Air filtering within clean environments
First Claim
1. An air filtering system for filtering an air stream for use in a clean environment to effectively remove a process-limiting molecular contaminant therefrom comprising sequentially arranged upstream and downstream air filtering beds,said upstream air filtering bed being constructed and arranged for filtering air for use in a clean environment, being positioned to receive an air stream from the clean environment and comprising activated carbon particles in the size range of 20×
- 140 mesh impregnated with an upstream chemically active reagent of sulfuric acid in a quantity selected to reduce the concentration of a process-limiting molecular contaminant in the air stream to a level below that which is detrimental to a process associated with the clean environment as said air stream passes through the upstream air filtering bed, said upstream chemically active reagent releasing a characteristic volatile component into said air stream at a concentration level that is detrimental to the associated clean environment process, andsaid downstream air filtering bed being constructed and arranged to filter air for use in a clean environment, being positioned to receive the air stream that has passed through said upstream air filtering bed and comprising activated carbon particles in the size range of 20×
140 mesh impregnated with a downstream reagent selected to reduce the concentration of the characteristic volatile component released by said upstream reagent of sulfuric acid to a level below that which is detrimental to the associated clean environment process.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An air filtering system for filtering air streams for use in a clean environment to effectively remove a process-limiting molecular contaminant therefrom comprising sequentially arranged upstream and downstream air filtering beds. The upstream air filtering bed is positioned to receive an air stream for use in the clean environment and comprises an upstream reagent selected to effectively remove the process-limiting molecular contaminant from the air stream as the air stream passes through the upstream air filtering bed, the upstream reagent releasing a characteristic volatile component into the air streams. The downstream air filtering bed is positioned to receive the air stream that has passed through the upstream air filtering bed and comprises a downstream reagent selected to remove the characteristic volatile component released by the upstream reagent into the air stream. Clean environments (e.g., a deep UV processing station) incorporating the above-mentioned air filtering system are also disclosed.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. An air filtering system for filtering an air stream for use in a clean environment to effectively remove a process-limiting molecular contaminant therefrom comprising sequentially arranged upstream and downstream air filtering beds,
said upstream air filtering bed being constructed and arranged for filtering air for use in a clean environment, being positioned to receive an air stream from the clean environment and comprising activated carbon particles in the size range of 20× - 140 mesh impregnated with an upstream chemically active reagent of sulfuric acid in a quantity selected to reduce the concentration of a process-limiting molecular contaminant in the air stream to a level below that which is detrimental to a process associated with the clean environment as said air stream passes through the upstream air filtering bed, said upstream chemically active reagent releasing a characteristic volatile component into said air stream at a concentration level that is detrimental to the associated clean environment process, and
said downstream air filtering bed being constructed and arranged to filter air for use in a clean environment, being positioned to receive the air stream that has passed through said upstream air filtering bed and comprising activated carbon particles in the size range of 20×
140 mesh impregnated with a downstream reagent selected to reduce the concentration of the characteristic volatile component released by said upstream reagent of sulfuric acid to a level below that which is detrimental to the associated clean environment process. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
- 140 mesh impregnated with an upstream chemically active reagent of sulfuric acid in a quantity selected to reduce the concentration of a process-limiting molecular contaminant in the air stream to a level below that which is detrimental to a process associated with the clean environment as said air stream passes through the upstream air filtering bed, said upstream chemically active reagent releasing a characteristic volatile component into said air stream at a concentration level that is detrimental to the associated clean environment process, and
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14. An air filtering system for filtering an air stream for use in a clean environment to effectively remove a process-limiting molecular contaminant therefrom comprising sequentially arranged upstream and downstream air filtering beds,
said upstream air filtering bed being constructed and arranged for filtering air for use in a clean environment, being positioned to receive an air stream from the clean environment and comprising whetlerite to reduce the concentration of a process-limiting molecular contaminant in the air stream to a level below that which is detrimental to a process associated with the clean environment as said air stream passes through the upstream air filtering bed, said whetlerite releasing a characteristic volatile component into said air stream at a concentration level that is detrimental to the associated clean environment process, and said downstream air filtering bed being constructed and arranged to filter air for use in a clean environment, being positioned to receive the air stream that has passed through said upstream air filtering bed and comprising activated carbon particles in the size range of 20× - 140 mesh impregnated with downstream reagent selected to reduce the concentration of the characteristic volatile component released by said whetlerite to a level below that which is detrimental to the associated clean environment process.
- View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. An air handling system for providing a filtered air stream, substantially free of a process-limiting molecular contaminant, for use in a clean environment comprising:
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a semiconductor device processing station that releases a process-limiting molecular contaminant into air within a clean environment; a recirculating air system for recirculating and filtering an airstream from adjacent said processing station, said recirculating air system comprising an air filtering system comprising sequentially arranged upstream and downstream air filtering beds, said upstream air filtering bed being constructed and arranged to filter air for use in a clean environment, being positioned to receive the air stream recirculated by said recirculating air system and comprising activated carbon particles in the size range of 20×
140 mesh impregnated with an upstream reagent of sulfuric acid in a quantity selected to reduce the concentration of the process-limiting molecular contaminant released by said semiconductor device processing station from the air stream as the air stream passes through said upstream air filter, said upstream reagent releasing a characteristic volatile component into the air stream at a concentration level that is detrimental to the clean environment, and said downstream air filtering bed being constructed and arranged to filter air for use in a clean environment, being positioned to receive the air stream that has passed through said upstream air filtering bed and comprising activated carbon particles in the size range of 20×
140 mesh impregnated with a downstream reagent selected to reduce the concentration of the characteristic volatile component released by said upstream reagent of sulfuric acid to level below that which is detrimental to the associated clean environment process. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A deep UV photolithography station comprising
a deep UV lithographic process tool; -
a recirculating air system for recirculating and filtering an airstream from adjacent said lithographic processing station, said recirculating air system comprising an air filtering system comprising an upstream air filtering bed positioned to receive the air stream recirculated by said recirculating air system and comprising activated carbon particles in the size range of 20×
140 mesh impregnated with sulfuric acid for effectively removing airborne proton acceptors from the air stream as the air stream passes through said upstream air filtering bed, and a downstream air filtering bed positioned to receive the air stream that has passed through said upstream air filtering bed and comprising activated carbon particles in the size range of 20×
140 mesh impregnated with a base selected to remove volatile sulfuric acid or sulfuric acid components released into said air stream. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. An air filtering system comprising at least two chemically active air filtering beds in sequence along an air stream associated with a clean environment, said system comprising
a first chemically active air filtering bed, constructed and arranged to filter air for use inside a clean environment, comprising activated carbon particles in the size range of 20× - 140 mesh impregnated with a reagent of sulfuric acid in a quantity selected to reduce the concentration of a first contaminant in an air stream associated with a clean environment to a level that is below that which is detrimental to a process associated with the clean environment, said reagent of sulfuric acid having the characteristic of releasing a contaminant into the air stream that is different from said first contaminant,
a downstream chemically active air filtering system, constructed and arranged to filter air for use in a clean environment, comprising activated carbon particles in the size range of 20×
140 mesh impregnated with a reagent having the characteristic of reducing the concentration of the contaminant released by said sulfuric acid reagent to a level that is below that which is detrimental to the associated clean environment, whereinthe chemically active air filtering beds in said system are selected and cooperatively arranged so that said air filtering system has removed from the air stream said first contaminant and any volatile contaminants detrimental to said clean environment released by said system. - View Dependent Claims (26)
- 140 mesh impregnated with a reagent of sulfuric acid in a quantity selected to reduce the concentration of a first contaminant in an air stream associated with a clean environment to a level that is below that which is detrimental to a process associated with the clean environment, said reagent of sulfuric acid having the characteristic of releasing a contaminant into the air stream that is different from said first contaminant,
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27. A method for filtering an air stream for use in a clean environment to reduce the concentration of a process-limiting molecular contaminant therein to a level below that which is detrimental to a process associated with the clean environment, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing an upstream air filtering bed within an air handling system of a clean environment to receive an air stream from the clean environment, said upstream air filtering bed comprising an upstream chemically active reagent in a quantity selected to reduce the concentration of a process-limiting molecular contaminant in the air stream to a level below that which is detrimental to a process associated with the clean environment as said air stream passes through the upstream air filtering bed, said upstream chemically active reagent releasing a characteristic volatile component into said air stream at a concentration level that is detrimental to the associated clean environment process, and providing a downstream air filtering bed within the air handling system of the clean environment to receive the air stream that has passed through said upstream air filtering bed, said downstream air filtering bed comprising a downstream reagent selected to reduce the concentration of the characteristic volatile component released by said upstream reagent to a level below that which is detrimental to the associated clean environment process. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification