Abstract: Methods are disclosed to create and employ the use of non-vapor, non-condensable gas bubbles inside a process chamber. These non-vapor gas bubbles may be rapidly expanded and compressed in pressure-controlled cycles and can assist in the transport of fluids, particles, and by-products to and from surfaces. The gas bubbles can be generated from dissolved gas to the liquid medium, by mixing two liquids that can react with each other to generate gaseous by-products, or by using a liquid medium that can react with the surface of the object to generate gaseous by-products. The gaseous generation can be used with cyclic nucleation transport (CNX) process, such as vacuum CNX, hyperbaric CNX, or dynamic CNX.

Abstract: A hyperbaric cyclic nucleation transport (H-CNX) process is disclosed, including pressure cycling liquid and/or vapor from pressure higher than atmospheric pressure or vapor across the boiling point of the liquid. The higher pressure can be accompanied by higher temperature, which provides additional benefits of more efficient cleaning and cheaper liquid medium.

Abstract: A dynamic cyclic nucleation transport (D-CNX) process is disclosed, including cyclically changing the volume of a process chamber, for example, through a piston or bellows. A D-CNX process and system can include a dynamic chamber volume that can instantly change from vacuum to pressure conditions and eliminates vacuum pumps.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a surface treatment to nucleate, grow, detach, implode and collapse vapor bubbles for various cleaning and surface treatment applications. The process can be accomplished by using alternating temperature and chemical, in addition to vacuum/pressure to produce a pulsing and continuous action within a fluid. In an aspect, a thermal cycle nucleation process employs temperature cycling with controlled heating and cooling processes, and with or without vacuum cycles for cleaning delicate surfaces. In another aspect, a chemical cycle nucleation employs varying concentrations fluid mixtures of chemical vapors/fluids to either create, grow vapor bubbles to treat the surface by collapse or implode vapor bubbles. Different chemical vapors or liquids can form chemical mixtures directly on surfaces to inhibit or eliminate re-deposition of particle, and can be tailored to promote rapid chemical dissolving and breakdown of surface contaminates.