Abstract: An aerosol cleaning apparatus and a method of treating a substrate within such an apparatus prevent contaminant recirculation by controlling the post-impingement exhaust flow through control of the aerodynamic behavior of the contaminant laden exhaust stream. By the present invention, the post-impingement exhaust flow is divided into two streams. A first stream is the main stream flowing initially over the contaminated side of the wafer and carrying most of the suspended contaminants into the exhaust. The second stream flows initially over the cleaned side of the wafer and eventually into the exhaust stream. A flow separator is provided for dividing the post-impingement aerosol spray into plural flow streams.

Abstract: A cryogenic station for delivering a cryogen substantially free of higher boiling impurities. The cryogenic station includes an insulated main tank and an auxiliary tank. Liquid stored in the main tank and pressurized by a pressure building circuit is driven into the auxiliary tank. Cryogenic vapor formed in the auxiliary tank is warmed to ambient temperature by an external heat exchanger and is then recirculated back to an internal heat exchanger located within the auxiliary tank. The internal heat exchanger is configured such that a portion of the cryogen driven into the auxiliary tank is vaporized to form the cryogenic vapor and a remaining portion of such cryogen is left within the auxiliary tank to substantially retain the higher boiling impurities in a solidified state. As such, the cryogenic vapor is substantially free from the impurities when delivered as a product stream.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of analyzing a gas sample for trace impurity concentration by atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectroscopy. In accordance with the present invention, moisture is removed from the gas sample before analysis by passing the gas sample through a dried bed of silica gel. The bed of silica gel is sufficiently dried so that remaining moisture present in the gas sample after passage through the bed is at a sufficiently low concentration such that the trace impurity concentration as analyzed by atmospheric ionization mass spectroscopy will not be effected by the remaining moisture.

Abstract: Multilayer thin film structures are fabricated in a parallel manner by creating testable sub-units and then joining them together to form a finished three-dimensional wiring matrix. Thus, there is disclosed a process for the fabrication of a thin film wiring structure including the steps of:forming a core wiring structure which includes the steps of:a. providing a low expansion, metallic, patterned core material;b. encapsulating the core material in a dielectric material;c. forming vias in the dielectric material; andd.