Gas Or Vapor Condensation Or Absorption On Work Patents (Class 134/31)
  • Patent number: 12051596
    Abstract: Before supplying ammonia, which is a flammable gas, into a chamber, the chamber is evacuated to eliminate residual gas from the chamber, and then nitrogen is fed into a combustion-supporting gas line to cause oxygen, which is a combustion-supporting gas, remaining in the combustion-supporting gas line to flow out. After supplying ammonia into the chamber, the chamber is evacuated to eliminate the ammonia from the chamber, and then nitrogen is fed into a flammable gas line to cause the ammonia remaining in the flammable gas line to flow out. Oxygen or ammonia and nitrogen are alternately eliminated on the downstream side of an exhaust part, and it is therefore possible to prevent the flammable gas and the combustion-supporting gas from being mixed with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mao Omori, Yasuaki Kondo
  • Patent number: 12032302
    Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device a semiconductor wafer is retrieved from a load port. The semiconductor wafer is transferred to a treatment device. In the treatment device, the surface of the semiconductor wafer is exposed to a directional stream of plasma wind to clean a particle from the surface of the semiconductor wafer. The stream of plasma wind is generated by an ambient plasma generator and is directed at an oblique angle with respect to a perpendicular plane to the surface of the semiconductor wafer for a predetermined plasma exposure time. After the cleaning, a photo resist layer is disposed on the semiconductor wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Chung-Hsuan Liu, Chen-Yang Lin, Ku-Hsiang Sung, Da-Wei Yu, Kuan-Wen Lin, Chia-Jen Chen, Hsin-Chang Lee
  • Patent number: 11538687
    Abstract: A system and method for fluorine ion implantation is described, which includes a fluorine gas source used to generate a fluorine ion species for implantation to a subject, and an arc chamber that includes one or more non-tungsten materials (graphite, carbide, fluoride, nitride, oxide, ceramic). The system minimizes formation of tungsten fluoride during system operation, thereby extending source life and promoting improved system performance. Further, the system can include a hydrogen and/or hydride gas source, and these gases can be used along with the fluorine gas to improve source lifetime and/or beam current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: ENTEGRIS, INC.
    Inventors: Ying Tang, Sharad N. Yedave, Joseph R. Despres, Joseph D. Sweeney
  • Patent number: 11295947
    Abstract: Conventional ozone water is still insufficient in the removal rate and cleaning ability of resist required in today's semiconductor manufacturing field, and it does not fully meet the expectation of further improvement in the effects of sterilization, deodorization, and cleaning in the fields such as cleaning of foodstuffs, cleaning of process equipment and tools, and cleaning of fingers, as well as in the fields such as deodorization, sterilization, and preservation of freshness of foodstuffs. The above problem can be solved by defining the values of a plurality of specific production parameters in the production of ozone water into specific ranges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignees: TOHOKU UNIVERSITY, NOMURA MICRO SCIENCE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Shirai, Takeshi Sakai, Takayuki Jizaimaru
  • Patent number: 11217441
    Abstract: A substrate treatment method is provided, which includes: an organic solvent replacing step of supplying an organic solvent, whereby a liquid film of the organic solvent is formed on the substrate as covering the upper surface of the substrate to replace a rinse liquid with the organic solvent; a substrate temperature increasing step of allowing the temperature of the upper surface of the substrate to reach a first temperature level higher than the boiling point of the organic solvent after the formation of the organic solvent liquid film, whereby a vapor film of the organic solvent is formed below the entire organic solvent liquid film between the organic solvent liquid film and the substrate to levitate the organic solvent liquid film above the organic solvent vapor film; and an organic solvent removing step of removing the levitated organic solvent liquid film from above the upper surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Inventors: Kenji Kobayashi, Manabu Okutani
  • Patent number: 11199769
    Abstract: A method of processing a trench, via, hole, recess, void, or other feature that extends a depth into a substrate to a base or bottom and has an opening by irradiation with an accelerated neutral beam derived from an accelerated gas cluster ion beam for processing materials at the base or bottom of the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Inventors: Sean R. Kirkpatrick, Rangarajan Jagannathan
  • Patent number: 11201067
    Abstract: A substrate processing method including a vapor atmosphere filling step in which a vapor atmosphere which contains vapor of a low surface tension liquid whose lower surface tension than a processing liquid is filled around a liquid film of the processing liquid, a thin film region forming step in which, in parallel with the vapor atmosphere filling step, a substrate is rotated at a predetermined thin film region forming speed, to partially remove the processing liquid, thereby forming a thin film region on the liquid film of the processing liquid, a thin film region expanding step in which, in parallel with the vapor atmosphere filling step, the thin film region is expanded to an outer circumference of the substrate, and a thin film removing step in which the thin film is removed from the upper surface after the thin film region expanding step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Inventor: Masayuki Otsuji
