Abstract: A substrate treatment apparatus comprises a treatment vessel, a substrate holder for rotating the substrate in a horizontal plane in the treatment vessel, a nozzle unit arranged in an upper part of the treatment vessel such that a liquid is downwardly fed, a feed line for feeding the liquid to the nozzle unit, and a chamber enclosing therein the apparatus in its entirety. The nozzle unit is constructed in a form of a bar such that as viewed in plan, the liquid ejected from the nozzle unit reaches the substrate with an area range having a length not smaller than a diameter of the substrate and a width smaller than the diameter of the substrate.

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus includes upper and lower nozzle assemblies supplying a cleaning liquid to edge and bottom sections of a semiconductor substrate. The upper nozzle assembly has a first nozzle supplying the cleaning liquid onto the edge section, and second and third nozzles supplying a nitrogen gas for preventing the cleaning liquid from moving into a center portion of the semiconductor substrate. The cleaning liquid supplied to the edge section flows from the edge section towards a side section of the semiconductor substrate due to the rotation of the semiconductor substrate. An ultrasonic wave generator is provided above the edge section for generating ultrasonic waves. The ultrasonic waves are applied to the cleaning liquid supplied onto the edge and bottom sections, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency. The cleaning apparatus has a guide to guide the cleaning liquid supplied to the edge section toward the side section.

Abstract: Provided herein is a method for cleaning a process chamber for semiconductor and/or flat panel display manufacturing. This method comprises the steps of converting a non-cleaning feed gas to a cleaning gas in a remote location and then delivering the cleaning gas to the process chamber for cleaning. Such method may further comprise the step of activating the cleaning gas outside the chamber before the delivery of the gas to the chamber. Also provided is a method of eliminating non-cleaning feed gas from the cleaning gas by cryo condensation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for substantially cleaning fill from a borehole is described variously including running a coiled tubing assembly into the wellbore, creating a fluid vortex by circulating cleaning fluid through the coiled tubing, and pulling the coiled tubing and coiled tubing assembly out of the hole at a speed sufficient to substantially clean the particulate solids from the wellbore. An apparatus for substantially cleaning fill from a hole, including vertical, horizontal, or deviated wells also is provided.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to remove minute particles adhered to the surface of semiconductor wafers effectively in the cleaning process of semiconductor wafers. In the final rinsing step using ultra-pure water or hydrogen water and carried out after cleaning of semiconductor wafers with HF solution, ultrasonic waves are irradiated in the cleaning solution after a prescribed time delay (preferably 20-30 sec or more).

Abstract: A cleaning tool for cleaning substrates, comprising a circulation conduit through which is circulated a cleaning liquid or gas. The circulation conduit is disposed in fluid communication with an upstream flow chamber and a downstream cleaning chamber, the cross-sectional area of which cleaning chamber is less than the cross-sectional area of the flow chamber. In use, the cleaning chamber receives a wafer substrate for cleaning of particles or removal of polymer films from the substrate. The smaller cross-sectional area of the cleaning chamber accelerates the flow of a cleaning fluid flowing through the cleaning chamber from the flow chamber. The rapidly-flowing cleaning fluid removes the particles and/or films from the substrate while preventing dropping of the removed particles or re-deposition of the film back onto the substrate. A particle filter may be provided in the circulation conduit downstream of the cleaning chamber for removing the particles.

Abstract: A lift-off procedure is provided which enables prevention of damage to a wiring pattern caused by contact of a metal being peeled off from a wafer with a wiring pattern at a time of lift-off procedure. A wafer having a surface on which a pattern is formed which contains a pattern portion to be removed is soaked into a chemical liquid at an angle at which the surface faces downward.

Abstract: Carbon dioxide is purified through the use of catalytic oxidation. Carbon dioxide is exposed to at least one catalyst, oxidizing at least a portion of the nonvolatile organic residues to form purified carbon dioxide that is directed to an application. Carbon dioxide that is in a near-critical, critical, or supercritical phase can be exposed to the catalyst.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for cleaning a workpiece with a cleaning medium that is maintained at a single fluid phase. The apparatus comprises means for providing the cleaning medium; a pressurizable cleaning vessel for receiving the cleaning medium and the workpiece; and means for maintaining a single fluid phase of the cleaning medium in the cleaning vessel. The present invention further provides a process for cleaning the workpiece with cleaning medium under conditions such that the workpiece is exposed to a single fluid phase of the cleaning medium. The present invention further includes a process for a storage media that includes instructions for controlling a processor for the process of the present invention. The storage media comprises means for controlling the processor to control contacting conditions of the workpiece and the cleaning medium such that the workpiece is exposed to a single fluid phase of the cleaning medium.

