CO2 blast cleaning has been used successfully in the semiconductor industry to clean:

• throttle valves;
• bellows;
• positive resist track bowls;
• applied 5000 turbo screens;
• isolation valves;
• blower flanges;
• teos valves

Advantages of CO2 blast cleaning include:

• substantial reductions in cleaning time;
• substantial reductions in cleaning costs;
• recovery and reuse of parts normally junked;
• safe containment of hazardous materials;
• effective alternative to acids, solvents, hand scraping

The semiconductor manufacturing process results in hard-to-remove contaminants being deposited on the surface of a wide range of parts. Traditionally, these accumulated deposits have been removed using solvents, harsh chemicals, wire brushes, and scrapers. In some cases, the deposits could not be effectively removed resulting in the part being scrapped.

Dry ice blasting has proven to be a valuable tool by limiting worker exposure to acids and solvents while substantially reducing cleaning time and cleaning costs. Though experience has demonstrated success in cleaning various parts used in the semiconductor industry, some results are particularly impressive. For instance, throttle valve assemblies that require two hours to clean with traditional methods can be cleaned in just two minutes using CO2. Also, screens that would normally be junked can be cleaned in only one minute with CO2 then reused.