US 11,886,126 B2
Apparatus and method for removing a single particulate from a substrate
Klaus Edinger, Lorsch (DE); Christian Felix Hermanns, Frankfurt am Main (DE); Tilo Sielaff, Darmstadt (DE); Jens Oster, Ober-Ramstadt (DE); Christof Baur, Darmstadt (DE); and Maksym Kompaniiets, Weißenhorn (DE)
Assigned to Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH, Oberkochen (DE)
Filed by Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH, Oberkochen (DE)
Filed on Jul. 7, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/369,900.
Claims priority of application No. 102020208568.4 (DE), filed on Jul. 8, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0011682 A1, Jan. 13, 2022
Int. Cl. G03F 7/00 (2006.01); G03F 1/84 (2012.01); G06N 3/08 (2023.01)
CPC G03F 7/70925 (2013.01) [G03F 1/84 (2013.01); G03F 7/70033 (2013.01); G03F 7/7085 (2013.01); G06N 3/08 (2013.01)] 39 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for removing at least a single particulate from a substrate, said apparatus comprising:
a. a plurality of reservoir vessels that are configured to store a plurality of gases, in which each reservoir vessel is configured to store a respective gas, and different gases are matched with different corresponding materials that are selected from a group of two or more materials that include different elements;
b. a material database that contains data of possible materials of the at least one single particulate;
c. an analysis unit designed to determine at least one constituent of a material composition of the at least one single particulate taking into account of data of possible materials of the at least one single particulate retrieved from the material database, in which the at least one constituent of the material composition is selected from the group of two or more materials that include different elements, and determine, from among the plurality of gases, a gas that matches the determined at least one constituent of the material composition of the at least one single particulate; and
d. at least one gas injection system designed to provide the gas matched to the determined constituent in an environment of the at least one single particulate;
e. wherein the matched gas contributes to removing the at least one single particulate from the substrate.