Patent ID: 7064070

Claim:
A method of post chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) cleaning to remove a CMP residue from a surface of an object comprising the steps of: a. performing a rinse process to remove at least a portion of the CMP residue from the surface of the object; b. placing the object within a pressure chamber; c. pressurizing the pressure chamber; d. performing a supercritical carbon dioxide process to remove a residual CMP residue from the surface of the object, wherein performing a supercritical carbon dioxide process comprises: i. introducing a cleaning fluid; ii. pressurizing the pressure chamber with carbon dioxide such that the pressure chamber is at least at a supercritical pressure; and iii. recirculating the cleaning fluid within the pressure chamber; e. venting the pressure chamber; and f. performing a washing process including at least one of immersion baths, megasonic baths, mechanical rollers, mechanical brush scrubbers and double-sided scrubbers, after the step of venting the pressure chamber.