US 6,712,926 B2 · Recycling apparatus

Abstract

The present invention describes a chemical solution recycling apparatus in a spin etching and cleaning process chamber for manufacturing semiconductor devices. Modification of the exterior dimension and the main structure of the process chamber is not necessary. The recycling apparatus in accordance with the present invention may separate different chemical solutions into different vessels and recycle them thereafter. The recycling apparatus comprises a recycling ring moving up and down to collect the solution and a recycling circular tray for sorting the chemical solutions in different trenches and drains. Therefore, the chemical solutions may be collected by assigned vessels or may be recycled into the process chamber after necessary quality inspections.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A recycling apparatus of a spin etching chamber, comprising:

a chuck clamping and rotating a wafer to fling out a chemical solution in the chuck;
a recycling ring under the chuck to collect the chemical solution when the recycling ring ascends to receive the chemical solution with an inner side of the recycling ring or when the recycling ring is lowered to receive the chemical solution with an outer side of the recycling ring;
a shifting mechanism engaging the recycling ring to control positions of the recycling ring;
a circular chemical recycling tray, with an inner trench, an outer trench, an inner drain, and an outer drain under the recycling ring to drain out the chemical solution by way of the inner trench and the inner drain when the recycling ring is ascended, or by way of the outer trench and the outer drain when the recycling ring is lowered;
and
a detection device for inspecting a quality of the chemical solution.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Recycling apparatus

Life of this patent

Recycling apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14