Patent ID: 8828145

Claim:
A method for removing particle contaminants from a surface of a substrate being treated, comprising: coating a layer of a viscoelastic material to the surface as a thin film, the viscoelastic material is defined as a solid-liquid material exhibiting liquid-like characteristic when applied to the surface of the substrate and having a chemical structure that allows at least partial interaction or binding with the particle contaminants present on the surface; applying a force to a first area covering a portion of the surface coated with the viscoelastic material such that a second area covering a second portion of the surface coated with the viscoelastic material is not subjected to the applied force, the force being applied to the first area for a time duration shorter than an intrinsic characteristic time of relaxation of the viscoelastic material so as to access solid-like characteristics of the viscoelastic material in a region of the first area during the time force is applied, wherein a treatment region defined by the first area and the second area is less than an entire surface of the substrate; removing the viscoelastic material from the first area while the force is applied to the viscoelastic material in the first area during the removal, the removing of the viscoelastic material includes removing at least some of the particle contaminants from the surface, wherein the removing occurs in a region of the first area of the surface while the viscoelastic material is exhibiting solid-like characteristic and while the viscoelastic material continues to exhibit the liquid-like characteristic in the second area during the removing in the region of the first area; and moving the substrate, after the removal of the viscoelastic material from the first area, such that the applying and the removing are performed on other areas on the surface of the substrate coated with the layer of the viscoelastic material that are different from the first area, wherein the other areas include the second area, wherein applying a force includes providing a pull force to pull the viscoelastic material away from the surface of the substrate.