Debris removal from high-aspect-ratio structures

Abstract

To provide a device capable of cleaning a substrate of a high aspect ratio structure, a photomask optical proximity effect correction feature and the like without destroying a nanoscale structure.SOLUTION: A system for recovering and analyzing debris from a tip used in a nano-machining process is provided and the system includes an irradiation source, an irradiation detector, an actuator and a controller. The irradiation source directs incident irradiation onto the tip, and the irradiation detector receives a sample irradiation from the tip and the sample irradiation is generated as a result of the direct incident irradiation being applied onto the tip. The controller is operatively coupled to an actuator system and the irradiation detector; the controller is configured to receive a first signal based on a first response of the irradiation detector to the sample irradiation; and the controller is operable to effect relative motion between the tip and at least one of the irradiation source and the irradiation detector based on the first signal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 16

Description

Technical Field

[0001] (Cross - reference to related applications) This patent application is a continuation - in - part of U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 193,725, filed on February 28, 2014, a continuation - in - part of co - pending U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 011,411, filed on January 29, 2016, a divisional application of U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 652,114, filed on October 15, 2012 (issued as U.S. Patent No. 8,696,818), which is a continuation application of U.S. Patent Application No. 11 / 898,836, filed on September 17, 2007 (issued as U.S. Patent No. 8,287,653), and claims the benefit of priority of this patent application. All of these are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety into this specification.

[0002] (Technical Field) The present disclosure generally relates to nanofabrication processes. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to debris removal during and / or after nanofabrication processes. Further, the debris removal processes of the present disclosure can be applied to the removal of any foreign matter from a substrate.

Background Art

[0003] Nanofabrication, by definition, involves, for example, mechanically removing a nanoscale volume of material from a surface on which photolithography masks, semiconductor substrates / wafers, or any surface on which scanning probe microscopy (SPM) can be performed. In this study, the "substrate" shall refer to any object on which nanofabrication can be performed.

[0004] Examples of photolithography masks include standard photomasks (193 nm wavelength, with or without immersion), next-generation lithography masks (imprint, self-assembly, etc.), extreme ultraviolet lithography masks (EUV or EUVL), and any other viable or useful masking techniques. Examples of other surfaces considered as substrates include membranes, pellicle films, and microelectro / nanoelectromechanical systems (MEMS / NEMS). It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the use of the terms “mask” or “substrate” in this disclosure includes the above-mentioned examples, but may also apply to other photomasks or surfaces.

[0005] In the prior art, nanofabrication can be performed by applying force to the surface of a substrate using a chip (e.g., a diamond cutting bit) positioned on the cantilever arm of an atomic force microscope (AFM). More specifically, the chip can first be inserted into the substrate surface and then dragged along the substrate in a plane parallel to the surface (i.e., the xy plane). This results in the displacement and / or removal of material from the substrate as the chip is dragged along the substrate.

[0006] As a result of this nanofabrication, debris (including some kind of foreign matter on the substrate surface) is generated on the substrate. More specifically, when material is removed from the substrate, small particles may be generated during the nanofabrication process. These particles may, in some cases, remain on the substrate once the nanofabrication process is complete. Such particles are often found, for example, in trenches and / or cavities present on the substrate.

[0007] Wet cleaning techniques have been used, particularly in high-aspect-ratio photolithography masks and electronic circuits, to remove debris, particles, or foreign matter from the substrate. More specifically, the use of chemicals in a liquid state and / or agitation of the entire mask or circuit can be used. However, chemical methods and agitation methods (e.g., megasonic (high-frequency ultrasonic) agitation) may adversely affect or destroy both the high-aspect-ratio structure and the mask optical proximity effect correction features (i.e., these features are generally very small, so these features form diffraction patterns that are advantageous to the mask designer for pattern formation rather than imaging).

[0008] To better understand why high-aspect-ratio shapes and structures are particularly susceptible to fracture by chemicals and agitation, it is necessary to recall that such shapes and structures, by definition, contain a large surface area and are therefore extremely thermodynamically unstable. Consequently, these shapes and structures are extremely vulnerable to delamination and / or other forms of fracture when chemical and / or mechanical energy is applied.

[0009] It is important to note that in imprint lithography and EUV (or EUVL), the use of pellicles to keep particles away from the lithography surface being copied is no longer suitable. Techniques that cannot use pellicles are generally more susceptible to defects caused by particle contamination that impairs the pattern transfer ability to the wafer. Although pellicles were developed for EUV masks, as previous experience with DUV pellicle masks has shown, the use of pellicles only reduces (does not completely prevent) the settling of critical particles and other contaminants onto the surface, and any subsequent exposure to high-energy photons tends to fix these particles to the mask surface with great adhesion. Furthermore, these techniques can be implemented with smaller feature sizes (1-300 nm), making them more susceptible to damage during standard wet cleaning that can be used. In certain cases of EUV or EUVL, this technique may require the substrate to be in a vacuum environment during use and, in some cases, during storage awaiting use. Using standard wet cleaning techniques requires breaking this vacuum, which is likely to lead to further particle contamination.

[0010] Another currently available method for removing debris from substrates involves the use of cryogenic cleaning systems and techniques. For example, substrates containing high aspect ratio shapes and / or structures can be effectively "sandblasted" using carbon dioxide particles instead of sand.

[0011] However, prior art cryogenic cleaning systems and processes are also known to adversely affect or destroy high-aspect ratio features. Furthermore, cryogenic cleaning processes affect relatively large areas of the substrate (for example, to clean debris with nanometer-scale dimensions, the treated area may be approximately 10 millimeters or more in width). As a result, substrate areas from which debris does not need to be removed are still exposed to the cryogenic cleaning process and the associated potential structural destruction energy. It should be noted that there are many physical differences between nanoregimes and microregimes, and this specification will focus on the differences related to nanoparticle cleaning processes. While there are many similarities between nano- and macro-scale cleaning processes, there are also many crucial differences. In this disclosure, a common definition of nanoscale is useful, defining a size range of 1 to 100 nm. This size range is general-purpose, as many of the processes evaluated herein can occur below this range (down to the atomic scale) and can also affect particles larger than this range (up to the microregime).

[0012] Several physical differences between macro and nano particle cleaning processes include surface area, mean free path, and transport-related properties, including thermal and field effects. The first two on this list are more relevant to the thermomechanical and chemical behavior of particles, while the last one is more related to the interaction of particles with electromagnetic fields. Thermal transport phenomena are thermomechanical and physicochemical phenomena around particles, and they distinguish these two regimes in that they are the interaction between particles and electromagnetic fields in the infrared wavelength regime. To functionally illustrate some of these differences, we assume a thought experiment example of nanoparticles trapped at the bottom of a high-aspect-ratio line-and-space structure (depth 70 nm, width 40 nm ~ AR = 1.75). To clean and remove these particles in a macro-scale process, the energy required to remove the particles is approximately the same as the energy required to damage the feature or pattern on the substrate, thus making it impossible to clean this high-aspect-ratio line-and-space structure without damage. In macroscale cleaning processes (water, surfactants, ultrasonic agitation, etc.), surrounding features or patterns are also damaged at the energy levels at which nanoparticles are removed. If there is technical capability to precisely handle nano-sharp (or nanoscale) structures within nanometer distances relative to the nanoparticles, the energy required to clean and remove the nanoparticles can be applied only to the nanoparticles. In nanoscale cleaning processes, the energy required to remove nanoparticles is applied only to the nanoparticles and not to surrounding features or patterns on the substrate.

[0013] First, looking at the surface properties of particles, there are differences in mathematical scaling that become clear as theoretical particles (modeled here as perfect spheres) approach the nanoscale regime. The bulk properties of a material are evaluated by its volume, while its surface is evaluated by its external area. For a hypothetical particle, its volume decreases inversely proportional to the cube of its diameter, while its surface area decreases with the square of its diameter. This difference means that material properties governing particle behavior at macro and micro scales become negligible (smaller) at the nanoregime. Examples of these properties include particle mass and inertial properties, which are important considerations for some cleaning techniques such as sonic agitation or laser agitation.

[0014] The next transport property we will consider here is the mean free path. From the macro to the micro-regime, fluids (both liquids and gases, and mixed states) can be accurately modeled as continuum flows in their behavior. When considering surfaces separated by nanoscale or smaller gaps, such as AFM tips and nanoparticles, these fluids cannot be considered continuum. This means that the fluid does not move according to the classical flow model, but rather can be more accurately related to the ballistic atomic motion of a rarefied gas or vacuum. For an average atom or molecule (with a diameter of approximately 0.3 nm) in a gas at standard temperature and pressure, the calculated mean free path (i.e., the distance a molecule travels in a straight line on average before colliding with another atom or molecule) is approximately 94 nm, which is a large distance for an AFM scanning probe. Since fluids are much denser than gases, they will have a much smaller mean free path, but it should be noted that the mean free path for any fluid cannot be smaller than the diameter of the atom or molecule. Comparing the assumed atomic or molecular diameter of 0.3 nm given above for a typical chip with the average surface separation distance in non-contact scanning mode, which can be as small as about 1 nm, the fluid environment between the AFM chip tip and the scanned surface will behave within a range of fluid properties from dilute gas to near vacuum, except for the densest fluids. The findings in the above evaluation are essential to demonstrating that thermal-fluid processes behave fundamentally differently when scaled from macro to nanoscale. This affects the mechanisms and dynamics of various process modes, including chemical reactions, removal of products such as particles released into the environment, charging or neutralization, and heat or thermal energy transport.

[0015] The known differences in thermal transport from the macroscopic and nanoscale to the sub-nanoscale have been discovered through studies using scanning thermal probe microscopy. One early difference found is that the thermal energy transport rate can be an order of magnitude smaller than at the macroscale over nanoscale distances. Thus, scanning thermal probe microscopy can operate with nanoprobes heated to temperatures of several hundred degrees Celsius, in some cases, on surfaces being scanned in non-contact mode where the separation distance from the tip to the surface is as small as the nanoscale or angstrom scale. The reason for this low thermal transport is implied in the previous section on mean free path in fluids. However, blackbody radiation, a form of thermal transport, is enhanced. It has been experimentally shown that at nanoscale distances, the Planck limit for blackbody spectral radiance at a given temperature can be exceeded. Thus, not only is the magnitude of thermal transport reduced, but the dominant transport type shifts from conduction / convection to blackbody, consistent with the behavior of a rarefied vacuum fluid.

[0016] The differences in field interactions (electromagnetic fields are the primary focus of this specification due to their longer wavelengths compared to other feasible examples) can be further classified in this study as wavelength-related and other quantum effects (particularly tunneling). At the nanoscale, the behavior of the electromagnetic field between a source (conceived here as the tip of an AFM chip, whether as the primary source or as a modified form of a relatively far-field source) and a surface does not follow the wavelength-dependent diffraction limit to resolution that a far-field source would experience. This behavior is commonly known as near-field optics and has been used with great success in scanning probe techniques such as near-field scanning optical microscopes (NSOMs). Beyond applications in measurement engineering, near-field behavior can affect the electromagnetic interactions of all nanoscale objects separated from each other by nanometer distances. The next near-field behavior mentioned is quantum tunneling, where particles, especially electrons, can be carried across barriers that are classically impassable. This phenomenon enables energy transport by means not observed at the macroscale and is utilized in scanning tunneling microscopes (STMs) and some solid-state electronic devices. Finally, while there are more complex quantum effects that are often observed (but not limited to) with respect to electromagnetic fields at the nanoscale, such as the detection of near-field excitations and plasmon resonances, those skilled in the art will understand that the current discussion provides a sufficient demonstration of the fundamental differences between macroscopic and nanoscale physical processes.

[0017] In the following, the term "surface energy" can be used to refer to the thermodynamic properties of a surface that are available to perform work (in this case, the work of depositing debris onto the surfaces of the substrate and the chip, respectively). One classical way to calculate this is: G(p,T) = U + pV - TS This is the Gibbs free energy given as, Here, U = Internal Energy p = pressure Volume = Volume T = temperature, S = entropy.

[0018] In the current implementation, pressure, volume, and temperature are not changed (although this is not necessary, as these parameters can be manipulated similarly to obtain the desired effect), so they will not be examined in detail. Therefore, the only terms manipulated in the above equation are internal energy and entropy as the driving mechanism in the method discussed below. Since the probe tip surface is intended to be cleaner than the substrate being cleaned (i.e., free from debris and unintended surface contamination), entropy is naturally the thermodynamic driving mechanism that preferentially contaminates the tip surface above the substrate (and subsequently the cleaner palette of soft material). Internal energy is manipulated between the palette, tip, debris, and substrate surface by thermodynamic properties characterized by their respective surface energies. One way to relate differential surface energy to Gibbs free energy is to consider the theoretical developments concerning the creep properties of engineering materials at high temperatures (i.e., a significant portion of its melting point) for a cylinder of radius r and length l under uniaxial tension P: dG = -P*dl + γ*dA Here, γ = surface energy density [J / m2], and A=Surface area [m2]

[0019] The finding that the stress of an object and the extrinsic surface energy are factors in its Gibbs free energy convinces one that it is possible to perform the step of reversibly and preferentially attaching debris to the chip and subsequent soft pallet by manipulating these factors (in addition to the surface energy density γ). The means to do this include stress application (whether external or internal) and temperature. It should be noted that this driving process will always result in a series of surface interactions where the net ΔG < 0 in order to preferentially remove contaminants from the substrate and then preferentially contaminate the soft pallet, providing a differential surface energy gradient. This can be thought of as similar to a ball preferentially rolling down a slope to a lower energy state (where, however, the gradient of the thermodynamic surface energy also includes the overall disorder or entropy of the whole system). FIG. 6 shows one possible set of surface interactions where the method described herein can provide a downward gradient of thermodynamic Gibbs free energy that selectively removes contamination and deposits it selectively on the soft patch. This sequence is one of the theoretical mechanisms thought to play a role for current embodiments that use a low surface energy fluorocarbon-based material with a low surface energy chip material such as diamond.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0020]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Patent Document 5

Patent Document z

[0021] At least in light of the above, there is a need for novel apparatus and methods for removing debris, contaminants, particles, or any foreign matter from substrate surfaces, and more specifically, for novel apparatus and methods that can clean substrates with high aspect ratio structures, photomask optical proximity effect correction features, etc., without damaging such nanoscale structures and / or features. [Means for solving the problem]

[0022] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a nanoscale measurement system for detecting contaminants is provided. The system includes a scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip, an irradiation source, an irradiation detector, an actuator, and a controller. The irradiation source is configured and positioned to orient incident irradiation onto the SPM tip. The irradiation detector is configured and positioned to receive sample irradiation from the SPM tip, which is caused by incident irradiation. An actuator system is operably coupled to the nanoscale measurement system and is configured to produce relative movement between the SPM tip and at least one of the irradiation source and the irradiation detector. A controller is operably coupled to the actuator system and the irradiation detector and is configured to receive a first signal based on a first response of the irradiation detector to sample irradiation, and is configured to cause relative movement between the SPM tip and at least one of the irradiation detector and the irradiation source by the actuator system based on the first signal.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the nanoscale measurement system of the present disclosure, an actuator system is operably coupled to an SPM chip, and the actuator system includes a rotary actuator configured to rotate the SPM chip around a first axis.

[0024] According to one embodiment of the nanoscale measurement system in this disclosure, the irradiation source is an X-ray source, a laser, a visible light source, an infrared light source, an ultraviolet light source, or an electron beam source.

[0025] According to one embodiment of the nanoscale measurement system in this disclosure, the controller is further configured to generate a first frequency-domain spectrum of sample irradiation based on a first signal, generate a second frequency-domain spectrum by subtracting a background frequency-domain spectrum from the first frequency-domain spectrum, and cause relative movement between the SPM chip and at least one of the irradiation detector and irradiation source by an actuator system based on the second frequency-domain spectrum. According to one embodiment of the nanoscale measurement system in this disclosure, the controller is further configured to generate a background frequency-domain spectrum based on the response of the irradiation detector to irradiation of the SPM chip, provided that the SPM chip is substantially free of contaminants.

[0026] According to one embodiment of the nanoscale measurement system in this disclosure, the controller is further configured to receive a second signal based on a second response of the irradiation detector to sample irradiation, and to cause a relative movement between the SPM chip and at least one of the irradiation detector and the irradiation source by an actuator system based on the difference between the first signal and the second signal. According to one embodiment of the nanoscale measurement system in this disclosure, the controller is further configured to cause a relative movement of a predetermined magnitude between the SPM chip and at least one of the irradiation detector and the irradiation source based on the difference between the first signal and the second signal.

[0027] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a nanoscale measurement system equipped with a retrieval device is provided. The measurement system includes a retrieval device, an irradiation source, an irradiation detector, a scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip, and an actuator system. The retrieval device may have a first inner edge on a first surface of the retrieval device, a second inner edge on a second surface of the retrieval device opposite the first surface, and an internal surface extending from the first inner edge to the second inner edge, defining at least a portion of a retrieval pocket or retrieval through-hole. The irradiation source is configured and positioned to receive sample irradiation from the internal surface of the retrieval device, and the sample irradiation is caused by the incident irradiation. The actuator system is operably coupled to the SPM tip and is configured to move the SPM tip relative to the retrieval device, thereby transferring at least one particle or debris from the SPM tip to the retrieval device.