Abstract: The invention encompasses a method of enhancing selectivity of etching silicon dioxide relative to one or more organic substances. A material comprising one or more elements selected from Group VIII of the periodic table is provided within a reaction chamber; and a substrate is provided within the reaction chamber. The substrate has both a silicon-oxide-containing composition and at least one organic substance thereover. The silicon-oxide-containing composition is plasma etched within the reaction chamber. The plasma etching of the silicon-oxide-containing composition has increased selectivity for the silicon oxide of the composition relative to the at least one organic substance than would plasma etching conducted without the material in the chamber. The invention also encompasses a plasma reaction chamber assembly. The assembly comprises at least one interior wall, and at least one liner along the at least one interior wall. The liner comprises one or more of Ru, Fe, Co, Ni, Rh, Pd, Os, W, Ir, Pt and Ti.

Abstract: A method of performing decontamination of a chamber for use in an IC fabrication system includes providing wet oxygen or a mixture comprising hydrochloric gas and oxygen in the chamber and raising the temperature in the chamber from a first lower temperature to a second higher temperature to cause the wet oxygen or the mixture comprising hydrochloric gas and oxygen to react with the germanium.

Abstract: A substrate cleaning apparatus is provided that includes a cleaning cup for receiving a to-be-cleaned substrate, a table in the cleaning cup, a first, second, and third nozzles, a pure water heating mechanism configured to supply hot pure water, a branch line, a control mechanism, and an open/close valve, provided between the branch line and the pipe, wherein the open/close valve is configured to interrupt emission of hot water from the third nozzle by opening the open/close valve to lower the pressure in the pipe.

Abstract: The method for removing particles that adhere to the surface of semiconductor wafers is constituted so as to sequentially carry out a first cleaning process in which semiconductor wafers 100 are cleaned for a prescribed time in cleaning tank 104 containing a first cleaning solution consisting of ozone water, and, after said first cleaning process, a second cleaning process in which said semiconductor wafers 100 are cleaned for a prescribed time in cleaning tank 106 containing a second cleaning solution consisting of hydrogen water.

Abstract: A cleaning processing system including a wafer transfer device, a wafer detecting sensor for detecting a wafer, a memory for storing the position and direction of an extra wafer present inside the cleaning processing system when the power supply is cut off, an alarm device for generating an alarm in the case where the information detected by the wafer detecting sensor when the power supply to the cleaning processing system is turned on differs from the wafer information taken out of the memory, an alarm canceling section for canceling the alarm, an apparatus control section for controlling the wafer transfer device to recover the extra wafer, and a recovery start-up section for emitting an instruction to start the wafer recovery to the apparatus control section.

Abstract: The present invention relates to aqueous compositions used to remove post etch organic and inorganic residue as well polymeric residues and contaminants from semiconductor substrates. The compositions are comprised of a water soluble organic solvent, a sulfonic acid and water.

Abstract: An apparatus for wet cleaning a substrate includes a clean air supplier for supplying the clean air into a cleaning draft, a humidifier for supplying steam or mist like water drops into the cleaning draft, a hygrometer, connected to the humidifier and positioned at the level of the cleaning solution, an exhaust piping and an exhaust rate control means.

Abstract: A cleaning method for CVD apparatus wherein by-products such as SiO2 and Si3N4 adhered to and deposited on surfaces of the inner wall, electrodes and other parts of a reaction chamber at the stage of film formation can be removed efficiently. Furthermore, the amount of cleaning gas discharged is so small that the influence on environment such as global warming is little and cost reduction can be also attained. After the film formation on a base material surface by the use of CVD apparatus, a fluorinated cleaning gas containing a fluorcompound is converted to plasma by means of a remote plasma generator, and the cleaning gas having been converted to plasma is introduced into a reaction chamber so that any by-products adhered to inner parts of the reaction chamber is removed.

Abstract: A method for cleaning a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition chamber. The method includes introducing a cleaning gas into the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition chamber, forming a plasma using a very high frequency (VHF) power having a frequency in a range from about 20 MHz to about 100 MHz, and reacting the cleaning gas with deposits within the chamber in the presence of the plasma.

Abstract: A method for cleaning a plasma chamber after metal etching. First, a substrate having a metal layer thereon is placed in a plasma chamber. Next, the metal layer is etched. Finally, the substrate is removed from the plasma chamber to perform a dry cleaning which includes the following steps. First, the inner wall of the plasma chamber is cleaned by plasma etching using oxygen as a process gas. Next, the top and bottom electrode plates in the plasma chamber are cleaned by plasma etching using chlorine and boron chloride as process gases. Next, the inner wall of the plasma chamber is cleaned again by plasma etching using sulfur hexafluoride and oxygen as process gases. Finally, oxygen and helium used as purging gases are injected into the plasma chamber and exhausted from therein.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for cleaning a processing chamber are provided. The cleaning method includes the use of a remote plasma source to generate reactive species and an in situ RF power to generate or regenerate reactive species. The reactive species are generated from a carbon and fluorine-containing gas and an oxygen source.