Method and apparatus for selectively filtering residue from a processing chamber

• US 20060102282A1
• Filed: 11/15/2004
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Supercritical Systems, Inc. (Tokyo Electron Limited)
• Inventors: Scott, Douglas Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/990,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20060102282A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/345.180
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/00 Cleaning hollow articles by methods or apparatus specially adapted thereto B08B6/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23G 5/00 Cleaning or de-greasing metallic material by other methods; Apparatus for cleaning or de-greasing metallic material with organic solvents

Abstract

The processing system comprises a pump assembly, a bypass assembly, and a processing chamber, which together form a circulation path. The bypass assembly is configured so that in a first mode, a filter does not form part of the circulation path, and in a second mode the filter does form part of the circulation path. Thus, the processing system is placed in the first mode when a processing material circulated over the circulation path does not need to be filtered. The processing system is placed in the second mode when a processing material circulated over the circulation path must be filtered.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a processing chamber having a processing chamber inlet and a processing chamber outlet;

a recirculation subassembly having an inlet coupled to the processing chamber outlet and an outlet coupled to the processing chamber inlet, wherein the recirculation subassembly comprises a pump assembly and a bypass assembly coupled to the pump assembly, the bypass assembly comprising a first branch and a second branch; and

a controller coupled to the bypass assembly for switching the bypass assembly between a first mode and a second mode, wherein when the bypass circuit is in a first mode, a first path is establish through the recirculation subassembly that includes the pump assembly and the first branch, and when the bypass circuit is in a second mode, a second path is establish through the recirculation subassembly that includes the pump assembly and the second branch.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second branch contains a filter and the first branch contains a bypass line.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a fluid supply system coupled to the processing chamber, wherein a fluid contained in the fluid supply system is provided to the processing chamber and flows through the pump assembly, through the bypass assembly, and through the processing chamber.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the pump assembly, the bypass assembly, and the processing chamber form a circulation loop.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the bypass assembly comprises:

a first valve having an input, a first output, and a second output, the first output coupled to the filter the second output coupled to the bypass line; and

a second valve having a first input coupled to the filter, a second input coupled to the bypass line, and an output coupled to the processing chamber.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing chamber is a supercritical processing chamber.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the fluid comprises substantially pure CO₂.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

means for circulating a supercritical fluid over a substrate in a processing chamber, thereby creating a contaminated process fluid;

means for filtering the contaminated process fluid coupled to the means for circulating and the processing chamber;

means for bypassing coupled to the means for circulating and the processing chamber, wherein the means for bypassing comprises means for bypassing the means for filtering; and

means for controlling the means for bypassing, wherein when the means for bypassing is in a first mode, the means for circulating, the means for bypassing and the processing chamber define a first path containing a bypass line, and when the means for bypassing is in a second mode, the means for circulating, the means for filtering, and the processing chamber define a second path containing a filter.

9. A method of circulating a first material and a second material in a processing system, comprising:

circulating the first material through a processing chamber over a first processing path through a recirculation subassembly during a first processing cycle; and

circulating a second material through the processing chamber over a second processing path through a recirculation subassembly during a second processing cycle, the second processing path different from the first processing path.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second processing path comprises a filter and the first processing path comprises a bypass line.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein one of the first processing cycle and the second processing cycle comprises supercritical processing.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the second material is carbon dioxide.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the carbon dioxide is in a supercritical state.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the second material further comprises a surfactant.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the second material further comprises an amide or an amine.