A method for cleaning semiconductor substrate without damaging patterned structure on the substrate using ultra/mega sonic device comprising applying liquid into a space between a substrate and an ultra/mega sonic device; setting an ultra/mega sonic power supply at frequency f.sub.1 and power P.sub.1 to drive said ultra/mega sonic device; before bubble cavitation in said liquid damaging patterned structure on the substrate, setting said ultra/mega sonic power supply at frequency f.sub.2 and power P.sub.2 to drive said ultra/mega sonic device; after temperature inside bubble cooling down to a set temperature, setting said ultra/mega sonic power supply at frequency f.sub.1 and power P.sub.1 again; repeating above steps till the substrate being cleaned. Normally, if f.sub.1=f.sub.2, then P.sub.2 is equal to zero or much less than P.sub.1; if P.sub.1=P.sub.2, then f.sub.2 is higher than f.sub.1; if the f.sub.1<f.sub.2, then, P.sub.2 can be either equal or less than P.sub.1.

A vehicle sensor assembly includes an optical sensor surface, at least two transducers arranged to input energy into the optical surface to produce an energy wave through the optical sensor surface and sense an attribute of an energy wave within the optical sensor surface. A controller arranged to drive the at least two transducers to input energy into the optical surface to produce an energy wave within the optical sensor surface to dislodge debris from the optical sensor surface.

Various embodiments of the invention include an apparatus for removing particulates from the surface of a 3D printed workpiece. Various particular embodiments include a material removal apparatus having: an enclosure having a first inlet and a first outlet; a rotatable platform contained within the enclosure for positioning a 3D printed workpiece having particulate on a surface thereof; a pressurized fluid applicator connected to the first inlet and configured to selectively apply a pressurized fluid to the 3D printed workpiece; a vibration source configured to apply an adjustable vibratory frequency to at least one of the rotatable platform or the 3D printed workpiece; and a material reclamation unit connected to the first outlet configured to collect a material removed from the 3D printed workpiece.

A cleaning method that removes contaminants adhering to a stage in a chamber, includes: setting a pressure in a chamber to a predetermined vacuum pressure; supplying a first gas that forms a shock wave toward the stage; and supplying a second gas that does not form the shock wave toward the stage.

Device for cleaning a support member covered with a liquid Electroacoustic device (10) comprising:—a support member (50),—at least two wave transducers (15a-h) which are acoustically coupled to the support member and each configured to generate an ultrasonic surface wave (Wa-h) which propagates in the support member, the propagation directions (P) of the ultrasonic surface waves generated by the transducers being different;—a control unit (40), the device comprising an analysis unit (35) which is configured to estimate the orientation of the external force (OFe) which is applied to a liquid when the liquid is in contact with the support member and/or the device being configured to receive the estimate of the orientation of the external force, the control unit being configured to control at least one of the transducers, from the estimate of the orientation of the external force, so that the acoustic force which is applied to the liquid and produced by the interaction between the ultrasonic surface wave(s) and the liquid is orientated in a predetermined direction.

A reusable apparatus, such as a medical instrument or tool, is decontaminated by applying pressure waves with direct contact of the pressure wave applicator to the reusable apparatus in an open bath in a sufficient dosage to remove contamination but without adversely affecting the ability to reuse the apparatus.

A system for dislodging debris from one or more surfaces includes an air inlet, an air outlet fluidly coupled with the air inlet, an air jet forming a trainable air stream between the air inlet and the air outlet, and a vibration device comprising a vibration controller, and one or more vibrators. The vibration device creates vibrations such that debris on the one or more surfaces is dislodged such that debris is captured in the trainable air stream, and the air stream carries the dislodged debris to the air outlet.

A system and method are disclosed for removal of unwanted material from additively manufactured parts by application of vibratory and/or acoustic energy. The system and method include a vibratory platform located in a chamber. Additively manufactured parts having unwanted material adhered thereto are placed on the vibratory platform. The platform is caused to vibrate thereby causing the unwanted material to detach from the parts. The system and method may also include the application of acoustic energy to cause unwanted material to detach from the parts. Advantageously, the unwanted material removed from the additively manufactured object can be recycled.

Approaches, techniques, and mechanisms are disclosed for sensor cleaning systems. A region of a sensor window is identified to be blocked by an obscurant. The location of the region is determined using the sensor associated with the sensor window. An acousto-vibratory cleaning system receives the location of the region and produces a fluid droplet to be dispensed at a specified point on a two-dimensional plane of the surface of the sensor window. Sonic actuators are activated to capture the fluid droplet in acoustic levitation. Acoustic forces guide the fluid droplet to the region being obscured. Once the fluid droplet is in cleaning position, vibration of the sensor window is activated to incrementally clear the obscurant by vibrating the droplet along the obscurant. The acousto-vibratory cleaning system generates additional acoustic forces to guide the contaminated fluid droplet to a closest drainage canal.

Technologies are generally described for systems and methods effective to implement particle removal. In one example, a method for at least partially removing particles from a region is generally described. In some examples, the method includes applying an electric field to a material to produce an acoustic wave from the material. The material may have a periodic piezoelectric coefficient. The method may include applying the acoustic wave to the region to produce an agglomeration. The agglomeration may include at least two of the particles. The method may further include at least partially removing the agglomeration from the region.