Methods for transferring supercritical fluids in microelectronic and other industrial processes

A method of displacing a supercritical fluid from a pressure vessel, comprising the steps of:

• providing an enclosed pressure vessel containing a supercritical fluid, said supercritical fluid comprising carbon dioxide;
• adding a second fluid to said vessel, with said second fluid being added at a pressure greater than the pressure of said supercritical fluid, and with said second fluid having a density less than that of said supercritical fluid;
• forming an interface between said supercritical fluid and said second fluid, wherein said vessel has a length dimension along which said supercritical fluid is displaced, and wherein said interface has a thickness of not more than about ten percent of said length dimension;
• and
• displacing at least a portion of said supercritical fluid from said vessel with the pressure of said second fluid while maintaining said interface therebetween.