Vapor device and method for drying articles such as semiconductor wafers with substances such as isopropyl alcohol
AssigneeSemifab Incorporated
InventorsGlenn A. Roberson, Jr., Robert B. Eglinton
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device for drying articles such as semiconductor wafers comprising a vacuum process chamber for holding articles to be dried; a vapor generator substantially isolated from the process chamber for supplying a substance such as isopropyl alcohol in vapor form to the process chamber; a heater for heating the walls of the process chamber to discourage the substance vapor from condensing on the inside walls of the process chamber. The device can also be used for rinsing and cleansing articles prior to drying.
Claims15
A device for drying articles, comprising:
- a vacuum process chamber for holding articles to be dried and including means for maintaining a sub-atmospheric pressure environment;
- vapor generating means substantially isolated from said process chamber for supplying a substance in vapor form to said process chamber while said sub-atmospheric pressure environment is maintain in said process chamber;
- and
- means disposed proximate said process chamber for discouraging said substance vapor from condensing on the inside walls of said process chamber.
A method for drying articles in a vacuum process chamber, the method comprising the steps of:
- maintaining a sub-atmospheric pressure environment in the vacuum process chamber;
- supplying a substance in vapor form to said process chamber while said sub-atmospheric pressure environment is maintain in said process chamber;
- and
- discouraging substance vapor from condensing on the inside walls of said process chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.