  • Patent number: 11139180
    Abstract: In parallel with a substrate heating step, a liquid surface sensor is used to monitor the raising of an IPA liquid film. An organic solvent removing step is started in response to the raising of the IPA liquid film over the upper surface of the substrate. At the end of the organic solvent removing step, a visual sensor is used to determine whether or not IPA droplets remain on the upper surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Inventors: Naohiko Yoshihara, Kenji Kobayashi, Manabu Okutani
  • Patent number: 11094524
    Abstract: A substrate processing method includes a substrate holding step of horizontally holding a substrate, a liquid film forming step of supplying a processing liquid onto the upper surface of the substrate to form a liquid film of the processing liquid covering the upper surface of the substrate, a liquid film-removed region-forming step of partially eliminating the processing liquid from the liquid film of the processing liquid to form a liquid film-removed region in the liquid film of the processing liquid, a liquid film-removed region enlarging step of enlarging the liquid film-removed region toward the outer periphery of the substrate, and a hydrogen fluoride atmosphere-holding step of keeping the ambient atmosphere at the boundary between the liquid film-removed region and the liquid film of the processing liquid as an atmosphere of hydrogen fluoride-containing vapor, in parallel with the liquid film-removed region enlarging step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Inventor: Masayuki Otsuji
  • Patent number: 11037779
    Abstract: In an example, a method may include removing a material from a structure to form an opening in the structure, exposing a residue, resulting from removing the material, to an alcohol gas to form a volatile compound, and removing the volatile compound by vaporization. The structure may be used in semiconductor devices, such as memory devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Matthew S. Thorum
  • Patent number: 11007288
    Abstract: A method and associated apparatus for disinfecting at least one banknote, each banknote including a substrate, visual data, and a security feature, including disposing the at least one banknote in an oxygen-free environment, and exposing the at least one banknote to a temperature and for a duration sufficient to disinfect the at least one banknote and not compromise the security feature and the visual data, where to disinfect the at least one banknote includes to significantly deactivate, kill, or eliminate one or more pathogens from the at least one banknote.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Spectra Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Nabil Lawandy
  • Patent number: 10916474
    Abstract: A method for processing electronic die includes providing a substrate having a plurality of electronic die formed as part of the substrate and separated from each other by spaces. The method includes placing the substrate onto a first carrier substrate. The method includes plasma etching the substrate through the spaces to form singulation lines adjacent the plurality of electronic die. The method includes exposing the plurality of electronic die to solvent vapors, such as heated solvent vapors, under reduced pressure to reduce the presence of residual contaminants resulting from the plasma etching step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Gordon M. Grivna
  • Patent number: 10903092
    Abstract: Pure water, a mixed solution, and an organic solvent are applied to a substrate in this order. The organic solvent is then removed by rotation. The mixed solution is a mixture of pure water and the organic solvent, and has a surface tension lower than that of the pure water. Since the mixed solution has a solubility in pure water, which is higher than that of the organic solvent, local drying on the upper surface becomes less likely at an interface between the mixed solution and the pure water, which suppresses collapse of pattern elements. Since the temperature of the substrate is raised by the mixed solution having a temperature higher than room temperature, it is possible to reduce the time required for a process related to drying.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Inventors: Hitoshi Nakai, Koji Ando
  • Patent number: 10889894
    Abstract: A faceplate for a processing chamber is disclosed. The faceplate has a body with a plurality of apertures formed therethrough. A flexure is formed in the body partially circumscribing the plurality of apertures. A cutout is formed through the body on a common radius with the flexure. One or more bores extend from a radially inner surface of the cutout to an outer surface of the body. A heater is disposed between flexure and the plurality of apertures. The flexure and the cutout are thermal chokes which limit heat transfer thereacross from the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Hwung, Yuxing Zhang, Kalyanjit Ghosh, Kaushik Alayavalli, Amit Kumar Bansal
  • Patent number: 10825713
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate heating unit arranged to heat the underside of a substrate while supporting the substrate thereon and an attitude changing unit arranged to cause the substrate heating unit to undergo an attitude change between a horizontal attitude and a tilted attitude. In an organic solvent removing step to be performed following a substrate heating step of heating the substrate, the substrate heating unit undergoes an attitude change to the tilted attitude so that the upper surface of the substrate becomes tilted with respect to the horizontal surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naohiko Yoshihara, Kenji Kobayashi, Manabu Okutani
  • Patent number: 10727043
    Abstract: A hole is formed on a liquid film of a low surface tension liquid which covers an entire region of an upper surface of a substrate, and a central portion of the upper surface of the substrate is exposed. The hole in the liquid film of the low surface tension liquid is expanded up to an outer circumference of the substrate. Discharge of hot water is stopped before formation of the hole in the liquid film of the low surface tension liquid. After the liquid film of the low surface tension liquid has been expelled from the upper surface of the substrate, hot water is supplied again to a lower surface of the substrate. A liquid adhering to the substrate is shaken off after stoppage of discharge of the hot water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Taiki Hinode, Sadamu Fujii
  • Patent number: 10615026
    Abstract: A substrate processing method includes a liquid film forming step of forming a liquid film of an organic solvent with which a whole area of an upper surface of a substrate is covered in order to replace a processing liquid existing on the upper surface with an organic solvent liquid, a thin film holding step of thinning the liquid film of the organic solvent by rotating the substrate at a first high rotational speed while keeping surroundings of the whole area of the upper surface in an atmosphere of an organic solvent vapor and holding a resulting thin film of the organic solvent on the upper surface, and a thin-film removing step of removing the thin film from the upper surface after the thin film holding step, and the thin-film removing step includes a high-speed rotation step of rotating the substrate at a second high rotational speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shota Iwahata, Masayuki Otsuji
  • Patent number: 10510528
    Abstract: A substrate processing method includes a replacement step of replacing a rinse liquid adhered to the front surface of a substrate with a low surface tension liquid whose surface tension is lower than that of the rinse liquid, where the replacement step includes a low surface tension liquid supply step of supplying the low surface tension liquid to the front surface while supplying a heating fluid to the rear surface on a side opposite to the front surface and a post-heating step of supplying the heating fluid to the rear surface on the side opposite to the front surface of the substrate, in a state in which the supply of the low surface tension liquid to the front surface is stopped, before the start of a spin dry step after the completion of the low surface tension liquid supply step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tetsuya Emoto
  • Patent number: 10475670
    Abstract: In parallel with a substrate heating step, a liquid surface sensor is used to monitor the raising of an IPA liquid film. An organic solvent removing step is started in response to the raising of the IPA liquid film over the upper surface of the substrate. At the end of the organic solvent removing step, a visual sensor is used to determine whether or not IPA droplets remain on the upper surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naohiko Yoshihara, Kenji Kobayashi, Manabu Okutani
  • Patent number: 10475626
    Abstract: A reactor with an overhead electron beam source is capable of generating an ion-ion plasma for performing an atomic layer etch process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth S. Collins, Kartik Ramaswamy, James D. Carducci, Shahid Rauf, Leonid Dorf, Yang Yang
  • Patent number: 10406566
    Abstract: A substrate processing device 10 has a water removing unit 110 and, when a solvent supply unit 58 supplies a volatile solvent to a surface of a substrate W, the water removing unit 110 supplies a water removing agent to the surface of the substrate W to promote replacement of the cleaning water on the surface of the substrate W with the volatile solvent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: SHIBAURA MECHATRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jun Matsushita, Yuji Nagashima, Konosuke Hayashi, Kunihiro Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 10347511
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally relate to a method of cleaning a substrate and a substrate processing apparatus that is configured to perform the method of cleaning the substrate. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to a method of cleaning a substrate in a manner that reduces or eliminates the negative effects of line stiction between semiconductor device features. Other embodiments of the present invention relate to a substrate processing apparatus that allows for cleaning of the substrate in a manner that reduces or eliminates line stiction between semiconductor device features formed on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Steven Verhaverbeke, Han-Wen Chen, Roman Gouk
  • Patent number: 10332758
    Abstract: A substrate treatment apparatus for treating a substrate with a chemical liquid in a treatment chamber. The apparatus includes a higher temperature chemical liquid supplying unit, and a rinse liquid supplying unit for rinsing away the higher temperature chemical liquid. A control unit controls a rotation unit for rotating the substrate, as well as the chemical liquid supplying unit and the rinse liquid supplying unit. The higher temperature chemical liquid is supplied while rotating the substrate at a first speed; the rinse liquid is supplied to a center portion of the substrate while rotating the substrate at a lower speed, so that the rinse liquid remains in said center portion; and then the substrate is rotated at a higher speed to spread the rinse liquid over the entire substrate while supplying the rinse liquid onto said center portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 10287499
