Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 February 2011
The ability to control and eliminate microcontamination from the manufacturing process is becoming a critical technology issues for such diverse industries as semiconductors, aerospace, and automotive. Current industrial cleaning practices use large amounts of water and chemicals which require disposal. Dry environmentally benign technologies can be alternatives. In this paper, we will look at an alternative technology which consists of deep ultraviolet photons coupled with a flowing inert gas, and compare it to current wet cleaning practices in the semiconductor industry.