Method of treating a substrate

Abstract

A method of cleaning a substrate within a controlled environment includes placing the substrate into a high pressure vessel. The high pressure vessel is then supplied with a dense fluid under pressure. The dense fluid is contacted with the substrate for a selected period of time to at least partially remove a contaminant contained on the substrate. After the selected period of time, the vessel is depressurized to at least partially convert the dense fluid into a vapor. The vapor is then subjected to an energy field to form a plasma within the vessel which is used to treat the substrate for a second selected period of time. The thus cleaned substrate is then removed from the vessel.

1 . A method of treating a substrate within a single controlled environment comprising subjecting a surface of the substrate with atmospheric plasma to physicochemically modify a first contaminant, the atmospheric plasma formed in the absence of a thermal energy source, and then treating the surface with a dense fluid to remove the modified first contaminant from the substrate surface.  
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the dense fluid includes a non-supercritical fluid.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the non-supercritical fluid includes liquid carbon dioxide, solid carbon dioxide or solid argon.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  and further comprising treating the surface of the substrate with a sub-atmospheric plasma after removing the modified first contaminant to prepare the surface for a subsequent application.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  and further comprising treating the surface of the substrate with ultraviolet light in the presence of ozone to remove a second contaminant.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the first contaminant includes inorganic matter and the second contaminant consists essentially of organic matter.  
   
   
       7 . A method of treating a substrate comprising contacting a surface of the substrate with a non-supercritical dense fluid to remove a first contaminant and then contacting the surface with a plasma to remove a second contaminant or prepare the surface for a subsequent application.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the plasma includes atmospheric plasma formed in the absence of a thermal source.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the atmospheric plasma comprises ultraviolet light in the presence of ozone.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the plasma includes sub-atmospheric plasma.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the non-supercritical dense fluid includes liquid carbon dioxide, solid carbon dioxide or solid argon.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the first contaminant includes inorganic matter and the second contaminant consists essentially of organic matter.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the second contaminant consists essentially of organic matter.  
   
   
       14 . A method of cleaning a substrate within a controlled environment comprising: 
 placing the substrate into a high pressure vessel;    supplying the vessel with a dense fluid under pressure;    contacting the dense fluid with the substrate for a selected period of time to at least partially remove a contaminant from the substrate;    depressurizing the vessel to at least partially convert the dense fluid into a vapor;    forming a plasma within the vessel by subjecting the vapor to an energy field;    treating the substrate with the plasma for a selected period of time; and    removing the thus cleaned substrate from the vessel.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the dense fluid includes a non-supercritical dense fluid.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the non-supercritical dense fluid includes liquid carbon dioxide.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 14  wherein treating the substrate with the plasma neutralizes biological matter contained on the substrate.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the plasma includes an atmospheric.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the plasma is formed in the absence of a thermal energy source or heat source.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the vapor is subjected to an electrical energy field to form the plasma.