[0028] According to one embodiment of the measurement system in this disclosure, the width of the recovery through-hole increases along the direction of passage through the recovery device from the first surface to the second surface.

[0029] According to one embodiment of the measurement system in this disclosure, the first inner edge defines the rectangular contour of the recovery pocket or recovery through-hole. According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the length of each line segment of the rectangular contour is 10 mm or less.

[0030] According to one embodiment of the measurement system in this disclosure, the first inner edge defines the triangular contour of the recovery pocket or recovery through-hole. According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the length of each line segment of the triangular contour is 10 mm or less.

[0031] According to one aspect of the measurement system in this disclosure, the first inner edge defines an arc-shaped cross-section of the recovery pocket or recovery through-hole, and the arc-shaped cross-section has a circular, elliptical, or egg-shaped contour. According to one aspect of this disclosure, the first inner edge defines a circular contour, and the diameter of the circular contour is 10 mm or less.

[0032] According to one embodiment of the measurement system in this disclosure, the measurement system further includes a controller operably coupled to an actuator system, the controller being configured to transfer particles from the SPM tip to a recovery pocket or recovery through-hole by dragging the SPM tip against a first inner edge.

[0033] According to one embodiment of the measurement system in this disclosure, the internal surface of the recovery device forms a through-hole passage. According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the through-hole passage is a truncated tetrahedron passage, a frustoconical passage, a truncated tetrahedron passage, or a frustoconical passage.

[0034] According to one embodiment of the measurement system in this disclosure, the SPM chip includes a tetrahedral, conical, or pyramidal shape.

[0035] According to one embodiment of the measurement system in this disclosure, a recovery pocket or recovery through-hole is detachably mounted on the measurement system.

[0036] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a particle recovery and measurement system is provided. The particle recovery and measurement system includes a scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip, a stage configured to support a substrate, an actuator, an irradiation source, an irradiation detector, and a controller. The actuator is operably coupled to the stage and the SPM tip and is configured to move the SPM tip relative to the stage. The irradiation source is in optical communication with the measurement position, and the irradiation detector is also in optical communication with the measurement position. The controller is operably coupled to the actuator, the irradiation source, and the irradiation detector. The controller is further configured to move the SPM tip from a position close to the substrate to the measurement position and to receive a first signal from the irradiation detector indicating the response of the irradiation detector to a first sample irradiation from the measurement position, the first sample irradiation being caused by a first incident irradiation from the irradiation source.

[0037] According to one embodiment of the particle recovery and measurement system of this disclosure, the measurement position is located on at least a portion of the SPM chip, and the controller is further configured to cause a first sample irradiation by irradiating the measurement position with a first incident irradiation.

[0038] According to one embodiment of the particle recovery and measurement system of this disclosure, the particle recovery and measurement system further includes a particle recoverer, the measurement position is located on at least a portion of the particle recoverer. The controller is further configured to cause a first sample irradiation by irradiating the measurement position with a first incident irradiation.

[0039] According to one embodiment of the particle recovery and measurement system in this disclosure, the controller is further configured to transfer particles from the substrate to the measurement location via an SPM chip.

[0040] According to one embodiment of the particle recovery and measurement system of this disclosure, the particle recovery and measurement system further includes a patch of material having a surface energy lower than the surface energy of the substrate, and the SPM chip includes a nanoscale coating of the material on its surface.

[0041] According to one embodiment of the particle recovery and measurement system in this disclosure, the controller is further configured to create contact between the SPM chip and the patch, thereby coating the SPM chip with the material.

[0042] According to one embodiment of the particle recovery and measurement system of this disclosure, the actuation system includes a tip actuation system operably coupled to an SPM tip and a stage actuation system operably coupled to a stage. The tip actuation system is configured to move the SPM tip relative to a base, and the stage actuation system is configured to move the stage relative to a base.

[0043] According to one embodiment of the particle recovery and measurement system in this disclosure, the particle recoverer is a recovery pocket or a recovery through-hole. The particle recoverer includes at least a first inner rim. The first inner rim defines one of the following contours: triangular, rectangular, circular, elliptical, or egg-shaped. According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the first inner rim defines a triangular or rectangular contour, and each line segment of the triangular or rectangular contour has a length of 10 mm or less. According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the first inner rim defines a circular contour, and the diameter of the circular contour is 10 mm or less.

[0044] According to one embodiment of the particle recovery and measurement system of this disclosure, the particle recoverer includes a first inner edge on a first surface of the recoverer, a second inner edge on a second surface of the recoverer opposite to the first surface, and an internal surface extending from the first inner edge to the second inner edge. According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the internal surface forms a through-hole passage. The through-hole passage is a truncated tetrahedron passage, a frustoconical passage, or a frustopyrotic passage.

[0045] According to one embodiment of the particle recovery and measurement system in this disclosure, the SPM chip includes a tetrahedral, conical, or pyramidal shape.

[0046] According to one embodiment of the particle recovery and measurement system in this disclosure, the patch is detachably mounted on the measurement system. According to one embodiment of the particle recovery and measurement system in this disclosure, the recovery pocket or recovery through-hole is detachably mounted on the stage.

[0047] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method is provided for determining the composition of particles using a scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip. The method includes the steps of: transferring particles to an SPM tip; irradiating the SPM tip with a first incident irradiation from an irradiation source; detecting a first sample irradiation caused by the first incident irradiation using an irradiation detector; and causing a relative movement between the SPM tip and at least one of the irradiation source and the irradiation detector based on a first signal from the irradiation detector in response to the first sample irradiation.

[0048] According to one embodiment of a method for determining the composition of particles on an SPM chip, the method further includes the steps of: generating a first frequency-domain spectrum of sample irradiation based on a first signal; generating a second frequency-domain spectrum by subtracting a background frequency-domain spectrum from the first frequency-domain spectrum; and causing relative movement between the SPM chip and at least one of an irradiation source and an irradiation detector based on the second frequency-domain spectrum.

[0049] According to one embodiment of a method for determining the composition of particles on an SPM chip, the method further includes the step of generating a background frequency domain spectrum based on the response of an irradiation detector to irradiation of an SPM chip, when the SPM chip is substantially free of contaminants.

[0050] According to one embodiment of a method for determining the composition of particles on an SPM chip, the method further includes the steps of: irradiating the SPM chip with a second incident irradiation from an irradiation source; detecting a second sample irradiation caused by the second incident irradiation using an irradiation detector; and causing a relative movement between the SPM chip and at least one of the irradiation source and the irradiation detector based on a second signal from the irradiation detector in response to the second sample irradiation.

[0051] According to one embodiment of a method for determining the composition of particles on an SPM chip, the method further includes the step of causing a relative movement between the SPM chip and at least one of an irradiation source and an irradiation detector based on the difference between a second signal and a first signal.

[0052] According to one embodiment of a method for determining the composition of particles on an SPM chip, a first incident irradiation from an irradiation source is at least one of X-rays, visible light, infrared light, ultraviolet light, electron beams, and lasers. According to one embodiment of a method for determining the composition of particles on an SPM chip, a second incident irradiation from an irradiation source is at least one of X-rays, visible light, infrared light, ultraviolet light, electron beams, and lasers. The second incident irradiation is a different type of irradiation from the first incident irradiation. In one embodiment, the first sample irradiation is generated by the interaction of the first incident irradiation with the SPM chip. In one embodiment, the interaction may include one or more of the reflection, refraction, or absorption and re-emission of the first incident irradiation by the SPM chip. In one embodiment, the first sample irradiation is generated by the interaction of the first incident irradiation with debris placed on the SPM chip. In one embodiment, the interaction may include one or more of the reflection, refraction, or absorption and re-emission of the first incident irradiation by the debris placed on the SPM chip.

[0053] In one embodiment of a method for determining the composition of particles on an SPM chip, the method further includes a step of adjusting the intensity or frequency of a first incident irradiation from an irradiation source. In one embodiment, the method further includes a step of adjusting the intensity or frequency of a second incident irradiation from an irradiation source.

[0054] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method is provided for determining the composition of particles removed from a substrate. The method includes the steps of: transferring particles from a substrate to a scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip; irradiating the particles with a first incident irradiation from an irradiation source; and receiving a first sample irradiation from the particles at an irradiation detector caused by the first incident irradiation.

[0055] According to an embodiment of the present method for determining the composition of particles removed from a substrate, a first sample irradiation from the particles is received by an irradiation detector while the particles are positioned on an SPM chip.

[0056] According to one embodiment of the present method for determining the composition of particles removed from a substrate, the transfer of particles from the substrate to an SPM chip includes the step of bringing the SPM chip into contact with the substrate and moving the SPM chip relative to the substrate.

[0057] According to one embodiment of a method for determining the composition of particles removed from a substrate, the method further includes the step of transferring the particles to a measurement location using an SPM chip.

[0058] According to one embodiment of a method for determining the composition of particles removed from a substrate, the method further includes the step of transferring the particles from an SPM chip to a particle recoverer having a defined measurement position on the particle recoverer. A first sample irradiation from the particles is received by an irradiation detector while the particles are positioned at the measurement position. The transfer of particles from the SPM chip to the particle recoverer includes the step of bringing the SPM chip into contact with the measurement position and moving the SPM chip relative to the measurement position.

[0059] According to one embodiment of a method for identifying the composition of particles removed from a substrate, the particle recoverer is a recovery pocket or recovery through-hole including at least one contaminant recovery edge, and the step of transferring particles from the SPM tip to the particle recoverer includes a step of manipulating the SPM tip to rub or drag it against at least one contaminant recovery edge. According to one embodiment, the manipulating step includes a step of moving the SPM tip toward at least one contaminant recovery edge and then moving it away from there. In one embodiment, the step of moving the SPM tip may include a scraping and / or wiping action. According to one embodiment, the manipulating step includes a step of moving the SPM tip upward through at least one contaminant recovery edge, and the manipulating step further includes a step of moving the SPM tip downward through at least one contaminant grabbing edge. According to one embodiment, the manipulating step includes a step of moving the SPM tip upward away from the center of the particle recoverer. According to one embodiment, the manipulating step includes a step of moving the SPM tip downward toward the center of the particle recoverer. According to one embodiment, the operation step includes moving the SPM tip in a parabolic trajectory. According to another embodiment, the operation step further includes rotating the SPM tip to allow debris accumulated on different parts of the SPM tip to be transferred from the SPM tip to a particle collector.

[0060] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a product is provided comprising a non-temporary machine-readable medium for encoding instructions to a processor for determining the composition of particles on a scanning probe microscope (SPM). Using the encoded instructions of the product, it is possible to perform the steps of: detecting a first sample irradiation in response to a first incident irradiation from an irradiation source using an irradiation detector; and causing a relative movement between the SPM chip and at least one of the irradiation source and the irradiation detector based on a first signal from the irradiation detector in response to the first sample irradiation.

[0061] The above has provided a somewhat broad overview of specific aspects of the present invention in order to facilitate a better understanding of the detailed explanations in this book and to better recognize the contribution of the present invention to the relevant technology. It goes without saying that there are additional aspects of the present invention that are described below and form the defining features of the appended claims.

[0062] In this regard, before describing in detail the various aspects of this disclosure, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited in its application to the configuration details and arrangement of components described in the following description or shown in the drawings. Other embodiments of the present invention are possible and can be implemented and performed in various ways. Furthermore, it should be understood that the expressions, terminology, and abstracts used herein are for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered limiting.

[0063] Therefore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the concepts on which this disclosure is based can be readily used as the basis for designing other structures, methods, and systems to achieve some of the purposes of this disclosure. Accordingly, the claims should be considered to include such equivalent configurations, as long as they do not deviate from the technical spirit and scope of the invention. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0064] [Figure 1A] This is a partial cross-sectional view of a series of surface interaction debris removal devices according to embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 1B] This is a partial cross-sectional view of a series of surface interaction debris removal devices according to embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 1C] This is a partial cross-sectional view of a series of surface interaction debris removal devices according to embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a debris removal device according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of another part of the debris removal device shown. [Figure 4]Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of a debris removal device in which particles are embedded in a patch or reservoir of low-energy material. [Figure 5] Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of the debris removal device, where the chip is no longer in contact with the low-energy material patch or reservoir. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view of a tip comprising a bristle or fibril according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 7A] This figure shows the general differences between rigid fibrils and wound fibrils according to the embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 7B] This figure shows the general differences between rigid fibrils and wound fibrils according to the embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 8A] This figure shows a process for extracting and removing nanoparticles from a target substrate using a single rigid fibril according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 8B] This figure shows a process for extracting and removing nanoparticles from a target substrate using a single rigid fibril according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 8C] This figure shows a process for extracting and removing nanoparticles from a target substrate using a single rigid fibril according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 9A] This figure shows a process for extracting and removing nanoparticles from a target substrate using multiple rigid fibrils according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 9B] This figure shows a process for extracting and removing nanoparticles from a target substrate using multiple rigid fibrils according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 9C] This figure shows a process for extracting and removing nanoparticles from a target substrate using multiple rigid fibrils according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 10A] This figure shows a process for removing nanoparticles from a target substrate using a single wrapped fibril according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 10B]This figure shows a process for removing nanoparticles from a target substrate using a single wrapped fibril according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 10C] This figure shows a process for removing nanoparticles from a target substrate using a single wrapped fibril according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 11A] This figure shows a process for removing nanoparticles from a target substrate using multiple wrapped fibrils according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 11B] This figure shows a process for removing nanoparticles from a target substrate using multiple wrapped fibrils according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 11C] This figure shows a process for removing nanoparticles from a target substrate using multiple wrapped fibrils according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 11D] This figure shows a process for removing nanoparticles from a target substrate using multiple wrapped fibrils according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] This is a perspective view of a debris recovery device including at least one patch according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 13] This is a perspective view of a debris recovery device comprising at least two patches according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 14] This is a perspective view of a debris recovery device including a controller according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 15] This is a perspective view of a debris recovery device including a measurement system according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 16] This is a perspective view of a debris recovery device including a measurement system and controller according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 17A] This is a top view of a debris recovery device including a measuring device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 17B] This is a side view of a debris recovery device including a measuring device according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 18A] This is a top view of a debris recovery device including a measuring device and a controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 18B]This is a side view of a debris recovery device including a measuring device and a controller according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 19A] This is a top view of a debris recovery device including a measuring device and a plurality of patches and / or debris recoverers according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 19B] This is a side view of a debris recovery device including a measuring device and a plurality of patches and / or debris recoverers according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 20A] This is a top view of a debris recovery device including a measuring device equipped with a controller according to an aspect of the present disclosure and a plurality of patches and / or debris recoverers. [Figure 20B] This is a side view of a measuring device equipped with a controller according to an aspect of the present disclosure and a debris recovery device including a plurality of patches and / or debris recoverers. [Figure 21A] This is a top view of a debris recovery device including a robotic arm according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 21B] This is a side view of a debris recovery device including a robotic arm according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 22A] Figures 21A and 21B are top views of the debris retrieval device, with the robotic arm in the second position. [Figure 22B] Figures 21A and 21B are side views of the debris retrieval device, with the robotic arm in the second position. [Figure 23A] This is a top view of a chip support assembly according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 23B] This is a side view of a chip support assembly according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 24A] This is a bottom view of a measurement system usable with a tetrahedron chip according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 24B] This is a side view of a measurement system that can be used with a tetrahedron chip according to an aspect of this disclosure. [Figure 25A] Figures 24A and 24B show the bottom view of the measurement system with debris attached to the tetrahedron chip. [Figure 25B] Figures 24A and 24B are side views of the measurement system with debris attached to the tetrahedron chip. [Figure 26A]This is a bottom view of a measurement system that can be used with a conical tip according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 26B] This is a side view of a measurement system that can be used with a conical tip according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 27A] Figures 26A and 26B show the bottom view of the measurement system with debris attached to a conical chip. [Figure 27B] Figures 26A and 26B are side views of the measurement system with debris attached to a conical chip. [Figure 28A] This is a bottom view of a measurement system that can be used with a pyramidal chip according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 28B] This is a side view of a measurement system that can be used with a pyramidal chip according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 29A] Figures 28A and 28B show the bottom view of the measurement system with debris attached to a pyramidal chip. [Figure 29B] Figures 28A and 28B are side views of the measurement system, showing the debris attached to the pyramidal chip. [Figure 30A] This is a side cross-sectional view of a contaminant recoverer equipped with recovery pockets having a triangular arrangement according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 30B] This is a top view of a contaminated material recoverer equipped with recovery pockets arranged in a triangular configuration according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 31A] This is a side cross-sectional view of a contaminant recoverer equipped with a circular arrangement of recovery pockets according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 31B] This is a top view of a contaminated material recoverer equipped with a circular arrangement of recovery pockets according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 32A] This is a side cross-sectional view of a contaminant recoverer equipped with recovery pockets having a rectangular arrangement according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 32B] This is a top view of a contaminated material collector equipped with a rectangular arrangement of collection pockets according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 33A] This figure shows an exemplary debris recovery process using a contaminated material recoverer equipped with a recovery pocket according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 33B]This figure shows an exemplary debris recovery process using a contaminated material recoverer equipped with a recovery pocket according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 33C] This figure shows an exemplary debris recovery process using a contaminated material recoverer equipped with a recovery pocket according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 34A] This figure shows another exemplary debris recovery process using a contaminated debris recovery device equipped with a recovery pocket according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 34B] This figure shows another exemplary debris recovery process using a contaminated debris recovery device equipped with a recovery pocket according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 34C] This figure shows another exemplary debris recovery process using a contaminated debris recovery device equipped with a recovery pocket according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 35A] This is a side cross-sectional view of a contaminant recovery device equipped with a recovery through-hole that defines a truncated tetrahedron passage according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 35B] This is a top view of a contaminated material recoverer equipped with a recovery through-hole that defines a truncated tetrahedron passage according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 36A] This is a side cross-sectional view of a contaminated waste recovery device equipped with a recovery through-hole that defines a frustoconical passage according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 36B] This is a top view of a contaminated material recovery device equipped with a recovery through-hole that defines a frustoconical passage according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 37A] This is a side cross-sectional view of a contaminated waste recovery device equipped with a recovery through-hole that defines a truncated pyramidal passage according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 37B] This is a top view of a contaminated material recovery device equipped with a recovery through-hole that defines a truncated pyramidal passage according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 38] This is a side cross-sectional view of a contaminant recoverer equipped with a recovery through-hole and a measurement system according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0065] Here, the embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to drawings in which the same reference number throughout the drawings refers to the same element.

