles 204 on the surface 202 in a spray-like manner. In some embodiments, the wafer support pins 205 can remain protruded during the spraying of the electric charge 402 by the charging device 400. In some embodiments, the spraying cross-sectional area of the electric charge 402 by the charging device 400 is equal to or larger than the placement area of the target object, such as a wafer, a reticle, or other target object that needs to be maintained horizontally, to reduce the contamination of the target object by the particles 204 and / or alignment issues. Figure 4A A partial enlarged view M3 of the dashed-dotted box is shown in Figure 4B .

[0106] The charging device 400 provides the electric charge 402, where the electric charge of the charging device 400 is from charged particles, such as electrons, ions, or plasma, or other suitable charged particles.

[0107] The charging device 400 can be an electron gun, an ion generator, a plasma generator, other techniques that provide charged particles, or a combination thereof.

[0108] Referring to Figure 4B , a partial enlarged view M3 front view of Figure 4A is shown. The electric charge 402 provided by the charging device 400 is a second negative electric charge 406. In some embodiments, the second negative electric charge 406 moves from the charging device 400 to the surface 202 of the support pedestal 200 and the particles 204 on the surface 202 of the support pedestal 200 (e.g., moves in a direction 408). The particles 204 on the surface 202 of the support pedestal 200 and the particles 204 on the surface 202 of the support pedestal 200 each have the first positive electric charge 206, the first negative electric charge 208, and the second negative electric charge 406, such that the particles 204 on the surface 202 of the support pedestal 200 and the particles 204 on the surface 202 of the support pedestal 200 each have a greater number of negative electric charges than positive electric charges. In other words, the particles 204 on the surface 202 of the support pedestal 200 and the particles 204 on the surface 202 of the support pedestal 200 each have a negative electric charge polarity. When the particles 204 on the surface 202 of the support pedestal 200 and the particles 204 on the surface 202 of the support pedestal 200 each and simultaneously have a negative electric charge polarity, a repulsive electrostatic force is generated between the particles 204 on the surface 202 of the support pedestal 200 and the particles 204 on the surface 202 of the support pedestal 200. In some embodiments, the electrostatic force is exerted on the particles 204 in a direction away from the surface 202 of the support pedestal 200 (e.g., in a direction 410 of the electrostatic force).

[0109] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, providing the charges 402 (e.g., the second negative charges 406) to the surface 202 of the support 200 and the particles 204 on the surface 202 changes the net charge of the surface 202 of the support 200 and the net charge of the particles 204 on the surface 202 (i.e., the charge remaining after the positive and negative charges in a pair are neutralized). When the net charge of the surface 202 of the support 200 and the net charge of the particles 204 on the surface 202 are both of the same polarity, e.g., both positive or both negative, electrostatic forces repelling each other can be generated. Moreover, the magnitude of the electrostatic forces between the surface 202 of the support 200 and the particles 204 on the surface 202 is directly proportional to the amount of net charge each possesses. In some embodiments, the repelling electrostatic forces between the surface 202 of the support 200 and the particles 204 on the surface 202 generated beforehand can be sufficient to assist the detachment of the particles 204 on the surface 202 from the surface 202 of the support 200 in subsequent steps.

[0110] Figure 5A A simplified front view of step 304 of the method 300 is illustrated. The cleaning element 500 is brought close to the support 200 (e.g., direction 506) to move the particles 204 on the surface 202 towards the cleaning element 500 (e.g., direction 508) and to be adsorbed onto the electrostatic adsorption layer 504 of the cleaning element 500. In some embodiments, the wafer transfer robot T carries the cleaning element 500 and brings the cleaning element 500 close to the support 200 by moving the wafer transfer robot T. The cleaning element 500 includes a substrate 502 and an electrostatic adsorption layer 504 disposed on the substrate 502, wherein the electrostatic adsorption layer 504 faces the support 200. Figure 5A Other systems or devices, such as cleaning systems to remove the particles 204 adsorbed on the cleaning element 500 or other applications, are not illustrated in Figure 5A .

