Abstract: Various embodiments comprise apparatuses and related methods for cleaning a substrate. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a substrate holder to hold and rotate the substrate at various speeds. An optional inner shield and an optional outer shield, when in a closed position, surround the substrate holder during operation of the apparatus. Each of the inner shield and the outer shield can operate independently in at least one of rotational speed and direction from the other shield. At least one of a front-side laser and a back-side laser are arranged to clean one or both sides of the substrate and edges of the substrate substantially concurrently or independently by impinging a light onto at least one surface of the substrate. A gas flow, combined with a high rotational-speed of the shields and substrate, assists in removing effluents from the substrate. Additional apparatuses and methods of forming the apparatuses are disclosed.

Abstract: Various embodiments comprise apparatuses and related methods for cleaning a substrate. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a substrate holder to hold and rotate the substrate at various speeds. An optional inner shield and an optional outer shield, when in a closed position, surround the substrate holder during operation of the apparatus. Each of the inner shield and the outer shield can operate independently in at least one of rotational speed and direction from the other shield. At least one of a front-side laser and a back-side laser are arranged to clean one or both sides of the substrate and edges of the substrate substantially concurrently or independently by impinging a light onto at least one surface of the substrate. A gas flow, combined with a high rotational-speed of the shields and substrate, assists in removing effluents from the substrate. Additional apparatuses and methods of forming the apparatuses are disclosed.

Abstract: Various embodiments comprise apparatuses and related methods for cleaning a substrate. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a substrate holder to hold and rotate the substrate at various speeds. An optional inner shield and an optional outer shield, when in a closed position, surround the substrate holder during operation of the apparatus. Each of the inner shield and the outer shield can operate independently in at least one of rotational speed and direction from the other shield. At least one of a front-side laser and a back-side laser are arranged to clean one or both sides of the substrate and edges of the substrate substantially concurrently or independently by impinging a light onto at least one surface of the substrate. A gas flow, combined with a high rotational-speed of the shields and substrate, assists in removing effluents from the substrate. Additional apparatuses and methods of forming the apparatuses are disclosed.

Abstract: Various embodiments comprise apparatuses for cleaning and drying a substrate and methods of operating the apparatuses. In one embodiment, an exemplary apparatus includes a vertical substrate holder to hold and rotate the substrate at various speeds. An inner shield and an outer shield, when in a closed position, surround the vertical substrate holder during operation of the apparatus. Each of the inner shield and the outer shield can operate independently in at least one of rotational speed and direction from the other shield. A front-side spray jet and a back-side spray jet are arranged to spray at least one fluid onto both sides of the substrate and edges of the substrate substantially concurrently. A gas flow, combined with a high rotational-speed of the shields and substrate, assist in drying the substrate. Additional apparatuses and methods of forming the apparatuses are disclosed.

Abstract: Various embodiments comprise apparatuses and related method for cleaning and drying a substrate. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a vertical substrate holder to hold and rotate the substrate at various speeds. An inner shield and outer shield, when in a closed position, surround the vertical substrate holder during operation of the apparatus. Each of the shields can operate independently in at least one of rotational speed and direction from the other shield. A front-side and back-side spray jet are arranged to spray at least one fluid onto both sides of the substrate and edges of the substrate substantially concurrently. A gas flow, combined with a high rotational-speed of the shields and substrate, assists in drying the substrate. At least one turbine disk is coupled in proximity to at least one of the shields to remove excess amounts of fluid. Additional apparatuses and methods of forming the apparatuses are disclosed.

Abstract: Various embodiments include cleaning flat objects with pulsed jets, based on a principle of enhancing formation of droplets of a liquid cleaning-medium by increasing the boundary surface-area between spray jets emitted from nozzles of the cleaning unit and the surrounding atmosphere. In various embodiments, droplet-formation enhancement means are located inside and at or near outlets of nozzles and comprise, for example, a jet splitter, threaded grooves on an inner surface of the nozzle body, or a thin tube to supply gas into the flow of the liquid cleaning-medium to form gas bubbles in the medium. Other factors considered include a mass ratio between the droplets and the contaminant particles, a velocity of the droplets, organization and sequence of jets that impinges on various surfaces of the flat object, and flows that rinse separated particles and other contaminants. Other methods and apparatuses are disclosed.

Abstract: Various embodiments comprise apparatuses and related methods for cleaning a substrate. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a substrate holder to hold and rotate the substrate at various speeds. An optional inner shield and an optional outer shield, when in a closed position, surround the substrate holder during operation of the apparatus. Each of the inner shield and the outer shield can operate independently in at least one of rotational speed and direction from the other shield. At least one of a front-side laser and a back-side laser are arranged to clean one or both sides of the substrate and edges of the substrate substantially concurrently or independently by impinging a light onto at least one surface of the substrate. A gas flow, combined with a high rotational-speed of the shields and substrate, assists in removing effluents from the substrate. Additional apparatuses and methods of forming the apparatuses are disclosed.

Abstract: Various embodiments comprise apparatuses and related method for cleaning and drying a substrate. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a vertical substrate holder to hold and rotate the substrate at various speeds. An inner shield and outer shield, when in a closed position, surround the vertical substrate holder during operation of the apparatus. Each of the shields can operate independently in at least one of rotational speed and direction from the other shield. A front-side and back-side spray jet are arranged to spray at least one fluid onto both sides of the substrate and edges of the substrate substantially concurrently. A gas flow, combined with a high rotational-speed of the shields and substrate, assists in drying the substrate. At least one turbine disk is coupled in proximity to at least one of the shields to remove excess amounts of fluid. Additional apparatuses and methods of forming the apparatuses are disclosed.

Abstract: Various embodiments comprise apparatuses for cleaning and drying a substrate and methods of operating the apparatuses. In one embodiment, an exemplary apparatus includes a vertical substrate holder to hold and rotate the substrate at various speeds. An inner shield and an outer shield, when in a closed position, surround the vertical substrate holder during operation of the apparatus. Each of the inner shield and the outer shield can operate independently in at least one of rotational speed and direction from the other shield. A front-side spray jet and a back-side spray jet are arranged to spray at least one fluid onto both sides of the substrate and edges of the substrate substantially concurrently. A gas flow, combined with a high rotational-speed of the shields and substrate, assist in drying the substrate. Additional apparatuses and methods of forming the apparatuses are disclosed.

Abstract: Various embodiments include cleaning flat objects with pulsed jets, based on a principle of enhancing formation of droplets of a liquid cleaning-medium by increasing the boundary surface-area between spray jets emitted from nozzles of the cleaning unit and the surrounding atmosphere. In various embodiments, droplet-formation enhancement means are located inside and at or near outlets of nozzles and comprise, for example, a jet splitter, threaded grooves on an inner surface of the nozzle body, or a thin tube to supply gas into the flow of the liquid cleaning-medium to form gas bubbles in the medium. Other factors considered include a mass ratio between the droplets and the contaminant particles, a velocity of the droplets, organization and sequence of jets that impinges on various surfaces of the flat object, and flows that rinse separated particles and other contaminants. Other methods and apparatuses are disclosed.

Abstract: A substrate holding and rotary driving mechanism, e.g., for a cleaning chamber with vertical orientation of the wafer, that is comprised of a three-armed spider which is rotatingly installed on the outer side of the cleaning chamber and rotatingly supports on the outer ends of its arms outer shafts with eccentrically arranged inner shafts. The inner shafts pass through the outer shafts into the cleaning chamber where they support contact rollers, while the opposite ends of the inner shafts support gears driven into rotation by a synchronous belt. The contact rollers can be moved apart for insertion or removal of wafers from and into the chamber. This is achieved by turning the spider with eccentric inner shafts in one or another direction.

Abstract: A substrate holding and rotary driving mechanism, e.g., for a cleaning chamber with vertical orientation of the wafer, that is comprised of a three-armed spider which is rotatingly installed on the outer side of the cleaning chamber and rotatingly supports on the outer ends of its arms outer shafts with eccentrically arranged inner shafts. The inner shafts pass through the outer shafts into the cleaning chamber where they support contact rollers, while the opposite ends of the inner shafts support gears driven into rotation by a synchronous belt. The contact rollers can be moved apart for insertion or removal of wafers from and into the chamber. This is achieved by turning the spider with eccentric inner shafts in one or another direction.