    Abstract: Provided are an etching gas composition and an etching method which enable an object, such as a substrate to be etched, to be efficiently precision processed during thin film formation, and which enable efficient removal of an accumulated or adhered silicon-based compound, other than the object such as the substrate to be etched, by means of plasma etching. The etching gas composition is characterized by containing: (1) a fluorinated halogen compound represented by XF (X is Cl, Br or I) as a primary component; (2) F2; (3) a fluorinated halogen compound represented by XFn (X is Cl, Br or I, and n is an integer of 3 or higher); (4) HF; (5) O2; and (6) at least one type of halogen gas molecule selected from among Cl2, Br2 and I2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: KANTO DENKA KOGYO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshinao Takahashi, Korehito Kato
  • Patent number: 10269556
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for cleaning a semiconductor device structure are provided. The method includes providing a substrate, forming a material layer over the substrate. The material layer has a top surface. The method further includes cleaning the top surface of the material layer by producing a gas flow on the top surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Po-Shu Wang
  • Patent number: 10204796
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods for etching a silicon material in a device structure in semiconductor applications. In one example, a method for etching features in a silicon material includes performing a remote plasma process formed from an etching gas mixture including HF gas without nitrogen etchants to remove a silicon material disposed on a substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Nitin K. Ingle, Anchuan Wang, Zihui Li, Mikhail Korolik
  • Patent number: 10002770
    Abstract: It is an object to carry out a chemical treatment for a peripheral edge part of a substrate while suppressing an amount of consumption of a processing liquid and a time required for processing. In order to achieve the object, a substrate processing device injects heating steam to a peripheral edge part of a substrate to heat the peripheral edge part when carrying out a chemical treatment for the peripheral edge part of the substrate while rotating the substrate in a substantially horizontal posture. Moreover, the substrate processing device injects a gas from above the substrate toward a predetermined injection target region defined within a range surrounded by a rotating track of the peripheral edge part of the substrate in an upper surface of the substrate, thereby generating, on the substrate, a gas flow which flows from the injection target region toward the peripheral edge part of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Izumoto, Nobuyuki Shibayama
  • Patent number: 9865483
    Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate liquid processing method. The method includes: supplying a first processing liquid to a central portion of a substrate at a first flow rate by a first nozzle while rotating the substrate using a substrate holding unit; supplying a second processing liquid to a location between the central portion and an outer circumferential end of the substrate by a second nozzle while supplying the first processing liquid to the central portion of the substrate at the first flow rate; and changing the flow rate of the first processing liquid supplied from the first nozzle to a second flow rate lower than the first flow rate, so as to continue forming of the liquid film on the overall surface of the substrate while supplying the second processing liquid by the second nozzle to the substrate that is formed with a liquid film on the overall surface thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Higashi, Gentaro Goshi, Takahisa Otsuka
  • Patent number: 9805957
    Abstract: A throughput in processing a substrate can be improved and a running cost thereof can be reduced. A substrate processing apparatus 1 that processes a substrate 3 with a processing liquid and dries the substrate 3 includes a substrate rotating device 22 configured to rotate the substrate 3; a processing liquid discharging unit 13 configured to discharge the processing liquid toward the substrate 3; a substitution liquid discharging unit 14 configured to discharge a substitution liquid, which is substituted with the processing liquid on the substrate 3, toward the substrate 3 while relatively moving with respect to the substrate 3; and an inert gas discharging unit 15 configured to discharge an inert gas toward a peripheral portion of the substrate 3 in an inclined direction from above the substrate 3 while moving in a direction different from a direction in which the substitution liquid discharging unit 14 is moved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yosuke Kawabuchi, Hisashi Kawano, Satoru Tanaka, Hiroyuki Suzuki, Kotaro Oishi, Kazuyoshi Shinohara, Yuki Yoshida
  • Patent number: 9744474
    Abstract: A method of recovering solids from water-based effluent. A first step involves evaporating wastewater effluent containing a liquid contaminant, such as ammonium to recover a concentrated solution and a water effluent stream. Where the water effluent stream includes solids, further step can be taken to dry the wastewater effluent further to recover solids, such as by using a thin plate evaporator and a heat exchanger disk evaporator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Inventors: Xiaomei Li, Yongsheng Feng, Weijiao Li, Xiaoqiu Xu
  • Patent number: 9728443
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate heating unit arranged to heat the underside of a substrate while supporting the substrate thereon and an attitude changing unit arranged to cause the substrate heating unit to undergo an attitude change between a horizontal attitude and a tilted attitude. In an organic solvent removing step to be performed following a substrate heating step of heating the substrate, the substrate heating unit undergoes an attitude change to the tilted attitude so that the upper surface of the substrate becomes tilted with respect to the horizontal surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naohiko Yoshihara, Kenji Kobayashi, Manabu Okutani