[0111] Continuing to refer to Figure 5AIn some embodiments, the cleaning element 500 has an area that is substantially the same as the area of the charge spray of the charging device 400 in step 302 of the method 300, i.e., equal to or greater than the area of the target object, such as a wafer, a reticle, or other target object that is to be maintained horizontally. In some embodiments, the cleaning element 500 is moved above the support base 200 to align with the area of the charge spray of the charging device 400 in step 302. The cleaning element 500 is moved toward the support base 200 (e.g., direction 506). In some embodiments, the cleaning element 500 is stopped at a position above the surface 202 of the support base 200 to adsorb the particles 204 without contacting the surface 202 of the support base 200 and the protruding wafer support pins 205. In other embodiments, the cleaning element 500 adsorbs the particles 204 by contacting the surface 202 of the support base 200 and / or the protruding wafer support pins 205. Figure 5A A partial enlarged view M4 of the dashed box is shown in Figure 5B .

[0112] Referring to Figure 5B , a partial enlarged view M4 of the front view of Figure 5A is shown, where the number of negative charges on the particles 204 on the surface 202 is greater than the number of positive charges (e.g., the first positive charge 206, the first negative charge 208, and the second negative charge 406), such that the particles 204 on the surface 202 have a negative electrical property. The electrostatically adsorbing layer 504 of the cleaning element 500 has a property of attracting negative electrical property. In some embodiments, the electrostatically adsorbing layer 504 of the cleaning element 500 has a positive electrical property (e.g., the second positive charge 510). The electrostatically adsorbing layer 504 with the positive electrical property generates an attractive electrostatic force with the particles 204 on the surface 202, such that the particles 204 on the surface 202 move toward the cleaning element 500 (e.g., direction 508) and are adsorbed onto the electrostatically adsorbing layer 504 of the cleaning element 500.

[0113] In some embodiments, the substrate 502 of the cleaning element 500 is an unpatterned substrate, which is substantially the same as a control wafer or a dummy wafer. The substrate can include (1) crystalline silicon; (2) germanium; (3) compound semiconductors including SiC, GaAs, GaP, InP, InAs, and / or InSb; (4) alloy semiconductors including SiGe, GaAsP, AlInAs, AlGaAs, GaInAs, GaInP, GaInAsP; or (5) a combination of any of the above.

[0114] Generally, the amount of net charge possessed by each of the articles is directly proportional to the strength of the electrostatic force between the articles. The amount of net charge possessed by the articles affects the potential state of the articles, and the strength of the electrostatic force between the articles can be represented by the potential difference between the articles. The amount of net charge (or the potential state) possessed by each of the articles has a direct relationship with the potential difference between the articles. For example, in step 302, when the charging device 400 provides the charge 402 to the particles 204, the amount of net charge possessed by the particles 204 increases, thereby increasing the potential difference and the attractive electrostatic force between the particles 204 and the cleaning element 500, and thus possibly facilitating the driving of the particles 204 to move to the electrostatic adsorption layer 504. In some embodiments, when the potential difference between the particles 204 and the electrostatic adsorption layer 504 is greater than about 0.1 volt, the resulting electrostatic force can drive the particles 204 to move toward the cleaning element 500 and to be adsorbed on the electrostatic adsorption layer 504 of the cleaning element 500.

[0115] In step 302, as shown in FIG. 3B, the provision of the charge 402 by the charging device 400 to regulate the electrical properties and the amount of the particles 204 can facilitate the selection of the electrostatic adsorption layer 504. For example, when the particles 204 receive more negative charges from the charging device 400 and exhibit a net charge of negative electrical properties, the electrostatic adsorption layer 504 of the cleaning element 500 should have a net charge of positive electrical properties to generate an attractive electrostatic force. The opposite is also true. Figure 4A

[0116] The electrostatic adsorption layer can be a coating, and the process parameters of the coating, such as the coating material and the coating thickness, can also affect the potential difference between the particles 204. For example, in some embodiments, a silicon wafer without a coating can generate a potential difference of about 0.08 volts to about 0.12 volts with the particles 204 having a net charge; in the same case, a silicon wafer with a titanium dioxide (Ti02) coating having a thickness of about 35 nanometers to about 45 nanometers can generate a potential difference of about 0.5 volts to 0.7 volts with the particles 204 having a net charge. In comparison, the silicon wafer with the titanium dioxide coating having a thickness of about 35 nanometers to about 45 nanometers has a better ability (e.g., the number of particles, the degree of particle adhesion) to adsorb the particles 204 than the silicon wafer without a coating. In addition, the titanium dioxide coating can have positive electrical properties and thus attract the particles 204 having negative electrical properties. Therefore, the process parameters of the coating can be used to increase the potential difference between the cleaning element 500 and the particles 204 having a net charge, to generate a driving force that can facilitate the movement of the particles 204 to the cleaning element 500.

