ISSN:
1089-7550
Source:
AIP Digital Archive
Topics:
Physics
Notes:
A CO2 laser-based system was used to provoke the vapor-assisted removal of contaminating particles from different kinds of surfaces. Particles of alumina, silicon carbide, boron carbide, and cerium dioxide, with a size as small as 0.1 μm, have been efficiently removed from silicon, gold, and silicon dioxide surfaces. The dependence of the cleaning efficiency on the laser fluence was investigated; a threshold was found at 0.65 J/cm2 and the efficiency was highest for a fluence ranging from 2.9 to 3.2 J/cm2 for silicon, and 3.2 J/cm2 for gold and silicon dioxide surfaces. The amount of the water vapor which condenses at the surface was also found to play a major role, the best results being obtained with a condensed thickness calculated to be 6 μm. The zeta potential value of the contaminant particles with respect to that of the surface greatly influences the cleaning process. © 1996 American Institute of Physics.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.361280
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