[0066] Referencing Figures 1A, 1B, 1C, 2, 3, 4, and 5, an exemplary device for removing particles from a substrate and transferring them to a patch is described. Figures 1A to 1C show partial cross-sectional views of a series of surface interaction debris removal devices 1 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. A series of surface interactions that may selectively adhere particles 2 from a substrate 3 and transfer them to a soft patch 4 are shown in the figures (moving from left to right). In Figure 1A, particles 2 contaminate the (relatively) high surface energy substrate 3, thereby decreasing its surface energy and increasing the entropy of the entire system. Next, in Figure 1B, a chip 5 with a diffusively mobile low surface energy coating is made to coat the (similarly relatively) high surface energy substrate 3 and particles 2, thereby detaching them. Subsequently, the loss of the low surface energy material slightly increases the surface energy of the chip 5 (approaching its normal, uncoated value), creating an energy gradient that allows the detached particles 2 to adhere to the surface 6 of the chip (and furthermore, materials such as fluorocarbon generally have good bonding strength). These interactions should also increase the entropy of the system, especially if the chip surface 6 is cleaner than the substrate. Finally, in Figure 1C, the particles 2 are mechanically packed into the soft patch material 4, and this mechanical action also recoats the chip surface 6 with a low surface energy material, thereby decreasing its energy and increasing the entropy of the system.

[0067] Figure 2 shows a partial cross-sectional view of a debris removal device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The device 10 includes a nanoscale chip 12 positioned adjacent to a patch or reservoir 13 of low surface energy material. The low surface energy material in the reservoir can be solid, liquid, semi-liquid, or semi-solid.

[0068] A coating 16 is formed on the tip 12. Before forming the coating 16, the tip 12 may be pre-coated or surface-treated to alter its surface energy (e.g., alter the effects of capillary action, wettability, and / or surface tension). When properly selected, the coating 16 allows the tip 12 to remain sharp for a longer period than an uncoated tip. For example, a PTFE-coated diamond tip may have a longer operating life than an uncoated diamond tip.

[0069] According to certain aspects of the Disclosure, the coating 16 may include the same low surface energy material found within the patch or reservoir 14 of the low energy material. Also according to certain aspects of the Disclosure, the tip 12 may be in direct contact with the patch or reservoir 14 of the low energy material, and the coating 16 may be formed (or replenished) on the surface of the tip 12 by rubbing or contacting the tip 12 with the patch or reservoir 14 of the low energy material. Furthermore, surface diffusion of the low surface energy material across the surface of the tip 12 can be enhanced by rubbing the tip 12 with the patch or reservoir of the low energy material and / or scratching the pad 14.

[0070] According to certain aspects of this disclosure, the coating 16 and the patch or reservoir 14 of the low-energy material 14 can both be made of chlorinated and fluorinated carbon-containing molecules such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), or other similar materials such as fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), or may include at least these. According to another aspect of this disclosure, an intermediate layer 15 of a metallic material, oxide, metal oxide, or any other high surface energy material can be placed between the surface of the chip 12 and the low-surface energy material coating 16. Typical examples of the intermediate layer may include, but are not limited to, cesium (Cs), iridium (Ir), and their oxides (as well as chlorides, fluorides, etc.). These two exemplary elemental metals are relatively soft metals with low and high surface energies, respectively, and therefore exhibit optimal surface energy gradient optimization for a given contamination, substrate, and ambient environment. In addition or alternatively, the surface of the chip 12 may be roughened or doped. High surface energy materials or chip treatments generally act to more strongly adhere the low surface energy material coating 16 to the chip 12. The shape of the chip also affects the local surface energy density changes (i.e., nanoscale sharpness will greatly increase the surface energy density just at the tip), so the shape of the chip 12 can also be modified to increase the selective adhesion of particles to the chip. Roughening the chip surface 13 of the chip 12 can also result in greater adhesion due to an increase in the contact surface area (dA) with the particles and many potential bonding sites. The chip surface 13 can also be treated (possibly by chemical or plasma processes) to contain highly unstable and chemically active dangling bonds that can react with the particles or some of the intermediate coating to increase adhesion. The chip surface 13 can also be coated with high surface area materials such as high-density carbon (HDC) or diamond-like carbon (DLC) to increase the surface area of ​​the chip 12 that interacts with the particles.

[0071] High surface energy pretreatment is used without the low surface energy coating 16 according to certain embodiments of this disclosure. In such embodiments, the particles 20 discussed below can be embedded in any other soft target (e.g., gold, aluminum) using a method similar to that discussed herein, or the chips 12 can be consumable. Furthermore, as will be understood by those skilled in the art in view of this disclosure, other physical and / or environmental parameters (e.g., temperature, pressure, chemical activity, humidity) can be modified to enhance the chipping process and / or particle pickup / drop-off.

[0072] According to certain aspects of this disclosure, all of the components shown in Figures 2 and 3 are included in the AFM. In some such configurations, the low-energy material patch or reservoir 14 is substantially flat and mounted on a stage supporting the substrate 18. Also according to certain aspects of this disclosure, the low-energy material patch or reservoir 14 can be removed from the stage and easily replaced or replenished. For example, the low-energy material patch or reservoir 14 can be secured to the AFM using an easily removable clamp or magnetic mount (not shown).

[0073] Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of another part of the debris removal device 10 shown in Figure 2. Figure 3 shows a substrate 18 that can be positioned adjacent to a patch of low-energy material or reservoir 14, as shown in Figure 2. Figure 3 also shows a number of particles 20 that may be present in trenches 22 formed on the surface of the substrate 18. The particles 20 typically adhere to the surface of the trenches 22 by van der Waals near-field forces. In Figure 3, a tip 12 can be moved and positioned adjacent to the substrate 18, and the particles 20 can be physically attached to the tip 12. To reach the bottom of the trenches 22, the tip 12 can be a high-aspect-ratio tip, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The trenches 22 are shown in Figure 3, but the particles 20 may adhere to or be found on another structure that will be cleaned.

[0074] Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of the debris removal device 10 shown in Figure 2, where particles 20 can be transported from the tip 12 by extending the tip 12 into or against the surface of the low-energy material patch or reservoir 14, and can also be embedded in the low-energy material patch or reservoir 14. Subsequently, as shown in the cross-sectional view of Figure 5, the tip 12 can be retracted so that the tip 12 is no longer in contact with the low-energy material patch or reservoir 14. When the tip 12 is retracted or withdrawn from the low-energy material patch or reservoir 14, the particles 20 that were previously on the tip 12 remain with the low-energy material patch or reservoir 14.

[0075] According to certain aspects of this disclosure, the device 10 shown in Figure 2-5 can be used to carry out a debris removal method. Note that certain aspects of this disclosure can be used before or in conjunction with other particle cleaning processes according to the method discussed herein. Furthermore, note that the terms particle, debris, or contaminant can be used synonymously to describe foreign matter on a substrate surface. Also note that although only one chip 12 is discussed and illustrated, multiple chips may be used simultaneously to remove particles from multiple structures at the same time. Furthermore, multiple chips may be used in parallel and simultaneously in the method discussed herein.

[0076] The debris removal method described above may include a step of positioning the chip 12 adjacent to one or more particles 20 (i.e., debris fragments) as shown on the substrate 18 in Figure 3. The method may further include a step of physically adhering the particles 20 to the chip 12 (rather than electrostatically adhering them), as also shown in Figure 3, along with some feasible repeatable operation of the chip 12 when in contact with the particles (or more particles) 20 and the surrounding surface. After the physical adhesion of the particles 20 to the chip 12, the method may include a step of removing the particles 20 from the substrate 18 by moving and / or pulling the chip 12 away from the substrate 18, as shown in Figure 4, to move the chip 12 along with the particles 20 to a patch or reservoir 14 of low-energy material.

[0077] According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, the method may include the step of forming a coating 16 on at least a portion of the chip 12. According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, the coating 16 may include a coating material having a surface energy lower than the surface energy of the substrate 18. In addition or alternatively, the coating 16 may include a coating material having a surface area greater than the surface area of ​​the particles 20 in contact with the substrate 18.

[0078] In addition to the above, some embodiments of the method may further include the step of moving the chip 12 to at least a second position on the substrate 18 such that the chip 12 is adjacent to another fragment of particles or debris (not shown) and that the other fragment of particles or debris physically adheres to the chip 12. The other fragment of particles or debris can then be removed from the substrate 18 by moving the chip 12 away from the substrate 18 in a manner similar to that shown in Figure 4.

[0079] Once the debris (e.g., the particles 20 described above) is removed from the substrate 18, some methods according to this disclosure may include the step of depositing the debris fragments onto a material piece positioned away from the substrate (e.g., the patch or reservoir 14 of the low-energy material described above).

[0080] Since the tip 12 can be reused to remove a large amount of debris, according to certain aspects of the disclosure, the method may include a step of replenishing the coating 16 by pressing the tip 12 into a patch or reservoir 14 of low-energy material. The low surface energy material from the patch or reservoir of low-energy material can coat any pores or gaps that may develop in the coating 16 of the tip 12 over time. After pressing the tip 12 into the patch or reservoir 14 of low-energy material, this replenishment step may involve one or more of the following steps: moving the tip 12 laterally within the patch or reservoir 14 of low-energy material, rubbing the surface of the tip 12, or changing the physical parameters (e.g., temperature) of the tip 12 and / or the patch or reservoir 14 of low-energy material.

[0081] It should be noted that certain methods according to this disclosure may include a step of exposing a small area around the defect or particle to a low surface energy material before repair to reduce the possibility of the removed material clumping together and strongly adhering back to the substrate after the repair is complete. For example, the defect / particle and an area of ​​approximately 1-2 microns around the defect may be pre-coated with PTFE or FEP according to certain embodiments of this disclosure. In such cases, a chip 12 (e.g., a PTFE or FEP chip) coated or composed of the low surface energy material can be used to impart a very large amount of the low surface energy material to the repair area even when other repair tools (laser, electron beam) are in use. In addition to the coating 16 on the chip 12, part or all of the chip 12 may include low energy materials such as chlorinated and fluorinated carbon-containing molecules, but are not limited to. Examples of such materials include PTFE or FEP. In addition or alternatively, other materials such as metals and their compounds may be used. Some representative examples include Cs, Ir, and their oxides (as well as chlorides, fluorides, etc.). These two exemplary elemental metals are relatively soft metals with low and high surface energies, respectively, and therefore exhibit optimal surface energy gradient optimization for a given contaminant, substrate, and surrounding environment. In addition, or as an alternative, other carbon-based compounds may be used. Some representative examples include HDC or DLC.

[0082] According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, the method includes the step of using a patch or reservoir 14 of low-energy material to push particles from the tip of the tip 12 toward an AFM cantilever arm (not shown) that supports the tip 12 above the tip. Such pushing of particles 20 makes space near the tip of the tip 12, allowing more particles 20 to adhere physically.

[0083] According to certain embodiments of this disclosure, the chips 12 are used to remove nanofabricated debris from high aspect ratio structures, such as trenches 22 in a substrate 18, by alternately immersing, inserting, and / or forming depressions within a palette of soft material, which can be found in a patch or reservoir 14 of low-energy material. In selected embodiments, the soft material of the patch or reservoir 14 of low-energy material may be soft or malleable viscosity. This soft material can generally have better adhesion to the chips 12 and / or debris material (e.g., within particles 20) than it does itself. The soft material can also be selected to have polar properties that electrostatically attract nanofabricated debris particles 20 to the chips 12. For example, the patch or reservoir 14 of low-energy material may include a mobile surfactant.

[0084] In addition to the above, according to certain aspects of the present disclosure, the chip 12 may include one or more dielectric surfaces (i.e., electrically insulating surfaces). These surfaces can be rubbed against similar dielectric surfaces under certain environmental conditions (e.g., low humidity) to enable particle pickup due to electrostatic surface charging. Also, according to certain aspects of the present disclosure, the coating 16 may adsorb particles by any other short-range mechanism, which may include, but is not limited to, hydrogen bonding, chemical reactions, and enhanced surface diffusion.

[0085] Next, illustrative embodiments of the debris removal chip will be described with reference to Figure 6-11. Any chip that is strong and rigid enough to penetrate (i.e., form a depression) a patch of low-energy material or the soft pallet material of the reservoir 14 can be used. Thus, chip shapes with extremely high aspect ratios (greater than 1:1) are within the scope of this disclosure. If the chip is rigid enough to penetrate soft (and possibly sticky) material, a strong and flexible high aspect ratio chip is generally preferred over a more fragile and / or less flexible chip. Thus, according to certain embodiments of this disclosure, the chip can rub against the sides and corners of the repair trench 22 in the substrate 18 without damaging or altering the trench 22 or the substrate 18. A rough macro-scale analogue of this work is a rigid bristol moving within a deep inner diameter. It should be noted that, according to certain aspects of this disclosure, the tip 12 may comprise a plurality of rigid or stiff nanofibril bristles, as will be described in more detail below. In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, each bristol of the plurality of rigid or stiff nanofibril bristles 30 may extend linearly from the tip 12. In one embodiment, the plurality of rigid or stiff nanofibril bristles 30 may be formed from carbon nanotubes, metal whiskers, etc. In addition or alternatively, as will be described in more detail below, the tip 12 may comprise a plurality of flexible or wrapped nanofibrils. The plurality of flexible or wrapped nanofibrils may be formed on the tip 12 using, for example, a polymer material. Of course, other materials and structures are also conceivable.

[0086] According to certain embodiments of this disclosure, detection of whether one or more particles have been picked up can be performed by detecting particles using a nanocontact AFM scan of the region of interest (ROI). The chip 12 can then retract from the substrate 18 without rescanning until post-processing at the target. However, the total mass of debris material picked up by the chip 12 can also be monitored by the relative shift in the resonant frequency of the chip. Furthermore, other dynamics may be used for the same function.

[0087] As described above and as shown in Figure 5, instead of forming a depression in the soft material to remove the particles 20, the chip 12 can be guided into a patch or reservoir 14 of low-energy material to remove the particles 20. Therefore, if the chip unintentionally picks up particles 20, the particles 20 can be removed by performing another repair. In particular, if a different material is used to deposit the particles 20 by induction, a soft metal such as gold foil can be used.

[0088] In addition to the above, the chip 12 can be coated and the coating 16 formed using an ultraviolet (UV) light-curing material or other material that is similarly susceptible to chemically irreversible reactions. Before UV curing, the material picks up particles 20 from the substrate 18. Once the chip 12 is removed from the substrate 18, the chip 12 can be exposed to a UV light source, in which case the material properties will be altered to reduce the adhesion of particles 20 to the chip 12 and increase their adhesion to the material in the low-energy material patch or reservoir 14, after which the particles 20 can be removed from the chip 12 and deposited together with the low-energy material patch or reservoir 14. Naturally, other irreversible processes that enhance or enable the selectivity of particle pick-up and removal are also contemplated.

[0089] Certain aspects of this disclosure offer various advantages. For example, certain aspects of this disclosure enable active debris removal from high-aspect-ratio trench structures using AFM tip shapes with extremely high aspect ratios (greater than 1:1). Also, certain aspects of this disclosure can be implemented relatively easily by attaching a low-surface-energy or soft material palette to the AFM, in addition to using extremely high-aspect-ratio tips and making relatively minor adjustments to the software repair sequences currently used by AFM operators. Furthermore, according to certain aspects of this disclosure, novel nanofabrication tools (like nanotweezers) can be implemented that can be used to selectively remove particles from the surface of a mask that cannot be cleaned by any other method. This can be combined with more conventional repairs in which the debris is first removed from the surface with an uncoated tip and then picked up with a coated tip.

[0090] Generally, low surface energy materials are used in the localized cleaning methods described above, but it should be noted that other feasible modification forms are also within the scope of this disclosure. Typically, these modification forms generate a surface energy gradient (i.e., Gibbs free energy gradient) that attracts particles 20 to the chip 12, which can then be reversed by some other treatment to release the particles 20 from the chip 12.