[0117] ​In some embodiments, the coating on the cleaning element 500 can be formed by at least one of the following processes: thermal oxidation, chemical oxidation, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), including low pressure CVD (LPCVD), plasma enhanced CVD (PECVD), ultra-high vacuum CVD (UHVCVD), reduced pressure CVD (RPCVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), physical vapor deposition, pulsed laser deposition, sputtering, evaporation deposition, vapor phase epitaxy (VPE), molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), liquid phase epitaxy (LPE), electroplating, electroless plating, or other suitable techniques.

[0118] Figure 6A A simplified front view of step 306 of the method 300 is illustrated. The cleaning element 500 is moved away from the surface 202 of the support pedestal 200, with the particles 204 attached to the cleaning element 500 moving away from the surface 202 of the support pedestal 200 with the cleaning element 500. In some embodiments, the wafer transfer robot T carries the cleaning element 500, and the cleaning element 500 is moved away from the support pedestal 200 by movement of the wafer transfer robot T. In some embodiments, the wafer transfer robot T is a robot arm, and the cleaning element 500 is moved away from the support pedestal 200 by movement of the robot arm. Figure 6A In some embodiments, the particles 204 remain attached to the electrostatic chucking layer 504 of the cleaning element 500 due to attractive electrostatic forces, and when the cleaning element 500 is moved away from the surface 202 of the support pedestal 200 (e.g., in the direction 600), the particles 204 move away from the surface 202 of the support pedestal 200 with the cleaning element 500. Figure 6A A partial enlargement M5 of the dashed box in FIG. 6B is illustrated in Figure 6B .

[0119] Figure 6B A simplified front view of step 306 of the method 300 is illustrated. The cleaning element 500 is moved away from the surface 202 of the support pedestal 200, with the particles 204 attached to the cleaning element 500 moving away from the surface 202 of the support pedestal 200 with the cleaning element 500. In some embodiments, the wafer transfer robot T carries the cleaning element 500, and the cleaning element 500 is moved away from the support pedestal 200 by movement of the wafer transfer robot T. In some embodiments, the wafer transfer robot T is a robot arm, and the cleaning element 500 is moved away from the support pedestal 200 by movement of the robot arm. Figure 6AA partially enlarged front view (M5). After the particles 204 are removed, the surface 202 of the support 200 is free of particles 204, restoring the surface 202 of the support 200 to its initial electrically neutral state; in other words, the surface 202 of the support 200 has the same number of positive and negative charges. In some embodiments, the electrically neutral state of the surface 202 of the support 200 can be restored by grounding. It should be noted that the charge in the electrically neutral state on the surface 202 of the support 200 may originate from the first positive charge 206, the first negative charge 208, the second negative charge 406, charges obtained by other means (not shown), or a combination thereof.

[0120] In some embodiments, others not shown Figures 4A to 6B Systems or devices, such as gas supply systems, exhaust systems, position calibration systems, positioning transmission systems, and / or other devices, may be included therein.

[0121] Figure 1 Step 108 of flowchart 100 can be achieved by another method for removing particles from the surface of the support of the wafer and / or photomask provided in this disclosure. Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating another method 700 for removing microparticles from the surface of a wafer and / or photomask support, according to some embodiments of this disclosure, is provided. Each step in method 700 corresponds to... Figures 8 to 11 For example, steps 702 and 703 of method 700 Figure 8 As shown, the charging device 400 provides charge 402 to the surface 202 of the support 200. For example, steps 703 and 704 of method 700... Figure 9 As shown, a charging device 400 provides charge 900 to the cleaning element 500. For example, steps 704 and 705 of method 700... Figure 10 As shown, the cleaning element 500 is moved close to the support 200, causing the particles 204 on the surface 202 of the support 200 to approach and adhere to the cleaning element 500. For example, steps 706 and... Figure 11 As shown, the movable cleaning element 500 is moved away from the support base 200. Compared to Figure 3 Method 300 Figure 7 Method 700 has an additional step 703, but the other steps can generally be applied to the steps described in Method 300.

[0122] See Figure 8 The diagram illustrates a simplified front view of step 702 in method 700: the charging device 400 provides charge 402 to the surface 202 of the support 200 and particles 204 on the surface 202. Figure 8In some embodiments, the charging device 400 also includes a drive system to move the charging device 400, a control system to provide the electric charge 402, and / or other devices. For simplicity of illustration, the above systems or devices are not shown in Figure 8 .