  • Patent number: 9698031
    Abstract: A substrate treatment method is provided, which includes: an organic solvent replacing step of supplying an organic solvent, whereby a liquid film of the organic solvent is formed on the substrate as covering the upper surface of the substrate to replace a rinse liquid with the organic solvent; a substrate temperature increasing step of allowing the temperature of the upper surface of the substrate to reach a first temperature level higher than the boiling point of the organic solvent after the formation of the organic solvent liquid film, whereby a vapor film of the organic solvent is formed below the entire organic solvent liquid film between the organic solvent liquid film and the substrate to levitate the organic solvent liquid film above the organic solvent vapor film; and an organic solvent removing step of removing the levitated organic solvent liquid film from above the upper surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Kobayashi, Manabu Okutani
  • Patent number: 9694453
    Abstract: Apparatus, methods and systems for physically confining a liquid medium applied over a semiconductor wafer include a chemical head. The chemical head including multiple first return conduits formed from a first flat region in a head surface and multiple second return conduits formed from a second flat region in the head surface. The second flat region being disposed immediately adjacent to the first flat region and the second flat region being in a plane substantially parallel to and offset from the first flat region. At least one of the first return conduits and the second return conduits being formed at a first angle relative to the head surface and the first angle being greater than about 20 degrees to a meniscus plane normal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Enrico Magni, Eric Lenz
  • Patent number: 9418831
    Abstract: Cleaning and drying of semiconductor wafers is carried out in a single-chamber type cleaning/drying apparatus for flat objects such as semiconductor wafer, where cleaning is carried out by impinging both sides of the wafer which rotates at a relatively low speed with jets of a washing liquid and where subsequent drying is carried out in the same chamber by increasing the rotation speed of the wafer and supplying an isopropyl-alcohol (IPA) mist onto the wafer from the top of the chamber. After the IPA forms a solution with the residue of water on the wafer, the drying process is accelerated by supplying gaseous nitrogen through nozzles arranged on both side of the coaxial with the wafer center. As a result, the IPA-water solution quickly evaporates without leaving traces of water drops on the dried surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Planar Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Rubinder Randhawa, Basha Sajjad, Shmuel Erez, Harry Christov
  • Patent number: 8992693
    Abstract: A cleaning station that includes a container designed to hold a solvent and having a floor and two pairs of side walls connected to form an enclosure, with a first shelf disposed at a location elevated in relation to the container floor and a second shelf disposed above the first shelf, the second shelf being slidable and being removably provided, there being brushes located in an opening in the first shelf that may be used for cleaning tools and a plurality of additional openings in the first shelf to allow the passage of solvent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Bio Brands, LLC
    Inventors: James B. Currell, Anthony Severino
  • Publication number: 20150068559
    Abstract: A cleaning method using vaporized solvent is provided. A solvent-containing vapor is generated, wherein the solvent-containing vapor comprises a solvent. The solvent-containing vapor is conducted to a substrate having debris or contaminants to clean the substrate, wherein the solvent-containing vapor condenses to form a liquid on a surface of the substrate. The liquid phase of the solvent-containing vapor is changed to a solid phase. The solid phase of the solvent-containing vapor is changed back to a liquid phase. The substrate is spun dried to remove the solvent-containing vapor in liquid phase and any debris or contaminants.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Albert Po Chia Chen, Kuo-Sheng Chuang, Chi-Ming Yang
  • Patent number: 8974605
    Abstract: A method for operating an electronic device manufacturing system is provided, including: introducing an inert gas into a process tool vacuum pump at a first flow rate while the process tool is operating in a process mode; and introducing the inert gas into the process tool vacuum pump at a second flow rate while the process tool is operating in a clean mode. Numerous other embodiments are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel O. Clark, Phil Chandler, Jay J. Jung
  • Patent number: 8961702
    Abstract: A method and system for cleaning a secure instrument, such as a banknote, including a substrate, visual data and a security feature, including exposing the secure instrument to a supercritical fluid at a temperature and a pressure and for a duration sufficient to clean the substrate and not compromise the security feature and the visual data, wherein to clean the substrate includes to remove one or more substances from the substrate into the supercritical fluid. The substances removed from the substrate may include contaminants, dirt, sebum and pathogens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Spectra Systems Corporation.
