Vacuum assisted filtration
AssigneeTokyo Electron Limited
InventorCorey Lemley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of supplying a processing solution includes shutting off a feed line supplying the processing solution to a chemical filter, installing a dry chemical filter in a filter housing of the chemical filter, closing an output line from the filter housing to a nozzle configured to dispense the processing solution (either before or after installing the dry chemical filter), applying a vacuum to the filter housing while the feed line remains shut, and opening the feed line while locking in the vacuum within the filter housing. Shutting off the feed line and closing the output line may be accomplished by closing respective valves. Before installing the dry filter, a valve to the vacuum may be closed. The method may be performed by a processor executing a program stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium.
Claims13
A method of installing a dry chemical filter used to supply a processing solution, the method comprising:
- shutting off a feed line supplying the processing solution to a chemical filter;
- closing an output line from a filter housing to a nozzle configured to dispense the processing solution;
- while the feed line and the output line remain shut,
- installing the dry chemical filter in the filter housing of the chemical filter, and
- applying a vacuum to the filter housing;
- closing off the dry chemical filter and the filter housing from the vacuum to lock in the vacuum;
- and
- opening the feed line while locking in the vacuum within the filter housing.
A method of installing a dry chemical filter used to supply a processing solution, the method comprising:
- shutting off a feed line supplying the processing solution to a chemical filter;
- closing an output line from a filter housing to a nozzle configured to dispense the processing solution;
- while the feed line and the output line remain shut,
- installing the dry chemical filter in the filter housing of the chemical filter,
- applying a vacuum directly to the filter housing, and
- monitoring pressure inside the filter housing until reaching a steady-state pressure;
- and
- in response to reaching the steady-state pressure,
- closing off the dry chemical filter and the filter housing from the vacuum to lock in the vacuum, and
- opening the feed line while locking in the vacuum within the filter housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.