Patents Assigned to Gary W. Farrell
  • Patent number: 5974689
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for drying and/or cleaning a workpiece, such as an electronic part, semiconductor wafer, printed circuit board or the like. As the workpiece is withdrawn from a processing liquid, a selected drying liquid, such as hydrofluoroether (HFE) or an HFE azeotrope, that has a very small surface tension, is volatile, and has a density that is greater than the processing liquid density, is sprayed on, dribbled on or otherwise transferred to an exposed surface of the workpiece. The workpiece can be dried in 7-45 seconds, or less, in most situations and can be cleaned using the invention. Drying and/or cleaning can be performed in a single workpiece process, a single workpiece continuous process or a batch process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Gary W. Farrell
    Inventors: Gary W. Ferrell, Robert J. Elson, John F. Schipper