US 12,560,951 B2Granted

Smart manufacturing solutions for wastewater treatment

AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.

InventorsMaxime Cayer, John L Koenig, Tony H. Tong, Shaun W. Crawford, James L'Heureux, Andreas Neuber, Ching-Hong Hsieh

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Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to methods and system used to collect waste fluids. A system controller is disclosed to control the operation of at least a portion of the system. The controller has a CPU. The fabrication facility includes a first processing system having fluid dispensed therein for processing a material on a part. A first drain is configured to collect the processing fluid as waste fluid after processing the part. The fabrication facility also includes a waste collection system fluidly coupled to the system drain. The waste collection system has two or more valves configured to couple the system drain and two or more facility drains. Each facility drain is uniquely coupled to one of the two or more valves. The CPU is configured to operate the valves between an open and a closed state in response to the fluid entering the system drain.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A system controller, the controller configured to control an operation of at least a portion of a fabrication facility, the system controller comprising:

a CPU configured to control the operation of at least a portion of the fabrication facility, the CPU in communication with:
a first processing system comprising:
a basin sized to capture a processing fluid dispensed within the processing system for processing a material on a part;
and
a first system drain disposed in the basin, wherein the first system drain is configured to collect the processing fluid as waste fluid after processing the part;
and
the CPU configured to control a waste collection system fluidly coupled to the first system drain, wherein the waste collection system comprises:
a first facility drain configured to accept waste fluids from the first system drain characterized by the controller as acidic containing metals;
a second facility drain configured to accept fluids from the drain characterized by the controller as caustic containing metals;
a third facility drain configured to accept fluids from the drain characterized by the controller as an acid not containing metals;
a fourth facility drain configured to accept fluids from the drain characterized by the controller as caustic not containing metals;
a valve box having two or more valves, the valve box configured to be coupled to the first system drain and the first through fourth facility drains, wherein each facility drain is uniquely coupled to one of the two or more valves;
and
wherein the CPU is configured operate the two or more valves between an open and a closed state in response to a characterization of the waste fluid entering the first system drain and the first facility drain is a default drain when communication is lost.

11 more elements

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising a program product which, when executed, is configured to cause a method for collecting waste fluid from a fabrication facility to be performed, the method comprising:

determining a characterization of the waste fluid removed from a substrate processing system, the waste fluid collected via a waste collected system coupled to a plurality of facility drains, wherein the plurality of facility drains further comprises:
a first facility drain of the plurality of facility drains configured to accept waste fluids characterized as acidic containing metals;
a second facility drain of the plurality of facility drains configured to accept waste fluids characterized as caustic containing metals;
a third facility drain of the plurality of facility drains configured to waste fluids characterized as an acid not containing metals;
and
a fourth facility drain of the plurality of facility drains configured to accept waste fluids characterized as an caustic not containing metals;
and
in response to determining the characterization of the fluid waste, having the controller direct the waste fluid to one of the first through fourth facility drains suitable for handling the waste fluid, wherein the first facility drain is a default drain when communication is lost with the substrate processing system.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/901,670Filed 1 Sep 2022
Published: US 2024/0077890 A17 Mar 2024
Granted: 24 Feb 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

G05D 7/0652
Using a plurality of throttling means: the plurality of throttling means being arranged in parallel
B24B 37/005
Lapping machines or devices; Accessories: control means for lapping machines or devices
B24B 37/34
Lapping machines or devices; Accessories: accessories
G05B 19/4155
Numerical control [NC], i.e. automatically operating machines, in particular machine tools, e.g. in a manufacturing environment, so as to…