Supercritical CO2 fluid for chip resistor cleaning

The cleaning ability of supercritical CO2 was examined on chip resistors. Extraction analyses were made by atomic absorption spectroscopy and the extent of surface cleaning observed by scanning electron microscopy. Experimental results showed that the flow-cleaning process of supercritical CO2 possessed the advantages of having a superior cleaning ability and permitting a nondrying step. These characteristics strongly suggest that supercritical CO2 is a superior alternative to the traditional deionized water used in rinsing chip resistors. Moreover, a higher pressure and temperature can benefit the cleaning ability of this novel supercritical CO2 cleaning technique. (C) 1999 The Electrochemical Society. S0013-4651(98)11-094-7. All rights reserved.