[0091] One aspect of this disclosure involves the attachment of at least one nanofibril to the working end of an AFM chip to improve capabilities within a high-aspect-ratio structure while enabling a mechanically less aggressive process to the underlying substrate. These fibrils can be classified into two distinct labels, namely "rigid" fibrils and "wrapped" fibrils, depending on their mechanical properties and application for nanoparticle cleaning. To understand this difference, Figures 7A and 7B show these two types of fibrils, namely a rigid fibril 700 attached to chip 710 and a wrapped fibril 750 attached to chip 760. Furthermore, two critical processes required in BitClean particle cleaning must first be understood: nanoparticle extraction and attachment and extraction of nanoparticles from contaminated surfaces. With respect to these defined critical steps, the functional differences between the two different fibrils are shown below.

[0092] In relation to Figure 7A, the rigid fibril 700 relies more on the mechanical behavior and mechanical strength of the fibril itself to extract nanoparticles. Therefore, it also relies on shear and flexural strength and elastic modulus to successfully achieve extraction without fracture. This means that there are few materials that can exceed or match the strength and rigidity (typically called hardness) of single-crystal diamond. Among these are carbon nanotubes and graphene, both of which utilize carbon-carbon sp3 hybrid orbital interatomic bonds (one of the strongest known bonds), also found in diamond. Other materials that could be considered include certain phases of boron-containing chemicals that possess properties that, in some cases, can exceed the mechanical strength and rigidity of diamond, and these could also be used. In general, many materials (including diamond) can be inherently stronger and more rigid as their dimensions become degenerate (rigidity decreases as the structure approaches the atomic scale and its shape is determined by thermal diffusion behavior). This is a material phenomenon first observed in nanocrystalline metals, but has also been confirmed in molecular simulations and some experiments involving single-crystal nanopillars. One compelling hypothesis for this behavior is linked to a defect diffusion mechanism in plastic deformation. On larger scales, these crystal defects (vacancies, dislocations, etc.) diffuse and interact under bulk-dominated dynamics. On smaller scales (assuming all other factors, such as material and temperature, are the same), the movement of these defects is thought to be governed by surface diffusion dynamics, which are much higher than those in the bulk of the crystal. Within the scope of the material continuum approximation, this high surface diffusion rate consequently leads to plastic deformation (also called yielding) and fracture of the material at low stress levels. For example, for single-crystal nanopillars of Ti, it has been shown that the yield stress increases with decreasing cross-sectional width up to approximately 8–14 nm, but below this range, its behavior goes through an inflection point where the yield stress actually decreases with decreasing cross-sectional width.

[0093] Figures 8A to 8C illustrate an exemplary process of extracting and removing nanoparticles from a target substrate using a single rigid fibril 800 attached to or near the tip of an AFM tip 810. The tip 810 approaches the surface and scans using the same principles as AFM scanning without the rigid fibril. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that different operating parameters are applicable when considering a single rigid fibril attached to the tip of the tip 810. Once the particles are located, the tip 810 is moved toward the surface 830, and the rigid fibril 800 undergoes elastic deformation as schematically shown in Figure 8B. In one embodiment, the deformation of the rigid fibril 800 can be compressible, shearable, bendable, tensile, or a combination thereof, and can also be used to mechanically extract the nanoparticles 820 from the surface 830. When the nanoparticles 820 are extracted, the differences in surface energy and area between the surfaces of the rigid fibril 800, the substrate 840, and the nanoparticles 820 determine whether the nanoparticles 820 will adhere to the rigid fibril 820 when they are later extracted from the substrate surface.

[0094] An exception specific to the nanoparticle cleaning process with rigid fibrils is when two or more rigid fibrils are firmly attached to the chip surface at a distance smaller than the diameter of the nanoparticles (but not smaller than the elastic deformation limit for the rigid fibrils, as determined by their shear and flexural moduli and length-to-width ratio), as shown in Figures 9A to 9C. In the embodiment in which two or more rigid fibrils 900a, 900b are attached to the chip 910 at a distance smaller than the diameter of the nanoparticles, the sequence is very similar to that of a single rigid fibril as described above with respect to Figures 8A to 8C. The difference begins with the observation that there are more strained or deformed rigid fibrils 900a, 900b around the nanoparticle 920, as schematically shown in Figure 9B, which increases the probability that one or more rigid fibrils 900a, 900b will collide with the nanoparticle in a manner (force and angle of applied force) necessary to extract the nanoparticle 920 for a given cleaning scenario. After the extraction step, the multifibril chip 910 can have a larger potential surface area to which particles 920 can adhere (i.e., be wetted). As the chip 910 retracts from the substrate, another difference emerges if the fibril length and spacing are within the appropriate range, as schematically shown in Figure 9C. For this setting, the nanoparticles 920 may be mechanically trapped in the space between the rigid nanofibrils 900a, 900b, which can result in increased adhesion to the multifibrils 900a, 900b and an increased probability of picking up the nanoparticles 920 from the substrate surface 930. Similarly, if it is desired to deposit the nanoparticles 920 on a different surface, the chip 910 can be brought closer to the surface and stress can be applied again to loosen the mechanical trapping of the nanoparticles 920 in the rigid fibrils 900a, 900b, thereby increasing the probability that the nanoparticles 920 will be deposited at the desired surface location.As stated above, this assumes that the lengths and spacing of fibrils 900a and 900b are within a suitable range, and in the primary model, as will be understood by those skilled in the art in view of this disclosure, these ranges include fibril spacing that is smaller than the minimum width of nanoparticle 920 (assuming rigid nanoparticles that do not break) but large enough so that fibrils 900a and 900b do not bend beyond their shear and flexural strength limits (which are also determined by the relative lengths of the fibrils, assuming that the adhesive strength of the fibril attachments is less than this limit). In a selected embodiment, two or more rigid fibrils may have a variety of unequal lengths.

[0095] To define what a rigid fibril is (in contrast to a wound fibril), it must be possible to determine an anisotropic spring constant (related to effective shear and flexural modulus) for a particular material and nanostructure. Since this is extremely difficult to do in practice, in this specification, we assume that these properties are approximately proportional to the tensile (also known as Young's) modulus and strength. The tensile modulus is a practicable measure of the stiffness of a material within the stress range in which it exhibits elastic (i.e., spring-like) mechanical properties. It is given by dividing stress by strain, and therefore has the same units as stress (since strain is defined as the rate of deformation of the final dimension relative to the initial dimension). While the tensile modulus does not specifically define stiffness, tensile strength is also important, as the fibril needs to be able to withstand sufficient force to extract nanoparticles without itself fracturing and generating additional contamination on the substrate surface. Strength is also given in units of stress (pascals). Regarding diamond, its intrinsic tensile modulus is approximately 1.22 terapascals (TPa), and its tensile strength ranges from 8.7 to 16.5 gigapascals (GPa), providing a general reference scale for stiffness and strength in this specification (its tensile modulus is close to or exceeds the value for tungsten, which has a tensile modulus of 0.5 TPa). Since carbon nanotubes are not intrinsic entities by their nature, these tensile moduli are specific to the individual molecules and their properties (e.g., single-walled or multi-walled, SWNT or MWNT, chirality, etc.). For SWNT, its tensile modulus ranges from 1 to 5 TPa, and its tensile strength can range from 13 to 53 GPa. For comparison with other categories of materials in this range, B x N y Boron nitride compounds (of various stoichiometric compositions) have tensile moduli ranging from 0.4 to 0.9 TPa. The most appropriate and applicable standard mechanical material property for distinguishing between coiled fibrils and rigid fibrils and defining their boundary is the yield stress. For rigid fibrils, the yield stress is 0.5 GPa (1 GPa = 1 x 10⁻¹⁰). 9 N / m 2Here, it is defined as a material having a yield stress of 0.5 GPa or greater. Therefore, by process of elimination, any material with a yield stress of less than 0.5 GPa will be considered a wrapped fibril. It should be noted that, especially at the nanoscale, many materials can exhibit anisotropic mechanical properties, and therefore it is important that the yield stress is defined as the shear stress (or equivalent bending stress) across the main (i.e., longest) dimension of the fibril.

[0096] Wrapped fibrils, in contrast to rigid fibrils, will have a much smaller spring constant along with sufficiently high (equivalent) tensile strength. In the case of wrapped fibrils, tensile strength is directly related to their performance because, due to the difference in application method, tensile forces are applied to extract nanoparticles from the substrate surface. However, it should be noted that most mechanical properties cited in the literature relate to bulk materials and are, in principle, almost entirely irrelevant to the tensile properties of monomolecule fibrils (or nanoscale fibrils close to monomolecule scale). For example, PTFE is usually said to have extremely low tensile modulus and strength in bulk material (0.5 GPa and possibly << 20 MPa, respectively), but because its molecular backbone is composed of carbon-carbon sp hybrid orbital chemical bonds, its monomolecule tensile strength should be comparable to diamond, more so than many other materials, carbon nanotubes and graphene (all of which contain similar chemical bonds). The mechanical properties of bulk materials are related to the actions of single molecular chains interacting with their neighbors, and therefore should be comparable to the bending and shear moduli of cohesive single molecules. Since these types of materials (polymers) illustrate mechanical properties related to plastic deformation, these molecules are expected to deform according to more diffusive thermal behavior, exhibiting high flexibility. While a macroscopic example of a rigid fibril is a glass flake, a corresponding example of a coiled fibril would be a thin carbon fiber (the latter appearing to possess high flexibility on a macroscopic scale along with high tensile strength).

[0097] Figures 10A-10C show a nanoparticle cleaning sequence using a wound (flexible) nanofibril 1000 attached to an AFM tip 1010 near or at the tip, according to one aspect of the present disclosure. Since there is no compressive stress required to deform the wound fibril 1000, the tip 1010 is brought close to the surface 1030 to bring the fibril 1000 close enough to the nanoparticle surface that it can adhere to the nanoparticle surface by near-field surface energy forces. The relative surface energies of the fibril 1000, nanoparticles 1020, and substrate surface 1030 are targeted so that the fibril preferentially adheres to the nanoparticle surface. Once the fibril 1000 is in contact with sufficient slack considering the fibril length, only time and the applied stirring energy (possibly mechanical and / or thermal energy) are required to allow the fibril 1000 to wrap around the particles 1020. Mechanical energy from a more rigid tip (whether from tip 1010 to which the fibril 1000 is attached, or from another tip in a previous processing pass) is applied to initially remove the particles 1120. Once the fibril 1000 has sufficiently wrapped around the nanoparticles 1020, tip 1010 then retracts from the substrate surface 1030, as schematically shown in Figure 10. During this stage, if the adhesion force of the fibril 1000 to the nanoparticles 1020 (which strengthens as it wraps and entangles around the nanoparticles), the tensile strength of the fibril 1000, and its adhesion force to the AFM tip 1010 are all greater than the adhesion force of the nanoparticles 1020 to the substrate 1040, then the nanoparticles 1020 will retract from the substrate 1040, as schematically shown in Figure 10C.

[0098] Some examples of feasible materials that can be used to fabricate nanoscale (or molecular) wrapped fibrils include RNA / DNA, actin, amyloid nanostructures, and ionomers. RNA (ribonucleic acid) and DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) will be described together as they exhibit similar chemical properties, preparation, and processing processes. Significant advances have been made in recent years with regard to the technique commonly known as "DNA origami," which enables precise chemical engineering of methods for binding DNA molecules. Similar processes applied to these or similar chemical properties are thought to allow long-chain polymers to be detached and bound in columns. Considering the most common processes, a specific DNA sequence would be chemically generated or commercially obtained from well-known single-stranded viral DNA sequences, and a properly chemically functionalized (as performed in chemical force microscopy) AFM chip 1110 would be immersed in an aqueous solution containing the DNA sequence or brought into AFM contact with its surface so that the DNA sequence could bind as designed. The chip 1110 can then be functionalized for particle removal from the substrate surface 1130, as shown in Figures 11A–11D. Moving from left to right in the figures, the functionalized chip 1110 can be moved or operated to approach the particle 1120 and the substrate surface 1130 (closer than the length of the DNA strand 1100), as shown in Figure 11A. While the chip 1110 is near the removed particle 1120, as shown in Figure 11B, it can be given a higher temperature (perhaps ~90°C) with activating chemical properties (commercially available helper DNA strands or some other ionic activators such as magnesium salts). The environment is then cooled (perhaps to ~20°C), and the target sequence in strand 1100 can be bound, as shown in Figure 11C (the binding strand 1100 is at both free ends of the molecule). When the DNA coating 1100 solidifies at points where the nanoparticles 1120 are securely attached, the chip 1110 can be extracted from the substrate surface 1130, as shown in Figure 11D. At these small scales, this bonding between the nanoparticles and the chip can be described as mechanical, but when the particles are at the molecular scale, it can also be described as steric bonding. Steric effects can be generated by the repulsive force between atoms that are sufficiently close together.If an atom or molecule is surrounded by atoms in all feasible directions of diffusion, it is effectively trapped and unable to chemically or physically interact with any other atoms or molecules around it. RNA can be manipulated in a similar manner, as will be understood by those skilled in the art in view of this disclosure.

[0099] The next feasible candidate for wrapped nanofibrils is a family of similar spherical, multifunctional proteins that form filaments within eukaryotic cells, one of which is known as actin. Actin is used intracellularly for framework formation, anchoring, mechanical support, and binding, indicating that it is a highly adaptable and sufficiently robust protein filament. Actin will be applied and used in a manner very similar to the DNA origami-related processes described above. Experiments have shown that this protein can be crystallized into molecules with dimensions of 6.7 x 4.0 x 3.7 nm.

[0100] The study of the mechanisms by which certain marine organisms (such as barnacles, algae, and marine flatworms) can biomimetically (or directly) firmly bind to a wide range of substrate materials provides another candidate for wrap-around fibrils. These marine organisms secrete a substance commonly known as DOPA (3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine), which binds to these substrate surfaces in the form of functional amyloid nanostructures. The adhesion properties of amyloid molecules are due to β-chains oriented perpendicular to the fibril axis and linked through a high-density hydrogen bond network. This network results in supramolecular β-sheets that often extend continuously across thousands of molecular units. Such fibril-like nanostructures have several advantages, including adhesion in water, resistance to environmental degradation, self-repair through self-polymerization, and a vast fibril surface area. As previously discussed, the vast fibril surface area enhances adhesion by increasing the contact area in barnacle adhesive plaques. Amyloid nanostructures also possess viable mechanical advantages, such as cohesive strength related to the general amyloid intermolecular β-sheet structure and adhesive strength related to adhesive residues on the exterior of the amyloid core. These properties make amyloid structures the basis for a promising new generation of bio-inspired adhesives in a wide range of applications. Advances in the use of molecular self-assembly have made it possible to create synthetic amyloids and amyloid-like adhesives for nanotechnology applications, but a fully rational design has yet to be experimentally demonstrated, partly due to limitations in understanding the underlying biological design principles.

[0101] The final example of a wrapped fibril material is a class of polymers known as ionomers. Simply put, these are long thermoplastic polymers that strongly bond to targeted ionic charged sites along their molecular chains. A common example of an ionomer chemical structure is poly(ethylene-co-methacrylic acid). According to one aspect of this disclosure, ionomers can be functionalized onto the surface of a scanning thermal probe. In this case, the process for washing the nanoparticles is very similar to that described above for the DNA origami process, except that an aqueous environment is not necessarily required, especially when used with scanning thermal probes. Ionomer-functionalized coatings can also be paired with ionic surfactants for preferential conjugation in an aqueous (or similar solvent) environment. It should be noted that these examples (particularly DNA / RNA and actin) are highly biocompatible with respect to the removal and manipulation of nanoparticle entities within biological structures such as cells.

[0102] For example, one possible variation involves using a high surface energy chip coating. Another variation involves pre-treating the particles with a low surface energy material to detach them, and then bringing the particles into contact with a high surface energy chip coating (possibly on a different chip). Yet another variation involves using a chemical energy gradient corresponding to the chemical reaction occurring between the chip surface coating and the particle surface to bond the two. This can be carried out until the chips are exhausted, or reversed by any other process.

[0103] According to yet another aspect of this disclosure, the adhesive or tack coating is used in combination with one or more of the above factors. Furthermore, surface roughness or small-scale (e.g., nanoscale) texture can be designed to maximize the efficiency of the particle cleaning process.

[0104] In addition to the above, mechanical entanglement can be used when the tip 12 includes fibrils that are typically similar to those in a mop and can mechanically entangle particles 20. Mechanical entanglement according to certain embodiments of this disclosure is driven and / or enhanced by surface energy or chemical changes due to contact or the environment.

[0105] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, the tip 12 can be coated with molecular tweezers (i.e., molecular clips). These tweezers may include acyclic compounds having an open cavity to which a guest (e.g., the particle 20 described above) can be bound. The open cavity of the tweezers typically binds the guest using non-covalent bonds, including hydrogen bonds, metal coordination, hydrophobic forces, van der Waals forces, π-π interactions, and / or electrostatic effects. These tweezers may be analogous to macrocyclic molecular acceptors, except that the two arms that bind the guest molecule are typically connected at only one end.

[0106] In addition to the above, the particles 20 can be removed by the tip using diffusion bonding or the Casimir effect. Furthermore, as shown in the embodiment of this disclosure in Figure 6, bristols or fibrils 30 can be attached to the ends of the tip 12. Whether arranged in a carefully considered or random manner, these bristols or fibrils 30 can enhance local cleanliness in several ways. For example, the increased surface area can be utilized for surface (short-range) bonding to the particles.

