Patent ID: 7528386

Claim:
A method for removing contaminant particles from a surface, the method comprising: providing a chamber including: a plasma source electrically connected to a first power supply; and a sample electrically connected to a second power supply, the sample having a surface including contaminant particles to be removed; flowing inert gas into the chamber and across the surface of the sample; applying power to the plasma source using the first power supply so as to generate a plasma sheath in contact with the surface of the sample; applying an electrical bias to the sample using the second power supply while the surface of the sample is in contact with the plasma sheath; pulsing at least one of the plasma source and the electrical bias; creating a charge imbalance between the contaminant particles and the surface; and exposing the surface of the sample to the plasma sheath for a time duration sufficient to remove a substantial fraction of the contaminant particles therefrom without substantially removing sample surface material.