Cleaning apparatus for maintaining semiconductor equipment

Details Cleaning apparatus for maintaining semiconductor equipment Cleaning apparatus for maintaining semiconductor equipment

1999-03-09

2001-06-05

Ferensic, Denise L. (Department: 3749)

Ventilation

Workstation ventilator

C454S056000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06241597

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus used in maintaining a semiconductor factory, and, more particularly, to a cleaning apparatus for the semiconductor fabrication equipment
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the semiconductor factory, normally toxic gas is frequently used for the semiconductor fabrication process. Generally these toxic gases include F
2
, O
3
, Br
2
, HCl, HCN, and HF gas, etc. According to practical experience, the retained toxic gas will still adhere to the manufacturing machine and related equipment even though the whole fabrication process is totally completed. This makes the manufacturing machine and related equipment compulsorily polluted, it is necessary to fully clean and maintain these related machines and equipment.
However, these cleaning jobs have always depended on working or operating by human operators, Also the retained toxic gas will evaporate again and could damage human health.
For example, chemical hydrogen chloride (HCl) could be produced by the above step when the retained gas such as chloride (Cl
2
) gas reacts with water (H
2
O) if cleaners directly wash the chamber of mechanical equipment by water only. The unfortunate operators will have to risk this dangerous, heavy and unhappy duty in the semiconductor factory. Otherwise the next coming process cannot be continuously run.
Therefore according to the above statement, it is apparently necessary to have special protection apparatus in order to exactly defend against injury from toxic gas, in the past, generally the cleaning work for mechanical equipment was operated by water only. Naturally toxic gas, such as hydrogen chloride (HCl) was produced according to the chemical reaction of hydrogen and chloride gas. The problem of how to avoid this sort of chemical reaction from happening or how to avoid damage to human health is concentrated by the practical engineer.
Many years ago, there was no better protection-related way in the industry. As shown in FIG.
1
A. mechanical equipment was washed by a human gloved hand only, Meanwhile, the toxic gases are discharged out by a filter of chemical exhaust
51
. However, the gas also will directly damage human's health before it is removed by the chemical exhaust. This is due to the fact that there is no more protection when the retained toxic gas move away from the surface of equipment to the filter of chemical exhaustion
51
.
Hence, no doubt, a new apparatus or method should be certainly expected for many of the operators working at the semiconductor factory and their related manufacturing facility. All of them indeed want protection for themselves. A much more standard safety quality for maintaining semiconductor is required.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, a method is provided for forming a cleaning apparatus that substantially cleans the semiconductor-related equipment, in one embodiment, as illustrated in
FIG. 1B
, an apparatus is installed in a practical semiconductor factory.
According to the apparatus for maintaining semiconductor equipment, the apparatus mainly comprises a cylinder-like container, a cylinder-like vessel, a disk-like cover and absorption-related apparatus including a vacuum cleaning, a local scrubber and a vacuum hose.
Another approach for absorbing a gas is as follows: Gas is normally introduced under pressure into a high-vacuum cleaner, such as pump, then gas will go to a local scrubber by vacuum hose for sequential removal, into a natural atmosphere. Gas will firstly be directed through the sidewall of a vessel. Secondly, at the end of the vessel, gas is discharged out. Then gas is absorbed at the end of the container. The next following step, the gas from the container is blown out the other end of the container as well as being sucked into the vacuum cleaner, Finally gas is removed to the natural atmosphere through a vacuum hose then by the local scrubber.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5188136 (1993-02-01), Kumagai
patent: 5190064 (1993-03-01), Aigo
patent: 5423129 (1995-06-01), Castle et al.

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