Apparatus for treating substrate and method for discharging supercritical fluid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9691638-B2
Application number	US-201213537960-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2012
Priority date	Jun 30, 2011
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

Provided are an apparatus for treating a substrate and a method for discharge a supercritical fluid, and more particularly, an apparatus for treating a substrate using a supercritical fluid and a method for discharging the supercritical fluid using the same. The apparatus for treating the substrate includes a container for providing a supercritical fluid, a vent line through which the supercritical fluid is discharged from the container, and a freezing prevention unit disposed in the vent line to prevent the supercritical fluid from being frozen.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for treating a substrate, the apparatus comprising:
a container configured to provide a supercritical fluid;
a vent line configured to discharge the supercritical fluid from the container; and
a freezing prevention assembly in the vent line, the freezing prevention assembly configured to at least partially restrict flow of the supercritical fluid through the vent line to mitigate a pressure drop in the vent line, the freezing prevention assembly including,
a housing configured to at least partially define an enclosed space, the housing extending along a longitudinal axis, the housing including a first end and an opposite second end;
at least one partition wall within the housing, the at least one partition wall extending in a first direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing, the at least one partition wall is configured to partition the enclosed space into a plurality of spaces, the plurality of spaces including a first space that is proximate to the first end of the housing and a second space that is proximate to the second end of the housing;
an inflow tube extending through the first end of the housing, the inflow tube configured to direct the supercritical fluid into the first space; and
a discharge tube extending through the second end of the housing, the discharge tube configured to discharge the supercritical fluid from the second space;
wherein the at least one partition wall further includes a set of vent holes extending through the at least one partition wall, the set of vent holes defining a restricted fluid pathway between the first and second spaces, such that,
the at least one partition wall is configured to direct the supercritical fluid between adjacent spaces of the plurality of spaces through the restricted fluid pathway, and
the freezing prevention assembly is configured to direct the supercritical fluid in a non-linear progression path through the enclosed space between the inflow tube and the discharge tube, such that supercritical fluid flow through the enclosed space is restricted.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the set of vent holes includes a plurality of vent holes.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein,
the set of vent holes of the at least one partition wall are offset from the inflow tube and the discharge tube in the first direction.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein,
the at least one partition wall includes a plurality of partition walls within the housing, the plurality of partition walls are spaced apart along the longitudinal axis of the housing, and the plurality of partition walls each extend in the first direction;
each partition wall includes a separate set of vent holes; and
adjacent partition walls along the longitudinal axis of the housing include separate, respective sets of vent holes that are offset from each other in the first direction.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein,
the plurality of partition walls includes a first partition wall that at least partially defines the first space and a second partition wall that at least partially defines the second space,
the first partition wall includes a first set of vent holes that are offset from the inflow tube in the first direction; and
the second partition wall includes a second set of vent holes that are offset from the discharge tube in the first direction.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the freezing prevention assembly further includes a heater configured to heat the supercritical fluid.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the heater is in the housing.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the freezing prevention assembly further includes a sound absorption member within the housing, the sound absorption member configured to absorb a noise generated from the supercritical fluid.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the sound absorption member includes a wire mesh structure configured to interrupts a flow of the supercritical fluid to prevent the supercritical fluid from suddenly dropping in pressure.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein,
the inflow tube includes one end connected to the vent line and an opposite end extending through the first end of the housing along a direction that is coaxial to the longitudinal axis of the housing, and
the inflow tube includes an inflow hole extending through a portion of the inflow tube between an interior of the inflow tube and an exterior of the inflow tube, the inflow hole extending in the first direction.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the freezing prevention assembly includes a reverse pressure regulator in the discharge tube, the reverse pressure regulator configured to constantly maintain a pressure within the enclosed space.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the freezing prevention assembly includes a heater in the vent line.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the container includes a process chamber in which a drying process is performed using the supercritical fluid.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the container includes a water supply tank configured to supply the supercritical fluid into a process chamber in which a drying process is performed using the supercritical fluid.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of freezing prevention assemblies connected to each other in series.

16. A method for discharging a supercritical fluid from a container, the method comprising:
coupling a freezing prevention assembly to a vent line connected to the container, the vent line being configured to discharge the supercritical fluid, the freezing prevention assembly configured to at least partially restrict flow of the supercritical fluid through the vent line to mitigate a pressure drop in the vent line, the freezing prevention assembly including,
a housing configured to at least partially define an enclosed space, the housing extending along a longitudinal axis, the housing including a first end and an opposite second end;
at least one partition wall within the housing, the at least one partition wall extending in a first direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing, the at least one partition wall is configured to partition the enclosed space into a plurality of spaces, the plurality of spaces including a first space that is proximate to the first end of the housing and a second space that is proximate to the second end of the housing;
an inflow tube extending through the first end of the housing, the inflow tube configured to direct the supercritical fluid into the first space; and
a discharge tube extending through the second end of the housing, the discharge tube configured to discharge the supercritical fluid from the second space;
wherein the at least one partition wall further includes a set of vent holes extending through the at least one partition wall, the set of vent holes defining a restricted fluid pathway between the first and second spaces, such that,
the at least one partition wall is configured to direct the supercritical fluid between adjacent spaces of the plurality of spaces through the restricted fluid pathway, and
the freezing prevention assembly is configured to direct the supercritical fluid in a non-linear progression path through the enclosed space between the inflow tube and the discharge tube, such that supercritical fluid flow through the enclosed space is restricted.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
heating the supercritical fluid during the discharge of the supercritical fluid.

Assignees

• Choi Yong Hyun
• Kim Kibong
• Kim Woo Young
• Park Jeong Seon
• Semes Co Ltd

Inventors

• Choi Yong Hyun
• Kim Kibong
• Kim Woo Young
• Park Jeong Seon

Classifications

• H10P72/0402 Primary

  Apparatus for fluid treatment (H10P72/0441, H10P72/0448 take precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T137/1189

  Freeze condition responsive safety systems · CPC title

• H01L21/67017 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic