Method and apparatus for cleaning containers

• US 6,904,920 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2002
• Issued: 06/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: OEM Group, LLC
• Original Assignee: Semitool Incorporated (Applied Materials Incorporated)
• Inventors: Norby, Jerry, Bexten, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Stinson, Frankie L.
• Application Number:
  US10/043,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20020100495A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 134/94.1, 134/95.3, 134/99.2, 134/100.1, 134/103.1, 134/140, 134/148, 134/157, 134/166.R, 134/170, 134/153
• US Class Current: 134/95.3
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/02 Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/0861 Cleaning crates, boxes or the like B08B9/083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/093 by the force of jets or sprays B08B9/0813 , B08B9/20 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6704 for wet cleaning or washing
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67051 using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles

Abstract

A machine for cleaning containers such as flat media carriers has inside and outside arrays of nozzles arranged to spray a cleaning solution onto containers supported on a spinning rotor in a chamber. The cleaning solution, a mixture of water and a detergent or surfactant, is prepared by drawing out surfactant directly from a surfactant bulk storage vessel by means of a metering pump. The flow rate of the water is measured by a flow meter and in combination with the metering pump, a proper amount of surfactant is injected into the water line to produce a mixture with a desired surfactant concentration for removing contaminants. The mixture is injected into the water line at a mixing control valve to ensure that the water and surfactant are thoroughly mixed before being injected into the media carrier. Where the wafer carrier is provided with multiple rinse manifolds for spraying the carrier, a flow meter and mixing control valve are provided in the water inlet line for each manifold and a separate metering pump is provided for injecting surfactant into each water line to ensure that a proper amount of surfactant is injected into each water line to produce a surfactant/water mixture with a desired surfactant concentration.

Claims

1. An apparatus for cleaning wafer boxes comprising:

a rotor within a chamber, with the rotor having a plurality of compartments for holding wafer boxes;

a wafer box in one or more of the compartments;

an array of nozzles arranged to spray gas or de-ionized water onto a box on the rotor;

a mixer connected by a fluid line to one or more of the nozzles;

a de-ionized water inlet line for providing de-ionized water to the mixer;

a detergent source;

a detergent injection line connecting the detergent source to the mixer; and

a metering pump in the detergent injection line for pumping detergent from the detergent source to the mixer at a controllable pumping rate.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a housing around the chamber.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a boost pump connected to the water source for providing a desired inlet water pressure to the water inlet line.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a recirculation line connected between the water inlet line and a water source for providing a recirculation path for water back to the water source.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the mixer comprises a mixing control valve for mixing the water and detergent.

6. An apparatus for cleaning media carriers, comprising:

a rotor within a chamber;

a plurality of carrier holding positions on or in the rotor;

a media carrier in one or more of the carrier holding positions;

a spray manifold having nozzles in the chamber arranged to spray gas or de-ionized water towards the rotor;

a control valve connected by a fluid line to the spray manifold;

a de-ionized water inlet line for providing de-ionized water to the control valve;

a detergent source;

a detergent injection line connecting the detergent source to the control valve;

a metering pump associated with the detergent injection line; and

means for controlling a pumping rate of the metering pump to produce a desired detergent concentration in the detergent/de-ionized water mixture provided to the spray manifold.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising a flow meter associated with the water inlet line for measuring a flow rate of water provided to the control valve.

8. An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the control valve comprises a mixing control valve for mixing the detergent and the water.

9. An apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising a recirculation line connected between the water inlet line proximate the control valve and a water source for providing a recirculation path for water back to the water source.

10. An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the metering pump comprises a positive displacement diaphragm pump, and wherein said means for controlling a pumping rate of the metering pump comprises means for adjusting pumping speed.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said means for controlling pumping rate of the metering pump further comprises means for adjusting pump stroke length.

12. An apparatus for cleaning flat media carriers, comprising:

a rotor mounted to spin within a chamber;

an array of nozzles arranged to spray a mixture of water and a cleaning solution toward the rotor;

a control valve connected by a fluid line to one or more of the nozzles;

a water inlet line for providing water to the control valve;

a cleaning solution source;

a cleaning solution supply line connecting the cleaning solution source to the control valve;

a metering pump associated with the supply line for pumping cleaning solution from the cleaning solution source to the control valve at a controllable pumping rate; and

a return line connecting the supply line and the cleaning solution source for providing a return path for cleaning solution back to the cleaning solution source.

13. An apparatus for cleaning media carriers, comprising:

a rotor mounted to spin within a chamber;

a spray manifold having nozzles arranged to spray a mixture of water and a cleaning solution towards the rotor;

a control valve connected by a fluid line to the spray manifold;

a water inlet line for providing water to the control valve;

a cleaning solution source;

a cleaning solution supply line connecting the cleaning solution source to the control valve;

a return line connected between the cleaning solution supply line and the cleaning solution source;

a metering pump associated with the cleaning solution supply line; and

means for controlling pumping rate of the metering pump to produce a desired cleaning solution concentration in the cleaning solution/water mixture provided to the spray manifold.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising a return line connected between the cleaning solution supply line and the cleaning solution source, and a return line valve in the return line.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the cleaning solution source comprises a detergent source, a surfactant source, and/or an ozonated water source.

16. An apparatus for cleaning flat media carriers, comprising:

a rotor rotatably mounted within a chamber;

a plurality of spaces on the rotor for holding a carrier;

a carrier in one or more of the spaces;

a plurality of nozzles arranged to spray a mixture of de-ionized water and a cleaning solution toward the rotor;

a mixing valve connected by a fluid line to one or more of the nozzles;

a de-ionized water line for providing de-ionized water to the mixing valve;

a cleaning solution source;

a supply line connecting the cleaning solution source to the mixing valve; and

a pump associated with the supply line for pumping cleaning solution from the cleaning solution source to the mixing valve at a controllable pumping rate.

17. An apparatus for cleaning wafer carriers, comprising:

a chamber;

a rotor rotatably supported in the chamber;

a plurality of carrier holding positions on the rotor;

a plurality of outer liquid spray nozzles arranged to spray inwardly toward the rotor;

a plurality of inner fluid spray nozzles arranged to spray outwardly toward the rotor;

a control valve connected by a fluid line to one or more of the spray nozzles;

a water inlet line for providing water to the control valve;

a cleaning solution source;

a supply line connecting the cleaning solution source to the control valve; and

a metering pump for pumping cleaning solution from the cleaning solution source to the metering valve at a controlled pumping rate.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the cleaning solution source comprises a detergent sources a surfactant source, and/or an ozonated water source.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising a plurality of inner and outer drying gas spray nozzles, arranged to spray a drying gas outwardly and inwardly, respectively, toward the rotor.