Cabinet for chemical delivery with solvent purging and removal

A process of storing and delivering a low vapor pressure process chemical to a process tool for semiconductor fabrication, comprising:

• a) providing a quantity of said low vapor pressure process chemical in a bulk container;
• b) periodically delivering said low vapor pressure process chemical to a process container from said bulk container through a first manifold having one or more diaphragm valves having the valve seat side of the valve directed to the portion of the manifold which can be disconnected from the bulk container;
• c) periodically delivering said low vapor pressure process chemical to a process tool from said process container through a second manifold having one or more diaphragm valves having the valve seat side of the valve directed to the portion of the manifold which can be disconnected from the process container;
• d) providing a quantity of solvent for said low vapor pressure process chemical in a solvent container;
• e) periodically delivering said solvent to said first or second manifold when said low vapor pressure process chemical is not being delivered to said first or second manifold to remove said low vapor pressure process chemical from said manifold and storing it in a solvent recovery container;
• f) separating said solvent from said process chemical in said solvent recovery container by evaporating said solvent from said process chemical, such evaporation effected by a step selected from the group consisting of:
• an entraining gas passed through the solvent, the application of heat to said solvent, the application of vacuum to said solvent and combinations thereof.

A process of storing and delivering a low vapor pressure process chemical to a process tool for semiconductor fabrication, comprising:

• a) providing a quantity of said low vapor pressure process chemical in a bulk container;
• b) periodically delivering said low vapor pressure process chemical to a process container from said bulk container through a first manifold having one or more diaphragm valves having a valve seat side of said valve directed to the portion of said first manifold which can be disconnected from the bulk container;
• c) periodically delivering said low vapor pressure process chemical to a process tool from said process container through a second manifold having one or more diaphragm valves having the valve seat side of the valve directed to the portion of the manifold which can be disconnected from the process container;
• d) removing residual process chemical from said first manifold to a solvent recovery container by at least one application of a pressurizing gas to said first manifold;
• e) providing a sequence of vacuum and pressurizing gas to said first manifold;
• f) providing a quantity of solvent for said low vapor pressure process chemical in a solvent container;
• g) periodically delivering said solvent to said first manifold when said low vapor pressure process chemical is not being delivered to said first manifold to remove said low vapor pressure process chemical from said manifold and storing it in said solvent recovery container;
• h) separating said solvent from said process chemical by evaporating said solvent from said process chemical, such evaporation effected by a step selected from the group consisting of:
• an entraining gas passed through the solvent, the application of heat to said solvent, the application of vacuum to said solvent and combinations thereof;
• i) disconnecting said bulk container from said first manifold and replacing it with another bulk container containing said low vapor pressure process chemical.

An apparatus for storing and delivering a low vapor pressure process chemical to a process tool for semiconductor fabrication, comprising:

• a) a bulk container for storing said low vapor pressure process chemical;
• b) a process container for delivering said low vapor pressure process chemical to said process tool;
• c) a first manifold for resupplying said low vapor pressure process chemical from said bulk container to said process container through one or more diaphragm valves having the valve seat side of the valve directed to the portion of the manifold which can be disconnected from the bulk container;
• d) a solvent container containing a quantity of solvent for the low vapor pressure process chemical and connected in fluid flow with said first manifold;
• e) a second manifold for delivering said low vapor pressure process chemical from said process container to said process tool through one or more diaphragm valves having the valve seat side of the valve directed to the portion of the manifold which can be disconnected from the first manifold;
• f) a source of vacuum;
• g) a source of pressurized inert gas;
• h) a solvent recovery container connected to said first and second manifolds to recover solvent flowing through said manifolds from said solvent container wherein said solvent recovery container includes a solvent evaporator selected from the group consisting of a source of vacuum, a source of pressurized gas, a heater or combinations thereof;
• i) a controller for controlling the flow of process chemical from said bulk container and from said process container and the flow of solvent from said solvent container and for cycling the first and second manifolds through a cleaning cycle of a series of applications of vacuum, pressurizing gas and solvent to clean said manifolds.