Gas separation: apparatus – With gas and liquid contact apparatus
Patent
1997-11-26
1999-05-04
Smith, Duane S.
Gas separation: apparatus
With gas and liquid contact apparatus
553852, 55413, 55419, 454187, 438905, 438909, B01D 4700
Patent
active
059000473
ABSTRACT:
An exhaust system for a semiconductor etcher that utilizes corrosive gas. Specifically, the present invention exhausts residual corrosive gas from the exit load lock compartment of a semiconductor etcher. For instance, at the completion of the etching process of semiconductor wafers, the exit load lock compartment of an etcher contains the etched wafers along with residual corrosive gas. When the exit load lock compartment pressure returns to about 1 atmosphere, the residual corrosive gas begins to escape. Within an embodiment of the present invention, an exhaust box is adjacently located to the exit load lock compartment to exhaust the residual corrosive gas from it. The exhaust box is a specifically shaped hollow box that has an intake slot and an exhaust aperture. Two edges that partly form the intake slot are parallel to the outer side edge of the exit load lock compartment when its door is open. The intake slot length matches the outer side edge length of the exit load lock compartment. An exhaust blower provides a suction that draws the residual corrosive gas from the exit load lock compartment through the intake slot, through the interior of the exhaust box, through the exhaust aperture, through an exhaust pipe and outside of the clean room where the etcher is located. In so doing, the present invention substantially removes the residual corrosive gas from the exit load lock compartment, thereby preventing it from slowly corroding the components of the semiconductor etcher.
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Fritz, Jr. Robert E.
Gonzales Augusto J.
Meyers Freddy
Rodriguez Benjamin G.
Smith Duane S.
Sony Corporation
Sony Electronics
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