Patent ID: 8330072

Claim:
Method of dicing a substrate comprising: placing a substrate in a substrate dicing system; forming a meniscus between a proximity head and a first surface of the substrate, the proximity head including: a first proximity head surface including: a first plurality of outlet ports; and a first plurality of inlet ports including: a first portion of the first plurality of inlet ports being coupled to an at least one process liquid source; and a second portion of the first plurality of inlet ports being coupled to a tensio-active substance source, the second portion of the first plurality of inlet ports being disposed along a periphery of the first plurality of outlet ports; and the first plurality of outlet ports being disposed along a periphery of the first portion of the first plurality of inlet ports, the first plurality of outlet ports being coupled to a vacuum source; dicing the substrate at a desired dicing location and simultaneously capturing any particles and contaminants generated by dicing the substrate within the meniscus, the meniscus including the desired dicing location; and moving the meniscus in a desired dicing direction.