[0123] In some embodiments, the charging device 400 moves above the support pedestal 200, and the manner of providing the electric charge 402 includes providing the electric charge 402 in a spray-like manner to the surface 202 of the support pedestal 200 and to the particles 204 on the surface 202. In some embodiments, the wafer support pins 205 remain protruded during the spraying of the electric charge 402 by the charging device 400. In some embodiments, the spraying cross-sectional area of the electric charge 402 by the charging device 400 is equal to or larger than the placement area of the target object, such as a wafer, a reticle, or other target object that needs to be maintained horizontally, to reduce the particle contamination and / or alignment problem of the target object. Figure 7 different embodiments of the partial enlargement M3 of the dashed box in Figure 12A and Figure 13A (later discussed).

[0124] Referring to Figure 9 , a simplified front view of step 703 of the method 700 is shown: the charging device 400 provides an electric charge 900 to the cleaning element 500 (e.g., direction 902) such that the electric charge 900 carried by the cleaning element 500 is different from the electric charge 402 of the support pedestal 200. In other words, when the electric charge 402 obtained by the support pedestal is a positive charge, the electric charge 900 obtained by the cleaning element 500 is a negative charge. Conversely, when the electric charge 402 obtained by the support pedestal is a negative charge, the electric charge 900 obtained by the cleaning element 500 is a positive charge. In step 703 of the method 700, the potential difference between the cleaning element 500 and the particles 204 is affected by the pre-treatment on the cleaning element 500.

[0125] Figure 10 A simplified front view of step 704 of the method 700 is shown. The cleaning element 500 is brought close to the support pedestal 200 (e.g., direction 506) such that the particles 204 on the surface 202 are moved (e.g., direction 508) toward the cleaning element 500 and are adsorbed onto the cleaning element 500. In some embodiments, the wafer transfer robot T carries the cleaning element 500, and the cleaning element 500 is brought close to the support pedestal 200 by the movement of the wafer transfer robot T. Figure 10 including other systems or devices, such as a cleaning system to remove the particles 204 adsorbed on the cleaning element 500 or other suitable devices, are not shown in Figure 10 .

[0126] Referring to Figure 10In some embodiments, the area of ​​the cleaning element 500 is substantially the same as the area of ​​the charge sprayed by the charging device 400 in step 702 of method 700, i.e., equal to or greater than the placement area of ​​the target object, such as a wafer, photomask, or other target object that needs to be kept horizontal. In some embodiments, the cleaning element 500 moves above the support 200, aligning with the area of ​​the charge sprayed by the charging device 400 in step 702. The cleaning element 500 moves toward the support 200 (e.g., in direction 506) and eventually stops at a position above the surface 202 of the support 200. In some embodiments, the cleaning element 500 adsorbs particles 204 on the surface 202 without contacting the surface 202 of the support 200 and the protruding wafer support pins 205. In other embodiments, the cleaning element 500 adsorbs particles 204 on the surface 202 with contact with the surface 202 of the support 200 and / or the protruding wafer support pins 205. Figure 10 Different embodiments of the M4, partially enlarged within the dashed box, are illustrated in [the diagram]. Figure 12B and Figure 13B (To be discussed later.)

[0127] Figure 11 A simplified front view of step 706 of method 700 is illustrated. The cleaning element 500 is moved away from the surface 202 of the support 200, wherein particles 204 attached to the cleaning element 500 are moved away from the surface 202 of the support 200 along with the cleaning element 500. In some embodiments, a wafer transfer robotic arm T carries the cleaning element 500 and moves the cleaning element 500 away from the support 200 by movement of the wafer transfer robotic arm T. Figure 11 In the process, the particles 204 remain attached to the cleaning element 500 due to the electrostatic attraction between them. When the cleaning element 500 moves away from the surface 202 of the support 200 (e.g., along direction 600), the particles 204 move away from the surface 202 of the support 200 along with the cleaning element 500. Figure 11 Different embodiments of M5, partially enlarged within the dashed box, are illustrated in [the diagram]. Figure 12C and Figure 13C (To be discussed later.)

[0128] In the method 700 described above, the charge provided by the charging device 400 can be either negative or positive. Embodiments for different charges can be developed by... Figure 8 , Figure 10 ,and Figure 11 The magnified views of M3, M4, and M5 in the image are used to further illustrate this point.

