Cleaning and liquid contact with solids – Apparatus – With means to hold work holder in draining position above...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-04
2001-06-12
Coe, Philip R. (Department: 1746)
Cleaning and liquid contact with solids
Apparatus
With means to hold work holder in draining position above...
C134S902000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06244282
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention concerns a device for the treatment of substrates comprising a fluid container filled with a treatment fluid, wherein at least one substrate receiving device and one lifting device for the lifting and lowering of the substrate receiving device is provided, the lifting device arranged laterally at the container and having parts positioned above the container and above the treatment fluid.
Devices of the aforementioned kind are known from DE 44 13 077 A1 and DE 195 46 990 A1 of the applicant of this present patent application and are also described in the German patent applications DE 196 16 402.8, DE 196 15 969.2, DE 196 37 875.3 and DE 195 37 879.2 of the same applicant, which have not been published as of the filing date of this application. In these devices, the lifting device is positioned laterally at the fluid container. The parts of the lifting device that support the substrate receiving devices immersed in the treatment fluid, protrude into an area above the tank and above the treatment fluid. Because the treatment fluid contains chemicals, the vapors of these chemicals are present above the surface of the treatment fluid and, in particular, also in the area of the lifting device. Especially when the lifting device is enclosed by a housing, these vapors accumulate in the area of the lifting device and inside the housing.
The components of the lifting device that are being immersed into the treatment fluid, are coated or covered by a material, for example, plastic, to prevent the contact of the components of the lifting device, commonly comprised of stainless steel or aluminum, with the treatment fluid and the chemicals contained therein that otherwise would corrode the stainless steel or aluminum materials. However, it is not possible that all components of the lifting device outside of the treatment fluid are coated with a protective layer, such as for instance, connections that require a precise assembly with small tolerances or components that are movable relative to one another. At least these parts and surfaces of the lifting device are exposed to the vapor and corroded by it. Therefore, the service life of these lifting devices is short.
From the documents JP 4-157724 A2, JP 1-2655519 A2 and JP 6-84876 A2 devices are known wherein at least one fluid container is completed enclosed in a housing into which clean air is blown in from the top and is removed at the bottom or laterally.
From the documents JP 3-258380 A2, JP 7-273079 A2 and 5-129268 A2 devices are furthermore known that are provided with an air removal or vapor removal suction device.
Based on this, the object of the invention is to improve a device for the treatment of substrates of the aforementioned kind in a way that a longer service life for the lifting device is achieved and the device is protected from chemical vapors.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is inventively solved by providing a vapor suction device that exhausts the developing vapors, especially in an area in which parts of the lifting device are located above the treatment fluid. This prevents that the aggressive vapors can attack the lifting device and its precisely manufactured and cooperating components and functional elements. To avoid repetition concerning the embodiment of the lifting device and its components and functions, reference is made to the application DE 195 46 990 A1 and DE 196 37 875.3 that are incorporated by reference into the present patent application (the latter application has not been published as of the filing date of this application).
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the lifting device is contained within housing. This housing provides the suction area for the vapor suction device and encloses the aforementioned area. The use of a housing particularly increases the risk of damaging chemical vapor not only ingressing and remaining inside the housing, but also of accumulation of the chemical vapor and increased concentration within the housing. In this way, the components of the lifting devices inside the housing are corroded even more and the service life will decrease even more. This is prevented with the features of the invention.
An especially advantageous embodiment of the invention is that the vapor suction device removes the vapors above the surface of the treatment fluid, thus directly at the location where they develop. The removal takes place in the aforementioned area of the lifting device more or less directly above the surface, thus, in particular, in the area above the surface of the treatment fluid, where the housing is positioned.
It is advantageous to provide a planar plate for vapor removal, arranged in the area of the lifting device above the treatment fluid, the plate being connected by an opening to a suction channel of the vapor suction device. To this end, it is ensured that the vapors are exhausted at the location where they develop, i.e. directly above the surface of the treatment fluid. Because the plate in this embodiment is positioned above the surface of the treatment fluid and, advantageously, with only a small distance from the treatment fluid surface, the volume to be exhausted remains small, which, in regard to the expensive reprocessing facilities and procedures necessary for such exhausted air contaminated by vapors, is especially advantageous.
According to another very advantageous embodiment of the invention, a separating element is provided above the surface of the treatment fluid that separates the area of the lifting device from the area for the treatment of the substrates. This embodiment is also beneficial in regard to the vapor suction device having to exhaust only a limited vapor volume while preventing intake of air from areas outside the lifting device area that would increase the volume to be exhausted.
The separating element is preferably embodied as a stay that projects downwardly from the plate provided in the area of the lifting device, in particular, from the side or edge of the plate that faces the inside of the fluid container, and is immersed in the treatment fluid. To this end, a restricted, small volume is defined and contained for the vapor exhaustion in the area of the lifting device with the result that the vapor suction volume remains small.
The vapor exhausted by the vapor suction device is preferably supplied to a reprocessing facility, where the damaging vapors are removed from the air and neutralized.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4493333 (1985-01-01), Layton
patent: 5369891 (1994-12-01), Kamikawa
patent: 44 13 077 C2 (1995-10-01), None
patent: 195 46 990 C2 (1996-07-01), None
patent: 0 292 090 (1988-11-01), None
patent: 07176509 (1994-04-01), None
patent: 1 265519 (1989-10-01), None
patent: 3 258380 (1991-11-01), None
patent: 4 157724 (1992-05-01), None
patent: 5 129268 (1993-05-01), None
patent: 6 84876 (1994-03-01), None
patent: 07273079 (1995-10-01), None
Coe Philip R.
Robert W. Becker & Associates
Steag MicroTech GmbH
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