S.c. Fluids, Inc.

Rick M Heathwaite

Mohan Chandra

Ijaz H Jafri

David J Mount

Michael A Costantini

Heiko D Moritz

Jim Boyd

A continuous flow, steady state fluid delivery and recovery system for a process chamber and processes requiring supercritical fluid and desired additives including co-solvents, for conducting repetitive batch processing operations in an automated environment, for such processes as supercritical carbon dioxide cleaning and processing of semiconductor wafers. The system provides for steady-state operation of fluid flow and byproducts recovery while the process chamber is brought rapidly and repeatedly on and off line as in batch operations and for various process steps.

Supercritical fluid delivery and recovery system for semiconductor wafer processing

A dry process for the cleaning of precision surfaces such as of semiconductor wafers, by using process materials such as carbon dioxide and useful additives such as cosolvents and surfactants, where the process materials are applied exclusively in gaseous and supercritical states. Soak and agitation steps are applied to the wafer, including a rapid decompression of the process chamber after a soak period at higher supercritical pressure, to mechanically weaken break up the polymers and other materials sought to be removed, combined with a supercritical fluid flush to carry away the loose debris.

Supercritical fluid cleaning process for precision surfaces

Growing community of inventors

Manchester, NH, United States of America

Rick M Heathwaite