    Inventor: Nabil M. Lawandy
  • Publication number: 20150027501
    Abstract: In order to remove the particles attached to the wafer W, the distance between a front end of a nozzle unit 4 and the wafer W is set to be in a range of from about 10 mm to about 100 mm, a pressure within a cleaning chamber 31 is set to be an adequate level, and then, a gas cluster is irradiated to a surface of the wafer W. Therefore, the particles are rapidly removed with high efficiency. Further, since the gas cluster is vertically irradiated to the surface of the wafer W from the nozzle unit 4, damage of a recess pattern is suppressed. Furthermore, by supplying a mixed gas containing a carbon dioxide gas and a helium gas to the nozzle unit 4 and generating the gas cluster, the particles are removed with high efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2014
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Inventors: Kazuya Dobashi, Kensuke Inai
  • Patent number: 8932409
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for cleaning a stack of secure instruments is disclosed. Each secure instrument includes a substrate, visual data and a security feature. The method and apparatus include exposing the stack to a supercritical fluid at a temperature and a pressure and for a duration sufficient to clean each secure instrument and not compromise each security feature and each visual data, and maintaining a securing mechanism on the stack during exposure of the stack to the supercritical fluid such that cleaning each secure instrument includes one or more substances from each secure instrument into the supercritical fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Spectra Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Nabil Lawandy
  • Patent number: 8920573
    Abstract: The present invention increases a number of target reaction containers from one into many. Coordinated with increased reaction times, total reaction volume is increased. By modifying an affinitive column of an automatic synthesis system, a production in a single batch is increased. The products obtained can be conformed to quality check specifications with cost saved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, Atomic Energy Council
    Inventors: Chia-Jung Chang, Mei-Hsiu Liao, Lie-Hang Shen
  • Publication number: 20140352727
    Abstract: A device and method for cleaning a surface using dry steam is disclosed. A dry steam wand is fitted with a custom nozzle that permits the dry steam to be angled to clean difficult to access surfaces of a gas turbine. The nozzle includes a slit that is configured to maintain sufficient temperature and pressure to effectively remove contaminants found on gas turbines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Inventors: Manuel Kenneth Bueno, Daniel Thomas Harvell, Gregory Douglas Troutman, Carlo Angelo Yon
  • Patent number: 8898930
    Abstract: The aim of the invention is to provide a method for the treatment of a transport support (1) for the conveyance and storage of semiconductor substrates, with said support (1) possibly having first undergone a cleaning operation using a liquid. The method includes a treatment stage in which the transport support (1) is placed in a sealed chamber (4) connected to a vacuum pump (5) and said transport support (1) is subjected to the combined action of a subatmospheric pressure and infrared radiation to favor the removal of foreign bodies on the walls of the transport support (1). The invention also concerns a treatment station for a transport support (1) for implementation of the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Alcatel Lucent
    Inventors: Erwan Godot, Remi Thollot, Amaud Favre
  • Publication number: 20140332035
    Abstract: When an object to be cleaned is vapor cleaned in the prior art, a tubular cleaning tube is arranged on the top face of the cover plate, at the outer periphery of the outlet, so that the cleaning vapor can accumulate, allowing very little pushing out the air in the working chamber. In the present invention, an outlet is provided in a cover plate through which cleaning vapor flows out into an ordinary pressure working chamber thereabove; condensation of this outflowing cleaning vapor at a low position in the ordinary pressure working chamber is made possible by a condensation unit; and a tubular cleaning tube is arranged at the outer periphery of the outlet on the top face of a cover plate, whereby the cleaning vapor rises up in the cleaning tube so that an object to be cleaned can be vapor cleaned by receiving it in this cleaning tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2012
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: JAPAN FIELD CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masatoshi Uchino, Masahide Uchino
  • Patent number: 8846163
