The present invention provides a method for cleaning a component for use in an ultra-high vacuum. The method may comprise the steps of placing the component to be cleaned in a vacuum furnace chamber; plasma cleaning the component at a temperature of greater than about 80° C.; and evacuating the chamber to a pressure of less than about 10E-5 mbar. Apparatus for performing such methods and kits comprising said components are also provided.

The present invention provides a method for cleaning a component for use in an ultra-high vacuum. The method may comprise the steps of placing the component to be cleaned in a vacuum furnace chamber; plasma cleaning the component at a temperature of greater than about 80° C.; and evacuating the chamber to a pressure of less than about 10E-5 mbar. Apparatus for performing such methods and kits comprising said components are also provided.

A processing method includes: disposing a workpiece in a processing container of a processing apparatus, and maintaining an inside of the processing container in a vacuum state; providing a cluster nozzle in the processing container; supplying a cluster generating gas to the cluster nozzle and adiabatically expanding the cluster generating gas in the cluster nozzle, thereby generating gas clusters; generating plasma in the cluster nozzle to ionize the gas clusters and injecting the ionized gas clusters onto the workpiece; supplying a reactive gas to the cluster nozzle and exposing the reactive gas to the plasma such that the reactive gas becomes monomer ions or radicals; and supplying the monomer ions or radicals to the processing container, thereby exerting a chemical reaction on a substance present on a surface of the workpiece.

Techniques for depowdering additively fabricated parts are described in which powder is separated from parts by creating a large pressure differential between the powder and parts and a nearby location. The pressure differential may cause gas to quickly flow into and/or around the powder and parts, thereby producing a force against the powder and parts. Since the powder is generally much lighter than the parts, this force may be much more effective at moving the powder than moving the parts. As a result, the powder and parts may be separated from one another. The pressure differential may be created in various ways, such as by holding the parts and part in a chamber that is pressurized with air and/or other gas(es). Rapid depressurization of the chamber may produce the aforementioned pressure differential, leading to powder movement away from the parts.

Techniques for depowdering additively fabricated parts are described in which powder is separated from parts by creating a large pressure differential between the powder and parts and a nearby location. The pressure differential may cause gas to quickly flow into and/or around the powder and parts, thereby producing a force against the powder and parts. Since the powder is generally much lighter than the parts, this force may be much more effective at moving the powder than moving the parts. As a result, the powder and parts may be separated from one another. The pressure differential may be created in various ways, such as by holding the parts and part in a chamber that is pressurized with air and/or other gas(es). Rapid depressurization of the chamber may produce the aforementioned pressure differential, leading to powder movement away from the parts.

An apparatus for plasma processing is configured to generate plasma in a chamber and periodically apply a pulsed negative DC voltage to an upper electrode from a DC power supply in the plasma processing on a substrate and in plasma cleaning. A duty ratio of the pulsed negative DC voltage used for the plasma processing is smaller than a duty ratio of the pulsed negative DC voltage used for the plasma cleaning. An absolute value of an average value of an output voltage of the DC power supply used for the plasma processing is smaller than an absolute value of an average value of the output voltage of the DC power supply used for the plasma cleaning.

An apparatus for plasma processing is configured to generate plasma in a chamber and periodically apply a pulsed negative DC voltage to an upper electrode from a DC power supply in the plasma processing on a substrate and in plasma cleaning. A duty ratio of the pulsed negative DC voltage used for the plasma processing is smaller than a duty ratio of the pulsed negative DC voltage used for the plasma cleaning. An absolute value of an average value of an output voltage of the DC power supply used for the plasma processing is smaller than an absolute value of an average value of the output voltage of the DC power supply used for the plasma cleaning.

A system and method for removing both carbon-based contaminants and oxygen-based contaminants from a semiconductor substrate within a single process chamber is disclosed. The invention may comprise utilization of remote plasma units and multiple gas sources to perform the process within the single process chamber.

A system and method for removing both carbon-based contaminants and oxygen-based contaminants from a semiconductor substrate within a single process chamber is disclosed. The invention may comprise utilization of remote plasma units and multiple gas sources to perform the process within the single process chamber.

A cleaning method according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes: supplying a halogen-containing gas that does not contain fluorine to an interior of a processing container that is capable of being exhausted via an exhaust pipe to perform a cleaning; and supplying a fluorine-containing gas to at least one of the interior of the processing container and an interior of the exhaust pipe to perform the cleaning after the supplying the halogen-containing gas to perform the cleaning.