Method for removing liquid membrane using high-speed particle beam

• US 9,476,642 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2013
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Postech Academy-Industry Foundation
• Original Assignee: Postech Academy-Industry Foundation
• Inventors: Kim, In Ho, Lee, Jin Won
• Primary Examiner(s): GRAVINI, STEPHEN MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US14/652,045
• Publication Number:
  US 20150323252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 34/78, 34/79, 343/81, 344/13, 344/97, 424/489, 424/718, 128/203.15, 134/7, 134/902
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/04 Cleaning involving contact with liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B24C 1/003 using material which dissolves or changes phase after the treatment, e.g. ice, CO2
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 19/00 Machines or apparatus for drying solid materials or objects not covered by groups F26B9/00 - F26B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 3/34 by using electrical effects
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 3/36 by using mechanical effects, e.g. by friction by using ultrasonic vibrations F26B5/02
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 5/00 Drying solid materials or objects by processes not involving the application of heat separating liquids from solids by straining B01D; replacing liquids in wet solids by other liquids, e.g. water by spirit, B01D12/00; drying by electrophoresis B01J
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 5/04 by evaporation or sublimation of moisture under reduced pressure, e.g. in a vacuum F26B11/049 and F26B17/128 take precedence

Abstract

A method for removing a liquid membrane using a high-speed particle beam includes a wet washing step of washing an object by using a washing solution, and a dry washing step of simultaneously removing the washing solution remaining on the object and pollutants or foreign substances in the washing solution by spraying sublimation particles.

Claims

1. A method of removing a liquid membrane using a high-speed particle beam, the method comprising:

a wet washing step of washing an object using a washing solution; and

a dry washing step of simultaneously removing the washing solution remaining on the object and pollutants or foreign substances contained in the washing solution by injecting sublimation particles, wherein

the dry washing step is characterized in that a particle generation gas passing through a nozzle including a first dilating portion and a second dilating portion is injected onto the object and an average dilation angle of the second dilating portion is wider than a dilation angle of the first dilating portion, and the dry washing step includes;

a nucleus generation step of generating nuclei as the particle generation gas rapidly expands while passing through an orifice provided in a nozzle throat of the nozzle;

a particle generation step of generating the sublimation particles as growth of nuclei is accomplished while the particle generation gas passes through the first dilating portion extended from an outlet of the nozzle throat, after performing the nucleus generation step; and

a particle acceleration step of offsetting growth of a boundary layer and increasing speed of injecting the sublimation particles as the particle generation gas passes through the second dilating portion extended from an outlet of the first dilating portion and having the average dilation angle wider than the dilation angle of the first dilating portion, after performing the particle generation step.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a drying step of drying the object, performed together with the dry washing step so that condensation of moisture may not occur on a surface of the object as the surface of the object is cooled down by the sublimation particles in the dry washing step.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the drying step includes a heating step of heating the object by providing a heating device under the object.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the drying step includes a nitrogen injection step of drying the surface of the object by injecting nitrogen on the object.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the dry washing step is performed inside a tightly sealed chamber, and the chamber is filled with carbon dioxide or nitrogen so that condensation of moisture may not occur on a surface of the object as the surface of the object is cooled down by the sublimation particles.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first transfer step of loading the object onto a dry washing position after performing the wet washing step; and

a second transfer step of unloading the object from the dry washing position after performing the dry washing step.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the particle generation gas is formed of carbon dioxide, and the first dilating portion has a dilation angle of 0°

and 30°

, whereas the second dilating portion has an average dilation angle increased by 10°

to 45°

compared with the dilation angle of the first dilating portion.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the dry washing step further includes, after performing the particle acceleration step, a flow control step of forming a high-speed core of the sublimation particles outside the nozzle as the particle generation gas passes through the third dilating portion extended from an outlet of the second dilating portion and having a dilation angle increased by 10°

to 45°

compared with the average dilation angle of the second dilating portion and lower than 90°

in maximum.

17. The method according to claim 3, wherein the drying step includes a nitrogen injection step of drying the surface of the object by injecting nitrogen on the object.

9. A method of removing a liquid membrane using a high-speed particle beam, the method comprising:

a dry washing step of removing the liquid membrane existing on an object and foreign substances or pollutants contained in the liquid membrane by injecting sublimation particles, wherein

the dry washing step is characterized in that a particle generation gas passing through a nozzle including a first dilating portion and a second dilating portion is injected onto the object and an average dilation angle of the second dilating portion is wider than a dilation angle of the first dilating portion, and the dry washing step includes;

a nucleus generation step of generating nuclei as the particle generation gas rapidly expands while passing through an orifice provided in a nozzle throat of the nozzle;

a particle generation step of generating the sublimation particles as growth of nuclei is accomplished while the particle generation gas passes through the first dilating portion extended from an outlet of the nozzle throat after performing the nucleus generation step; and

a particle acceleration step of offsetting growth of a boundary layer and increasing speed of injecting the sublimation particles as the particle generation gas passes through the second dilating portion extended from an outlet of the first dilating portion and having the average dilation angle wider than the dilation angle of the first dilating portion, after performing the particle generation step.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising a drying step of drying the object, performed together with the dry washing step so that condensation of moisture may not occur on a surface of the object as the surface of the object is cooled down by the sublimation particles, in the dry washing step.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the drying step includes a heating step of heating the object by providing a heating device under the object.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the drying step includes a nitrogen injection step of drying the surface of the object by injecting nitrogen on the object.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the dry washing step is performed inside a tightly sealed chamber, and the chamber is filled with carbon dioxide or nitrogen so that condensation of moisture may not occur on a surface of the object as the surface of the object is cooled down by the sublimation particles.

14. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

a first transfer step of loading the object onto a dry washing position as a prior step of the dry washing step.

15. The method according to claim 9, wherein in the dry washing step, the particle generation gas is formed of carbon dioxide, and the first dilating portion has a dilation angle of 0°

and 30°

, whereas the second dilating portion has an average dilation angle increased by 10°

to 45°

compared with the dilation angle of the first dilating portion.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the dry washing step further includes, after performing the particle acceleration step, a flow control step of forming a high-speed core of the sublimation particles outside the nozzle as the particle generation gas passes through the third dilating portion extended from an outlet of the second dilating portion and having a dilation angle increased by 10°

to 45°

compared with the average dilation angle of the second dilating portion and lower than 90°

in maximum.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein the drying step includes a nitrogen injection step of drying the surface of the object by injecting nitrogen on the object.