Patent ID: 8826926

Claim:
A method of profiling a coating along a peripheral region of a substrate, comprising: positioning at least one nozzle above the peripheral region and oriented to direct a basic solution downwardly toward said peripheral region; positioning at least one suction port laterally outward of the peripheral region; ejecting basic solution from said at least one nozzle toward said peripheral region, the basic solution having a pH of at least about 14 and dissolving coating along said peripheral region; providing a vacuum within the at least one suction port to pull said basic solution and dissolved coating from said peripheral region; wherein the at least one suction port and at least one nozzle extend through a retaining structure; and wherein a rate of removal of the basic solution achieved with the vacuum is balanced relative to a rate of flow through said at least one nozzle to maintain a meniscus edge of the basic solution at a location laterally outward of the retaining structure.