Abstract: A method (400) for cleaning a semiconductor wafer. The method includes immersing (420) a wafer in a liquid comprising water. The wafer has a front face, a back face, and an edge. The method also includes providing a substantially particle free environment adjacent to the front face and the back face as the liquid is being removed. A step of introducing a carrier gas comprising a cleaning enhancement substance during the providing step (450) also is included. The cleaning enhancement substance dopes the liquid which is attached to the front face and the back face to cause a concentration gradient of the cleaning enhancement substance in the attached liquid to accelerate fluid flow of the attached liquid off of the wafer.

Abstract: A method (400) for cleaning a semiconductor wafer. The method includes immersing (420) a wafer in a liquid comprising water. The wafer has a front face, a back face, and an edge. The method also includes providing a substantially particle free environment adjacent to the front face and the back face as the liquid is being removed. A step of introducing a carrier gas comprising a cleaning enhancement substance during the providing step (450) also is included. The cleaning enhancement substance dopes the liquid which is attached to the front face and the back face to cause a concentration gradient of the cleaning enhancement substance in the attached liquid to accelerate fluid flow of the attached liquid off of the wafer.

Abstract: The invention relates to a wafer rinsing system for rinsing chemicals and particles off of wafers without introducing contaminants. The system reduces the particle count on wafers by filtering the water and the gas used during rinsing at the wet bench. The system includes a rinsing unit, a local water filter bank, a local gas filtering system, an H2O2 injection unit, an auxiliary chemical injection unit, and a controller for operating the other components. The water filter bank provides a multiple stage filtering system to eliminate particles without a substantial drop in water pressure. The H2O2 injection unit provides a local source of H2O2 to clean the filter and rinser and to provide a mechanism for controlling the formation of native oxide on the wafer during rinsing. The auxiliary chemical injection unit provides a chemical additive to the rinsing unit to enhance the wafer cleaning process. The gas filtering system provides clean gas to the rinsing unit and to the injection units.

Abstract: An improved mandrel device (100) and method. The mandrel device (100) has an elongated member (117) for supporting a plurality of hard disks, for example. The elongated member (117) includes an inner member (107) that is defined between a pair of outer members (105), where each of the members have ridges (103) defined thereon. The combination of these members and ridges are used to support a plurality of disks that do not touch each other during, for example transportation.

Abstract: A method for cleaning an object. The method (400) includes immersing (420) an object in a liquid comprising water, which can be ultra-clean. The object has a front face, a back face, and an edge. The method includes providing (450) a cleaning enhancement substance (e.g., trace amount of polar organic compound, surfactant, ammonia bearing compound) into the liquid. In one embodiment, the cleaning enhancement substance can form a liquid film, such as a monolayer overlying an upper surface or level of the liquid. The method also includes providing a substantially particle free environment (e.g., ultra-clean gas, ultra-clean non-reactive gas) adjacent to the front face and the back face of the object as the liquid including the cleaning enhancement substance is being removed.