Abstract: A wafer processing apparatus including a head defining an etching chamber, the sidewall of the head being slidable along the base so that the sidewall and base will normally define an etch chamber; and the sidewall may be moved upwardly to open a discharge passage for rinsing water, and a deflecting surface for deflecting the rinsing water downwardly and draining the rinsing water from the passage. The housing is separable above the deflector ring to provide access to the wafer for inserting the wafer and replacing it.

Abstract: A single substrate high frequency sonic processing module uses a substrate chamber dimensionally sized to the substrate for immersing the substrate in processing solution. Sonic wave permeable membranes form two ends of the substrate chamber along a sonic wave path therethrough. A sonic wave generated by a transducer external to the substrate chamber, travels through sonic wave conducting liquid in contact with the first membrane, external to the substrate chamber. The liquid is shaped by a sonic wave guide of continuously diminishing cross sectional area along the sonic wave path therethrough, thus intensifying and concentrating the sonic wave entering the substrate chamber. The sonic wave passes through the second membrane to a sonic absorbing and dissipating ante chamber. A method for sonic processing of substrates is disclosed. The individual sonic processing modules are combined into a single system for simultaneously processing plural substrates.

Abstract: Batch processing of semiconductor wafers utilizing a gas phase etching with anhydrous hydrogen fluoride gas flowing between wafers in a wafer carrier. The etching may take place in a bowl with the wafer carrier mounted on a rotor in the closed bowl. The etchant gas may include a small amount of water vapor, along with the anhydrous hydrogen fluoride gas, as may be needed to commence the etching process. The etching may take place with the wafers arranged in a stack in the wafer carrier and extending along or on the rotation axis.

Abstract: A fluid dispensing and metering unit is described for dispensing fluids into a system without the introduction of microcontaminants into the fluid flow. This unit includes a block with a fluid conducting duct axially extending from the block's proximal face to the block's distal face. In communication with the fluid conducting duct is a combined dispensing and modulating means for regulating the amount of fluid entering the fluid conducting duct. A plurality of these units can be assembled to construct a flow control manifold, creating a single continuous duct for carrying all dispensed fluids.

Abstract: An enclosed chamber is provided to confine wafers to be processed with an etchent gas, and requiring moisture at the surface of the wafer in order to initiate the etching. Gases flowed over the face of the wafer and may be flowed across the backside of the wafer to controllably produce or restrict the etching, according to the nature of the gas supplied and flowed across the wafer.

Abstract: The rotary fluid coupling decreases the possibility of microcontaminates entering the fluid flow line and is thus especially suitable for processing equipment in manufacturing of wafers and other components for the microcomputer industry. The rotary fluid coupling interconnects a fluid conveying passageway and a spindle element to a duct in a second element such that the two elements are rotatable with respect to each other. An axial channel is provided along the length of the spindle. A planar faced plate is mounted on the spindle. A bore in the spindle plate is in axial alignment with the spindle channel, generally forming a single continuous fluid conveying passageway. A second element has a generally planar distal faced plate. A fluid conducting duct extends from an aperture on the distal face of the second plate to a fluid source with the two faces generally aligned in parallel relationship to each other creating a fluid permeable gap.