An automatic and currentless dirt remover for collecting dirt from the area surrounding the dirt remover, having a dirt-collecting body and a rolling-action sheath body, which defines a receiving space for receiving the dirt-collecting body. The sheath body has openings for providing external access to the dirt-collecting body, which has a surface that collects the dirt.

Methods for removing contamination from a surface disposed in a substrate processing system are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method for removing contaminants from a surface includes: providing a first process gas comprising a chlorine containing gas, a hydrogen containing gas, and an inert gas to a process chamber having the surface disposed within the process chamber; igniting the first process gas to form a plasma from the first process gas; and exposing the surface to the plasma to remove contaminants from the surface. In some embodiments, the surface is an exposed surface of a process chamber component. In some embodiments, the surface is a surface of a first layer disposed atop a substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer.

A fluid manifold comprised of a manifold adapted to deliver fluid directly into a gap formed between a surface of a substrate and an acoustic transducer. The fluid is delivered into the gap at a variable rate along a length of the manifold. Preferably, the manifold includes a plurality of apertures positioned along the length of the manifold for dispensing the fluid into the gap at the variable rate.

A wafer processing apparatus includes a particle charger for charging particles adsorbed onto a wafer with photoelectrons emitted from an emitter metal layer and a particle remover for applying an electric field to the wafer, which removes the charged particles from the wafer.

A wafer processing apparatus includes a particle charger for charging particles adsorbed onto a wafer with photoelectrons emitted from an emitter metal layer and a particle remover for applying an electric field to the wafer, which removes the charged particles from the wafer.

A method for removing particles from a semiconductor process chamber including at least the following steps is provided. Electrical charges having a first polarity are accumulated on a receiving surface of the substrate holder by applying a voltage to the substrate holder. The particles having a second polarity in the semiconductor process chamber are attracted to move toward the receiving surface of the substrate holder on which the electrical charges having the first polarity are accumulated, where the first polarity is opposite to the second polarity. The particles having the second polarity are removed from the semiconductor process chamber. Other methods for removing particles from a semiconductor process chamber are also provided.

A method for removing particles from a semiconductor process chamber including at least the following steps is provided. Electrical charges having a first polarity are accumulated on a receiving surface of the substrate holder by applying a voltage to the substrate holder. The particles having a second polarity in the semiconductor process chamber are attracted to move toward the receiving surface of the substrate holder on which the electrical charges having the first polarity are accumulated, where the first polarity is opposite to the second polarity. The particles having the second polarity are removed from the semiconductor process chamber. Other methods for removing particles from a semiconductor process chamber are also provided.

A method and a device (50) for removing fragments and/or particles from containers, such as in particular glass tubes (5), provides means for adjusting the electrostatic force (40) in the tubes (5) and means for removing (60) of the fragments. The means for removing (60) can comprise a jet of fluid, of measured speed, put in the containers (5) by a nozzle (2), whereas the means for adjusting the electrostatic force (40) can comprise an element (1) for putting an electrically conducting fluid (8) with a measured resistivity in the containers (5). This way, the fluid (8), for example ionized air, acts in order to reduce and/or eliminate the electrostatic charge, and therefore the electrostatic force, between the fragments (30) and the surface of the containers, assisting the removal by means of jets of fluid or by suction means.

A method and a device (50) for removing fragments and/or particles from containers, such as in particular glass tubes (5), provides means for adjusting the electrostatic force (40) in the tubes (5) and means for removing (60) of the fragments. The means for removing (60) can comprise a jet of fluid, of measured speed, put in the containers (5) by a nozzle (2), whereas the means for adjusting the electrostatic force (40) can comprise an element (1) for putting an electrically conducting fluid (8) with a measured resistivity in the containers (5). This way, the fluid (8), for example ionized air, acts in order to reduce and/or eliminate the electrostatic charge, and therefore the electrostatic force, between the fragments (30) and the surface of the containers, assisting the removal by means of jets of fluid or by suction means.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a device for manipulating a substance, the device comprising at least three series of interdigitated electrode pairs, wherein each electrode of each pair is connected to an electrode in an adjacent pair in the respective series by an electrical path, and a dielectric layer disposed on the at least three series of interdigitated electrode pairs, the dielectric layer comprising one or more sub layers. The at least three series of interdigitated electrode pairs are selectively and independently energisable to produce an electric field at a top surface of the dielectric layer so that a substance on the top surface may be manipulated by the electric field. The device further comprises one or more groups of the interdigitated electrode pairs, each group having a longitudinal axis, wherein in each group the respective interdigitated electrode pairs are arranged along the respective longitudinal axis such that along the respective longitudinal axis no two adjacent pairs are from a single one of the at least three series, and no pair is adjacent to two other pairs from a single one of the at least three series.