1-30. (canceled)
31. A switch assembly for use with a powered surgical handpiece, said switch assembly including:
a body having an arcuately shaped inner surface, said body shaped and dimensioned to fit over and be removably compression secured to the surgical handpiece with which said switch assembly is used;
a tab that extends inwardly from the inner surface of said body;
a lever arm having first and second opposed ends, the first end of said lever arm being pivotally mounted to said body;
a spring disposed between said body and said lever arm that that normally biases said lever arm so that the second end of said lever arm is pivoted away from the handpiece to which said body is fitted; and
a magnet disposed in said lever arm.
32. The switch assembly of claim 31, wherein said magnet is moveably mounted to said lever arm.
33. The switch assembly of claim 31, wherein said spring is a torsion spring.
34. The switch assembly of claim 31, further including an extender that is mounted to said lever arm, said extender having a rod assembly that is moveably seated in said lever arm and a head located at an end of said rod assembly, said rod assembly being moveable so as to move said head from a position adjacent the second end of said lever arm to a position spaced from the second end of said lever arm.
35. The switch assembly of claim 31, wherein:
said body is shaped so as to have opposed ends that define a longitudinally extending opening the extends along the length of said body; and
said lever arm is mounted to said body at a position diametrically opposite the opening that extends along the length of said body.
36. The switch assembly of claim 31, wherein a single said tab extends inwardly from the inner surface of said body.
37. The switch assembly of claim 31, wherein said tab extends inwardly from an inner surface of said body at a location opposite from where said lever arm is mounted to said body.
38. A switch for use with a powered surgical handpiece having a cylindrical body, said switch including:
a ring, said ring shaped to extend around the handpiece with which said switch is used, said ring shaped to define a slot that extends the length of the ring, a curved inner surface with a diameter less than the diameter of the handpiece with which said switch is used and a tab that extends inwardly from the inner surface;
a lever arm having first and second opposed ends, the first end of said lever arm being pivotally mounted to said ring;
a spring disposed between said ring and said lever arm that that normally biases said lever arm so that the second end of said lever arm is pivoted away from the handpiece to which said ring is mounted; and
a magnet disposed in said lever arm.
39. The switch of claim 38, wherein said magnet is moveably mounted to said lever arm.
40. The switch of claim 38, wherein said spring is a torsion spring.
41. The switch of claim 38, further including an extender that is mounted to said lever arm, said extender having a rod assembly that is moveably seated in said lever arm and a head located at an end of said rod assembly, said rod assembly being moveable so as to move said head from a position adjacent the second end of said lever arm to a position spaced from the second end of said lever arm.
42. The switch of claim 38, wherein a single said tab extends inwardly from the inner surface of said ring.
43. The switch of claim 38, wherein said tab extends inwardly from an inner surface of said ring at a location, relative to a longitudinal axis through said ring, that is opposite the slot that extends through said ring.
44. A switch for use with a powered surgical handpiece that has a cylindrical shape, said switch including:
an arcuately shaped body, said body having opposed inner and outer surfaces, said body shaped to clamp over the surgical handpiece and to define a slot that extends longitudinally along the length of said body:
at least one outer tab that extends away from the outer surface of said body;
an inner tab that extends away from the inner surface of said body;
a lever arm, said lever arm having a first end pivotally mounted to said at least one outer tab and a second end opposite the first end;
a magnet disposed in said lever arm; and
a spring disposed between said body and said lever arm that normally biases said lever arm so that the second end of said lever arm is normally urged away from the surgical handpiece to which said body is clamped.
45. The switch of claim 44, wherein:
a longitudinal axis extends through said body; and
said at least one outer tab is located so that said lever arm is mounted to said body at a location relative to the body longitudinal axis that is diametrically opposed to the slot that extends along said body.
46. The switch of claim 44, wherein said magnet is moveably mounted to said lever arm.
47. The switch of claim 44, wherein:
two said outer tabs extend away from the outer surface of said body;
said lever arm extends over and is pivotally mounted to both said outer tabs; and
said spring is disposed between said outer tabs.
48. The switch of claim 44, wherein a single said tab extends inwardly from the inner surface of said ring.
49. The switch of claim 44, wherein
a longitudinal axis extends through said body;
said inner tab extends inwardly from the inner surface of said body from a location that, relative to the body longitudinal axis, is diametrically opposed to the slot that extends along said body.
50. The switch of claim 44, wherein:
said body has a first end directed towards the second end of said lever arm and a second end opposite the first end; and
said inner tab is located proximal to the second end of said body.
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 removing particles from a wafer during semiconductor manufacturing, comprising:
removing a first group of particles from the wafer by an electrostatic methodology; and
removing a second group of particles from the wafer by an electromagnetic methodology.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein removing a first group of particles comprises:
providing a purge fluid flowing to the wafer from an inlet and out of an outlet;
providing a charge of a first type to the wafer; and
providing a charge of a second type to the outlet.
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising pumping the fluid out from the outlet.
4. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing a charge of the first type to the purge fluid.
5. The method of claim 2, wherein providing a purge fluid comprises providing a purge fluid selected from the group consisting of compressed dry air, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and argon.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein removing a second group of particles comprises applying an electromagnetic field over the wafer to remove ferromagnetic particles from the wafer.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second groups of particles are removed from a substrate of the wafer.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the first and second groups of particles are removed from a photoresist layer of the wafer.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the first and second groups of particles are removed from a photo mask.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first group of particles comprises an insulator.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second group of particles are selected from the group consisting of iron, nickel, cobalt.
12. A system for semiconductor wafer manufacturing, comprising:
a chamber process path for processing the wafer; and
a device operable to remove particles from the wafer by electrostatic and electromagnetic methodologies wherein the device is installed in the chamber process path.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein the device comprises first and second stand-alone devices, the first device operable to remove the particles by electrostatic methodologies, the second device operable to remove the particles by electromagnetic methodologies.
14. The system of claim 12, wherein the device is an integrated device operable to remove the particles by both electrostatic and electromagnetic methodologies.
15. The system of claim 12, wherein the device comprises:
a nozzle having an inlet and an outlet;
a source of a purge gas coupled to the inlet;
a vacuum pump coupled to the outlet;
a source of electric charges of a first type coupled to the wafer; and
a source of electric charges of a second type coupled to the outlet.
16. The system of claim 12, wherein the source of a purged gas comprises a source of electric charges of the first type operable to apply a charge of the first type to the purge gas.
17. The system of claim 12, wherein the source of the purged gas is operable to generate a gas selected from the group consisting of compressed dry air, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and argon.
18. A system for semiconductor wafer manufacturing, comprising:
a first device operable to remove particles of a first type from the wafer by the application of an electrostatic field; and
a second device operable to remove particles of a second type from the wafer by the application of an electromagnetic field.
19. The system of claim 18, wherein the first and second devices are an integrated device operable to remove the particles by both electrostatic and electromagnetic methodologies.
20. The system of claim 18, wherein the second device comprises:
a nozzle having an inlet and an outlet;
a source of a purge gas coupled to the inlet;
a vacuum pump coupled to the outlet;
a source of electric charges of a first type coupled to the wafer; and
a source of electric charges of a second type coupled to the outlet.
21. The system of claim 18, wherein the source of a purged gas comprises a source of electric charges of the first type operable to apply a charge of the first type to the purge gas.
22. The system of claim 18, wherein the source of the purged gas is operable to generate a gas selected from the group consisting of compressed dry air, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and argon.