METHOD FOR CLEANING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

1 . A method of cleaning a conducting film containing tin oxide from an insulating surface of an item for use in electroplating applications, comprising the steps of:

i) immersing the item in a cleaning fluid; and

ii) irradiating the immersed item with light of wavelength in the range 100 nm-450 nm.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the item comprises a workpiece holder for holding a workpiece within a plating solution.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning fluid comprises an alkaline medium.

4 . The method of claim 3 wherein the cleaning fluid comprises one of the group consisting of potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide and ammonium hydroxide.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning fluid comprises one of the group consisting of sulfuric acid, and a mixture of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide.

6 . The method of claim 1 , comprising the step of agitating the cleaning fluid while the item is immersed within it.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the step of agitating the cleaning fluid comprises at least one of bubbling or jetting the cleaning solution, causing fluid circulation within the tank, or moving a brush within the tank.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the method includes contact brushing of the areas to be cleaned.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein step ii) comprises irradiating the immersed item with light having an intensity of at least 50 mW/m 2 in the UV-C band at the surface of the item to be cleaned.

10 . The method of claim 1 , for cleaning a workpiece holder having a contact sealing strip with workpiece gripping surfaces operative to grip a workpiece therebetween in use, comprising the step of opening the contact sealing strip of the workpiece holder to expose the workpiece gripping surfaces to the cleaning fluid.

11 . A cleaning apparatus for cleaning a conducting film containing tin oxide from an insulating surface of an item for use in electroplating applications, comprising:

a tank holding cleaning fluid in use,

a support for supporting the item within the tank so that it is immersed in the cleaning fluid,

a light source configured to irradiate the item while immersed in the cleaning fluid, the light source operative to emit light in the wavelength in the range 100 nm-450 nm.

12 . The cleaning apparatus of claim 11 , comprising first and second tanks, each holding cleaning fluid in use, arranged such that, where the item comprises a workpiece holder, each of said first and second tanks may receive a respective depending leg of the workpiece holder.

13 . The cleaning apparatus of claim 11 , comprising agitation means for agitating the cleaning fluid while the item is immersed within it.

14 . The cleaning apparatus of claim 13 , wherein agitation means comprises a movable brush.

15 . The cleaning apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the agitation means comprises a source of bubbles, optionally a source of nitrogen bubbles.

16 . The cleaning apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the agitation means comprises means for circulating fluid within the tank.

17 . The cleaning apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the agitation means comprises an external tank and means for causing circulation of fluid between the tank and the external tank.

18 . The cleaning apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the support comprises an actuator for flexing the immersed item to expose a surface of the item to the cleaning fluid.

19 . The cleaning apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the item comprises a workpiece holder, and the actuator is operative to open a contact sealing strip of the workpiece holder to expose workpiece gripping surfaces to the cleaning fluid, the workpiece gripping surfaces operative to grip a workpiece therebetween in use.

20 . An electroplating machine comprising the cleaning apparatus of claim 11 .