Combinatorial Non-Contact Wet Processing

Abstract

An apparatus and method for combinatorial non-contact wet processing of a liquid material may include a source of a liquid material, a first reaction cell, a second reaction cell, a first plurality of gas jets disposed within an interior of the first reaction cell, the first plurality of gas jets configured to atomize the liquid material transferred to the interior of the first reaction cell, a second plurality of gas jets disposed within an interior of the second reaction cell, the second plurality of gas jets configured to atomize the liquid material transferred to the interior of the second reaction cell, a first vacuum element disposed along a periphery of the first reaction cell, and a second vacuum element disposed along a periphery of the at least a second reaction cell.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method for non-contact wet processing, the method comprising:
 positioning a reaction cell a distance from a surface of a substrate;   transferring a liquid to an interior of the reaction cell;   atomizing the liquid transferred to the interior of the reaction cell;   evacuating portions of the liquid along an entire periphery of the reaction cell such that the liquid material that remains on the surface of the substrate is contained within a selected region of the surface of the substrate; and   flowing gas along the entire periphery of the reaction cell to further contain the liquid within the selected region of the surface of the substrate.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the atomizing of the liquid transferred to the interior of the reaction cell is performed by a plurality of gas jets disposed within the interior of the reaction cell. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the evacuating of the portions of the liquid along the entire periphery of the reaction cell is performed with at least one vacuum element disposed along the entire periphery of the reaction cell. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the flowing of the gas along the entire periphery of the reaction cell is performed with at least one gas curtain element. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one gas curtain element comprises a gas curtain ring disposed along a circumferential periphery of the reaction cell. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one gas curtain element comprises a gas curtain bar disposed along an edge of the reaction cell. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the distance is a function of a material property of the substrate. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the distance is a function of a material property of the liquid. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one vacuum element comprises a vacuum ring disposed along a circumferential periphery of the reaction cell. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one vacuum element comprises a vacuum bar disposed along an edge of the reaction cell. 
     
     
         11 . A method for combinatorial non-contact wet processing, the method comprising:
 positioning a first reaction cell a first distance from a surface of a substrate;   position a second reaction cell a second distance from the surface of the substrate;   transferring a liquid to an interior of the first reaction cell and an interior of the second reaction cell;   atomizing the liquid transferred to the interior of the first reaction cell and the second reaction cell;   evacuating portions of the liquid along an entire periphery of the first reaction cell such that the liquid material that remains on the surface of the substrate proximate to the first reaction cell is contained within a first selected region of the surface of the substrate;   flowing gas along the entire periphery of the first reaction cell to further contain the liquid within the first selected region of the surface of the substrate;   evacuating portions of the liquid along an entire periphery of the second reaction cell such that the liquid material that remains on the surface of the substrate proximate to the second reaction cell is contained within a second selected region of the surface of the substrate; and   flowing gas along the entire periphery of the second reaction cell to further contain the liquid within the second selected region of the surface of the substrate.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the atomizing of the liquid transferred to the interior of the first reaction cell and the interior of the second reaction cell is performed by a plurality of gas jets disposed within the interior of the first reaction cell and the second reaction cell. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the evacuating of the portions of the liquid along the entire periphery of the first reaction cell is performed with at least one first vacuum element disposed along the entire periphery of the first reaction cell, and wherein the evacuating of the portions of the liquid along the entire periphery of the second reaction cell is performed with at least one second vacuum element disposed along the entire periphery of the second reaction cell. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the flowing of the gas along the entire periphery of the first reaction cell is performed with at least one first gas curtain element, and wherein the flowing of the gas along the entire periphery of the second reaction cell is performed with at least one second gas curtain element. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one first gas curtain element comprises a first gas curtain ring disposed along a circumferential periphery of the first reaction cell, and wherein the at least one second gas curtain element comprises a second gas curtain ring disposed along a circumferential periphery of the second reaction cell. 
     
     
         16 . A method for combinatorial non-contact wet processing, comprising:
 providing a liquid material;   transporting a first portion of the liquid material from a source of the liquid material to a first reaction cell, wherein the first reaction cell is configured for positioning at a first selected distance from the surface of a substrate;   transporting at least a second portion of the liquid material from the source of the liquid material to at least a second reaction cell, wherein the at least a second reaction cell is configured for positioning at a second selected distance from the surface of a substrate;   converting the first portion of the liquid material to a first atomized spray of liquid particles;   converting the at least a second portion of the liquid material to at least a second atomized spray of liquid particles;   containing a portion of the first atomized spray of liquid particles within a first selected region of the substrate;   containing a portion of the at least a second atomized spray of liquid particles within at least a second selected region of the substrate;   applying a portion of the first atomized spray of particles onto the first selected region of the substrate; and   applying a portion of the at least a second atomized spray of particles onto the at least a second selected region of the substrate.   
     
     
         17 . The method for combinatorial non-contact wet processing of  claim 16 , wherein the converting the first portion of the liquid material to a first atomized spray of liquid particles comprises:
 converting a portion of the liquid material to an atomized spray of liquid particles via two or more gas jets disposed within an interior of a reaction cell.   
     
     
         18 . The method for combinatorial non-contact wet processing of  claim 16 , wherein the containing a portion of the first atomized spray of liquid particles within a first selected region of the substrate comprises:
 containing a portion of the first atomized spray of liquid particles within a first selected region of the substrate via a vacuum element disposed on the periphery of a reaction cell.   
     
     
         19 . The method for combinatorial non-contact wet processing of  claim 16 , wherein the containing a portion of the first atomized spray of liquid particles within a first selected region of the substrate comprises:
 containing a portion of the first atomized spray of liquid particles within a first selected region of the substrate via a gas curtain element disposed on the periphery of a reaction cell.   
     
     
         20 . The method for combinatorial non-contact wet processing of  claim 16 , wherein the transporting a first portion of the liquid material from a source of the liquid material to a first reaction cell comprises:
 transporting a first portion of the liquid material from a source of the liquid material to a liquid inlet of a first reaction cell.