[0107] According to some aspects of this disclosure, the fibril 30 is designed to be a molecule that selectively wraps around the particle 20 (e.g., by either the surface or the environment) to entangle the particle 20 and maximize surface contact. Also, typically, when a rigid bristol 30 is attached to the tip 12, the particle 20 is extracted according to certain aspects of this disclosure. However, the fibril 30 can also mechanically extract the particle 20 by entangling it and pulling it. In contrast, a relatively synthetic bristol 30 can usually extend into cracks that are difficult for the tip 12 to reach. In this case, the particle 20 is extracted by impact deformation stress of the bristol 30, surface modification of the tip 12 to repel the particle 20, or some combination thereof. Furthermore, certain aspects of this disclosure mechanically bond the particle 20 to the tip 12. When the fibril is on the tip 12, one or more entanglements of the entire fibril or worn fibrils may occur. When the bristol is on the tip 12, the particles 20 can be interposed between the (elastically) stressed bristols.

[0108] According to yet another aspect of this disclosure, a debris removal method includes a step of altering the environment to facilitate localized cleaning. For example, a gaseous or liquid medium may be introduced, or chemical and / or physical properties (e.g., pressure, temperature, and humidity) may be altered.

[0109] In addition to the components described above, certain aspects of this disclosure include an image recognition system for identifying debris to be removed. For this reason, automated debris removal devices are also within the scope of this disclosure.

[0110] According to certain embodiments of this disclosure, a relatively soft cleaning tip is used to avoid undesirable damage to the inner contours, walls, and / or bottoms of complex shapes. Where appropriate, the scanning speed is increased while applying greater force to bring the relatively soft tip into much stronger contact with the surface.

[0111] Furthermore, it should be noted that chips exposed to and / or coated with low surface energy materials can be used for purposes other than debris removal (cleaning) of nanoscale structures. For example, such chips can also be used, according to certain embodiments of this disclosure, to periodically lubricate micron-level or smaller devices (such as MEMS / NEMS) to suppress chemical reactions.

[0112] This method can be implemented in various environments depending on the application requirements, and to further enhance the differential adhesion of particles from the substrate surface to a patch or reservoir of low-energy material. These environments may include, but are not limited to, a vacuum, shielding gases of various compositions and pressures, and fluids of variable composition (including fluids that change ionic strength and / or pH).

[0113] Many other factors influence the Gibbs free energy gradient between the substrate, chip, debris, and soft patch, and these other factors can also be manipulated to generate a downward gradient that moves particles from the substrate to the soft patch. One factor is temperature. Scanning thermal probes can be used in conjunction with the temperatures of the substrate and soft patch materials to generate the desired gradient. The basic equation for Gibbs free energy shows that continuous contact between debris and a surface with a higher relative temperature (since the T*S term in the equation is negative) can provide a possible driving force of ΔG < 0. Also, from the equation for ΔG of a deformed rod at high temperatures, another factor is the stress applied to the chip, which can potentially increase the adhesion force of the debris. This can be achieved by external hardware (i.e., biomaterial strips with different coefficients of thermal expansion), or by nanofabrication or compression or shearing of the substrate below a threshold for chip breakage. Deformation of the chip material can also provide a mechanical trapping mechanism for debris, especially if it is roughened (or covered with nanobristles) and / or has a high density of microstructural defects (i.e., voids) on its surface. The final factor to consider is chemical potential energy. It is possible to alter the chemical state of the chip and / or soft patch surface to generate a preferential chemical reaction for bonding the debris material to the chip. These chemical bonds can be essentially covalent or ionic (sp3 hybrid orbital covalent bonds are the strongest). Debris can be coated with one component of a targeted lock-and-key chemical bonding pair of chemical action. The chip (or another chip) can be coated with other chemicals and brought into contact with the debris surface to bond the debris to the chip. One non-limiting example of a lock-and-key chemical bonding pair of chemical action is streptavidin and biotin, which are often used in chemical force microscopy (CFM) experiments. Another example using ionic bonding would be the polar molecular chemistry of two surfactants, where the exposed polar ends of molecules on the debris and chip surface have opposite charges.Additional related aspects exist for surface chemical interaction adhesion mechanisms, including deficient solvation and steric interaction coatings or surfaces. Chemical changes on the chip surface also enable target changes in surface energy and phase changes (particularly from fluid to solid) that can be mechanically trapped by surrounding the debris on the chip surface (to maximize surface area dA) for bonding. These chemical changes (whether on the chip surface or the intermediate coating) can be catalyzed by external energy sources such as heat (temperature), ultraviolet light, and charged particle beams.

[0114] Figure 12-38 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a debris detection and recovery system. Figure 12 shows a perspective view of a debris recovery device 100 for extracting debris 20 from a substrate 18 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The device 100 includes a substrate support assembly 102 and a chip support assembly 104, each supported by or connected to a base 106. The base 106 can be a solid slab, such as a solid metal slab, a solid stone slab, a solid concrete slab, or any other solid slab structure known in the art. Alternatively, the base 106 can include multiple slabs fixed to each other. The multiple slabs can include metal slabs, stone slabs, concrete slabs, a combination thereof, or any other slab assembly known in the art. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the base 106 can be a solid stone slab, such as a solid granite slab or a solid marble slab.

[0115] The substrate support assembly 102 may include a fixture 108 configured to support the substrate 18, fix the substrate 18 to the substrate support assembly 102, or both. The substrate support assembly 102 may further include a substrate stage assembly 110 configured to move the fixture 108 relative to the base 106. The substrate stage assembly 110 may include one or more moving stages, such as a linear translation stage, a rotational translation stage, a combination thereof, or any other moving stage known in the art. For example, the substrate stage assembly 110 may be configured to move the fixture 108 relative to the base 106 by translation along the x-direction 112, translation along the y-direction 114, translation along the z-direction 116, rotation around the x-direction 112, rotation around the y-direction 114, rotation around the z-direction 116, or a combination thereof. It will be understood that while the x-direction 112, y-direction 114, and z-direction 116 can be orthogonal to each other, it is not essential that they be orthogonal to each other.

[0116] One or more operating stages of the substrate stage assembly 110 may include one or more actuators 118 configured to produce a desired relative movement between the fixing device 108 and the base 106. For example, one or more actuators 118 may include a rotary motor, a servo motor, a magnetic actuator configured to exert force on the substrate stage assembly 110 by a magnetic field, a pneumatic or hydraulic piston, a piezoelectric actuator, or any other motion actuator known in the art, connected to the substrate stage assembly 110 via a piston rod. One or more actuators 118 may be fixed to the base 106.

[0117] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the substrate stage assembly 110 may include a first stage 120 and a second stage 122, where the first stage 120 is configured to move a fixture 108 relative to the second stage 122 via a first actuator 124, and the second stage is configured to move the first stage 120 relative to the base via a second actuator 126. The first actuator 124 may be configured to translate the first stage 120 along the x-direction 112, and the second actuator 126 may be configured to translate the second stage 122 along the y-direction 114. However, it will be understood that the first stage 120 and the second stage 122 may be configured to move relative to the base 106 by translation along other axes or rotation around other axes to adapt to other applications.

[0118] The tip support assembly 104 may include a tip 12 connected to a tip stage assembly 130 via a tip cantilever 132. The tip 12 may be a scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip, such as an AFM or a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) tip. It will be understood that the tip 12 shown in Figure 12 can embody any of the tip structures or attributes described above in this specification. Thus, the tip stage assembly 130 may be an SPM scanner assembly. The tip stage assembly 130 is fixed to a base 106 and can be configured to move the tip 12 relative to the base 106 by translation along the x-direction 112, translation along the y-direction 114, translation along the z-direction 116, rotation around the x-direction 112, rotation around the y-direction 114, rotation around the z-direction 116, or a combination thereof.

[0119] Similar to the substrate stage assembly 110, the chip stage assembly 130 may include one or more actuators 134 that bring the chip 12 to a desired position relative to the base 106. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, one or more actuators may include a rotary actuator system operably coupled to the chip 12 to rotate the chip 12 around a first axis. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, one or more actuators 134 may include one or more piezoelectric actuators, but it will be understood that other actuator structures may be used for one or more actuators 134 to meet the requirements of a particular application without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0120] The substrate stage assembly 110 can be configured to perform larger and less precise movements than those performed by the chip stage assembly 130. Therefore, the substrate stage assembly 110 can be adjusted to produce coarser relative movements between the fixture 108 and the chip 12, while the chip stage assembly 130 can be adjusted to produce finer relative movements between the fixture 108 and the chip 12.

[0121] In one embodiment, the apparatus 100 of Figure 12 may include a first patch 142 located on the substrate support assembly 102, the base 106, or both. In another embodiment, as shown in Figure 13, the apparatus 100 may include a first patch 142 and a second patch 144 located on the substrate support assembly 102, the base 106, or both. The first patch 142, the second patch 144, or both, may embody any of the structure, material, or attributes of the patch 14 described above. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second patch 144 may embody a structure and material similar to or identical to that of the first patch 142, wherein the second patch 144 is primarily used to receive and hold debris 20 recovered from the substrate 18 via the chip 12, and the first patch is primarily used to process or prepare the chip 12 for the subsequent recovery of debris 20 from the substrate 18. Alternatively, the second patch 144 may embody a different structure or material from the first patch 142, the first patch 142 may be better adapted by the step of processing the chip 12 before recovering the debris 20 from the substrate 18, and the second patch 144 may be better adapted to receive and hold the debris 20 recovered from the substrate 18 via the chip 12 and placed on the second patch 144.

[0122] In one embodiment, as will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 30-37, the second patch 144 may be configured as a recovery pocket or recovery through-hole for recovering debris or contaminants from the chip 12. However, either the first patch 142 or the second patch 144 may be used alone to process the chip 12 before recovering the debris 20 from the substrate 18, and the chip 12 may be used to hold the debris 20 recovered from the substrate 18. As shown in Figure 13, the second patch 144 may be positioned or mounted on the first stage opposite the first patch 142. However, the second patch 144 may be installed adjacent to the first patch 142, or, if configured as a recovery pocket or recovery through-hole, may be installed on any other location on the first stage 120 or on the debris recovery device 100 to facilitate debris capture.

[0123] According to aspects of this disclosure, as shown in Figure 14, either or all of the actuators 118 for the substrate stage assembly and the actuators 134 for the chip stage assembly from the debris recovery device 100 of Figure 12 or 13 can be operably coupled to a controller 136 for their control. Thus, the controller 136 can cause relative movement between the fixture 108 and the base 106 and between the chip 12 and the base 106 by controlling the actuators 118 and 134, respectively. Similarly, the controller 136 can cause relative movement between the chip 12 and the fixture 108 by controlling the actuators 118 and 134.

[0124] Furthermore, the controller 136 can produce relative movement between the fixture 108 and the base 106 in response to a manual user input 138, a pre-programmed processing procedure or algorithm in the controller 136's memory 140, a combination thereof, or any other control input known in the art. It will be understood that the pre-programmed control algorithm for the controller 136 may include a closed-loop algorithm, an open-loop algorithm, or both.

[0125] Figure 15 shows a perspective view of a debris recovery and measurement device 200 for extracting debris 10 from a substrate 18 and analyzing the characteristics of the debris 20, according to one aspect of the present disclosure. Similar to the debris recovery device 100 in Figure 12, the debris recovery and measurement device 200 includes a substrate support assembly 102, a chip support assembly 104, and a base 106. However, the debris recovery and measurement device 200 further includes a measurement system 202. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the measurement system 202 may be a nanoscale measurement system.

[0126] The measurement system 202 may include an energy source 204 and an energy detector 206. The energy source 204 may be an X-ray source, a visible light source, an infrared light source, an ultraviolet light source, an electron beam source, a laser source, a combination thereof, or any other electromagnetic energy source known in the art. It will be understood that the visible light source may include a visible light laser, the infrared light source may include an infrared laser, and the ultraviolet light source may include an ultraviolet laser.

[0127] The energy source 204 can be oriented and aimed toward the chip 12 so that the incident energy beam 208 generated by the energy source 204 is incident on the chip 12. At least a portion of the incident energy beam 208 may be reflected, refracted, or absorbed and re-emitted by the chip 12 or debris 20 located on the chip 12. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the energy source 204 may be an irradiation source configured and positioned to orient irradiation incident on the chip 12, such as an SPM chip, and the energy detector 206 may be an irradiation detector configured and positioned to receive sample irradiation from the chip 12, the sample irradiation being generated as a result of the incident irradiation being added, reflected, refracted, or absorbed and re-emitted by the chip 12 or debris 20 located on the chip 12.

[0128] The energy detector 206 can also be oriented and aimed toward the tip 12 so that the sample energy beam 210 is incident on the energy detector 206. The sample energy beam 210 may include contributions from the incident energy beam 208, which is reflected, refracted, absorbed and re-emitted by the tip 12 or debris 20 placed on the tip 12, and combinations thereof, or from any other energy beam that may result from the interaction between the incident energy beam 208 and either the tip 12 or debris 20 placed on the tip 12. Thus, the energy detector 206 can be a photodetector, such as a photomultiplier tube or photodiode, such as an X-ray detector, an electron beam detector, a combination thereof, or any other electromagnetic irradiation detector known in the art.

[0129] According to one aspect of this disclosure, the energy source 204 includes an electron beam source, and the energy detector 206 includes an X-ray detector. According to another aspect of this disclosure, the energy source 204 includes an X-ray source, and the energy detector 206 includes an electron beam detector. According to another aspect of this disclosure, the energy source 204 includes, but is not limited to, a light source including visible light and infrared light.

[0130] The energy detector 206 can be configured to generate an output signal based on the intensity of the sample energy beam 210, the frequency of the sample energy beam 210, a combination thereof, or any other electromagnetic emission characteristics of the sample energy beam 210 known in the art. Furthermore, according to aspects of this disclosure, the energy detector 206 can be connected to a controller 136, as shown in Figure 16, so that the controller 136 receives an output signal from the energy detector 206 in response to the sample energy beam. Thus, as will be described later in this specification, the controller 136 can be configured to analyze the output signal from the energy detector 206 in response to the sample energy beam 210 and identify one or more material attributes of the chip 12 or the debris 20 placed on the chip 12. Optionally, an energy source 204 can be operably coupled to the controller 136 in Figure 16, so that the controller 136 can control the attributes of the incident energy beam 208 generated by the energy source 204, such as the intensity of the incident energy beam 208, the frequency of the incident energy beam 208, or both, but not limited to the incident energy beam 208. In one embodiment, the directions of the energy source 204, the sample energy beam 210, and / or the energy detector 206 can be adjusted according to the output signal from the energy detector 206.

[0131] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the controller 136 can be operably coupled to an actuator system including one or more actuators 134 and an energy detector 206, wherein the controller 136 is configured to receive a first signal based on a first response of the energy detector to sample irradiation, such as a sample energy beam 210, and is configured to cause relative movement between the chip 12 and at least one energy detector 206 via one or more actuators 134 based on the first signal. In one aspect, the controller 136 can be configured to generate a first frequency-domain spectrum of sample irradiation based on a first response of the irradiation detector to sample irradiation, and to generate a second frequency-domain spectrum by subtracting a background frequency-domain spectrum from the first frequency-domain spectrum. Depending on the second frequency-domain spectrum, the controller 136 can cause relative movement between the chip 12 and at least one of the energy source 204 and the energy detector 206 via one or more actuators 134. In one embodiment, the controller 136 may be further configured to generate a background frequency range based on the response of the energy detector 206 to the chip 12 when there is no or substantially no contaminants on the chip 12. In one embodiment, the controller 136 may be configured to receive a second signal based on a second response of the energy detector 206 to sample irradiation, and the controller 136 may also be configured to cause relative movement between the chip 12 and at least one of the energy detector 206 and the energy source 204 via one or more actuators 134 based on the difference between the first signal and the second signal. In one embodiment, the controller 136 may be configured to cause relative movement of a predetermined magnitude between the chip 12 and at least one of the energy detector 206 and the energy source 204 based on the difference between the first signal and the second signal.

[0132] Referring here to Figures 17A, 17B, 18A, and 18B, it will be understood that Figures 17A and 18A show a top view of the debris recovery and measurement device 250 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figures 17B and 18B show a side view of the debris recovery and measurement device 250 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Similar to the debris recovery and measurement device 200 shown in Figures 15 and 16, respectively, the debris recovery and measurement device 250 may include a substrate support assembly 102, a chip support assembly 104, a base 106, and a measurement system 202. However, in the debris recovery and measurement device 250, the energy source 204 and the energy detector 206 can be oriented and aimed toward the patch 252 rather than the chip 12, respectively.

[0133] Patch 252 can embody either the structure or attributes of the first patch 142 or the second patch 144 described above, or, as will be further described with reference to Figure 30-37, patch 252 can include or be configured as a recovery pocket or recovery through-hole for recovering debris or contaminants from the chip 12. Accordingly, the debris recovery and measurement device 250 can be configured to analyze the material properties of patch 252, the debris 20 placed on patch 252, or a combination thereof using the measurement system 202.

