Apparatus for cleaning semiconductor wafers

An apparatus for cleaning semiconductor wafers, comprising:

• a chamber having a bath, and a lid that covers said bath;
• a source of liquid alcohol, and a source of a carrier gas;
• a bubbler having a vapor generating part comprising a housing in which alcohol vapor used to dry wafers in said chamber is generated, and a spray pipe connected to the housing of said vapor generating part;
• and
• a second supply pipe connecting said source of liquid alcohol to said housing and through which liquid alcohol is supplied into the housing such that a lower portion of the housing becomes filled with the liquid alcohol,
• wherein the vapor generating part of said bubbler further comprises a third supply pipe in fluid communication with said source of carrier gas so as to receive carrier gas from said source of the carrier gas, and said third supply pipe having an end disposed in said lower portion of the housing such that said end of the third supply pipe will be submerged in the liquid alcohol that fills the lower portion of said housing, the end of said third supply pipe having an outlet in open fluid communication with said lower portion of the housing and through which outlet the carrier gas is supplied into liquid alcohol filling the lower portion of said housing so that the carrier gas will bubble through the liquid alcohol and thereby generate alcohol vapor from the liquid alcohol, and
• said spray pipe extends into said chamber, said spray pipe having an exit end located in said chamber and from which the alcohol vapor and the carrier gas issue in said chamber, and an upper wall at the top thereof, said upper wall terminating at said exit end within the chamber, and said upper wall being inclined downwardly beginning within the chamber and in a direction away from said exit end, whereby the upper wall prevents condensate of the alcohol vapor formed at the interior of said spray pipe within the chamber from issuing from the exit end of the spray pipe.

An apparatus for cleaning semiconductor wafers, comprising:

• a chamber having a bath, and a lid that covers said bath;
• a source of liquid alcohol, and a source of a carrier gas;
• a bubbler having a vapor generating part comprising a housing in which alcohol vapor used to dry wafers in said chamber is generated, and a spray pipe connected to the housing of said vapor generating part;
• and
• a second supply pipe connecting said source of liquid alcohol to said housing and through which liquid alcohol is supplied into the housing such that a lower portion of the housing becomes filled with the liquid alcohol,
• wherein the vapor generating part of said bubbler further comprises a third supply pipe in fluid communication with said source of carrier gas so as to receive carrier gas from said source of the carrier gas, and said third supply pipe having an end disposed in said lower portion of the housing such that said end of the third supply pipe will be submerged in the liquid alcohol that fills the lower portion of said housing, the end of said third supply pipe having an outlet in open fluid communication with said lower portion of the housing and through which outlet the carrier gas is supplied into liquid alcohol filling the lower portion of said housing so that the carrier gas will bubble through the liquid alcohol and thereby generate alcohol vapor from the liquid alcohol, and
• said spray pipe extends into said chamber, and said spray pipe has an upper wall at the top thereof, and a projection disposed at the exit end of the spray pipe, the projection extending downwardly and inwardly, with respect to the interior of the spray pipe, from said upper wall, whereby the projection prevents condensate of the alcohol vapor formed at the interior of said spray pipe within the chamber from issuing from the exit end of the spray pipe.

An apparatus for cleaning semiconductor wafers, comprising:

• a chamber having a bath, and a lid that covers said bath;
• a source of liquid alcohol, and a source of a carrier gas;
• and
• a vapor generator connected to said sources of liquid alcohol and carrier gas, said vapor generator including a housing in which alcohol vapor used to dry wafers in said chamber is generated, and a spray pipe having first end portion disposed outside the chamber and connected to the housing such that alcohol vapor generated in the housing flows into the spray pipe, said spray pipe having a generally horizontal second end portion that is disposed within the chamber and terminates within the chamber at an exit end of the spray pipe in the axial direction of the spray pipe, the exit end of the spray pipe being open so that the alcohol vapor and the carrier gas issue from the exit end of the spray pipe while flowing generally horizontally in the axial direction of the spray pipe, wherein the spray pipe includes a liquid retention means for preventing condensate of the alcohol vapor, formed at the interior of said spray pipe within the chamber, from issuing from the exit end of the spray pipe.