    Abstract: A method for removing native oxides from a substrate surface is provided. In one embodiment, the method comprises positioning a substrate having an oxide layer into a processing chamber, exposing the substrate to a gas mixture while forming a volatile film on the substrate and maintaining the substrate at a temperature below 65° C., heating the substrate to a temperature of at least about 75° C. to sublimate the volatile film and remove the oxide layer, and depositing a first layer on the substrate after heating the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Chien-Teh Kao, Jing-Pei (Connie) Chou, Chiukin (Steven) Lai, Sal Umotoy, Joel M. Huston, Son Trinh, Mei Chang, Xiaoxiong (John) Yuan, Yu Chang, Xinliang Lu, Wei W. Wang, See-Eng Phan
  • Patent number: 8840729
    Abstract: An air conditioning drain cleaning system with an automated blow-out cycle to clean out an evaporator pan drain pipe. The system has a pneumatic valve assembly, a controller, a float level switch assembly and a plurality of air lines in a manifold for actuating the pneumatic valve assembly and blowing out the drain pipe. The controller directs the system to initiate or repeat a blow-out cycle until the drain pipe is clear. The pneumatic valve assembly bisects the drain pipe to selectively close the pipe for cleaning with a pair of high pressure air shots, one shot toward each pipe end to dislodge a clog. The float level switch assembly signals the controller if the condensate level in the drain pan drops. If the condensate level does not drop, the controller initiates a further blow-out cycle at increased pressures until the line is clear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Inventors: Michael Herren, Douglas Comeaux
  • Publication number: 20140261568
    Abstract: The present invention provides a local clean microenvironment near optical surfaces of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) optical assembly maintained in a vacuum process chamber and configured for EUV lithography, metrology, or inspection. The system includes one or more EUV optical assemblies including at least one optical element with an optical surface, a supply of cleaning gas stored remotely from the one or more optical assemblies and a gas delivery unit comprising: a plenum chamber, one or more gas delivery lines connecting the supply of gas to the plenum chamber, one or more delivery nozzles configured to direct cleaning gas from the plenum chamber to a portion of the EUV assembly, and one or more collection nozzles for removing gas from the EUV optical assembly and the vacuum process chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Gildardo Delgado, Francis Chilese, Rudy F. Garcia, Mohammed Tahmassebpur, Salam Harb
  • Publication number: 20140264148
    Abstract: An azeotrope-like mixture consisting essentially of a binary azeotrope-like mixture consisting essentially of trans-1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene (trans-HFO-1233zd) and a second component selected from the group consisting of 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (HFO-1234yf) and trans-1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (trans-HFO-1234ze), and combinations of these and various uses thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: RYAN HULSE, Rajiv R. Singh, Hang T. Pham
  • Publication number: 20140261570
    Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate liquid processing method. The substrate liquid processing method includes: forming a liquid film of a processing liquid having a diameter smaller than that of the substrate on a surface of a substrate by providing the processing liquid to a central portion of the surface of the substrate from a first nozzle while rotating the substrate around a vertical axis in a horizontal posture; supplying, from a second nozzle, a processing liquid, which is the same as the processing liquid supplied from the first nozzle, to a peripheral edge of the liquid film of the processing liquid formed on the surface by the first nozzle; and moving a position of supplying the processing liquid from the second nozzle to the surface of the substrate toward a peripheral edge of the substrate and as a result, expanding the liquid film of the processing liquid toward the peripheral edge of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Takehiko Orii, Naoki Shindo
  • Patent number: 8834640
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to a device for treating containers relating especially to cleaning plastic bottles (1) preferably in the inverted position. Each container is thereby subjected to a treatment medium (16) applied and/or introduced thereto. Electrically charged ions introduced into the treatment medium (16) serve to balance the charge of each container. According to the invention, the treatment medium (16) is tested for the presence of ions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: KHS GmbH
    Inventors: Steffen Kappel, Thomas Ludwig