Patent ID: 7964039
Filing Date: 2011-06-21
Classification: B08B,C23C

Abstract:
1. A method for removing water residues from a surface of a material in a plasma chamber, the method comprising: exposing a surface of a material in a plasma chamber to a noble gas plasma, wherein the noble gas plasma emits at least one of extreme ultra violet and vacuum ultra violet photons having sufficient energy to cause photolysis of water molecules adsorbed to the surface of the material, so as to release at least one of oxygen radicals, hydrogen radicals, and hydroxyl radicals; detecting an amount of at least one of released oxygen radicals, released hydrogen radicals, and released hydroxyl radicals by at least one of optical emission spectroscopy, laser induced fluorescence, and mass spectrometry, wherein the detecting is conducted during exposing the surface of the material in the plasma chamber to the noble gas plasma; and removing the radicals from the reaction chamber, such that re-deposition of water residues on the surface of the material is avoided.