Patents Assigned to FSI Corporation
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Patent number: 4815630Abstract: A cover for a fluid processing chamber is formed of a resilient, heat and chemical resistant laminate of at least three layers. The first layer is a Teflon sheath, the second layer is a blanket heater, and the third layer is a plurality of thin sheets of silicone rubber. The laminate is formed by vacuum formation of the Teflon sheath onto the blanket heater which is supported by the silicone rubber. The opening to the chamber is formed with a rigid lip. The laminate is contained in a stainless steel housing which has an opening therein sized to encompass the perimeter of the chamber lip. Pressure on the cover housing achieves a fluid tight seal with the chamber. No fluid seeps between the cover and the lip even when processing requiring vigorous fluid agitation is carried out in the sealed chamber.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 1988Date of Patent: March 28, 1989Assignee: FSI CorporationInventors: William M. Jenson, Robert W. Grant
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Patent number: 4816081Abstract: A process for drying semiconductor wafers or similar substrates maintains the substrates in a static position to avoid the generation of undesired particulate. The substrates are maintained within the apparatus at an angle of approximately 30.degree. from the vertical to facilitate complete drainage of the processing fluid. According to this invention, the substrates are positioned in the chamber of the apparatus at the appropriate angle, the chamber is closed in a fluid tight seal and filled with the processing fluid, until the fluid overflows through a vacuum valve. While maintaining the chamber completely filled, vacuum aspiration is continued to degas the chamber. While continuing vacuum aspiration of the chamber, a vacuum assisted drain valve is opened, and clean dry inert gas is introduced above the draining fluid. The draining step assures that any droplets remain with the draining fluid so that the substrates emerge dry as the fluid drains away.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 1987Date of Patent: March 28, 1989Assignee: FSI CorporationInventors: Jitesh R. Mehta, Don C. Burkman, Cooky Mezaki
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Patent number: 4801335Abstract: In a chemical processing system for processing substrates or wafers in the production of electronic devices or integrated circuit chips, a rinsing step of simultaneously thoroughly rinsing the substrate in the processing chamber while the chemical supply lines and chemical spray posts are also being thoroughly rinsed with rinse water directed down a drain and without spraying into the processing chamber by controlling the pressure or rate of flow of rinsing water through the liquid chemical supply lines and chemical spray post passages and orifices so that most of the rinsing water will flow through an open drain valve and down the drain and only a trickle of water is permitted to flow outwardly through the spray orifices of the chemical spray post so that none of the rinsing water with dilute traces of chemical is sprayed onto the substrates in the processing chamber.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 1986Date of Patent: January 31, 1989Assignee: FSI CorporationInventors: Don C. Burkman, David D. Schumacher, Charlie A. Peterson
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Patent number: 4749440Abstract: A process for removing at least a portion of a film from a substrate, such as a wafer of silicon or other similar materials, the film on the substrate typically being an oxide film, maintaining the atmosphere embracing the substrate at near room temperature and at near normal atmospheric pressure, flowing dry inert diluent gas over the substrate, introducing a flow of reactive gas, preferably an anhydrous hydrogen halide gas, namely anhydrous hydrogen flouride gas, for typically 5 to 30 seconds over the substrate and film to cause the removal of portions of the film, flowing water vapor laden inert gas, preferably nitrogen, over the substrate and film from a time prior to commencing flow of the reactive gas until flow of the reactive gas is terminated. In the case of non-hygroscopic film on the substrate, the flow of water vapor continues during the flow of the reactive gas and is terminated shortly after the termination of the flow of reactive gas.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 1987Date of Patent: June 7, 1988Assignees: FSI Corporation, Texas Instruments IncorporatedInventors: Robert S. Blackwood, Rex L. Biggerstaff, L. Davis Clements, C. Rinn Cleavelin
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Patent number: 4699298Abstract: A bung connection for a rigid container has a bung body which threads into the bung opening, and has a base wall with two or more access openings which are connected to tubes extending to the flowable material in the container. A tube mounting is removably inserted into the bung body and has flow ports which connect with the access ports in the base wall. Flow tubes connect to the tube mounting. The tube mounting and bung body have a coded pattern of interfitting lugs and recesses which prevent full assembly of the tube mounting and bung body if the coding is wrong. A clamp ring secures the tube mounting in the bung body. A shipping plug and liner replace the tube mounting in the bung body for shipping the container to be refilled and then returned for use again.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 1985Date of Patent: October 13, 1987Assignee: FSI CorporationInventors: Robert W. Grant, Joshua P. Waldman
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Patent number: 4694852Abstract: A fluid flow regulating valve for controlling the flow of a corrosive fluid, the valve including an axially unrestrained movement of the piston in accordance with the fluid flow varies the effective size of a flow control orifice to regulate the fluid flow.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 1986Date of Patent: September 22, 1987Assignee: FSI CorporationInventor: Robert W. Grant
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Patent number: 4691722Abstract: A spray processing machine for processing silicon wafers in the manufacture of integrated circuit chips the bowl defining the processing chamber being formed of molded plastic of a type which is highly inert to the deteriorating effects of highly active chemicals such as hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acid and similar highly active chemicals. The molded bowl has upright side walls with a cylindrical configuration and flat areas on the inner periphery to accommodate mounting spray posts on an upright position. The molded plastic housing also has a base wall which is peripherally downwardly spiraling configuration toward the drain port and from the highest portion of the base wall, also immediately adjacent the drain port; there being a step in the base wall defining a riser face facing opposite to the direction of the slope of the base wall and also facing opposite to the direction of rotation of the rotor in the processing chamber which carriers the wafers being processed.Type: GrantFiled: August 1, 1984Date of Patent: September 8, 1987Assignee: FSI CorporationInventors: James M. Silvernail, Clifford C. Miller
