IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
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국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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출원번호 |
US-0364284
(2003-02-10)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
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출원인 / 주소 |
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대리인 / 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
6 인용 특허 :
216 |
초록
▼
A processing chamber having an improved sealing means is disclosed. The processing chamber comprises a lower element, an upper element, and a sealing means that tightly holds the lower element to the upper element to define a processing volume that is maintained using the minimum pressure necessary.
A processing chamber having an improved sealing means is disclosed. The processing chamber comprises a lower element, an upper element, and a sealing means that tightly holds the lower element to the upper element to define a processing volume that is maintained using the minimum pressure necessary. The processing chamber comprises a plate having a first face that forms the processing volume and a second, opposing face that forms a seal-energizing cavity. In one embodiment, a surface area of the first face is smaller than a surface area of the second face. When the same pressure is applied against both the first face and the second face, the force on the second face is greater than the force on the first face, resulting in a sealing force exceeding a processing force generated within the processing volume.
대표청구항
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I claim: 1. An apparatus for processing a semiconductor wafer, comprising: a. an upper element; b. a lower element, wherein the upper element and the lower element are brought together to form a processing volume; and c. a means for sealing, wherein the means for sealing couples the upper element t
I claim: 1. An apparatus for processing a semiconductor wafer, comprising: a. an upper element; b. a lower element, wherein the upper element and the lower element are brought together to form a processing volume; and c. a means for sealing, wherein the means for sealing couples the upper element to the lower element to maintain the processing volume by generating a sealing force in a seal-energizing cavity to counterbalance a processing force generated within the processing volume, wherein one of the upper element and the lower element comprises a plate having an inner face and an opposing outer face, the plate slidably mounted in the one of the upper chamber and the lower chamber, the inner face defining the seal-energizing cavity and the outer face defining the processing volume. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional area of the inner face is larger than a cross-sectional area of the outer face. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein both the inner face and the outer face are substantially planar. 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the upper element and the lower element form a supercritical processing chamber. 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the supercritical processing chamber comprises means for bringing a processing material to supercritical conditions. 6. An apparatus for processing a semiconductor wafer, comprising: a. an upper element; b. a lower element, wherein the upper element and the lower element are brought together to form a processing volume; and c. a means for sealing, wherein the means for sealing couples the upper element to the lower element to maintain the processing volume by generating a sealing force in a seal-energizing cavity to counterbalance a processing force generated within the processing volume, wherein the means for sealing comprises a balancing cylinder containing a piston, the piston dividing a volume of the balancing cylinder into a first reservoir and a second reservoir, the first reservoir in communication with the processing volume and the second reservoir in communication with the seal-energizing cavity. 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first reservoir contains CO2. 8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the second reservoir contains an incompressible fluid. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the incompressible fluid comprises oil or water. 10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the balancing cylinder comprises a vent hole which vents the second reservoir when the processing pressure exceeds the sealing pressure. 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the vent hole is positioned so that when the processing pressure exceeds the sealing pressure by a threshold pressure, the piston slides to expose the second reservoir to the vent hole. 12. An apparatus for processing a semiconductor wafer, comprising: a. an upper element; b. a lower element, wherein the upper element and the lower element are brought together to form a processing volume; c. a means for sealing, wherein the means for sealing couples the upper element to the lower element to maintain the processing volume by generating a sealing force in a seal-energizing cavity to counterbalance a processing force generated within the processing volume; and d. a pressure intensifier, which intensifies a first pressure to produce a sealing pressure larger than the first pressure, the sealing pressure used to generate the sealing force. 13. A method of processing a workpiece, comprising: a. placing the workpiece within a first element; b. coupling the first element to a second element, thus forming a processing volume containing the workpiece, the processing volume defined by a plate that also defines a sealing cavity; c. processing the workpiece within the processing volume, thus generating a processing force within the processing volume; and d. maintaining the processing volume by generating a sealing force within the sealing cavity that forces the second element against the first element, the sealing force equal or approximately equal to the processing force. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of processing comprises bringing a processing materials to a supercritical state. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the processing material is CO2. 16. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of venting the processing volume when a processing pressure used to generate the processing force exceeds a sealing pressure used to generate the sealing force. 17. A method of processing a workpiece, comprising: a. placing the workpiece within a first element; b. coupling the first element to a second element, thus forming a processing volume containing the workpiece; c. processing the workpiece within the processing volume, thus generating a processing force within the processing volume; and d. maintaining the processing volume by generating a sealing force that forces the second element against the first element, the sealing force equal or approximately equal to the processing force, wherein maintaining the processing volume comprises intensifying a first pressure to produce a sealing pressure used to generate the sealing force. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of intensifying the first pressure comprises: a. introducing a gas at the first pressure into a first volume having a first cross-sectional area; b. pressurizing the gas within the first volume to produce a first force; c. translating the first force to a second volume having a second cross-sectional area smaller than the first cross-sectional area, thereby producing the sealing force, larger than the first force. 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of introducing a low-pressure material into the second volume. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the low-pressure material comprises an incompressible fluid. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the incompressible fluid comprises oil or water.
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