[0129] See Figure 12A , plotted Figure 8 A partially enlarged front view of M3. The charging device 400 provides a third negative charge 1200 (i.e., Figure 8the surface 202 of the support 200 and the particles 204 on the surface 202. In some embodiments, the third negative charge 1200 is moved from the charging device 400 to the surface 202 of the support 200 and the particles 204 in the direction 1202. The surface 202 of the support 200 and the particles 204 each have the first positive charge 206, the first negative charge 208, and the third negative charge 1200, such that the surface 202 of the support 200 and the particles 204 each have a greater number of negative charges than positive charges, and thus the surface 202 of the support 200 and the particles 204 each have a negative electrical property. When the surface 202 of the support 200 and the particles 204 each and simultaneously have the same negative electrical property, a repulsive electrostatic force is generated between the surface 202 of the support 200 and the particles 204 on the surface 202. In some embodiments, an electrostatic force will be exerted on the particles 204 in a direction away from the surface 202 of the support 200 (e.g., in the direction of the electrostatic force 1204).

[0130] Referring to Figure 12B , a partial enlarged view M4 of the front view of Figure 10 , after the particles 204 on the surface 202 receive the third negative charge 1200, the particles 204 have a greater number of negative charges than positive charges and have a negative electrical property, and thus a cleaning element 500 capable of attracting a negative electrical property can be used. In some embodiments, the cleaning element 500 receives a charge 900 from the charging device 400 that is a positive charge (i.e., a fourth positive charge 1300), such that the cleaning element 500 and the particles 204 and the support 200 generate an electrostatic force that attracts each other. In some embodiments, this attractive electrostatic force causes the particles 204 to move toward the cleaning element 500 (e.g., in the direction 1208).

[0131] Referring to Figure 12C , a partial enlarged view M5 of the front view of Figure 11 . After the particles 204 are removed, the surface 202 of the support 200 is free of the particles 204, and the surface 202 of the support 200 returns to a substantially electrically neutral state, in other words, the surface 202 of the support 200 has the same number of positive charges and negative charges. In some embodiments, the substantially electrically neutral state of the surface 202 of the support 200 can be restored by grounding. It should be noted that the charge of the surface 202 of the support 200 at this time can come from the first positive charge 206, the first negative charge 210, the third negative charge 1200, a charge obtained by other means (not shown), or a combination thereof.

[0132] Referring to Figure 13A , another embodiment of a partial enlarged view M3 of the front view of Figure 8 . The charging device 400 provides a fourth positive charge 1300 (i.e., the charge 900), such that the cleaning element 500 and the particles 204 and the support 200 generate an electrostatic force that attracts each other. In some embodiments, this attractive electrostatic force causes the particles 204 to move toward the cleaning element 500 (e.g., in the direction 1208). Figure 8The charge 402 is transferred to the surface 202 of the support 200 and the particles 204 on the surface 202. In some embodiments, the fourth positive charge 1300 moves from the charging device 400 to the surface 202 of the support 200 and the particles 204 (e.g., moving along direction 1302). The surface 202 of the support 200 and the particles 204 each have a first positive charge 206, a first negative charge 210, and a fourth positive charge 1300, such that the number of positive charges on the surface 202 of the support 200 and the particles 204 are greater than the number of negative charges, that is, the surface 202 of the support 200 and the particles 204 are each positively charged. When the surface 202 of the support 200 and the particles 204 each have the same positive charge, a repulsive electrostatic force is generated between the surface 202 of the support 200 and the particles 204. In some embodiments, an electrostatic force is applied to the particle 204 in a direction away from the surface 202 of the support 200 (e.g., along the electrostatic force direction 1304).

[0133] See Figure 13B , plotted Figure 10 In another embodiment of the partially enlarged M4 front view, the particles 204, after acquiring a fourth positive charge 1300, have more positive charges than negative charges and are positively charged, thus allowing the use of a cleaning element 500 capable of attracting positively charged particles. In some embodiments, the cleaning element 500 receives a negative charge 900 (i.e., a fourth negative charge 1306) from the charging device 400, causing an electrostatic force to be generated between the cleaning element 500 and the particles 204. In some embodiments, this attractive electrostatic force causes the particles 204 to move toward the cleaning element 500 (e.g., along direction 1308).

[0134] See Figure 13C , plotted Figure 11 A partially enlarged front view of M5. After the particles 204 are removed, there are no particles 204 on the surface 202 of the support 200, and the surface 202 of the support 200 returns to a substantially electrically neutral state, that is, the surface 202 of the support 200 has the same number of positive charges and negative charges. In some embodiments, the substantially electrically neutral state of the surface 202 of the support 200 can be restored by grounding. It should be noted that the charge on the surface 202 of the support 200 may originate from the first positive charge 206, the first negative charge 210, the fourth positive charge 1300, charges obtained by other means (not shown), or a combination thereof.

