# US 2017/0284752 A1 · Apparatus and Method to Control Properties of Fluid Discharge Via Refrigerative Exhaust

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- Number: US 2017/0284752 A1
- Document ID: US20170284752A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/472,978
- Filed: 2017-03-29
- Published: 2017-10-05
- Earliest claimed: 2016-03-29
- Assignees: Veeco Precision Surface Processing LLC
- Applicants: Veeco Precision Surface Processing LLC
- Inventors: John Taddei; Laura Mauer; George Chiaverini; Jia Li
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170284752A1

## CPC

- F28C 3/06: the heat-exchange media being a liquid and a gas or vapour (temperators for cooling steam F22)
- F28C: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT WITHOUT CHEMICAL INTERACTION (safety devices in general F16P; fluid heaters having heat generating means F24H; with an intermediate heat-transfer medium coming into direct contact with heat-exchange media F28D15/00 - F28D19/00; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general application F28F)

## Abstract

An apparatus and method for controlling fluid discharge temperature on a semiconductor manufacturing tool. In this technique, the temperature is controlled via the use of refrigerative exhaust. This embodiment includes the hardware and controls to perform and monitor the described operation.

## Claims

### Claim 1

In a wet processing system having an exhaust line carrying exhaust gas and a heated fluid discharge outlet line carrying heated discharge fluid, an exhaust duct comprises:
a housing having a hollow interior, wherein the housing has a first inlet for receiving a first fluid, a second inlet for receiving a second fluid, a first outlet for discharging the first fluid after it has traveled through the housing, and a second outlet for discharging the second fluid after it has traveled through the housing, wherein the housing has a first internal region at a first end of the housing, an intermediate region, and a second internal region at a second end of the housing, the intermediate region of the housing containing internals that define a plurality of flow paths within the intermediate region and increase a surface area over which the first fluid and second fluid flow and contact one another, wherein the first inlet and second outlet are located in the first internal region and the second inlet and first outlet are located in the second internal region.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The wet processing system of claim 1, wherein the first fluid comprises the heated discharge fluid and the second fluid comprises the exhaust gas.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The wet processing system of claim 1, wherein the first inlet includes a dispense head and a fluid distribution ring that is configured to distribute the heated discharge fluid inside of the housing.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The wet processing system of claim 3, wherein the dispense head is configured and positioned such that a majority of the first fluid passes through the internals along the plurality of flow paths.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The wet processing system of claim 3, wherein the first internal region includes a moisture retarding pad disposed between the dispense head and the second outlet, the moisture retarding pad being configured to allow the second fluid to pass therethrough and flow to the second outlet.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The wet processing system of claim 5, wherein the first internal region includes a first sensor for measuring a temperature of the second fluid within the first internal region and second sensor is provided for measuring a temperature of the second fluid entering the housing through the second inlet, and wherein a third sensor associated with the first inlet is provided for measuring a temperature of the first fluid as it enters the housing through the first inlet.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The wet processing system of claim 6, further including a fourth sensor for measuring a temperature of the first fluid exiting the housing through the first outlet.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The wet processing system of claim 7, wherein each of the first sensor, second sensor, third sensor, and fourth sensor comprises a thermocouple.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The wet processing system of claim 1, wherein the internals comprise a bed of material that defines interstitial spaces between the material, the interstitial spaces in part defining the plurality of flow paths in which both the first fluid and second fluid flow, the first and second fluids being in contact with one another.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The wet processing system of claim 9, wherein the flow paths comprise tortuous flow paths over which both the first fluid and second fluid flow.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The wet processing system of claim 1, wherein both the first fluid and the second fluid flow along the plurality of flow paths in opposite directions within the housing.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The wet processing system of claim 1, wherein within the second internal region, the second inlet is closer to the internals compared to the first outlet.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The wet processing system of claim 1, further including a pressure differential device for monitoring operation of the internals.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The wet processing system of claim 13, wherein the pressure differential device monitors a pressure of the second fluid within the first internal region and a pressure within the internals, thereby allowing a pressure drop across the internals.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The wet processing system of claim 1, wherein the second fluid comprises refrigerative exhaust which cools the heated discharge fluid by contact therewithin.

### Claim 16

A method for controlling fluid discharge temperature on a semiconductor manufacturing tool comprising the steps of:
delivering a heated discharge fluid from the semiconductor manufacturing tool through a first inlet into an interior of an exhaust duct;
delivering exhaust gas from the semiconductor manufacturing tool through a second inlet into the interior of the exhaust duct;
cooling the heated discharge fluid by flowing the heated discharge fluid through internals disposed within the interior of the exhaust duct, the internals defining a plurality of flow paths in which the heated discharge fluid flows in a first direction and into contact with the exhaust gas which flows through the plurality of flow paths of the internals in a second direction such that the exhaust gas and heated discharge fluid are in contact with one another;
discharging the cooled discharge fluid through a first outlet; and
discharge the exhaust gas through a second outlet.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the first inlet and second outlet are located proximate a first end of a housing of the exhaust duct and the first outlet and the second inlet are located proximate an opposite second end of the housing.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the step of delivering the heated discharge fluid through the first inlet comprises the step of passing the heated discharge fluid through a dispense head and a fluid distribution ring that is configured to distribute the heated discharge fluid inside of a housing of the exhaust duct, the dispense head and fluid distribution ring being located upstream of the internals.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the dispense head is configured and positioned such that a majority of the heated discharge fluid passes through the internals along the plurality of flow paths.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further including the step of passing the exhaust gas through a moisture retarding pad that is disposed downstream of the internals but prior to the second outlet.

### Claim 21 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further including the steps of:
measuring a temperature of the second fluid with a first sensor downstream of the internals and prior to the second outlet;
measuring a temperature of the second fluid entering the second inlet with a second sensor;
measuring a temperature of the first fluid with a third sensor as it enters through the first inlet; and
measuring a temperature of the first fluid with a fourth sensor as it exits through the first outlet.

### Claim 22 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the internals comprise a bed of material that defines interstitial spaces that define the plurality of flow paths in which both the first fluid and second fluid flow, the first and second fluids being in contact with one another within the bed of material.

### Claim 23 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further including the step of monitoring operation of the internals using a pressure differential device.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, wherein the pressure differential device monitors: (a) a pressure of the exhaust gas downstream of the internals and prior to the second outlet and (b) a pressure within the internals.

### Claim 25 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the exhaust gas comprises refrigerative exhaust which cools the heated discharge fluid by contact therewithin.

### Claim 26 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the cooling of the heated discharge fluid is obtained through sensible and latent heat loss from the discharge fluid and sensible heat gain from the exhaust gas combined with mass transfer in the form of an amount of water vapor being introduced into a stream of the exhaust gas.

### Claim 27 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein both the discharge fluid and the exhaust gas travel along torturous flow paths as a result of the internals comprising a bed of material that is in column form and creates interstitial spaces between the material through which the discharge fluid and the exhaust gas.