Nano Cleaning
NanoCleaning is used when particles stick on the surface of expensive samples and cannot be wiped away e.g. in a chemical bath. Typical applications are cleaning after mask repair or glass master cleaning in Semiconductor industry.
The requirement for NanoCleaning is a fast semi-automatic process. With the Nanoworkbench from Klocke Nanotechnik NanoCleaning is very fast, easy and secure.
- customized sample cleaning tools are available, in tip or e.g. knife shape
- in-situ tip cleaning module with reusable cleaner head
- “discharge” tool for isolating samples
- movement resolution 1 nm, repeatability 50 nm
- 20 x 20 x 10 mm3 stroke
- high throughput automation
- Nano Cleaning is an application package of the Nanoworkbench
- Also available as a standalone module
This application package is part of the Nanoworkbench
The Cleaning Process
- The process starts with an overview image, a mouse-click onto a suspicious particle in the Live Image Positioning module moves with the SEM stage that particle into the image center, followed by an automatic zoom in.
- When this particle shall be removed a mouse-click beneath its image moves the Nanofinger® tip automatically onto the sample beneath the particle.
- One click with the keypad and the Nanofinger® tip kicks the particle away with 50 g acceleration and moves out, followed by an automatic zoom out to find the next particle.
- About every 3 seconds a particle is removed, and after a while the tip gets dirty.
- With an automatic macro the tips moves into a tip cleaning position and comes back cleaned after a few seconds, ready to kick the next particle from the sample.
- The second Nanorobotics manipulator of the Nanoworkbench carriers the module for cleaning the Nanofinger® tip and a “Discharge” tool to collect the charge from isolating samples, e.g. from a glass master. A flood gun is not needed.