[0135] There may be other process operations between the steps of method 300 and method 700, and these other process operations may be omitted for the purpose of simplifying the description. Furthermore, methods 300 and 700 are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit this disclosure to the content expressly stated in the claims.

[0136] In some embodiments, steps 302-306 in method 300 and steps 702-306 in method 700 can be continuously repeated to ensure removal of the particles 204 on the surface 202 of the support 200. After the cleaning of the support 200 is completed, the method 700 can continue with step 110 in method 700. Figure 1

[0137] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, Figure 14 A lithography apparatus 1400 having a support is schematically illustrated. The lithography apparatus 1400 includes a light source system 1406 to condition a radiation beam B (e.g., extreme ultraviolet (EUV)), a mask M, and a mask stage 1408 to support the mask M, wherein the mask stage 1408 is connected to mask positioning actuators 1410 that can accurately position the mask M. The lithography apparatus 1400 also includes a wafer stage 1414 to hold a wafer W, the wafer stage 1414 is connected to wafer positioning actuators 1416. The wafer positioning actuators 1416 can accurately position the wafer W. The wafer stage 1414 functions as a support because it can support the wafer W. The lithography apparatus 1400 further includes a projection system (e.g., a refractive projection lens system) 1412 to project a pattern imparted to the radiation beam B by the mask M onto a target location on the wafer W.

[0138] In some embodiments, the light source system 1406 can include various types of optical components for directing, shaping, or controlling the radiation beam B, such as refractive, reflective, magnetic, electromagnetic, electrostatic, or other types of optical components, or any combination thereof.

[0139] The mask stage 1408 functions as a support and can support the mask M (i.e., carry its weight). In some embodiments, the mask stage 1408 can hold the mask M using mechanical, vacuum, electrostatic, or other clamping techniques. The mask stage 1408 can ensure that the mask M is in a desired position, e.g., a desired position relative to the projection system 1412.

[0140] In some embodiments, the mask M is any element that can be used to pattern a radiation beam so as to pattern the wafer W. It should be noted that when the pattern includes phase shift features, the pattern formed in the radiation beam B must correspond exactly to the desired pattern in the wafer W. In general, the pattern formed in the radiation beam B will correspond to a particular functional layer of an element (e.g., an integrated circuit) that will be formed in the wafer W.

[0141] ​In some embodiments, depending on the exposure radiation used or other factors such as the use of an immersion liquid or the use of vacuum, the projection system 1412 can be of any type of projection system, including refractive, reflective, catadioptric, magnetic, electromagnetic and electrostatic optical systems, or any combination thereof, as appropriate for the exposure radiation being used, and / or for other factors such as the use of an immersion liquid or the use of vacuum.

[0142] The lithography apparatus 1400 can have two or more wafer stages and / or two or more reticle stages. In an embodiment, one or more of the wafer stages can be used to hold a plurality of individually packaged integrated access devices. The stages are typically adhered at the edges, and / or the corners, and / or the middle of the stages, and / or a combination thereof. In an embodiment, one or more of the reticle stages can be used to hold a mask.

[0143] The lithography apparatus 1400 can also be of a type wherein at least a portion of the substrate W can be covered by a liquid cover, e.g., water, so as to fill a space between the projection system 1412 and the substrate W. Immersion techniques can increase the numerical aperture of projection system. The term "immersion" as used herein does not mean that a substrate W has to be submerged in liquid, but merely means that a liquid is located between the projection system 1412 and the substrate W during exposure.

[0144] Figure 14 The illumination system 1406 receives a radiation beam B from a radiation source 1402. The radiation beam B is conditioned by the illumination system 1406, as described below, to have a desired uniformity and intensity distribution in its cross-section at a plane of the substrate W. The radiation source 1402 and the illumination system 1406 can be separate entities, for example as shown by dashed lines in FIG. 14, or can be considered as sub-units of a larger radiation source assembly.

[0145] In some embodiments, the illumination system 1406 can further include an adjuster 1418 to adjust the angular intensity distribution of the radiation beam B. In addition, the illumination system 1406 can include various other components, such as integrators 1420 and condensers 1422. The illumination system 1406 can be used to condition the radiation beam B to have a desired uniformity and intensity distribution at the substrate W.

