Patent ID: 8268086

Claim:
A method for processing a photomask reticle structure for semiconductor devices, the method comprising the steps of: providing a partially completed reticle mask structure, the reticle mask structure including a backside and a face, the face including a substrate material, a light blocking layer overlying the substrate material, and an overlying patterned photoresist layer overlying the light blocking layer; supporting the backside of the reticle mask structure to maintain the reticle mask structure in place; maintaining the face of the patterned photoresist layer in a direction downwardly toward a gravitational force; rotating the reticle mask structure in an annular manner at a rotation speed of less than about fifty revolutions per minute as the patterned photoresist layer of the reticle mask structure is being maintained in the direction downwardly toward the gravitational force; applying a cleaning fluid selectively to an edge region of the patterned photoresist layer as the patterned photoresist layer of the reticle mask structure is being maintained in the downward direction facing the gravitational force, and is being rotated to remove one or more particles from the patterned photoresist layer, wherein the supporting, maintaining, rotating, and applying steps are provided in a single chamber; accelerating the one or more particles away from the patterned photoresist layer via gravity, the one or more particles being prevented from attaching themselves back to the patterned photoresist layer via the gravitational force; turning off the cleaning fluid to dry the patterned photoresist layer while maintaining the downward direction of the patterned photoresist layer of the reticle mask structure; and performing an etching process on exposed surfaces of the light blocking layer using the patterned photoresist layer as a mask, wherein the etching process is performed after the step of turning off the cleaning fluid.