초록 ▼

A method and apparatus for preventing contamination of a substrate or a substrate surface, and particularly relates to prevention of contamination of raw materials, semi-finished products, base materials of products and substrate surface in a high-tech industry such as an in the production of semico

A method and apparatus for preventing contamination of a substrate or a substrate surface, and particularly relates to prevention of contamination of raw materials, semi-finished products, base materials of products and substrate surface in a high-tech industry such as an in the production of semiconductors and liquid crystals. A gas coming into contact with a base material or substrate is purified by dust removing apparatus and adsorption and/or absorption apparatus so that the concentration of fine particles in the gas is below class 1,000 and a non-methane hydrocarbon concentration is below 0.2 ppm. Thereafter, the base material or the substrate surface is exposed to this gas.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A method for cleaning a substrate placed in a housing, which comprises the following steps: passing a gas supplied to the housing through an absorber and/or absorber for decreasing concentrations of non-methane hydrocarbons therein; passing the treated gas through a dus

The invention claimed is: 1. A method for cleaning a substrate placed in a housing, which comprises the following steps: passing a gas supplied to the housing through an absorber and/or absorber for decreasing concentrations of non-methane hydrocarbons therein; passing the treated gas through a dust removing means to remove fine particles contained in the gas; and introducing the gas into the housing in which the substrate is placed. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the absorber and/or absorber, and the dust removing means remove fine particles in the gas to the extent of class 10 or less. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said adsorber and/or absorber decreases concentration of non-methane hydrocarbons in the gas to not more than 0.2 ppm. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the gas to be supplied is a member selected from the group consisting of air, a nitrogen gas, an argon gas and a mixture thereof. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a space in the housing is an atmospheric space, a subatmospheric space or a vacuum space. 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: passing a supplied gas through dehumidifying means prior to passing the gas through the adsorber and/or absorber to reduce the concentration of water in the gas to 50% (RH) or below. 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said dehumidifying means is a dehumidifier using cooling, adsorption, absorption, compression, membrane separation or a combination thereof. 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said dehumidifier uses silica gel or zeolite. 9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the space velocity of the gas when passing through the absorber and/or absorber is set not more than 20,000 h-1. 10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step for exposing surfaces of the substrate to the treated gas to protect the surfaces of the substrate from contamination. 11. An apparatus for cleaning a substrate which comprises: a housing; a gas supplying passage connected to the housing; an adsorber and/or absorber for non-methane hydrocarbons being disposed in the gas supplying passage; and dust removing means disposed upstream or downstream of said adsorber and/or adsorber. 12. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a substrate to be cleaned placed in the housing. 13. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising dehumidifying means disposed upstream of said absorber and/or absorber for reducing the concentration of water in a gas to be treated to 50% (RH) or below. 14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said dehumidifying means is a dehumidifier using cooling, adsorption, absorption, compression, membrane separation or a combination thereof. 15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said dehumidifier uses silica gel or zeolite. 16. The apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a pre-filter disposed upstream of said dehumidifying means. 17. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said adsorber and/or absorber decreases concentration of non-methane hydrocarbons in the gas to not more than 0.2 ppm. 18. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the space velocity of the gas when passing through the adsorber and/or absorber is set not more than 20,000 h-1. 19. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a gas to be supplied is a member selected from the group consisting of air, a nitrogen gas, an argon gas and a mixture thereof. 20. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a space in the housing is an atmospheric space, a subatmospheric space or a vacuum space. 21. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said dust removing means is a filter selected from the group consisting of a HEPA filter, an ULPA filter and an electrostatic filter. 22. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said adsorber and/or absorber is a member selected from the group consisting of activated charcoal, silica gel, synthetic zeolite, molecular sieves, high-molecular weight compounds, glass, fluorochemicals and metals. 23. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising another apparatus for cleaning the substrate which is smaller in size than that of claim 11 and disposed in the housing. 24. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising means for exposing surfaces of the substrate to the a treated clean gas to protect the surfaces of the substrate from contamination.