Abstract: The invention relates to a method for reducing the consumption of deleterious materials used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices comprising the steps of supporting a semiconductor wafer, supplying a predetermined volume of said materials onto the surface of said wafer to form a meniscus contained body of said materials less than the normal meniscus formed by the particular material, maintaining said wafer in a static condition during the desired reaction period, sensing the completion of said reaction and spinning said wafer upon completion of said reaction to remove reaction products and terminate the reaction.Accordingly, this invention is directed at significantly reducing the initial cost of the processing fluids and the large investment and maintenance costs needed to provide the means for recovering precious materials in the fluid waste, and for the environmental disposal of corrosive waste materials resulting from the use of the fluids in integrated circuit manufacture.

Abstract: The teaching discloses a dual bidirectional minimum volume self-centering air tract system for transporting semiconductor wafers or geometrically similar parts-in-process to and from processing tool stations in a random type manner and embodying controls to identify and collect treated wafers in segregated lots. The enclosed system is at a positive pressure to avoid ambient contamination. The enclosed track system further embodies a device for the combined computerized control of individual wafer routing in the system, humidity, temperature, and particulate content of the fluid within and utilized by the transport system while supplying and receiving wafers to processing tool stations which may have a wide variation of ambient conditions.