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Patent number: 4682615Abstract: In a chemical processing system for processing substrates or wafers in the production of electronic devices or integrated circuit chips, a rinsing step of simultaneously thoroughly rinsing the substrate in the processing chamber while the chemical supply lines and chemical spray posts are also being thoroughly rinsed with rinse water directed down a drain and without spraying into the processing chamber by controlling the pressure or rate of flow of rinsing water through the liquid chemical supply lines and chemical spray post passages and orifices so that most of the rinsing water will flow through an open drain valve and down the drain and only a trickle of water is permitted to flow outwardly through the spray orifices of the chemical spray post so that none of the rinsing water with dilute traces of chemical is sprayed onto the substrates in the processing chamber.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 1984Date of Patent: July 28, 1987Assignee: FSI CorporationInventors: Don C. Burkman, David D. Schumacher, Charlie A. Peterson
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Patent number: 4682614Abstract: Centrifugal processing machine for spray processing wafers of silicon and the like the machine having a processing chamber closed by a door and having a generally horizontal orientation with the rotor also substantially horizontally oriented. The peripheral sidewall of the process chamber has an offset defined by overlapping edge portions defining a circumferentially facing drainage slot, facing in the same direction as the rotor revolves; the process chamber being maintained under slightly positive pressure above atmospheric pressure to the extent of about 10 to 12 inches of water; the transparent door panel having a groove at the inner face of the door panel and traversing of the transparent panel from its center in radial directions oblique to each other, and an adjoining dry nitrogen nozzle directing a spray of nitrogen across the inner face of the transparent door panel and across one end of the groove in the door panel.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 1985Date of Patent: July 28, 1987Assignee: FSI CorporationInventors: James M. Silvernail, Dallas J. Schneider
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Patent number: 4664133Abstract: Centrifugal processing machine for spray processing wafers of silicon and the like the machine having a processing chamber closed by a door and having a generally horizontal orientation with the rotor also substantially horizontally oriented. The peripheral sidewall of the process chamber has an offset defined by overlapping edge portions defining a circumferentially facing drainage slot, facing in the same direction as the rotor revolves; the process chamber being maintained under slightly positive pressure above atmospheric pressure to the extent of about 10 to 12 inches of water; the transparent door panel having a groove at the inner face of the door panel and traversing of the transparent panel from its center in radial directions oblique to each other, and an adjoining dry nitrogen nozzle directing a spray of nitrogen across the inner face of the transparent door panel and across one end of the groove in the door panel.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 1986Date of Patent: May 12, 1987Assignee: FSI CorporationInventors: James M. Silvernail, Dallas J. Schneider
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Patent number: 4609575Abstract: In acid processing of substrates, such as silicon wafers in the manufacture of electronic devices, such as integrated circuit chips, the method of mixing separate chemicals together in the processing chambers and as the separate chemicals are sprayed in atomized and directional spray patterns toward and across the surfaces of the substrates, the directional spray patterns emanating from different sources and having oblique directions with respect to each other to traverse each other at the surfaces of the substrates for thorough mixing and immediate application to the wafer faces to accomplish the processing. A vented housing defines the processing chamber with spray posts spaced from each other around the periphery of the housing and mounted on the sidewall and directing atomized liquid chemical sprays toward the center at which the substrates are mounted as to cause the spray patterns to traverse each other as they sweep across the wafers.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 1984Date of Patent: September 2, 1986Assignee: FSI CorporationInventor: Don C. Burkman
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Patent number: 4595222Abstract: A handle attachable to the end panel of a wafer carrier having a pair of opposing clamp jaws interconnected by an elongate articulated frame which includes a mechanism for producing movement of the jaws toward or away from each other, a grip bar for grasping the handle and retaining rods for traversing the open side of the carrier and to retain wafers within the carrier.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 1984Date of Patent: June 17, 1986Assignee: FSI CorporationInventor: David D. Schumacher
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Patent number: 4286541Abstract: Applying photoresist to silicon wafers in the manufacture of integrated circuit chips by carrying the wafers upon a rotor in a chamber and spraying from a plurality of nozzles in the chamber toward the rotor for application to the wafers.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 1979Date of Patent: September 1, 1981Assignee: FSI CorporationInventor: Robert S. Blackwood
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Patent number: 4197000Abstract: A positive developer and method spraying developer solution against rotating wafers stacked along rotation axis to remove photoresist and recycling the developer solution in successive cycles and batches of wafers being processed; adding small quantities of fresh developer solution in each cycle of operation to replace the small quantity lost and rinsed down the drain at the end of each cycle, thereby maintaining the strength of the developer solution and equilibrium to establish a predetermined time per cycle needed for completing removal of photoresist; rinsing away the developer solution from the wafers and interior of the spray chamber with deionized water and subsequently applying heated nitrogen to accomplish drying of everything within the chamber.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 1978Date of Patent: April 8, 1980Assignee: FSI CorporationInventor: Robert S. Blackwood
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Patent number: 4132567Abstract: Wafers are cleaned in the manufacture of integrated circuits by revolving the wafers successively through a spray of deionized water and drying nitrogen gas in a closed chamber, and introducing ionized nitrogen gas into the closed chamber to eliminate static electric charge on the wafers. The ionized nitrogen gas is generated by passing nitrogen gas through nozzles having electrodes therein maintained at a high ionizing voltage.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 1977Date of Patent: January 2, 1979Assignee: FSI CorporationInventor: Robert S. Blackwood
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Patent number: D286081Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 1984Date of Patent: October 7, 1986Assignee: FSI CorporationInventor: Ardelle R. Johnson