UV/ozone cleaning of surfaces

The ultraviolet (UV)/ozone surface cleaning method is reviewed. The UV/ozone cleaning procedure is an effective method of removing a variety of contaminants from surfaces. It is a simple-to-use dry process which is inexpensive to set up and operate. It can rapidly produce clean surfaces, in air or in a vacuum system, at ambient temperatures. By placing properly precleaned surfaces within a few millimeters of an ozone producing UV source, the process can produce clean surfaces in less than 1 min. The technique is capable of producing near-atomically clean surfaces, as evidenced by Auger electron spectroscopy, ESCA, and ISS/SIMS studies. Topics discussed include: the variables of the process,the types of surfaces which have been successfully cleaned, the contaminants which can be removed, the construction of a UV/ozone cleaning facility, the mechanism of the process, UV/ozone cleaning in vacuum systems, rate enhancement techniques, safety considerations, effects of UV/ozone other than cleaning, and applications.