The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 01, 2014
Filed:
May. 01, 2013
Anastasios J. Tousimis, North Bethesda, MD (US);
Anastasios J. Tousimis, North Bethesda, MD (US);
Other;
Abstract
Processing and drying of a sample, such as a semiconductor or MEMS device, is performed in a single pressure chamber. The sample is sealed in the interior volume of the chamber, which has surfaces formed of a nickel-copper alloy. Hydroflouric acid (HF) is flowed into the sealed chamber to fill the interior volume and to contact the sample with HF. The HF is allowed to etch portions of the same for a desired time before removing the HF from the sealed chamber. After removal of the HF, the interior volume is cooled to a temperature less than 10° C. The sealed pressure chamber is filled with liquid carbon dioxide. The interior volume is then heated to a temperature greater than 31° C. and a pressure greater than 1072 psi (i.e., the critical point), after which gaseous carbon dioxide is exhausted from the sealed chamber to allow subsequent removal of the sample.