Surface contamination is a serious concern for a diverse range of manufacturing technologies, from microelectronics to biomedical; from optics to automotive. Generally speaking, there are two broad categories of surface contaminants: film forming contaminants and particulates. Given the ubiquitous drive to reduce the size of components, particles which recently proved innocuous may result in critical functional defects today. This book addresses the sources, detection, characterization, and removal of surface contaminants, as well as methods which can be employed to prevent surface contamination. A number of cleanliness monitoring techniques are also discussed.

From the Introduction: “...Particulate contamination most often is present in the form of dust, for example, lint from clothing and lens tissue, or fine airborne particles. Tiny particles of abrasive or other machining debris also can become embedded in a surface during polishing or other processing operations. On the other hand, film contamination can originate from a variety of sources, including airborne pollutants (water vapor, organic materials, and cleanroom construction materials), outgassing of plastic containers, holding finished components, residues from protective strip coatings, dried liquid residue following an improper cleaning system, and fingerprints left behind during handling...”

Target Audience: Research and development, manufacturing, quality control, and procurement personnel in industries such as microelectronics, aerospace, optics, and biomedical; academics and upper-level students will also find this book helpful.

Table of Contents:

Fundamentals:

The Physical Nature of Very, Very Small Particles and Its Impact on Their Behavior

Elucidating the Fundamental Interactions of Very Small Particles: Ultrafast Science

Transport and Deposition of Aerosol Particles

Relevance of Particle Transport in Surface Deposition and Cleaning

Tribological Implications of Particles

Airborne Molecular Contamination: Contamination on Substrates and the Environment in Semiconductors and Other Industries

Aspects of Particle Adhesion and Removal

Relevance of Electrostatic Discharge Controls to Particle Contamination in Cleanroom Environments

Characterization of Surface Contaminants:

Electron Microscopy Techniques for Imaging and Analysis of Nanoparticles

Surface Analysis Methods for Contaminant Identification

Ionic Contamination and Analytical Techniques for Ionic Contaminants

Relevance for Colorimetric Interferometry for Thin Surface Film Contaminants

Wettability Techniques to Monitor the Cleanliness of Surfaces

Methods for Removal of Surface Contamination:

The Use of Surfactants to Enhance Particle Removal from Surfaces

Cleaning with Solvents

Removal of Particles by Chemical Cleaning

Cleaning Using a High-Speed Impinging Jet

Microabrasive Precision Cleaning and Processing Technology

Cleaning Using Argon/Nitrogen Cryogenic Aerosols

Carbon Dioxide Snow Cleaning

Coatings for Prevention or Deactivation of Biological Contamination

A Detailed Study of Semiconductor Wafer Drying

Index