[0134] The operation and / or adjustment of the substrate stage assembly 110, the chip stage assembly 130, or both, can perform at least three processing steps using the debris recovery and measurement device 250. During the first processing step, the operation and / or movement of the substrate stage assembly 110, the chip stage assembly 130, or both, causes contact between the chip 12 and the substrate 18 placed on the fixture 108, causing the debris 20 to be transferred from the substrate 18 to the chip 12. During the second processing step, the operation and / or movement of the substrate stage assembly 110, the chip stage assembly 130, or both, causes contact between the chip 12 and the patch 252, transferring the debris 20 from the chip 12 to the patch 252. During the third processing step, the operation and / or movement of the substrate stage assembly 110 orients and aims the energy source 204 and the energy detector 206 onto the patch 252, the incident energy beam 208 from the energy source 204 is incident on the patch 252, and the sample energy beam 210 emitted from the patch 252 is incident on the energy detector 206.

[0135] As shown in Figures 18A and 18B, the energy detector 206 can be connected to the controller 136 so that the controller 136 receives an output signal from the energy detector 206 in response to the sample energy beam. Thus, as will be described later herein, the controller 136 can be configured to analyze the output signal from the energy detector 206 in response to the sample energy beam 210 and to identify one or more material attributes of patch 252 or debris 20 placed on patch 252. Optionally, an energy source 204 can be operably connected to the controller 136 in Figures 18A and 18B so that the controller 136 can control attributes of the incident energy beam 208 generated by the energy source 204, such as the intensity of the incident energy beam 208, the frequency of the incident energy beam 208, or both. In one embodiment, the directions of the energy source 204, the sample energy beam 210, and / or the energy detector 206 can be adjusted in response to the output signal from the energy detector 206.

[0136] Referring here to Figures 19A, 19B, 20A, and 20B, Figures 19A and 20A show a top view of a debris recovery and measurement device 250 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figures 19B and 20B show a side view of a debris recovery and measurement device 250 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Similar to the debris recovery and measurement device 250 in Figures 17A, 17B, 18A, and 18B, the debris recovery and measurement device 250 may include a substrate support assembly 102, a chip support assembly 104, a base 106, a measurement system 202, an energy source, and an energy detector 206. The debris recovery and measurement device 250 in Figures 17A, 17B, 18A, and 18B may further include a first patch 252 and a second patch 254. In one embodiment, the first patch 252 and the second patch 254 are located on the opposite side of the substrate 18 and can be attached to a fixture 108. The energy source 204 and the energy detector 206 can each be oriented and aimed toward at least one of the first patch 252 and the second patch 254. The first patch 252 and the second patch 254 can embody any of the structures or attributes described above. In addition or alternatively, as will be further described with reference to Figures 30-37, the first patch 252 and the second patch 254 may include, or be configured as, recovery pockets or recovery through-holes for recovering debris or contaminants from the chip 12. For example, the debris recovery and measurement device 250, the energy source 204 and the energy detector 206 can each be oriented toward the recovery pocket or recovery through-hole so that the material properties of the debris or contaminants 20 recovered in the recovery pocket or recovery through-hole can be analyzed using the measurement system 202.

[0137] The operation and / or adjustment of the substrate stage assembly 110, the chip stage assembly 130, or both, can be performed using the debris recovery and measurement device 250 to carry out at least three processing steps. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, as will be described in more detail below, the debris can be removed from the substrate 18 and recovered using a recovery pocket or recovery through-hole. The recovery pocket or recovery through-hole may be part of the first patch 252 and the second patch 254, or may be attached to or positioned at the location of the first patch 252 and the second patch 254.

[0138] During the first processing step, the movement and / or motion of the substrate stage assembly 110, the chip stage assembly 130, or both, causes contact between the chip 12 and the substrate 18 positioned on the fixture 108, thereby transferring the debris 20 from the substrate 18 to the chip 12. During the second processing step, the movement and / or motion of the substrate stage assembly 110, the chip stage assembly 130, or both, causes contact between the chip 12 and the recovery pocket or recovery through-hole of the first patch 252, thereby transferring the debris 20 from the chip 12 to the recovery pocket or recovery through-hole of the first patch 252. In one embodiment, as will be described in more detail below with reference to Figures 33 and 34, the movement and / or motion of the chip 12 relative to the recovery pocket or recovery through-hole of the first patch 252 can follow a predetermined trajectory. During the third processing step, the operation and / or movement of the substrate stage assembly 110 is adjusted to orient and aim the energy source 204 and the energy detector 206, respectively, over the recovery through-hole of the first patch 252, so that the incident energy beam 208 from the energy source 204 is incident on the patch 252 and the sample energy beam 210 emitted from the patch 252 is incident on the energy detector 206.

[0139] As shown in Figures 20A and 20B, the energy detector 206 can be coupled to the controller 136, which then receives an output signal from the energy detector 206 in response to the sample energy beam. The controller 136 can be configured to analyze the output signal from the energy detector 206 in response to the sample energy beam 210 and to identify one or more material attributes of the recovery pocket or recovery through-hole of the first patch 252 or of the debris located on the recovery pocket or recovery through-hole of the first patch 252. Optionally, an energy source 204 can be operably connected to the controller 136 in Figures 20A and 20B, allowing the controller 136 to control, but not limited to, the attributes of the incident energy beam 208 generated by the energy source 204, such as the intensity of the incident energy beam 208, the frequency of the incident energy beam 208, or both. In one embodiment, the directions of the energy source 204, the sample energy beam 210, and / or the energy detector 206 can be adjusted in response to the output signal from the energy detector 206.

[0140] Referring here to Figures 21A and 21B, it will be understood that Figure 21A shows a top view of the debris recovery and measurement device 260 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 21B shows a side view of the debris recovery and measurement device 260 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Similar to the debris recovery and measurement devices 200 and 250 shown in Figures 15-20, the debris recovery and measurement device 260 may include a substrate support assembly 102, a chip support assembly 104, and a base 106, and a measurement system 202. However, in the debris recovery and measurement device 260, the chip support assembly 104 further includes a robot 262.

[0141] The robot 262 may include a motor 264 and a robot arm 266. The proximal end of the robot arm 266 may be operably connected to the base 106 via the motor 264, and the chip stage assembly 130 may be operably connected to the distal end of the robot arm 266, so that the operation of the motor 264 results in relative movement between the chip 12 and the base 106. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the operation of the motor 264 results in rotational movement of the chip 12 about the rotation axis 268 of the robot 262 relative to the base 106.

[0142] The measurement system 202 may include a patch 252 and a measurement stage assembly 270 for supporting the patch 252. Alternatively, if there is no measurement stage assembly 270, the patch 252 may be supported directly on or by the base 106. The measurement stage assembly 270 may be configured to produce relative movement between the patch 252 and the base 106 by translation along the x-direction 112, translation along the y-direction 114, translation along the z-direction 116, rotation around the x-direction 112, rotation around the y-direction 114, rotation around the z-direction 116, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, the measurement stage assembly 270 may embody any of the above-described structures or attributes relating to the substrate stage assembly 110, the chip stage assembly 130, or both.

[0143] In Figures 21A and 21B, the robot arm 266 is shown in a first position, so that the chip 12 is positioned near the fixture 108. When the robot arm 266 is in the first position, the movement of the substrate stage assembly 110, the chip stage assembly 130, or both is sufficient to create contact between the chip 12 and the substrate 18 attached to the fixture 108. Therefore, when the robot arm 266 is in its first position, the debris recovery and measurement device 260 can cause the transfer of the debris 20 from the substrate 18 to the chip 12.

[0144] In Figures 22A and 22B, the robot arm 266 is shown in a second position, so that the chip 12 is positioned near the measurement system 202. When the robot arm 266 is in the second position, the movement of the chip stage assembly 130, or the combined movement of the chip stage assembly 130 and the measurement stage assembly 270, is sufficient to create contact between the chip 12 and the patch 252. Thus, when the robot arm 266 is in the second position, the debris recovery and measurement device 270 can cause the transfer of the debris 20 from the chip 12 to the patch 252. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, as will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 30-37, the patch 252 may be configured as a recovery pocket or recovery through-hole for recovering debris or contaminants from the chip 12. Although not shown in Figures 21A and 21B, the debris recovery and measurement device 270 may include an energy source 204 and an energy detector 206 oriented and aimed towards a patch 252 similar to or identical to those shown in Figures 17A and 17B, in order to perform measurement and analysis on patch 252, debris 20 placed on patch 252, or both.

[0145] According to one aspect of this disclosure, one or more of the robot 262, substrate stage assembly 110, chip stage assembly 130, and measurement stage assembly 270 within the debris recovery and measurement device 260 can be operably connected to a controller 136 for control. Accordingly, the controller 136 can be configured to operate the robot 262 to switch its configuration between the first position shown in Figures 21A and 21B and the second position shown in Figures 22A and 22B.

[0146] Referring now to Figures 23A and 23B, it will be understood that Figure 23A shows a bottom view of a chip support assembly 104 according to one aspect of the present disclosure, and Figure 23B shows a partial side cross-sectional view of the chip support assembly along the cutting line 23B-23B according to one aspect of the present disclosure. The chip support assembly 104 shown in Figures 23A and 23B may be particularly suitable for integration with a robotic arm 266, as shown in Figures 21A, 21B, 22A, and 22B. However, as will be understood by those skilled in the art in consideration of the present disclosure, it will be understood that the chip support assembly 104 may be advantageously incorporated into other debris recovery and / or measurement systems to meet specific requirements.

[0147] The chip support assembly 104 shown in Figures 23A and 23B includes a z-actuator 280, a camera 282, or both, but it will be understood that the chip support assembly 104 can embody any other structure or attribute discussed above with respect to the chip support assembly, but is not limited to, means of translation along the x-direction 112 or y-direction 114, and rotational movement around any of the x-direction 112, y-direction 114, and z-direction 116.

[0148] The proximal end of the z-actuator 280 can be operably connected to the robot arm 266, and the distal end of the z-actuator 280 can be operably connected to the tip 12 via the tip cantilever 132, the camera 282, or both. Thus, the operation of the z-actuator 280 results in relative movement along the z-direction 116 between the tip 12, the camera 282, or both. The z-actuator 280 may include a rotary motor and screw structure, a linear servo motor structure, a pneumatic or hydraulic piston structure, a piezoelectric structure, or any other linear actuator structure known in the art.

[0149] It will be understood that the z-actuator 280 can be operably coupled to the controller 136 to control relative movement between the robot arm 266 and the chip 12, the camera 282, or both. Furthermore, the camera 282 can also be coupled to the controller 136 to provide images of the substrate adjacent to the chip 12 to a user display, a machine vision algorithm for controlling the chip 12, or both.

[0150] Referring now to Figures 24A and 24B, Figure 24A shows a bottom view of a measurement system 202 which may be the same or similar measurement system 202 described above in relation to Figures 15-20, although it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the measurement system 202 in Figures 24A and 24B may represent other systems including at least a chip 12, a chip stage assembly 13, an energy source 204, and an energy detector 206. Figure 24B shows a side view of a measurement system 202 according to one aspect of the present disclosure. The structure of the measurement system 202 shown in Figures 24A and 24B may be applicable to the debris recovery and measurement device 200 shown in Figures 15 and 16, where the measurement processing procedure is performed directly on the chip 12, the debris 20 placed on the chip 12, or both. However, it will be understood that the measurement system 202 shown in Figures 24A and 24B may be advantageously applicable to other measurement systems and devices. In one embodiment, the specific chip 12 shown in Figures 24A and 24B may include a tetrahedral shape. As shown in Figures 24A and 24B, a chip 12 having a tetrahedral shape does not contain any debris 20. Therefore, the attributes of the chip 12 can be analyzed using the measurement system 202 in a state where there is no debris 20 attached to the chip 12.

[0151] The energy source 204 can be oriented and aimed toward the chip 12 so that an incident energy beam 208 generated by the energy source 204 is incident on the chip 12, and the energy detector 206 can be oriented and aimed toward the chip 12 so that a sample energy beam 210 generated in response to the incident energy beam 208 on the chip 12 is received by the energy detector 206. The chip stage assembly 130 can be operably coupled to the chip 12 so that the chip stage assembly 130 can move the chip 12 in translation along any of the x-direction 112, y-direction 114, and z-direction 115 or in rotation around any of the directions relative to the energy source 204, the energy detector 206, or both. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the chip stage assembly 130 is configured to rotate the chip 12 at least around a longitudinal chip axis 284 extending through the chip 12. According to one aspect of this disclosure, the chip 12 specifically shown in Figures 24A and 24B includes a tetrahedron shape.

[0152] The chip stage assembly 130, energy source 204, energy detector 206, or a combination thereof, can be operably coupled to a controller 136 for control. Thus, the controller 136 can selectively orient the incident energy beam 208 onto different surfaces of the chip 12 by operating the chip stage assembly 130, and the controller 136 can receive one or more signals from the energy detector 206 representing the attributes of the resulting sample energy beam 210. As shown in Figures 24A and 24B, the chip 12 can be free of any debris 20. Therefore, the attributes of the chip 12 in a state free of debris 20 can be analyzed using the measurement system 202.

[0153] Referring now to Figures 25A and 25B, Figure 25A shows a bottom view of a measurement system 202 according to one aspect of the present disclosure, and Figure 25B shows a side view of a measurement system 202 according to one aspect of the present disclosure. The measurement system 202 shown in Figures 25A and 25B can embody any of the structures or attributes described with respect to the measurement system 202 shown in Figures 15-20, 24A, and 24B. However, the measurement system 202 shown in Figures 25A and 25B shows debris 20 attached to a tetrahedral chip 12. Therefore, the measurement system 202 can be used to analyze the attributes of the chip 12, the debris 20 attached to the chip 12, or both.

[0154] Referring now to Figures 26A and 26B, Figure 26A shows a bottom view of a measurement system 202 according to one aspect of the present disclosure, and Figure 26B shows a side view of a measurement system 202 according to one aspect of the present disclosure. The measurement system 202 shown in Figures 26A and 26B can embody either the structure or attributes of the measurement system 202 shown in Figures 24A and 24B. However, unlike Figures 24A and 24B, the specific chip 12 shown in Figures 26A and 26B includes a conical shape. As shown in Figures 26A and 26B, a conical chip 12 does not contain any debris 20. Therefore, the measurement system 202 can be used to analyze the attributes of a chip 12 that is free of debris 20 attached to it.

[0155] Referring now to Figures 27A and 27B, Figure 27A shows a bottom view of a measurement system 202 according to one aspect of the present disclosure, and Figure 27B shows a side view of a measurement system 202 according to one aspect of the present disclosure. The measurement system 202 shown in Figures 27A and 27B can embody any of the structures or attributes described with respect to the measurement system 202 shown in Figures 26A and 26B. However, the measurement system 202 shown in Figures 27A and 27B shows debris 20 attached to a cone-shaped chip 12. Therefore, the attributes of the chip 12, the debris 20 attached to the chip 12, or both can be analyzed using the measurement system 202.

[0156] Referring here to Figures 28A and 28B, it will be understood that Figure 28A shows a bottom view of a measurement system 202 according to one aspect of the present disclosure, and Figure 27B shows a side view of a measurement system 202 according to one aspect of the present disclosure. The measurement system 202 shown in Figures 28A and 28B can embody either the structure or attributes of the measurement system 202 shown in Figures 24A and 24B. However, unlike Figures 24A and 24B, the specific chip 12 shown in Figures 28A and 28B includes a pyramidal shape. As shown in Figures 28A and 28B, a chip 12 having a pyramidal shape does not contain any debris 20. Therefore, the measurement system 202 can be used to analyze the attributes of a chip 12 that is free of debris 20 attached to it.

[0157] Referring here to Figures 29A and 29B, it will be understood that Figure 29A shows a bottom view of a measurement system 202 according to one aspect of the present disclosure, and Figure 29B shows a side view of a measurement system 202 according to one aspect of the present disclosure. The measurement system 202 shown in Figures 29A and 29B can embody any of the structures or attributes described with respect to the measurement system 202 shown in Figures 28A and 28B. However, the measurement system 202 shown in Figures 29A and 29B shows debris 20 attached to a pyramidal chip 12. Therefore, the measurement system 202 can be used to analyze the attributes of the chip 12, the debris 20 attached to the chip 12, or both.

[0158] Referring to Figures 30-37, an exemplary contaminant recoverer with a recovery pocket or recovery through-hole is described. Referring here to Figures 30A and 30B, Figure 30A shows a side section view of the contaminant recoverer 30 for recovering a contaminant sample 33 from a chip 12 (as seen in 30A-30A of Figure 30B), where the chip 12 can be the same as or similar to those described above with respect to the exemplary debris detection and recovery system. The contaminant sample 33 may contain one or more fragments of the debris or particles 20 described above. The contaminant recoverer 30 may define a recovery pocket 32 ​​including at least three side walls 34 extending from a first upper surface 36 to a second upper surface 38. The height (h) of the side walls 34 can be selected so that at least a portion of the chip 12 can be inserted into the depth of the recovery pocket 32. In one embodiment, the height (h) of the side walls 34 defining the depth of the recovery pocket 32 ​​can be between 25% and 200% of the length (L) of the chip 12. In one embodiment, the height (h) of the side wall can be selected to facilitate the refraction of a spectroscopic method for analyzing a contaminant sample 33 that may be deposited inside or on top of the contaminant recoverer 30.

