Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for dehydrating a semiconductor structure, including providing a semiconductive substrate, forming a trench on the semiconductive substrate, dispensing an agent in liquid form into the trench, solidifying the agent, and dehydrating a surface in the trench by transforming the agent from solid form to vapor form.

Abstract: A method of monitoring and controlling a freeze drying process in a freeze drying apparatus having walls, shelves and a number of vials or trays positioned on different areas of the shelves and containing product to be freeze dried. One or more vials or trays are selected that are representative of the positions of all of the vials or trays in different areas of the shelves. One or more heat flux sensors are positioned between the selected vials or trays and adjacent portions of the walls and/or shelves. The heat transfer between the selected vials or trays and the adjacent wall or shelf portions is measured during the freezing and drying stages of the freeze drying process.

Abstract: A system for dehumidifying and drying a powdered or granular material having a drying hopper, a dehumidifying unit, and a circulation route having a processing gas supply route and a processing gas dehumidifying route that interconnect the drying hopper and the dehumidifying unit to allow processing gas to circulate is proposed. The system repeatedly supplies and circulates the processing gas in the circulation route. The processing gas supply route and the processing gas dehumidifying route are interconnected by a bypass route having a regulation valve. A temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of processing gas exhausted from the drying hopper is installed in the processing gas dehumidifying route. The system further has a control means for controlling opening or closing of the regulation valve, provided in the bypass route, based on a temperature detection signal detected by the temperature sensor.

Abstract: [Object] To provide a freeze-drying apparatus and a freeze-drying method, which are capable of increasing a drying efficiency of frozen particles. [Solving Means] The freeze-drying apparatus 100 includes a freezing chamber 10 into which a raw material fluid F is injected. During the injection of the raw material fluid F, after the injection of the raw material fluid F, or for a time period covering the start to the termination of the injection of the raw material fluid F, a shelf 16 is vibrated in a horizontal direction due to an actuation of vibration generators 31. With this, the frozen particles deposited on the shelf 16 are evenly diffused on the shelf 16 in such a manner that a deposition thickness thereof becomes smaller or a single layer thereof is formed. With this, a freezing efficiency and the drying efficiency of individual particles are promoted.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing heat-sensitive pharmaceutical powder is disclosed. The original pharmaceutical substances are dissolved in a solution or suspended in a suspension, which is sprayed through an atomizing nozzle and frozen in a cold gas phase or liquid nitrogen atomized directly in the spray-freeze chamber or gas jacket at the same time (for cooling purposes). The particles are freeze-dried at roughly atmospheric pressure in a down-stream fluid flow with exit filter thereby to remove moisture entrapped on or inside the frozen particles. The system has applicability for forming other powders.