Cleaning processes for silicon carbide materials
First Claim
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1. A method for cleaning silicon carbide materials on a large scale, the method comprising the acts of:
- using an integrated system that is adapted for handling a multiplicity of said silicon carbide materials during said cleaning;
purging at least one opening within each of silicon carbide materials using a continuous flow of nitrogen gas stream;
ultrasonicating said silicon carbide materials in an aqueous solution of inorganic acid after the purging has begun;
ultrasonicating said silicon carbide materials in a bath of deionized water after the purging has begun; and
wherein purging using the continuous nitrogen gas stream continues during ultrasonicating of said silicon carbide materials in the aqueous solution and in the bath of deionized water;
wherein purging the at least one opening within each of the silicon carbide materials;
blocks the migration of the aqueous solution of inorganic acid to a base material; and
occurs before placing the silicon carbide material in the solution.
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Abstract
The cleaning of silicon carbide materials on a large-scale is described. Certain silicon carbide materials in the form of wafer-lift pins, wafer-rings and/or wafer-showerheads are cleaned by using a combination of two of more of the following steps, comprising: high temperature oxidation, scrubbing, ultrasonic assisted etching in an aqueous acid solution, ultrasonication in deionized water, immersion in an aqueous acid solution, and high temperature baking. The silicon carbide materials may either be sintered or formed by chemical vapor deposition.
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41 Claims
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1. A method for cleaning silicon carbide materials on a large scale, the method comprising the acts of:
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using an integrated system that is adapted for handling a multiplicity of said silicon carbide materials during said cleaning; purging at least one opening within each of silicon carbide materials using a continuous flow of nitrogen gas stream; ultrasonicating said silicon carbide materials in an aqueous solution of inorganic acid after the purging has begun; ultrasonicating said silicon carbide materials in a bath of deionized water after the purging has begun; and wherein purging using the continuous nitrogen gas stream continues during ultrasonicating of said silicon carbide materials in the aqueous solution and in the bath of deionized water; wherein purging the at least one opening within each of the silicon carbide materials; blocks the migration of the aqueous solution of inorganic acid to a base material; and occurs before placing the silicon carbide material in the solution. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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Specification