Patent ID: 8317934

Claim:
A method for cleaning a substrate, comprising: performing a first application of a cleaning material to a surface of a substrate, wherein the cleaning material includes one or more viscoelastic materials for entrapping contaminants present on the surface of the substrate; performing a first application of a rinsing fluid to the surface of the substrate so as to rinse the cleaning material from the surface of the substrate; applying a controlled vacuum suction to the surface of the substrate so as to remove the cleaning material and a portion of the rinsing fluid from the surface of the substrate and so as to leave a residual thin film of the rinsing fluid on the surface of the substrate; performing a second application of the cleaning material to the surface of the substrate by dispensing a vertical curtain of the cleaning material to directly and vertically impact the residual thin film of the rinsing fluid as left on the surface of the substrate, whereby the residual thin film of the ringing fluid accumulates upon encountering the vertical curtain of the cleaning material and moves from the surface of the substrate, wherein a higher viscosity of the cleaning material relative to the residual thin film of the rinsing fluid provides for the accumulation and movement of the residual thin film of the rinsing fluid from the surface of the substrate; and performing a second application of the rinsing fluid to the surface of the substrate so as to rinse the cleaning material from the surface of the substrate.