US2004173580A1PendingUtilityA1

Apparatus for non-contact cleaning of a surface

42
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Mar 7, 2003Filed: Jan 9, 2004Published: Sep 9, 2004
Est. expiryMar 7, 2023(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Jeffrey Carr
H10P 72/0406H10P 50/242H10P 70/12B08B 7/0035C03C 23/0075G03F 1/82H05H 1/30C03C 23/007C23G 5/00C23G 3/00B23K 10/00
42
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Claims

Abstract

A flame torch can be used to clean the surface of a contact-sensitive object, such as a glass optic, extremely thin workpiece, or semiconductor wafer by providing a reactive precursor gas to the feed gases of the torch. Reactive atom plasma processing can be used to clean the surface of a contaminant that chemically combines with the atomic radicals of the precursor without affecting the surface. The torch can also be used to modify the surface after cleaning, without transferring the object or engaging in any intermediate processing, by supplying a second reactive precursor that reacts with the surface itself. The flame torch can be used to shape, polish, etch, planarize, deposit, chemically modify and/or redistribute material on the surface of the object. This description is not intended to be a complete description of, or limit the scope of, the invention. Other features, aspects, and objects of the invention can be obtained from a review of the specification, the figures, and the claims.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A tool for cleaning the surface of a workpiece, the tool being able to accomplish the following steps: 
 position a workpiece with respect to a flame torch;    inject a reactive precursor into the flame torch;    translate at least one of the workpiece and the flame torch; and    use reactive atom plasma processing to clean the surface of the workpiece with the flame torch.    
     
     
         2 . A tool for shaping the surface of a workpiece, comprising: 
 means for positioning a workpiece with respect to a flame torch;    means for injecting a reactive precursor into the flame torch;    means for translating at least one of the workpiece and the flame torch; and    means for using reactive atom plasma processing to clean the surface of the workpiece with the flame torch.    
     
     
         3 . A tool for cleaning the surface of a workpiece, comprising: 
 a flame torch; and    a translator that can translate at least one of a workpiece and said torch;    wherein said torch is configured to receive a reactive precursor capable of chemically combining with a contaminant on the surface of the workpiece to produce a gas and leave the surface.    
     
     
         4 . A tool according to  claim 3 , wherein: 
 said flame torch is adapted to generate a hydrogen-oxygen flame.    
     
     
         5 . A tool according to  claim 3 , wherein: 
 said flame torch is adapted to produce a stream of atomic radicals that can be used to modify a surface.    
     
     
         6 . A tool according to  claim 5 , wherein: 
 said flame torch produces a stream that can modify a surface by a process selected from the group consisting of cleaning, passivating, and activating.    
     
     
         7 . A tool according to  claim 6 , wherein: 
 said flame torch is further adapted to produce a stream of atomic radicals that can modify a surface by a process selected from the group consisting of shaping, polishing, etching, planarizing, and redepositing.    
     
     
         8 . A tool according to  claim 3 , further comprising: 
 a flame suppressor in said flame torch.    
     
     
         9 . A tool according to  claim 3 , wherein: 
 said flame torch includes at least one tube to receive process gas.    
     
     
         10 . A tool according to  claim 9 , wherein: 
 said flame torch includes at least one tube to receive process gas selected from the group consisting of oxygen and hydrogen.    
     
     
         11 . A tool according to  claim 3 , wherein: 
 said flame torch has a central tube for receiving a reactive precursor.    
     
     
         12 . A tool according to  claim 11 , wherein: 
 said flame torch has a central tube for receiving a reactive precursor selected from the group consisting of CF 4 , O 2 , Cl and NH 3 .    
     
     
         13 . A tool according to  claim 3 , wherein: 
 said flame torch has a chemically inert metal tip.    
     
     
         14 . A tool according to  claim 3 , wherein: 
 said translator is a rotational stage for supporting the workpiece and rotating the workpiece with respect to the flame torch.

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