Systems and Methods for Treating Substrates with Cryogenic Fluid Mixtures

摘要

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for treating the surface of a microelectronic substrate, and in particular, relate to an apparatus and method for scanning the microelectronic substrate through a cryogenic fluid mixture used to treat an exposed surface of the microelectronic substrate. The fluid mixture may be expanded through a nozzle to form an aerosol spray or gas cluster jet (GCJ) spray may impinge the microelectronic substrate and remove particles from the microelectronic substrate's surface. In one embodiment, the fluid mixture may be maintained to prevent liquid formation within the fluid mixture prior to passing the fluid mixture through the nozzle. The fluid mixture may include nitrogen, argon, helium, neon, xenon, krypton, carbon dioxide, or any combination thereof.

主权项

1. A method for treating a microelectronic substrate, comprising receiving the microelectronic substrate in a vacuum process chamber comprising a gas expansion component comprising an inlet and an outlet;
positioning the substrate opposite the gas expansion component within 50 mm of the outlet; supplying, to the fluid expansion component, a gas mixture comprising:
a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure; anda temperature that is less than 273K and greater than a condensation temperature of the gas mixture at the pressure; providing the gas mixture into the process chamber through the gas expansion component such that at least a portion of the gas mixture will contact the microelectronic substrate, the process chamber being maintained at a chamber pressure of 35 Torr or less; and removing objects from the microelectronic substrate using the portion of the gas mixture that contacts the microelectronic substrate.