System and method for supplying and dispensing bubble-free photolithography chemical solutions
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsWen-Zhan Zhou, Heng-Jen Lee, Hsu-Yuan Liu, Yu-Chen Huang, Cheng-Han Wu, Shih-Che Wang, Ho-Yung David Hwang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of supplying a chemical solution to a photolithography system. The chemical solution is pumped from a variable-volume buffer tank. The pumped chemical solution is dispensed in a spin-coater. The variable-volume buffer tank is refilled by emptying a storage container filled with the chemical solution into the variable-volume buffer tank.
Claims20
A method of supplying a dispensing system with a chemical solution, the method comprising:
- providing a buffer tank, wherein the buffer tank has an inlet port, an outlet port, a piston and a cylinder, wherein the piston and the cylinder define a container space and the container space increases and decreases according to movements of the piston within the cylinder;
- supplying the buffer tank with the chemical solution via an inflow of the chemical solution from a storage container through the inlet port;
- supplying the dispensing system with the chemical solution via an outflow of the chemical solution from the buffer tank through the outlet port;
- and
- moving the piston, or allowing the piston to move, in response to differences between the inflow and the outflow so as to prevent headspace from forming within the container space.
A method of supplying a dispensing system with a chemical solution, the method comprising:
- providing a buffer tank, wherein the buffer tank has an inlet port, an outlet port, a piston, and a chamber, wherein the piston and the chamber define a container space and the container space increases and decreases according to movements of the piston within the chamber;
- supplying the buffer tank with the chemical solution from the inlet port while moving the piston to expand the container space;
- and
- supplying the dispensing system from the buffer tank while moving the piston to prevent headspace from forming within the container space.
A method of supplying a dispensing system with a chemical solution, the method comprising:
- providing a buffer tank, wherein the buffer tank has an inlet port, an outlet port, a piston and a chamber, wherein the piston and the chamber define a container space and the container space increases and decreases according to movements of the piston within the chamber;
- connecting a storage container having the chemical solution to the inlet port, wherein the buffer tank has a larger capacity than the storage container;
- transferring the chemical solution from the storage container into the buffer tank, wherein the piston moves to expand the container space as the chemical solution enters the buffer tank;
- after transferring the chemical solution from the storage container into the buffer tank, preventing backflow out of the inlet port using a valve;
- and
- after transferring the chemical solution from the storage container into the buffer tank, supplying the dispensing system with the chemical solution via an outflow of the chemical solution from the buffer tank through the outlet port, wherein the piston moves to contract the container space and prevent headspace from forming in the buffer tank as the chemical solution flows out of the buffer tank.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.