1. A wireless LAN system comprising:
a wireless terminal; and
a plurality of base stations connected to each other through a wired LAN,
wherein the plurality of base stations includes a connected base station which is wirelessly connected to the wireless terminal using a first frequency and a non-connected base station which is not wirelessly connected to the wireless terminal,
the wireless terminal includes a probe request message transmission section which changes communication frequency from the first frequency to a second frequency used by the non-connected base station and thereby sends a probe request message to the non-connected base station,
the non-connected base station includes:
a first probe response message transmission section configured to wirelessly send a first probe response message to the wireless terminal using the second frequency in response to reception of the probe request message; and
a second probe response message transmission section configured to send a second probe response message to the connected base station through the wired LAN in response to reception of the probe request message, and
the connected base station includes a third probe response message transmission section configured to send the second probe response message to the wireless terminal using the first frequency, and
the wireless terminal further includes a probe response message reception section configured to change the communication frequency from the second frequency to the first frequency after the probe request message is sent and thereby receive the second probe response message sent by the third probe response message transmission section.
2. The wireless LAN system according to claim 1, wherein
the second probe response message transmission section sends as the second probe response message, a message including a received signal level of the probe request message received by the non-connected base station, and
the wireless terminal further includes a signal level determination section configured to determine the signal level at which the wireless terminal and the non-connected base station wirelessly communicate with each other, based on the received signal level included in the second probe response message.
3. The wireless LAN system according to claim 2, wherein
the signal level determination section includes an estimation section configured to correct the received signal level included in the second probe response message using the signal level of data received by the connected base station from the wireless terminal and the signal level of data received by the wireless terminal from the connected base station and thereby estimate the signal level of data received by the wireless terminal from the non-connected base station, and
the signal level determination section determines the signal level at which the wireless terminal and the non-connected base station wirelessly communicate with each other, based on the signal level estimated by the estimation section.
4. A wireless communication device comprising:
a probe request message transmission section configured to, when the wireless communication device is wirelessly connected to a connected base station using a first frequency, change communication frequency to a second frequency used by a non-connected base station that is not wirelessly connected to the wireless communication device and is connected to the connected base station through a wired LAN and thereby send a probe request message to the non-connected base station; and
a probe response message reception section configured to wirelessly receive from the connected base station using the first frequency, a second probe response message sent by the non-connected base station, which wirelessly sends a first probe response message using the second frequency in response to reception of the probe request message, to the connected base station through the wired LAN in response to reception of the probe request message, wherein
the second probe response message includes a received signal level of the probe request message received by the non-connected base station, and
the wireless communication device further comprises a signal level determination section configured to, based on the received signal level included in the second probe response message, determine the signal level at which the wireless communication device and the non-connected base station wirelessly communicate with each other.
5. The wireless communication device according to claim 4, wherein
the signal level determination section includes an estimation section configured to correct the received signal level included in the second probe response message using the signal level of data received by the connected base station from the wireless communication device and the signal level of data received by the wireless communication device from the connected base station and thereby estimate the signal level of data received by the wireless communication device from the non-connected base station, and
the signal level determination section determines the signal level at which the wireless communication device and non-connected base station wirelessly communicate with each other, based on the signal level estimated by the estimation section.
6. A wireless communication device, comprising:
a probe request message transmission section configured to, when the wireless communication device is wirelessly connected to a connected base station using a first frequency, change communication frequency to a second frequency used by a non-connected base station that is not wirelessly connected to the wireless terminal and is connected to the connected base station through a wired LAN and thereby send a probe request message to a non-connected base station; and
a probe response message reception section configured to receive any one of a first probe response message or a second probe response message, the first probe response message being wirelessly sent by the non-connected base station using the second frequency in response to reception of the probe request message, the second probe response message being sent by the non-connected base station to the connected base station through the wired LAN in response to reception of the probe request message and then wirelessly sent by the connected base station using the first frequency, wherein
the probe response message reception section overwrites the second probe response message with the first probe response message when receiving the first probe response message after receiving the second probe response message.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for treating a material, comprising:
forming an ozone-solvent solution at a first temperature;
passing said ozone-solvent solution through a heater to heat said ozone-solvent solution from said first temperature to form a heated \u2212ozone-solvent solution relative to said first temperature, such that said heated ozone-solvent solution is supersaturated with ozone; and
reacting the supersaturated heated ozone-solvent solution with the material at a second temperature;
wherein the first temperature is less than the second temperature.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said ozone-solvent solution is formed at said first temperature by dissolving an ozone gas in solvent at said first temperature to form a first concentration of dissolved ozone.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second temperature is at least 5 degrees Celsius greater than the first temperature.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein reacting said supersaturated heated ozone-solvent solution with the material comprises applying the supersaturated heated ozone-solvent solution to the material using at least one nozzle.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein reacting the supersaturated heated ozone-solvent solution with the material comprises immersing the material within the supersaturated heated ozone-solvent solution.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of reacting said supersaturated heated ozone-solvent solution with said material has at least one point of reaction, and wherein the heater comprises using a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger placed just upstream of the at least one point of reaction of said supersaturated heated ozone-solvent solution with said material.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of reacting said supersaturated heated ozone-solvent solution with said material has at least one point of reaction, and wherein the heater comprises an in-line heater placed just upstream of the at least one point of reaction of said supersaturated heated ozone-solvent solution with said material.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
injecting a chemical into said supersaturated heated ozone-solvent solution prior to reacting said supersaturated heated ozone-solvent solution with said material.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein said material comprises a substrate, and wherein the step of reacting said supersaturated heated ozone-solvent solution with said substrate comprises:
spinning said substrate to achieve a rotational speed about an axis; and
dispensing said supersaturated heated ozone-solvent solution over at least a portion of at least one surface of the spinning substrate using at least one nozzle.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein said material comprises a substrate, said method further comprising the step of rinsing the substrate after the substrate is reacted with said supersaturated heated ozone-solvent solution.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the material comprises a planar substrate selected from the group consisting of semiconductor wafers, flat panel displays, memory discs, substrates for use in an electronic device.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the material is selected from the group consisting of photoresist, post etch resist residue, post etch residue, anti-reflective coating, organic contamination.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of reacting said supersaturated heated ozone-solvent solution with said material comprises passing said supersaturated heated ozone-solvent solution through an orifice that directs said supersaturated heated ozone-solvent solution toward said material, and wherein the heater is placed just upstream of said orifice.
