Patent ID: 7718012

Claim:
A semiconductor cleaning method for removing entrapped gas from recessed features comprising: inserting a semiconductor device having a physical structure with an exposed semiconductor layer into a cleaning vessel, said semiconductor layer defining a plurality of gas entrapping recessed features, wherein the cleaning vessel includes a first gas, said first gas filling said cleaning vessel and in contact with said semiconductor device; replacing the first gas with a second gas, wherein the second gas has a solubility in a liquid cleaning solution greater than about 0.03 mole/liter, fills said cleaning vessel and is in contact with the semiconductor device; raising a temperature of the semiconductor device above a condensation temperature of the second gas while replacing the first gas, wherein the condensation temperature is between about 30 to 90° C.; and rinsing the semiconductor device, having said exposed semiconductor layer, with the liquid cleaning solution subsequent to said step of replacing the first gas with the second gas and such that any entrapped gas is removed from said recessed features and so that the liquid cleaning solution essentially fully wets the plurality of recessed features.