US 2006/0130913 A1 · Non-contact shuttle valve for flow diversion in high pressure systems

Abstract

A valve for redirecting flow in a supercritical fluid or other high pressure processing system is disclosed. In high pressure supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO2) equipment for semiconductor wafer processing, a major hurtle in providing clean equipment and clean wafers. A clean flow diverting valve is provided having no grease or other contaminants, and having no rubbing seal surfaces, but rather incorporates a magnetically coupled valve actuator to move a ball or other valve seat for diverting flow between a common port and alternative switched ports in a non-rubbing, non-contact maimer. The valve is useful in semiconductor wafer high pressure processing tools for redirecting flow from a common inlet to alternative outlets or for admitting flow from alternative inlets to a common outlet.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A valve for switching the flow of high pressure processing fluid between a common:

port and alternative switched ports in a semiconductor processing system, the valve comprising:
a valve body having a cavity therein, a common port coupled to the cavity and at least two switched ports coupled to the cavity;
a valve element moveable in the cavity between alternative positions including:
a first position at which the element blocks flow of the high pressure fluid between the common port and a first one of the switched ports and permits flow of the high pressure fluid between the common port and a second one of the switched ports, and
a second position at which the element blocks flow of the high pressure fluid between the common port and the second one of the switched ports and permits flow of the high pressure fluid between the common port and the first one of the switched ports;
at least two actuators mounted on said valve body and magnetically coupled to said valve element when activated in response to a control signal, said actuators including a first actuator configured and positioned to move said element to said first position when activated and a second element configured and positioned to move said element to said second position when activated.

3 more elements

A high pressure fluid processing system for processing semiconductor wafers and comprising:

a processing chamber;
a high pressure fluid flow system coupled to said chamber and operative to flow high pressure processing fluid through said chamber and across a semiconductor wafer supported therein;
a flow diverting valve having a common port, at least two switched ports and a valve element moveable therein between alternative positions, including a first position at which flow of the high pressure fluid is directed between the common port and a first one of the switched ports and a second position at which flow of the high pressure fluid is directed between the common port and a second one of the switched ports;
the valve having at least one actuator mounted thereon and magnetically coupled to said valve element, the actuator being operable, when activated in response to a control signal, to move the valve element between the alternative positions;
and
a controller for selectively communicating control signals to said actuators.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Non-contact shuttle valve for flow diversion in high pressure systems

Life of this patent

Non-contact shuttle valve for flow diversion in high pressure systems

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18