[0159] In one embodiment, the intersection between the first upper surface 36 and the side wall 34 forms the inner edge of the first set, and the intersection between the second upper surface 38 and the side wall 34 forms the inner edge of the second set. The side wall 34 can define at least one internal surface extending from the first upper surface 36 to the second upper surface 38. In one embodiment, the irradiation source, such as the energy source 204 described above, can be configured and positioned to direct the incident irradiation to the internal surface or surface of the contaminant recoverer 30. In one embodiment, the irradiation detector, such as the energy detector 206 described above, can be configured and positioned to receive sample irradiation from one or more internal surfaces of the contaminant recoverer 30, and the sample irradiation is generated by directing the incident irradiation to one or more internal surfaces or surface of the contaminant recoverer 30 and reflecting it from there.

[0160] As shown in Figure 30B, the three side walls 34 and their corresponding first inner edges can form an equilateral triangular contour when viewed from above. Each set of adjacent side walls 34 can form a set of contaminant recovery edges 35. In one embodiment, a tetrahedral tip 12 can be used with the contaminant recoverer 30 of Figures 30A and 30B. One or more edges 13 of the tip 12 can be manipulated, rubbed, or dragged adjacent to one or more contaminant recovery edges 35 of the recovery pocket 32, thereby enabling the transfer of a contaminant sample 33 from the tip 12 to the recovery pocket 32. In a selected embodiment, the contaminant recoverer 30 may include three side walls 34 that form a non-equal triangular contour (e.g., an isosceles, unequal, acute, right, or obtuse triangle) when viewed from above. The non-equilateral triangular cross-section, as will be understood by those skilled in the art in consideration of this disclosure, defines unequal contaminant retrieval edges 35, and thus can be adapted to extract contaminant samples 33 from chips of various sizes and / or shapes. In one embodiment, each edge of the contaminant retrieval edge 35 may have a length of 10 mm or less in order to reduce the amount of movement required for the chip 12 to transfer the contaminant sample 33 to the retrieval pocket 32, particularly when the contaminant sample 33 has a nanoscale structure.

[0161] Referring here to Figures 31A and 31B, Figure 31A shows a side section view (as seen in 31A-31A of Figure 31B) of a contaminant retriever 30 for retrieving a contaminant sample 33 from a chip 12, where the chip 12 may be the same as or similar to those described above with respect to an exemplary debris detection and retrieval system. The contaminant retriever 30 may define a retrieval pocket 32 ​​including a side wall 34 extending from a first upper surface 36 to a second upper surface 38. The height (h) of the side wall 34 may be selected to allow at least a portion of the chip 12 to be inserted into the depth of the retrieval pocket 32. In one embodiment, the height (h) of the side wall 34 defining the depth of the retrieval pocket may be between 25% and 200% of the length (L) of the chip 12. In one embodiment, the height (h) of the side wall may be selected to facilitate spectroscopy for analyzing a contaminant sample 33 that may be deposited inside or on the contaminant retriever 30.

[0162] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 31B, the contaminant recoverer 30 may include cylindrical sidewalls 34 that form a circular contour when viewed from above. A contaminant recovery inner edge 35 can be formed at the intersection between the first top surface 36 and the sidewalls 34. In one embodiment, a conical tip 12 can be used with the contaminant recoverer 30 of Figures 31A and 31B. The surface of the conical tip 12 can be manipulated, rubbed, or dragged near and adjacent to the contaminant recovery edge 35 of the recovery pocket 32, thereby enabling the transfer of the contaminant sample 33 from the tip 12 to the recovery pocket 32. In a selected embodiment, the contaminant recoverer 30 may include sidewalls 34 that define an oval or elliptical contour when viewed from above, and thus can be adapted to extract contaminant samples 33 from tips of various sizes and / or shapes, as will be understood by those skilled in the art in consideration of this disclosure. In one embodiment, the diameter of the contaminant recovery edge 35 may be less than 10 mm in width. In a selected embodiment, the diameter of the contaminant collection edge 35 can be 500 microns or less in order to reduce the amount of movement required for the tip 12 to transfer the contaminant sample 33 to the collection pocket 32, especially when the contaminant sample 33 has a nanoscale structure.

[0163] Referring here to Figures 32A and 32B, Figure 32A shows a side section view of a contaminant recoverer 30 for recovering a contaminant sample 33 from a chip 12 (as seen at 32A-32A in Figure 32B), where the chip 12 may be the same as or similar to those described above with respect to an exemplary debris detection and recovery system. The contaminant recoverer 30 may define a recovery pocket 32 ​​including a side wall 34 extending from a first upper surface 36 to a second upper surface 38. The height (h) of the side wall 34 may be selected to allow at least a portion of the chip 12 to be inserted into the depth of the recovery pocket 32. In one embodiment, the height (h) of the side wall 34 defining the depth of the recovery pocket may be between 25% and 200% of the length (L) of the chip 12. In one embodiment, the height (h) of the side wall may be selected to facilitate spectroscopy for analyzing a contaminant sample 33 that may be deposited inside or on the contaminant recoverer 30.

[0164] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 32B, the contaminant recoverer 30 may include four side walls 34 that form a rectangular or square contour when viewed from above. Each set of adjacent side walls 34 can form a contaminant recovery inner edge 35. In one embodiment, a pyramidal tip 12 can be used with the contaminant recoverer 30 of Figures 32A and 32B. One or more edges 13 of the tip 12 can be manipulated, rubbed, or dragged adjacent to one or more contaminant recovery inner edges 35 of the recovery pocket 32, thereby enabling the transfer of the contaminant sample 33 from the tip 12 to the recovery pocket 32. In one embodiment, each edge of the contaminant recovery edge 35 may have a length of 10 mm or less in order to reduce the amount of movement required for the tip 12 to transfer the contaminant sample 33 to the recovery pocket 32, especially when the contaminant sample 33 has a nanoscale structure.

[0165] While specific combinations of tip and collection pocket shapes have been described above in relation to Figures 30A, 30B, 31A, 31B, 32A, and 32B, it will be understood that any combination of tip 12 and collection pocket 32 ​​shapes can be used together or interchangeably. For example, the conical tip in Figures 31A and 31B can be used with the triangular collection pocket 32 ​​in Figures 30A and 30B. Furthermore, while exemplary triangular, rectangular, and circular contaminant collectors are shown in Figures 30-32, contaminant collectors with five or more sidewalls are also usable.

[0166] Next, looking at Figures 33A to 33C, an exemplary process of the steps of manipulating the tip 12 to transfer the contaminated sample 33 from the tip 12 to the contaminated recovery unit 30 is described, as described above in relation to Figures 30-32. As will be described in general in relation to Figures 35-37, it will be understood that similar steps are applicable to transferring the contaminated sample to the contaminated recovery unit 40. As shown in Figure 33A, the tip 12 can first be positioned centered above the opening of the recovery pocket 32 ​​in the x and y directions. The tip 12 can then be lowered into the recovery pocket 32, at least partially in the z direction, without contacting the side walls 34 of the recovery pocket 32. Next, as shown in Figure 33B, the tip 12 can be manipulated toward one of the side walls 34 in the x and / or y directions. Simultaneously, the tip 12 can be manipulated upward in the z-direction so that the contaminated sample 33 can rub against or come into close contact with the contaminated collection edge 35 of the collection pocket 32, thereby transferring the contaminated sample 33 from the tip 12 to at least one side of the contaminated collection edge 35.

[0167] In one embodiment, the movement of the tip 12 from the position shown in Figure 33A to the position shown in Figure 33B can be defined as a quadratic function such that the tip 12 moves toward and passes the contaminant collection edge 35 via a parabolic trajectory, a scraping motion, and / or a wiping motion. The tip 12 can continue moving from the position shown in Figure 33B toward the upper right of the contaminant collection edge 35 before being returned to the starting position shown in Figure 33A. In one embodiment, the movement of the tip 12 can be defined as a linear function depending on the size and shape of the tip 12 and the collection pocket 32. Other trajectories and movement paths for the tip 12 will be understood by those skilled in the art in view of this disclosure.

[0168] In addition or alternatively, as shown in Figures 34A to 34C, the tip 12 can initially be positioned offset in the x and y directions above the center of the collection pocket 32. The tip 12 can then be moved downward in the z direction and simultaneously moved in the x and / or y directions toward the center of the collection pocket 32 ​​until at least a portion of the tip 12 is at least partially located within the collection pocket 32. As the tip 12 is moved into the collection pocket 32, the contaminated sample 33 can rub against or come into close contact with the contaminated collection edge 35 of the collection pocket 32, thereby transferring the contaminated sample 33 from the tip 12 to at least one upper part of the contaminated collection edge 35.

[0169] In one embodiment, the movement of the tip 12 from the position shown in Figure 34A to the position shown in Figure 34C can be defined as a quadratic function such that the tip 12 moves toward and passes the contaminant collection edge 35 via a parabolic trajectory, a scraping motion, and / or a wiping motion. In one embodiment, the movement of the tip 12 can be defined as a linear function depending on the size and shape of the tip 12 and the collection pocket 32. Other trajectories and movement paths for the tip 12 will be understood by those skilled in the art in view of this disclosure.

[0170] In one aspect of the present disclosure, the tip operation in Figures 33A-33C and / or 34A-34C can be repeated so that the tip 12 contacts different parts of the contaminant collection edge 35. For example, as described above in relation to Figures 31A and 31B, if the contaminant collection edge 35 has a circular outer shape, the tip 12 can be operated to contact the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock positions of the contaminant collection edge 35 (based on the orientation of the top view shown in Figure 31B) in order to transfer the contaminant sample 33 from different corresponding parts of the tip 12. In view of the present disclosure, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the tip operation can be repeated to contact additional or all parts of the contaminant collection edge 35. In one aspect, the contaminant sample 33 can be transferred from the tip 12 to the contaminant collection edge 35 by operating the tip 12 to rub or make close contact with the contaminant collection edge 35 at the 12 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock, and 9 o'clock positions. By collecting contaminated samples 33 at different locations on the contaminated material collection edge 35, the composition of the collected contaminated samples obtained from different parts of the chip 12 can be determined by establishing measurement positions on different corresponding parts of the contaminated material collection edge.

[0171] According to one aspect of this disclosure, the above-described chip operations in Figures 33A-33C and / or 34A-34C can be repeated so that different portions of the chip 12 can contact or closely adhere to the same position on the contaminant collection edge 35, thereby allowing all or most of the contaminant sample 33 to be deposited from the chip 12 at the same position on the contaminant collection edge 35. For example, as shown in Figure 33B or 34B, after transferring the contaminant sample 33 to the contaminant collection edge 35, the chip 12 can be rotated around the z-axis and operated continuously to pass over the same common position on the contaminant collection edge 35. In addition or alternatively, as shown in Figure 33B or 34B, after transferring the contaminant sample 33 from the chip 12 to the contaminant collection edge 35, the contaminant collection edge 35 can be rotated around the z-axis. Furthermore, in addition to the collection pocket 32 ​​and collection through-hole 46 (having a collection edge that completely surrounds the chip 12) described herein, a collection edge or set of collection edges that do not completely surround the chip 12 may be used. For example, the collection edge may consist of a single straight edge or a single C-shaped edge. In one embodiment in which a set of collection edges is used, the collection edges may collectively surround less than 75% of the chip 12, and in a selected embodiment, the collection edges may collectively surround less than 50% of the chip 12. By collecting the contaminant sample 33 at the same common location on the contaminant collection edge 35, the overall composition of the contaminant sample 33 recovered from the chip 12 can be identified by designating the common location on the contaminant collection edge as the measurement location.

[0172] In one embodiment, the tip operations shown in Figures 33A-33C and / or 34A-34C are used continuously in combination such that upward and lateral outward movements are followed by downward and lateral inward movements, or vice versa, to transfer the contaminated sample 33 from the tip 12 to the contaminated collection edge 35. Continuous operation can facilitate an increase in the rate of recovery of the contaminated sample 33 from the tip 12.

[0173] Next, referring to Figures 35-37, an exemplary contaminant recoverer having a recovery through-hole is described. Referring here to Figures 35A and 35B, Figure 35A shows a cross-sectional view (as seen in 35A-35A of Figure 35B) of a contaminant recoverer 40 for recovering a contaminant sample 33 from a chip 12, the chip 12 being the same or similar as those described above with respect to the exemplary debris detection and recovery system of the present disclosure. The contaminant recoverer 40 may include at least a stand 42 and a platform 44, the platform 44 may include an internal notch having a side wall 45 to define a recovery through-hole 46. In one embodiment, the platform 44 includes an upper surface 47 and a lower surface 48, the side wall 45 may extend from the upper surface 47 to the lower surface 48. The recovery lip edge 49 may be defined at the intersection between the side wall 45 and the upper surface 47. The stand 42 and the platform 44 may be fixed to each other or provided as separate components.

[0174] In one embodiment, particularly when the recovery and measurement systems are separate units, not integrated, and / or not installed in the same location, the contaminant recoverer 40 may be moved from one location to another. The contaminant recoverer 40 or platform 44 can be individually moved from the recovery system to the measurement system for analysis of the recovered contaminant sample 33.

[0175] As shown in Figures 35A and 35B, the side wall 45 of the contaminant recoverer can be inclined so that the recovery through-hole 46 narrows in the direction toward the tip entry position. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, as shown in Figure 35B, the side wall 45 can be inclined so that the through-hole 46 defines a truncated tetrahedron passage having a substantially triangular contour when viewed from above. During operation, as shown in Figures 35A and 35B, the tetrahedron-shaped tip 12 can be positioned to enter the recovery through-hole 46 of the contaminant recoverer 40 from above in the z direction. The tip 12 can be manipulated at least downward in the z direction to enter the recovery through-hole 46. Once at least a portion of the tip 12 has entered the through-hole 46, the tip 12 can then be manipulated laterally in the x and / or y directions toward the side wall 45 and the contaminant lip edge 49 of the contaminant recoverer 40. While moving laterally, the tip 12 can be simultaneously moved upward in the z direction so that the contaminated sample 33 can rub against and come into contact with the recovery lip edge 49 and / or side wall 45, thereby transferring the contaminated sample 33 from the tip 12 to the recovery lip edge 49 and / or side wall 45. The trajectory and movement of the tip 12 can be the same as or similar to those described above in relation to Figures 33A-33C.

[0176] In addition or alternatively, the contaminant sample 33 can be removed from the tip 12 by first positioning the tip 12 above the recovery through-hole 46 of the contaminant recovery unit 40 in the z direction and offset from the center of the recovery through-hole 46 in the x and / or y directions. The tip 12 can then be moved downward in the z direction and simultaneously moved toward the center of the through-hole 46 in the x and / or y directions until at least a portion of the tip 12 is at least partially located inside the through-hole 46. As the tip 12 is moved into the through-hole 46, the contaminant sample 33 may rub against or come into close contact with the recovery lip edge 49 of the through-hole 46, thereby transferring the contaminant sample 33 from the tip 12 to at least the upper part of the recovery lip edge 49. The trajectory and movement of the tip 12 can be the same as or similar to those described above in relation to Figures 34A-34C.

[0177] Similar to Figures 35A and 35B, the contaminant recovery unit 40 in Figures 36A and 36B may include at least a stand 42 and a platform 44. However, unlike Figures 35A and 35B, where the side walls 45 define a through-hole 46 having a truncated tetrahedron passage, the platform 44 in Figures 36A and 36B includes an internal notch with side walls 45 defining a frustoconical passage, including conical, oval-conical, and elliptic-conical passages. During operation, the removal of the contaminant sample 33 from the tip 12 will follow the same processing procedure as described above in relation to Figures 35A and 35B, replacing the through-hole 46 with the frustoconical passage.

[0178] Similar to Figures 36A and 36B, the contaminant recovery unit 40 in Figures 37A and 37B may include at least a stand 42 and a platform 44. However, unlike Figures 36A and 36B, where side walls 45 define a through-hole 46 having a frustoconical passage, the platform 44 in Figures 37A and 37B includes an internal notch with multiple side walls 45 to define the recovery through-hole 46. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the platform 44 may have four side walls to define a through-hole 46 having a frustoconical passage. During operation, the removal of the contaminant sample 33 from the tip 12 will follow the same processing procedure as described above in relation to Figures 35A and 35B, replacing the through-hole 46 with the frustoconical passage.

[0179] While truncated tetrahedron passages, frustoconical passages, and frustopyrotic passages have been described above in relation to Figures 35-37, other passage shapes for the through-hole 46 are conceivable, and the passage shape can be selected based on the corresponding shape of the tip 12, including non-uniform shapes and cases where the through-hole has three or more sidewalls. Naturally, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other shapes and sizes of the tip are available with the contaminant recoverer 40 shown in Figure 35-37.

[0180] The recovery pocket 32 ​​in Figures 30-32 and / or the contaminant recoverer 40 in Figures 35-37 can be used in conjunction with the debris recovery device 100 in Figures 12-23 as described above, or can be examined separately from the tip 12 and associated operating and control mechanisms using the contaminant analysis system 500 in Figure 38. As will be understood by those skilled in the art in view of this disclosure, the recovery pocket 32 ​​in Figures 30-32 and / or the contaminant recoverer 40 in Figures 35-37 can be used to recover debris while it is being mounted in a first position, removed, transported to a second position, analyzed in a debris detection process, cleaned and reused.

