Micell Technologies, Inc.

Other

Michael E Cole

James B McClain

David E Brainard

Steve Worm

Steven Lee Worm

James P DeYoung

Steve L Worm

Brian Rapp

A method for conserving carbon dioxide vapor in a carbon dioxide dry cleaning system employing a liquid carbon dioxide cleaning solution to clean articles, where the method includes removing carbon dioxide vapor from a wash tank to a vapor tank, storing the carbon dioxide vapor in the vapor tank; and charging the wash tank with carbon dioxide vapor from the vapor tank. The method may be performed as part of a wash cycle that includes filling the wash tank with cleaning solution, washing articles to be cleaned in the wash tank, and emptying the cleaning solution out of the wash tank. An apparatus may also be employed for conserving carbon dioxide vapor in a carbon dioxide dry cleaning system employing a liquid carbon dioxide cleaning solution to clean articles, where the apparatus includes a wash tank for contacting the articles to be cleaned with the liquid carbon dioxide cleaning solution, a working tank for storing liquid carbon dioxide cleaning solution, a vapor tank for storing carbon dioxide vapor, a first piping system providing fluid communication between the wash tank and the vapor tank, where the first piping system includes a first line and a first valve residing in the first line, and a second piping system providing fluid communication between the working tank and the wash tank. Methods and apparatus for collecting liquid carbon dioxide in a collecting tank are also provided.

Apparatus and methods for conserving vapor in a carbon dioxide dry cleaning system

Apparatus for conserving vapor in a carbon dioxide dry cleaning system

An apparatus for cleaning a microelectronic substrate includes a pressure chamber, a supply of a process liquid including dense phase CO fluidly connected to the chamber and a distilling system. Distilling system includes a still fluidly connected to the chamber and operative to separate CO from the process fluid. The distilling system is operative to re-introduce the separated CO into the chamber or a further chamber.

Methods and apparatus for cleaning and/or treating a substrate using CO2

A process chamber assembly for use with a substrate and a flow of process fluid includes a vessel and a spray member. The vessel defines a chamber. The spray member includes at least one spray port formed therein adapted to distribute the flow of process fluid onto the substrate in the chamber. The spray member is operative to rotate about a rotational axis relative to the vessel responsive to a flow of the process fluid out of the spray member through the at least one spray port.

Spray member and method for using the same

A method of cleaning and removing water, entrained solutes and particulate matter during a manufacturing process from a microelectronic device such as a resist-coated semiconductor substrate, a MEM's device, or an optoelectronic device comprising the steps of: (a) providing a partially fabricated integrated circuit, MEM's device, or optoelectronic device having water and entrained solutes on the substrate; (b) providing a densified (e.g., liquid or supercritical) carbon dioxide cleaning composition, the cleaning composition comprising carbon dioxide and, optionally but preferably, a cleaning adjunct; (c) immersing the surface portion in the densified carbon dioxide drying composition, and subjecting the densified carbon dioxide drying composition to cyclical phase modulation during at least a portion of the immersing step to thereby facilitating cleaning; and then (d) removing the cleaning composition from the surface portion. Process parameters are preferably controlled so that the drying composition is maintained as a homogeneous composition during the immersing step, the removing step, or both the immersing and removing step, without substantial deposition of the drying/cleaning adjunct or entrained solutes on the substrate.

Methods for cleaning microelectronic structures with cyclical phase modulation

The present invention provides a method for the pumpless transfer of liquid carbon dioxide cleaning medium in a carbon dioxide dry cleaning apparatus having a wash vessel, a working vessel, a vapor vessel, and a compressor. The apparatus is preferably overpressurized with an overpressurization gas such as air. The method comprises (a) storing liquid carbon dioxide dry cleaning medium in the working vessel; (b) storing a vapor comprising air and carbon dioxide as a gas under pressure in the vapor vessel; (c) transferring a portion of the vapor from the vapor vessel to the wash vessel, by at least partially equilibrating the pressure between the vapor vessel and the wash vessel, with the wash vessel remaining at a pressure less then that of the working vessel; then (d) transferring at least a portion of the liquid carbon dioxide cleaning medium from the working vessel to the wash vessel by the force of a pressure differential therebetween; (e) washing articles to be cleaned in the wash vessel while concurrently (f) circulating at least a portion of the liquid dry cleaning medium back and forth between the wash vessel to the working vessel.

Pumpless carbon dioxide dry cleaning system

Methods and apparatus for conserving vapor and collecting liquid carbon dioxide for carbon dioxide dry cleaning

A carbon dioxide dry cleaning apparatus and system for the control thereof is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a wash vessel, a working vessel containing a carbon dioxide cleaning medium and operatively associated with the wash vessel, a pump operatively associated with the wash vessel, a condenser connected to the working vessel, a still operatively associated with the working vessel (which still may be a separate still or incorporated into other system components as explained below), a compressor operatively associated with the wash vessel, and a pressure release valve operatively associated with said working vessel. At least one filter is included in the system, but the filter and still may be consolidated together in a single vessel. The apparatus includes a suitable controller which, operating in association with appropriate valves in the apparatus, provides a system that is used to place the apparatus in a cleaning cycle for washing articles therein, a waking cycle separate from the cleaning cycle during which distillation, recharging and other maintenance and preparatory function can be performed, or a resting cycle or resting state for long term periods of idleness.

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Raleigh, NC, United States of America

Michael E Cole