EP0502356A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Photo-stimulated removal of trace metals
Assignee: Texas Instruments Inc
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Filing: 1992-02-18
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2012-02-18
Abstract
Abstract Generally, and in one form of the invention, a method is presented for the photo-stimulated removal of trace metals 16 from a surface 11, comprising the steps of covering the surface 11 with an ambient species 14, exciting the trace metals 16 and/or the ambient species 14 by photo-stimulation sufficiently to allow reaction of the trace metals with the ambient species to form metal products, and removing the ambient species 14 and the metal products from the surface 11. Other methods are also disclosed.
Inventors
- 👤 Monte A. Douglas
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 02:37
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P70/00; H10P70/10; H10P70/15; C; C23; C23F; C23F4/00; H10P72/00; H10P72/04; H10P72/0402; H10P72/0406; H10P72/0411; H10P72/0416
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
61 words
A method for the photo-stimulated removal of trace metals from a surface, comprising the steps of: covering said surface with an ambient species; exciting said trace metals and/or said ambient species by photo-stimulation sufficiently to allow reaction of said trace metals with said ambient species to form metal products; and removing said ambient species and said metal products from said surface.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said surface is a semiconductor surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said covering step comprises immersing said surface in a liquid ambient species.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said covering step comprises condensing a vapor phase ambient species on said surface.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
13 words
The method of any preceding claim wherein said ambient species is deionized water.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
16 words
The method of any preceding claim wherein said excitation is provided by a Hg/Xe arc lamp.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
17 words
The method of any preceding claim further including causing said ambient species to flow over said surface.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
12 words
The method of any preceding claim further including agitating said ambient species.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
15 words
The method of any preceding claim and wherein said excitation is visible and/or ultraviolet light.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
18 words
The method of any preceding claim further comprising the step of drying said semiconductor surface with nitrogen gas.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
18 words
The method of any preceding claim further comprising the step of rinsing said semiconductor surface with deionized water.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of drying said semiconductor surface with nitrogen gas.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
16 words
The method of any preceding claim further including causing deionized water to flow over said surface.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 13 further including agitating said deionized water.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
87 words
A method as claimed in claim 4 or as claimed in any of claims 5 to 14 in that they depend from claim 4 for the photo-stimulated removal of trace metals from a surface of a semiconductor, comprising the steps of: placing said semiconductor into a vacuum environment; lowering a temperature of said semiconductor surface to the dew point; introducing a wafer vapor into said vaccum environment; irratiating said semiconductor surface and any condensed water with visible and/or ultraviolet light; and returning said environment to a vaccum.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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