Deposition Velocity onto an Inverted Flat Surface in a Laminar Parallel Flow

Abstract

Wafers and photomasks in the cleanroom are exposed to airflows not only vertical but also parallel to the surfaces. In this study, Gaussian Diffusion Sphere Model (GDSM) was adjusted to predict deposition velocity onto an inverted flat surface in a laminar parallel flow by considering Brownian diffusion and gravitational settling of aerosol particles. The GDSM was validated by comparing with the simulation of solving flow and aerosol-concentration fields for an inverted flat surface and also with the mass transfer correlation for a finite flat surface of circular or rectangular areal shape. The GDSM was proven to correctly predict the deposition velocities onto the inverted flat surfaces, by taking one hour with a 2.66-GHz-CPU personal computer to obtain deposition velocities for 20 particle sizes, which is a very much shorter time compared with the time for simulating the flow and aerosol-concentration fields. Deposition velocities onto the inverted 45-cm-wafer and 15.2-cm-photomask in parallel airflows were predicted using the GDSM, for the particle size ranging from 0.003 to 1.5 mu m and the airflow velocity varying from 5 to 500 cm/s. The deposition velocity decreased with increasing particle size, with a steep declination especially for particles larger than approximately 0.1 mu m. From the qualitative comparison of the deposition velocities onto the inverted square flat surfaces, representing the photomasks with different orientations in the parallel flow, it was suggested to transport the EUVL photomask with its side facing the airflow rather than with its corner confronting the airflow, in order to minimize particulate contamination.