[0181] As shown in Figure 38, the contaminant analysis system 500 may include an energy source 50 and an energy detector 52. When the contaminant recoverer 40 is ready for inspection or analysis, the contaminant recoverer 40 can be positioned or mounted on a stand 42. The energy source 50 and the energy detector 52 may be installed together in a single unit or in separate units. Each of the energy source 50 and the energy detector 52 may be connected to one or more actuators to move the energy source 50 and the energy detector 52 in one or more directions of the x, y, and z directions, and / or rotate the energy source 50 and the energy detector 52 around the x, y, and z directions. The energy source 50 and the energy detector 52 may be installed above, below, or alongside the contaminant recoverer 40, so that the energy source 50 and the energy detector 52 can be operated to aim at the recovery lip edge 49 or side wall 45 of the contaminant recoverer 40.

[0182] During or after the contaminant recovery process in which the contaminated sample 33 is recovered onto the recovery lip edge 49 and / or side wall 45 of the contaminant recovery unit 40, the energy source 50 can be oriented and aimed toward the lip edge 49 and / or side wall 45 so that the incident energy beam 51 generated by the energy source 50 is incident on the recovery lip edge 49 and / or side wall 45, and the energy detector 52 can be oriented and aimed toward the lip edge 49 and / or side wall 45 so that the sample energy beam 53 generated in response to the energy beam 51 incident on the lip edge 49 and / or side wall 45 is received by the energy detector 52.

[0183] According to aspects of this disclosure, an energy source 50, an energy detector 52, or a combination thereof can be operably coupled to a controller 56 for control thereof. Thus, the controller 56 can selectively aim and orient the incident energy beam 51 from the energy source 50 onto various surfaces of the lip edge 49 and / or sidewall 45 by one or more actuators associated with the energy source 50. The controller 56 can further aim and orient the energy detector 52 onto various surfaces exposed to the incident energy beam 51 to receive a sample energy beam 53 generated in response to the incident energy beam 51. The controller 56 can receive one or more signals from the energy detector 52 indicating the attributes of the obtained sample energy beam 53.

[0184] Many of the features and advantages of this disclosure are evident from the detailed specification, and therefore the claims are intended to protect all such features and advantages of the invention that fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. It is understood that various aspects of this disclosure can be combined and used together. Furthermore, since many modifications and variations are readily apparent to those skilled in the art in consideration of this disclosure, it is not desirable to limit the invention to the exact configuration and operation illustrated and described, and therefore all suitable modifications and equivalents within the scope of the invention can be recognized. In addition, the present invention can also be configured as follows in a preferred embodiment. 1. A method for determining the composition of particles using a scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip, The steps include transferring the particles to the SPM chip, The steps include irradiating the SPM tip with a first incident irradiation from an irradiation source, The steps include detecting the first sample irradiation caused by the first incident irradiation using an irradiation detector, A step of causing relative movement between the SPM chip and at least one of the irradiation source and the irradiation detector based on a first signal from the irradiation detector in response to the first sample irradiation, Methods that include... 2. A step of generating a first frequency domain spectrum of the first sample irradiation based on the first signal, A step of generating a second frequency domain spectrum by subtracting the background frequency domain spectrum from the first frequency domain spectrum, A step of causing relative movement between the SPM chip and at least one of the irradiation source and the irradiation detector based on the second frequency domain spectrum, The method described in 1 above, further comprising: 3. The method according to 2, further comprising the step of generating the background frequency domain spectrum based on the response of the irradiation detector to the irradiation of the SPM chip, when the SPM chip is substantially free of contaminants. 4. The step of irradiating the SPM tip with a second incident irradiation from the irradiation source, The steps include detecting the second sample irradiation caused by the second incident irradiation using the irradiation detector, A step of causing relative movement between the SPM chip and at least one of the irradiation source and the irradiation detector based on a second signal from the irradiation detector in response to the irradiation of the second sample, The method described in 1 above, further comprising: 5. The method according to 4, further comprising the step of causing a relative movement between the SPM chip and at least one of the irradiation source and the irradiation detector based on the difference between the second signal and the first signal. 6. The method according to 1, wherein the first incident irradiation from the irradiation source is at least one of X-rays, visible light, infrared light, ultraviolet light, electron beam, and laser. 7. The method according to 4, wherein the second incident irradiation from the irradiation source is at least one of X-rays, visible light, infrared light, ultraviolet light, electron beam, and laser. 8. The method according to 7 above, wherein the second incident irradiation is of a different type from the first incident irradiation. 9. The first sample irradiation is the method according to 1 above, wherein the first incident irradiation is generated by the interaction of the SPM tip. 10. The method according to 1, wherein the first sample irradiation is generated by the interaction of the first incident irradiation with debris placed on the SPM chip. 11. The method according to 1, further comprising the step of adjusting the intensity or frequency of the first incident irradiation from the irradiation source. 12. The method according to 4, further comprising the step of adjusting the intensity or frequency of the second incident irradiation from the irradiation source. 13. A method for determining the composition of particles removed from a substrate, The steps include transferring particles from the substrate to a scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip, A step of irradiating the particle with a first incident irradiation from an irradiation source, The steps include: receiving a first sample irradiation caused by the first incident irradiation from the particles at an irradiation detector; Methods that include... 14. The method according to 13, wherein the first sample irradiation from the particles is received by the irradiation detector while the particles are positioned on the SPM chip. 15. The method according to 13, further comprising the step of transferring the particles from the SPM chip to a particle recoverer having a measurement position defined on the particle recoverer, wherein the first sample irradiation from the particles is received by the irradiation detector while the particles are positioned on the measurement position. Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, the present invention can also be configured as follows. 1. A method for determining the composition of particles using a high aspect ratio scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip, A step of picking up the particles from a high aspect ratio substrate and transferring them to the SPM chip, wherein the SPM chip is configured to pick up the particles, The steps include irradiating the particles on the SPM chip with a first incident irradiation from an irradiation source, The steps include detecting the first sample irradiation from the particles caused by the first incident irradiation using an irradiation detector, Steps include identifying the attributes of one or more materials from the detection step and determining the composition of the particles, A method comprising the steps of generating a first signal from the irradiation detector in response to the first irradiation of a sample, and moving the SPM chip relative to at least one of the irradiation source and the irradiation detector based on the first signal so that all particles picked up by the SPM chip and attached around the SPM chip can be detected. 2. A step of generating a first frequency domain spectrum of the first sample irradiation based on the first signal, A step of generating a second frequency domain spectrum by subtracting the background frequency domain spectrum from the first frequency domain spectrum, The steps include moving the SPM chip relative to at least one of the irradiation source and the irradiation detector so that all particles can be detected based on the second frequency domain spectrum, The method described in 1 above, further comprising: 3. The method according to 2, further comprising the step of generating the background frequency domain spectrum based on the response of the irradiation detector to the irradiation of the SPM chip, when the SPM chip is substantially free of contaminants. 4. The step of irradiating the SPM tip with a second incident irradiation from the irradiation source, The steps include detecting the second sample irradiation caused by the second incident irradiation using the irradiation detector, A step of moving the SPM chip relative to at least one of the irradiation source and the irradiation detector so that all particles can be detected, based on a second signal from the irradiation detector in response to the irradiation of the second sample, The method described in 1 above, further comprising: 5. The method according to 4, further comprising the step of moving the SPM chip to at least one of the irradiation source and the irradiation detector so that all particles can be detected based on the difference between the second signal and the first signal. 6. The method according to any one of items 1 to 5 above, wherein the first incident irradiation from the irradiation source is at least one of X-rays, visible light, infrared light, ultraviolet light, electron beam, and laser. 7. The method according to 4, wherein the second incident irradiation from the irradiation source is at least one of X-rays, visible light, infrared light, ultraviolet light, electron beam, and laser. 8. The method described in 7 above, wherein the second incident irradiation is different from the first incident irradiation. 9. The first sample irradiation is generated by the interaction of the first incident irradiation with the SPM tip, according to any one of the methods described in items 1 to 5, 7, and 8 above. 10. The first sample irradiation is generated by the interaction of the first incident irradiation with debris placed on the SPM chip, according to any one of items 1 to 5, 7, and 8 above. 11. The method according to any one of items 1 to 5, 7, and 8, further comprising the step of adjusting the intensity or frequency of the first incident irradiation from the irradiation source. 12. The method according to 4, further comprising the step of adjusting the intensity or frequency of the second incident irradiation from the irradiation source. 13. A method for determining the composition of particles using a high aspect ratio scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip, The steps include transferring particles from a high aspect ratio substrate to a scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip, A step of irradiating the particle with a first incident irradiation from an irradiation source, The steps include: receiving a first sample irradiation caused by the first incident irradiation from the particles at an irradiation detector; Based on a first signal from the irradiation detector in response to the first sample irradiation, the SPM chip is moved relative to at least one of the irradiation source and the irradiation detector so that all particles attached around the SPM chip can be detected. Methods that include... 14. The method according to 13, wherein the first sample irradiation from the particles is received by the irradiation detector while the particles are positioned on the SPM chip. 15. The process further comprises the step of transferring the particles from the SPM tip to a particle recovery unit equipped with a measurement position, wherein the measurement position is configured on the particle recovery unit. The method according to 13, wherein the first sample irradiation from the particles is received by the irradiation detector while the particles are positioned on the measurement position. 16. A method for determining the composition of particles using a debris recovery device and measuring device (200), wherein the measuring device (200) comprises a substrate support assembly (102) and a chip support assembly (104), each supported by a base (106), the substrate support assembly comprises a fixture (108) configured to support a substrate (18) which is a high aspect ratio extreme ultraviolet lithography photomask, and the chip support assembly (104) comprises a high aspect ratio scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip (12) connected to a chip stage assembly (130) via a tip cantilever (132). The aforementioned method, The steps include transferring the particles from the substrate (18) supported by the fixing device (108) to the SPM chip (12), The steps include: irradiating the particles on the SPM chip with a first incident irradiation from an irradiation source (204) while the SPM chip (12) is connected to the chip stage assembly (130), wherein the first incident irradiation from the irradiation source (204) is at least one of X-rays, visible light, infrared light, ultraviolet light, electron beam, and laser; A step of detecting a first sample irradiation from the particles caused by the first incident irradiation using an irradiation detector (206), wherein the irradiation detector (206) has a photodetector, in particular an X-ray detector and / or an electron beam detector, In response to the first sample irradiation, the controller (136) receives a first signal from the irradiation detector (206), analyzes the first signal, and identifies the material attributes of one or more particles on the SPM chip (12). A method for moving the SPM chip (12) relative to at least one of the irradiation source (204) and the irradiation detector (206) so that all particles can be detected based on the first signal from the irradiation detector (206) in response to the first irradiation of a sample. 17. A step of generating a first frequency domain spectrum of the first sample irradiation based on the first signal, A step of generating a second frequency domain spectrum by subtracting the background frequency domain spectrum from the first frequency domain spectrum, A step of causing relative movement between the SPM chip (12) and at least one of the irradiation source (204) and the irradiation detector (206) so that all particles can be detected based on the second frequency domain spectrum, The method described in 16 above, further comprising: 18. The method according to 16, further comprising the step of generating the background frequency domain spectrum based on the response of the irradiation detector to the irradiation of the SPM chip (12) when the SPM chip (12) is substantially free of contaminants. 19. The step of irradiating the SPM chip (12) with a second incident irradiation from the irradiation source (204), The steps include detecting the second sample irradiation caused by the second incident irradiation using the irradiation detector (206), A step of causing relative movement between the SPM chip (12) and at least one of the irradiation source (204) and the irradiation detector (206) so that all particles can be detected based on a second signal from the irradiation detector (206) in response to the irradiation of the second sample, The method described in 16 above, further comprising: 20. The method according to 19, further comprising the step of causing the relative movement between the SPM chip (12) and at least one of the irradiation source (204) and the irradiation detector (206) so that all particles can be detected based on the difference between the second signal and the first signal. 21. The method according to 19, wherein the second incident irradiation from the irradiation source (204) is at least one of X-rays, visible light, infrared light, ultraviolet light, electron beam, and laser. 22. The method according to 21 above, wherein the second incident irradiation is different from the first incident irradiation. 23. The method according to 16, further comprising the step of adjusting the intensity or frequency of the first incident irradiation from the irradiation source. 24. The method according to 19, further comprising the step of adjusting the intensity or frequency of the second incident irradiation from the irradiation source. twenty five. The irradiation source (204) is an electron beam The method according to any one of items 16 to 24, wherein the device is equipped with a light source and the irradiation detector (206) is equipped with an X-ray detector. Furthermore, in preferred embodiments, the present invention can also be configured as follows. Configuration 1 A method for determining the composition of particles using a scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip, The steps include transferring the particles to the SPM chip, The steps include irradiating the SPM tip with a first incident irradiation from an irradiation source, The steps include detecting the first sample irradiation caused by the first incident irradiation using an irradiation detector, A step of causing relative movement between the SPM chip and at least one of the irradiation source and the irradiation detector based on a first signal from the irradiation detector in response to the first sample irradiation, Methods that include... Configuration 2 A step of generating a first frequency domain spectrum of the first sample irradiation based on the first signal, A step of generating a second frequency domain spectrum by subtracting the background frequency domain spectrum from the first frequency domain spectrum, A step of causing relative movement between the SPM chip and at least one of the irradiation source and the irradiation detector based on the second frequency domain spectrum, The method according to configuration 1, further comprising the above. Configuration 3 The method according to configuration 2, further comprising the step of generating the background frequency domain spectrum based on the response of the irradiation detector to the irradiation of the SPM chip, when the SPM chip is substantially free of contaminants. Configuration 4 The steps include irradiating the SPM tip with a second incident irradiation from the irradiation source, The steps include detecting the second sample irradiation caused by the second incident irradiation using the irradiation detector, A step of causing relative movement between the SPM chip and at least one of the irradiation source and the irradiation detector based on a second signal from the irradiation detector in response to the irradiation of the second sample, The method according to configuration 1, further comprising the above. Configuration 5 The method according to configuration 4, further comprising the step of causing a relative movement between the SPM chip and at least one of the irradiation source and the irradiation detector based on the difference between the second signal and the first signal. Configuration 6 The method according to configuration 1, wherein the first incident irradiation from the irradiation source is at least one of X-rays, visible light, infrared light, ultraviolet light, electron beam, and laser. Configuration 7 The method according to configuration 4, wherein the second incident irradiation from the irradiation source is at least one of X-rays, visible light, infrared light, ultraviolet light, electron beam, and laser. Configuration 8 The method according to configuration 7, wherein the second incident irradiation is of a different type from the first incident irradiation. Configuration 9 The first sample irradiation is generated by the interaction of the first incident irradiation with the SPM chip, according to the method of configuration 1. Configuration 10 The method according to configuration 1, wherein the first sample irradiation is generated by the interaction of the first incident irradiation with debris placed on the SPM chip. Configuration 11 The method according to configuration 1, further comprising the step of adjusting the intensity or frequency of the first incident irradiation from the irradiation source. Configuration 12 The method according to configuration 4, further comprising the step of adjusting the intensity or frequency of the second incident irradiation from the irradiation source. Configuration 13 A method for identifying the composition of particles removed from a substrate, The steps include transferring particles from the substrate to a scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip, A step of irradiating the particle with a first incident irradiation from an irradiation source, The steps include: receiving a first sample irradiation caused by the first incident irradiation from the particles at an irradiation detector; Methods that include... Configuration 14 The method according to configuration 13, wherein the first sample irradiation from the particles is received by the irradiation detector while the particles are positioned on the SPM chip. Configuration 15 The method according to configuration 13, further comprising the step of transferring the particles from the SPM chip to a particle recoverer having a measurement position defined on the particle recoverer, wherein the first sample irradiation from the particles is received by the irradiation detector while the particles are positioned on the measurement position. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0185] 12 nanoscale chips 18 circuit boards 102 Board support assembly 104 Chip support assembly 106 Base 108 Fixtures 110 PCB Stage Assembly 112 x direction 114 y direction 116 z direction 118 Actuator 120 Stage 1 122 Stage 2 124 First Actuator 126 Second Actuator 130 Chip Stage Assembly 132 Tip Cantilever 134 Actuator 136 Controllers 138 Manual user input 140 memory 142 Patch 1 144 Patch 2 200 Debris Recovery and Measurement Equipment 202 Measurement System 204 Energy Sources 206 Energy detector 208 Incident energy beam 210 Sample energy beam

Claims

[Claim 1] A method for determining the composition of particles using a scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip, The steps include transferring particles from a high aspect ratio substrate to the SPM chip, The steps include irradiating the SPM tip with a first incident irradiation from an irradiation source, The first step of detecting the first sample irradiation caused by the first incident irradiation using an irradiation detector, identifying one or more material attributes from this detection, and determining the composition of the particles, A step of causing a relative movement between the SPM chip and at least one of the irradiation source and the irradiation detector based on a first signal from the irradiation detector in response to the first sample irradiation, wherein the relative movement includes rotating the SPM chip about the longitudinal axis of the SPM chip extending through the SPM chip, relative to at least one of the irradiation source and the irradiation detector, so that all particles transferred to and attached to the SPM chip are detected. Methods that include...

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