[0146] The radiation beam B is incident upon the reticle M, which is held on the reticle positioning actuator 1410, and is patterned by the reticle M. After passing the reticle M, the radiation beam B will pass through the projection system 1412. The projection system 1412 can focus the radiation beam B onto a target location in the wafer W, which is placed on the wafer stage 1414. The wafer stage 1414 can be accurately moved by the wafer positioning actuator 1416, so as to position different target locations in the wafer W in the path of the radiation beam B. Likewise, the reticle stage 1408 can be accurately moved by the reticle positioning actuator 1410, so as to position the reticle M in the path of the radiation beam B. Generally, the movement of the reticle stage 1408 can be achieved by means of long stroke modules (for coarse positioning) and short stroke modules (for fine positioning) in the reticle positioning actuator 1410. Likewise, the movement of the wafer stage 1414 can also be achieved by means of the wafer positioning actuator 1416. In some embodiments, in the case of a stepper, the reticle stage 1408 can be connected only to short stroke actuators, or fixed. Reticle alignment marks on the reticle M and wafer alignment marks on the wafer W can be used to align the reticle M on the reticle stage 1408 and the wafer W on the wafer stage 1414.

[0147] When the reticle stage 1408 and / or the wafer stage 1414 in the lithography apparatus 1400 is changed for different wafer / reticle types (e.g. step 102 in Figure 1 ), periodic maintenance of the apparatus (e.g. step 104 in Figure 1 ), or repair of the apparatus (e.g. step 106 in Figure 1 ), a particle removal cleaning step (e.g. step 108 in Figure 3 ) of the reticle stage 1408 and / or the wafer stage 1414 can be performed according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, e.g. method 300 in Figure 7 or method 700 in Figure 1 . After the particle removal of the reticle stage 1408 and / or the wafer stage 1414 is completed, the target wafer and / or reticle can be placed on the stage for lithography process (e.g. step 110 in Figure 1 ).

[0148] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 15In some embodiments, the method 300 or the method 700 is performed before the wafer W is unloaded from the wafer stage 1414. The wafer stage 1414 is moved out of the range of the projection system 1412 (e.g., in the direction 1500) and positioned under the charging device 400 using the wafer positioning drive elements 1416. In some embodiments, after the charging device 400 provides the electric charge to the surface of the wafer stage 1414 (e.g., step 302 of the method 300), the wafer stage 1414 remains in place (i.e., out of the range of the projection system 1412) while the cleaning element is moved close to the wafer stage 1414 (e.g., step 304 of the method 300) and moved away from the wafer stage 1414 (e.g., step 306 of the method 300). After the cleaning of the wafer stage 1414 is completed, the wafer stage 1414 is moved back into the range of the projection system 1412 using the wafer positioning drive elements 1416, and the lithography process is performed. In other embodiments, after the charging device 400 provides the electric charge to the surface of the wafer stage 1414 (e.g., step 302 of the method 300), the wafer stage 1414 is moved back into the range of the projection system 1412 using the wafer positioning drive elements 1416, and the cleaning element is moved close to the wafer stage 1414 (e.g., step 304 of the method 300) and moved away from the wafer stage 1414 (e.g., step 306 of the method 300). After the cleaning of the wafer stage 1414 is completed, the lithography process is performed.

[0149] Based on the above description, the present disclosure provides a method for removing particles from a wafer support or a reticle support. The method provides an electric charge to the support and the particles on the support to generate a repulsive electrostatic force between the support and the particles on the support, and then generates an attractive electrostatic force between the particles on the support and a cleaning element, so that the particles are removed from the support without disturbing the processes, tests, and analyses. In addition, the particles are removed from the support by the electrostatic force without physical contact, so that the damage to the support is reduced compared to the contact cleaning.

[0150] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a method for removing particles includes providing an electric charge to a surface of a support and to particles on the surface, moving a cleaning element close to the surface, and moving the cleaning element away from the surface. The electric charge provided to the surface of the support and to the particles on the surface can cause the surface of the support and the particles on the surface to have the same negative electric property. The cleaning element has an electrostatic adsorption layer, so that the particles with the negative electric property are moved toward the cleaning element and adsorbed on the electrostatic adsorption layer. In some embodiments, the electric charge provided includes electrons, ions, or plasma. In some embodiments, the cleaning element does not physically contact the surface of the support. In some embodiments, the electrostatic adsorption layer of the cleaning element is a titanium dioxide coating layer with a positive electric property.

