Methods and apparatus for displacing fluids from substrates using supercritical CO2

A processing chamber for processing substrates using supercritical CO2, comprising:

• a chamber wall surrounding a processing volume of the processing chamber, the processing volume configured for a substrate support for holding a plurality of substrates in a horizontal orientation relative to the chamber wall that is perpendicular to the horizontal orientation;
• a plenum extending only vertically between a lower end and an upper end within the chamber wall, an interior surface of the plenum facing the processing volume, the plenum having an interior channel that extends at least between the lower end and the upper end, the plenum having a supply connection at the lower end for receiving the supercritical CO2;
• a plurality of horizontal manifolds providing conduits to the interior channel of the plenum, the plurality of manifolds arranged in rows around the plenum, wherein each row is spaced at a distance apart from another row, and each row is oriented at a distinct vertical location of the plenum that substantially aligns between at least two of the substrates when present on the substrate support, the distance being at greater than a thickness of one of the substrates;
• and
• a plurality of nozzles, each nozzle being coupled to one of the plurality of horizontal manifolds;
• wherein and each nozzle has a nozzle output that is directed toward the processing volume of the processing chamber;
• wherein the surface of the plenum facing the processing volume is substantially planar and curved and includes each of nozzle outputs.

A processing chamber, comprising:

• a chamber wall surrounding a processing volume of the processing chamber, the processing volume configured for a substrate support for holding a plurality of substrates in a horizontal orientation relative to the chamber wall that is perpendicular to the horizontal orientation;
• a plenum extending only vertically between a lower end and an upper end within the chamber wall, an outer surface of the plenum defining at least part of the chamber wall that faces the processing volume, the plenum having an interior channel that extends at least between the lower end and the upper end, the plenum having a supply connection lower-end for receiving supercritical CO2 when processing by said processing chamber;
• a plurality of horizontal manifolds providing conduits to the interior channel of the plenum, the plurality of manifolds arranged in rows around the chamber wall, wherein each row is spaced at a distance apart from another row along the chamber wall, and each row is oriented at a distinct vertical location on the chamber wall that substantially aligns between at least two of the substrates when present on the substrate support;
• and
• a plurality of nozzles, each nozzle being coupled to one of the plurality of horizontal manifolds;
• wherein and each nozzle has a nozzle output that is oriented toward the processing volume of the processing chamber, each nozzle only oriented toward the processing volume having a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the chamber wall;
• wherein the outer surface of the plenum that facing the processing volume is substantially planar and curved and includes each of nozzle outputs.