PREVENTION OF PARTICLE ADDERS WHEN CONTACTING A LIQUID MENISCUS OVER A SUBSTRATE

• Main Authors: LENZ ERIC, MAGNI ENRICO, GAHAGAN MARK, GUPTA SURESH, RAVKIN MIKE
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 04.04.2013
• Subjects: APPARATUS FOR APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TOSURFACES, IN GENERAL; APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL; BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PROCESSES FOR APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TOSURFACES, IN GENERAL; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ARTCOLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TRANSPORTING

A method for meniscus processing a substrate is provided. The method initiates with generating a meniscus spanning at least a length of the substrate. A pre-wetting liquid or vapor is dispensed. A substrate is moved through the dispensed pre-wetting liquid or vapor and the meniscus. The dispensed pre-wetting vapor condenses a pre-wetting liquid over a region of the substrate adjacent to a region of the substrate where the meniscus is generated. The pre-wetting liquid is deposited without substantially generating surface flow of the pre-wetting liquid on the substrate, and the pre-wetting liquid prevents the leading edge of the meniscus from contacting a dry surface region of the substrate.