[0151] In other embodiments of the present disclosure, a method of removing particles includes moving a charging device to a surface of a support, the charging device providing a first charge to the surface and to at least one particle on the surface, the charging device providing a second charge to a cleaning element, moving the cleaning element proximate to the surface, and moving the cleaning element away from the surface. The charging device provides the first charge to cause the surface and the particle on the surface to have a first electrical property, and provides the second charge to cause the cleaning element to have a second electrical property different from the first electrical property. The cleaning element having the second electrical property causes the particle having the first electrical property to move toward the cleaning element and to be adsorbed on the cleaning element. In some embodiments, the surface returns to electrical neutrality after the cleaning element is moved away from the surface.

[0152] In other embodiments of the present disclosure, a method of removing particles includes moving a charging device to a surface of a support, the charging device providing a first charge to the surface and to at least one particle on the surface, the charging device providing a second charge to a cleaning element, moving the cleaning element proximate to the surface, and moving the cleaning element away from the surface. The charging device provides the first charge to cause the surface and the particle on the surface to have a first electrical property, and provides the second charge to cause the cleaning element to have a second electrical property different from the first electrical property. The cleaning element having the second electrical property causes the particle having the first electrical property to move toward the cleaning element and to be adsorbed on the cleaning element. In some embodiments, the surface returns to electrical neutrality after the cleaning element is moved away from the surface.

[0153] The foregoing outlines features of several embodiments so that those skilled in the art can better understand the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they can readily use the present disclosure as a basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures for carrying out the same purposes and / or achieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein. Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and that they can make various changes, substitutions and alterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method of removing particulates, characterized by, The method comprises: providing a charge to a surface of a support and to a particle on the surface in a manner of a spray charge, so that the surface and the particle on the surface have a same negative electric property; moving a cleaning element close to the surface, wherein an area of the cleaning element is same as an area of the spray charge, wherein the cleaning element has an electrostatic adsorption layer, so that the particle having the negative electric property moves toward the cleaning element and is adsorbed on the electrostatic adsorption layer of the cleaning element; and moving the cleaning element away from the surface.

2. The method of removing particulates according to claim 1, wherein, The providing of the charge includes providing electrons, ions, or plasma.

3. The method of removing particulates according to claim 1, wherein, The cleaning element does not physically contact the surface of the support.

4. The method of removing particulates according to claim 1, wherein, The electrostatic adsorption layer of the cleaning element is a titanium dioxide coating layer with a positive electric property.

5. A method of removing particulates, characterized by, The method comprises: moving a charging device to a surface of a support; the charging device providing a first charge to the surface and to at least one particle on the surface, so that the surface and the at least one particle on the surface have a first electric property; the charging device providing a second charge to a cleaning element in a manner of a spray charge, so that the cleaning element has a second electric property different from the first electric property, wherein an area of the cleaning element is same as an area of the spray charge; moving the cleaning element close to the surface, wherein the cleaning element having the second electric property causes the at least one particle having the first electric property to move toward the cleaning element and to be adsorbed on the cleaning element; and moving the cleaning element away from the surface.

6. The method of removing particulates according to claim 5, wherein, After the cleaning element moves away from the surface, the surface returns to electric neutrality.

7. A method of removing particulates, characterized by, The method comprises: moving a charging device to a surface of a support; the charging device providing a charge to a particle on the surface in a manner of a spray charge, so that the particle has a first electric potential, wherein a plurality of wafer support pins of the support are kept in a protruding state during the spray charge; preparing a substrate, the substrate having a second electric potential, wherein a first electric potential difference is between the second electric potential and the first electric potential; providing an electrostatic adsorption layer to the substrate, the electrostatic adsorption layer having a third electric potential, wherein a second electric potential difference is between the third electric potential and the first electric potential, and the second electric potential difference is greater than the first electric potential difference; moving the substrate relatively close to the surface of the support by a transfer robot arm; the particle of the surface is adsorbed to the electrostatic adsorption layer; and moving the substrate relatively away from the surface of the support by the transfer robot arm.

8. The method of removing particulates according to claim 7, wherein, The charging device includes an electron gun, an ion generator, or a plasma generator.

9. The method of removing particulates according to claim 7, wherein, The electrostatic adsorption layer is a titanium dioxide coating layer.

10. The method of removing particulates according to claim 7, wherein, The substrate is a silicon wafer.

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