14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
injecting a chemical into said ozone-solvent solution prior to passing said ozone-solvent solution through said heater.
15. The method of claim 1, further comprising passing said supersaturated heated ozone-solvent solution through at least one element selected from the group consisting of a back pressure regulator, a pressure dropping nozzle, and a valve, prior to applying the supersaturated heated ozone-solvent solution to the material.
16. The method of claim 2, wherein said supersaturated heated ozone-solvent solution is reacted with the material within a time period after heat is first applied to said ozone-solvent solution in said heater to minimize a decrease in the concentration of the dissolved ozone in the supersaturated heated ozone-solvent solution.
17. The method of claim 3, wherein the first temperature is between 1 and 30 degrees Celsius.
18. The method of claim 3, wherein the first temperature is between 1 and 10 degrees Celsius.
19. The method of claim 3, wherein the second temperature is between 30 and 95 degrees Celsius.
20. The method of claim 3, wherein the second temperature is between 35 and 65 degrees Celsius.
21. The method of claim 8, wherein the chemical comprises a hydroxyl radical scavenger.
22. The method of claim 8, wherein the chemical comprises an element selected from the group consisting of a pH buffer, an acid, and a base.
23. The method of claim 8, wherein the chemical comprises a corrosion inhibitor.
24. The method of claim 8, wherein the chemical comprises a surfactant.
25. The method of claim 9, wherein said at least one nozzle is positioned on said axis.
26. The method of claim 9, wherein a plurality of nozzles are positioned in a plurality of positions over the substrate.
27. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of moving said nozzle relative to said substrate.
28. The method of claim 9 wherein said at least one nozzle is successively positioned at one or more positions relative to the center of rotation of said substrate.
29. The method of claim 16, wherein the time period is such that the concentration of the supersaturated heated ozone-solvent solution at said second temperature is greater than if said ozone-solvent solution had been formed at said second temperature.
30. The method of claim 16, wherein the time period corresponds to no more than a 20 percent decrease in the concentration of the dissolved ozone in the supersaturated heated ozone-solvent solution from said first concentration.
31. A method for oxidizing a material, comprising:
forming an ozone-solvent solution at a first temperature;
passing the ozone-solvent solution through a heater to heat said ozone-solvent solution from the first temperature to form a supersaturated heated ozone-solvent solution; and
after the step of heating the ozone-solvent solution, reacting the supersaturated heated ozone-solvent solution with the material at approximately a second temperature to oxidize the material wherein the first temperature is less than the second.
32. The method of claim 31, further comprising rinsing the material.
33. The method of claim 31, wherein the second temperature is at least 5 degrees Celsius greater than the first temperature.
34. The method of claim 31, wherein the first temperature is between 1 and 30 degrees Celsius.
35. The method of claim 31, wherein the second temperature is between 30 and 95 degrees Celsius.
36. The method of claim 31, wherein reacting the ozone-solvent solution with the material comprises applying the supersaturated heated ozone-solvent solution to the material.
37. The method of claim 31, further comprising:
injecting a chemical into the supersaturated heated ozone-solvent solution prior to applying the supersaturated heated ozone-solvent solution to the material.
38. The method of claim 31, further comprising:
injecting a chemical into said supersaturated heated ozone-solvent solution prior to reacting said supersaturated heated ozone-solvent solution with said material.
39. The method of any one of claims 1\u201321, claims 17\u20136, claim 8, claims 22\u201325, claims 9\u201312, claims 32\u201337, claim 38, claim 28, claim 13, claims 38\u201329, and claim 15 further comprising:
removing undissolved ozone gas prior to the step of passing said ozone solvent solution through said heater.