Surface Cleaning Method and Apparatus Using Surface Acoustic Wave Devices

• US 20150206738A1
• Filed: 01/21/2014
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sematech, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sematech, Inc.
• Inventors: Rastegar, Abbas
• Application Number:
  US14/159,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20150206738A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0276 with simultaneous generation, e.g. with modulation, harmonics
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0622 on one surface
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 2201/71 Cleaning in a tank
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/12 by sonic or ultrasonic vibrations washing or rinsing machines for crockery or tableware using sonic or ultrasonic waves A47L15/13; of natural teeth, of prostheses using ultrasonic techniques similar to those used for natural teeth A61C17/20; application of ultrasonic vibrations to chemical, physical or physico-chemical processes in general B01J19/10
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 2111/22 Electronic devices, e.g. PCBs or semiconductors
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 2111/46 applying energy, e.g. irradiation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67051 using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method for cleaning surfaces is presented. One embodiment of the system includes an array of surface acoustic wave (SAW) transducers coupled to a substrate. The system may include a positioning mechanism coupled to at least one of a target surface or the array of SAW transducers, and configured to position the array of SAW transducers within an effective cleaning distance of a target surface. The system may also include a cleaning liquid supply arranged to provide cleaning liquid for coupling the array of SAW transducers to the target surface. The system may further include a controller coupled to the array of SAW transducers and configured to activate the array of SAW transducers. At least one of the SAW transducers may be formed to focus cleaning liquid on a focal point and jet cleaning liquid in a direction substantially out of the place of the SAW transducer.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing an array of surface acoustic wave (SAW) transducers;

positioning the array of SAW transducers within an effective cleaning distance of a target surface;

coupling the array of SAW transducers to the target surface via a cleaning liquid; and

directly exciting a particles on the target surface with acoustic waves at one or more frequencies in the range of 1 Megahertz to 10 Gigahertz from the array of SAW transducers.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising focusing the acoustic waves from the array of SAW transducers on a point.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising focusing the acoustic waves from the array of SAW transducers on a line.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising coupling the array of SAW transducers to a two dimensional plane.

5. The method of claim 1, the step of providing an array of SAW transducers further comprising providing a first group of SAW transducers configured to operate at a first frequency and providing a second group of SAW transducers configured to operate at a second frequency.

6. The method of claim 5, the first group of SAW transducers and the second group of SAW transducers being intermixed.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising selectively activating a first SAW transducer and selectively activating a second SAW transducer.

8. The method of claim 4, at least one of the SAW transducers comprising a concentric structure that focuses cleaning liquid on a focal point and jets cleaning liquid from the focal point in a direction substantially out of to the plane.

9. The method of claim 8, the cleaning liquid jetting in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising, operating at least one of SAW transduces as an acoustic sensor.

11. A system comprising:

an array of surface acoustic wave (SAW) transducers;

a positioning mechanism coupled to at least one of a target surface and the array of SAW transducers and configured to position the array of SAW transducers within an effective cleaning distance of the target surface;

a cleaning liquid supply arranged to provide cleaning liquid for coupling the array of SAW transducers to the target surface; and

a controller coupled to the array of SAW transducers and configured to activate the array of SAW transducers.

12. The system of claim 11, the array of SAW transducers being further configured to directly excite a particle on the target surface with acoustic waves at one or more frequencies in the range of 1 Megahertz to 10 Gigahertz from the array of SAW transducers.

13. The system of claim 11, at least one of the SAW transducers comprising a set of electrodes in the form of interdigitated substantially concentric structures to focus the acoustic waves from the SAW transducers on a point.

14. The system of claim 13, the substantially concentric structures comprising arcs.

15. The system of claim 11, the array of SAW transducers being coupled to a two-dimensional plane on a substrate.

16. The system of claim 11, the array of SAW transducers comprising a first group of SAW transducers configured to operate at a first frequency and a second group of SAW transducers configured to operate at a second frequency.

17. The system of claim 16, the first group of SAW transducers and the second group of SAW transducers being intermixed.

18. A system of claim 11, the controller further comprising:

a first switch coupled to a first SAW transducer, and configured to selectively activate the first SAW transducer; and

a second switch coupled to a second SAW transducer, and configured to selectively activate the second SAW transducer.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a substrate;

an array of surface acoustic wave (SAW) transducers coupled to the substrate; and

a cleaning liquid supply arranged to provide a cleaning liquid to couple the array of SAW transducers to a target surface.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, the array of SAW transducers further configured to directly excite a particle on the target surface with acoustic waves at one or more frequencies in the range of 1 Megahertz to 10 Gigahertz from the array of SAW transducers.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, the array of SAW transducers comprising a first group of SAW transducers configured to operate at a first frequency and a second group of SAW transducers configured to operate at a second frequency.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, the first group of SAW transducers and the second group of SAW transducers being intermixed.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a first SAW transducer configured for selective activation and a second SAW transducer configured for selective activation.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, at least one of the SAW transducers comprising a set of electrodes in the form of interdigitated substantially concentric structures to focus the acoustic waves from the SAW transducers on a point.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, the substantially concentric structures comprising arcs.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, at least one of the SAW transducers operating as an acoustic sensor.