A cleaning method is provided. In the cleaning method, residues of elements of a group for a common semiconductor material in a chamber are removed with plasma of a halogen-containing gas. Residues of metal elements of groups 12 and 13 and groups 14 and 15 in the chamber are removed with plasma of a hydrocarbon-containing gas. A C-containing material in the chamber is removed with plasma of an O-containing gas. Further, the removing with the plasma of the halogen-containing gas, the removing with the plasma of the hydrocarbon-containing gas, and the removing with the plasma of the O-containing gas are performed in that order or the removing with the plasma of the hydrocarbon-containing gas, the removing with the plasma of the O-containing gas, and the removing with the plasma of the halogen-containing gas are performed in that order X times where X≥1.

A sucker rod cleaning system includes an inductive heating device, a feed mechanism, a first support and a second support. An electromagnet of the inductive heating device includes a wire coil head that is configured to inductively heat a sucker rod positioned within a heating zone. The feed mechanism is configured to feed a sucker rod through the heating zone in a feed direction. The first support is positioned on an upstream side of the wire coil head, and is configured to support a portion of a sucker rod as it is fed through the heating zone by the feed mechanism. The second support is positioned on a downstream side of the wire coil head, and is configured to support a portion of a sucker rod as it is fed through the heating zone by the feed mechanism.

A cleaning tool configured to be inserted into a lithography apparatus in a first configuration, configured to be engaged by a handler of the lithography apparatus, and used for cleaning a portion of the lithography apparatus. The cleaning tool is configured to move from the first configuration to a second, expanded configuration, after engagement by the handler such that the cleaning tool is in the second configuration when used for cleaning the portion of the lithography apparatus. There may also be a container configured to hold the cleaning tool in the first configuration and fit into the lithography apparatus. In that case, the cleaning tool is configured to be inserted into the lithography apparatus in the container, moved from the container by the handler for the cleaning, and returned to the container by the handler after the cleaning.

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 method for removing etchant byproduct from an etch reactor and discharging a substrate from an electrostatic chuck of the etch reactor is provided. A substrate may be electrostatically secured to an electrostatic chuck within a chamber of an etch reactor. A first plasma may be provided into the chamber to etch the substrate, causing an etchant byproduct to be generated. After the etching is complete, a second plasma may be provided into the chamber, wherein the second plasma is an oxygen containing plasma. The etchant byproduct may be removed and the first substrate may be discharged using the second plasma. The first substrate may be removed from the chamber and a second substrate may be inserted into the chamber without first performing an in-situ cleaning between the removal of the first substrate and the insertion of the second substrate.

A method for removing etchant byproduct from an etch reactor and discharging a substrate from an electrostatic chuck of the etch reactor is provided. A substrate may be electrostatically secured to an electrostatic chuck within a chamber of an etch reactor. A first plasma may be provided into the chamber to etch the substrate, causing an etchant byproduct to be generated. After the etching is complete, a second plasma may be provided into the chamber, wherein the second plasma is an oxygen containing plasma. The etchant byproduct may be removed and the first substrate may be discharged using the second plasma. The first substrate may be removed from the chamber and a second substrate may be inserted into the chamber without first performing an in-situ cleaning between the removal of the first substrate and the insertion of the second substrate.

The substrate processing method includes a hydrophilization step of hydrophilizing a surface of a substrate, a processing liquid supplying step of supplying a processing liquid to the hydrophilized surface of the substrate, a processing film forming step in which the processing liquid supplied to the surface of the substrate is solidified or cured to form a processing film on the surface of the substrate, and a peeling step in which a peeling liquid is supplied to the surface of the substrate to peel the processing film from the surface of the substrate. The peeling step includes a penetrating hole forming step in which the processing film is partially dissolved in the peeling liquid to form a penetrating hole in the processing film.

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.

A substrate cleaning method includes: providing a substrate including a low-k layer containing silicon to a substrate support; etching the low-k layer by a plasma generated from a first gas; separating the etched substrate from the substrate support; and removing a reaction product attached to the substrate in the etching by a plasma generated from a second gas. The second gas includes a first carbon-containing gas represented by C.sub.xH.sub.yF.sub.z (y≥0, x/z>¼).

A method for controlling cleaning of an inner surface of a chamber of a plasma processing apparatus is provided. The method comprises; processing a substrate using plasma generated in the chamber, the substrate being disposed on a substrate support in the chamber and in a region surrounded by an edge ring placed on the substrate support and to which a DC voltage is applied during the plasma generation; measuring a self-bias potential of the edge ring during the plasma generation in said processing the substrate; and controlling the cleaning of the inner surface of the chamber in response to the self-bias potential.