Substrate Cleaning with Vertical Shock Waves for Particle Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate cleaning methods are inefficient in removing particles that contaminate substrates, particularly large-sized particles and small-sized particles with diameters of 100 nm or more and several tens of nanometers, respectively.
Innovation Solution
A substrate cleaning method involving a gas nozzle that generates vertical shock waves by spraying gas perpendicular to the substrate surface, with controlled gap and gas composition to enhance particle removal, and forming gas clusters to effectively remove particles of varying sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If gas is sprayed from a nozzle at a distance of 10 mm to 100 mm from the substrate, then the substrate can be cleaned, but the particle removal efficiency is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the sprayed gas from ordinary gas flow to shock waves by controlling the spray conditions. This parameter change in the gas dynamics enables much more effective particle removal compared to conventional gas spraying methods, directly resolving the contradiction between removal efficiency and cleaning time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic pulsed spray action to generate repeated shock waves on the substrate surface. This periodic action enhances particle removal efficiency through cumulative effect while controlling the total cleaning time, addressing the contradiction between thorough cleaning and time consumption.
2Productivity
If conventional gas spraying is used for substrate cleaning, then the process is simple, but it cannot effectively remove both large-sized particles and small-sized particles
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the spray parameters to generate shock waves, a single cleaning process can effectively remove particles of various sizes including both large-sized and small-sized particles. This parameter change approach maintains process simplicity while achieving comprehensive particle removal, resolving the contradiction between cleaning capability and process complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method efficiently removes large-sized particles by vertical shock waves and small-sized particles by high-speed gas clusters, improving cleaning efficiency and reducing cleaning time.
Implementation Method 1
causing vertical shock waves, generated by spraying the gas from the gas nozzle, to collide with a main surface of the substrate
Implementation Method 2
spraying gas from a spray port of a gas nozzle arranged within the processing container; causing vertical shock waves, generated by spraying the gas from the gas nozzle, to collide with a main surface of the substrate
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate cleaning method includes: arranging a substrate within a processing container; spraying gas from a spray port of a gas nozzle arranged within the processing container; causing vertical shock waves, generated by spraying the gas from the gas nozzle, to collide with a main surface of the substrate; and removing particles adhering to the main surface of the substrate, by causing the vertical shock waves to collide with the main surface of the substrate.