Gas purification apparatus and method
AssigneeTokyo Electron Limited
InventorTsuyoshi Moriya
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gas purification apparatus capable of removing fine particles of substantially any size without lowering the efficiency of gas supply. A loader module of a substrate processing apparatus includes a fan filter unit for producing a downward flow of atmospheric air in the internal space of a transfer chamber. The fan filter unit includes a fan for generating an atmospheric air flow, a filter of mesh structure for trapping and removing particles mixed in the atmospheric air flow, an irradiation heater disposed between the fan and the filter, and a high temperature part disposed in the atmospheric air flow and higher in temperature than the filter.
Claims8
A gas purification apparatus comprising:
- a fan adapted to generate a gas flow;
- at least one filter adapted to trap and remove fine particles mixed in the gas flow;
- at least one high temperature part disposed in the gas flow and higher in temperature than said filter, and;
- a filter potential generation unit adapted to generate, on said filter, positive electric potential and negative electric potential,
- wherein said filter potential generation unit is adapted to alternately generate the positive electric potential and the negative electric potential on said filter.
A gas purification method for a gas purification apparatus including a fan for generating a gas flow and at least one filter for trapping and removing fine particles mixed in the gas flow, the gas purification method comprising:
- a high temperature part generation step of generating at least one high temperature part in the gas flow, the at least one high temperature part being higher in temperature than the filter, and;
- a filter potential generation step of generating, on the filter, positive electric potential and negative electric potential,
- wherein said filter potential generation step, the positive electric potential and the negative electric potential are alternately generated on the filter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.