3344results about "Cleaning processes and apparatus" patented technology

A substrate processing apparatus includes a processing vessel provided with a stage holding thereon a substrate to be processed and evacuated at an evacuation port, and a source gas supplying system that supplies plural source gases to the processing vessel separately in the form of a laminar flow, wherein the evacuation port has a slit-form shape extending in a direction generally intersecting perpendicularly to a direction of the laminar flow, the evacuation port is engaged with a valve having a valve body formed with a slit-form opening corresponding to the slit-form shape of the evacuation port, the slit-form opening being provided so as to cause a displacement with respect to the evacuation port in a direction generally intersecting perpendicularly to an extending direction of the evacuation port, the valve changing a degree of valve opening thereof via displacement of said slit-form opening.

Gas-phase reactors and systems are disclosed. Exemplary reactors include a reaction chamber having a tapered height. Tapering the height of the reactor is thought to reduce a pressure drop along the flow of gasses through the reactor. Exemplary reactors can also include a spacer within a gap to control a flow of gas between a region and a reaction chamber.

A method for cleaning a process chamber, comprising the steps of introducing at least one cleaning gas to the process chamber; and employing a rapid heating module located in the process chamber, wherein the rapid heating module increases the temperature of chamber parts and improves the surface temperature uniformity of chamber parts when the module is turned on, thereby assisting the cleaning activity of the cleaning gas such that the process chamber is cleaned.

This invention relates to an improved process for the selective etching of TiN from silicon dioxide (quartz) and SiN surfaces commonly found in semiconductor deposition chambers equipment and tools. In the process, an SiO₂ or SiN surface having TiN thereon is contacted with XeF₂ in a contact zone to selectively convert the TiN to a volatile species and then the volatile species is removed from the contact zone. XeF₂ can be preformed or formed in situ by reaction between Xe and a fluorine compound.

A process is provided for removing polymer from a backside of a workpiece and/or photoresist from a front side of the workpiece. For backside polymer removal, the wafer is positioned near the ceiling to above a localized or remote plasma source having a side outlet through the sidewall of the chamber, and backside polymer is removed by rotating the workpiece while flowing plasma by-products from the side outlet to the wafer backside. For front side photoresist removal, the wafer is positioned away from the ceiling and below the side outlet of the localized plasma source, and front side photoresist is remove by rotating the workpiece while flowing plasma by-products from the side outlet to the wafer front side.

A thermally sprayed member or an electrode includes a basic material, a thermally sprayed film formed on the surface of the basic material, the thermally sprayed film being made of an insulating ceramic and a metallic intermediate layer provided between the basic material and the thermally sprayed film for increasing a bonding force therebetween, wherein the thermally sprayed film side of the member is exposed to a high frequency plasma atmosphere and the electrode is intended to form a high frequency plasma on the side of the thermally sprayed film. The basic material includes a base portion made of a conductive material and a dielectric portion provided to include a part of a surface of the basic material. Further, the intermediate layer is comprised of a plurality of island-shaped parts isolated from each other.

The invention relates to a method for operating a floor cleaning system having a central suction station with which there is associated a self-propelled and self-steering suction appliance, dirt being picked up from a floor surface that is to be cleaned by means of the suction appliance and being transferred into a dirt collection vessel of the suction appliance, and the suction station having a suction unit, and the dirt collection vessel being sucked out by means of the suction unit. To refine the method in such a manner that the levels of noise produced by the floor cleaning system can be reduced, it is proposed, according to the invention, that the suction unit is optionally operated with a maximum suction power or a reduced suction power. The invention also proposes a floor cleaning system for carrying out the method.

The present invention discloses a system for automatically exchanging cleaning tools of a robot cleaner and a method therefor. The system for automatically exchanging the cleaning tools of the robot cleaner includes the robot cleaner for deciding whether a currently-mounted first cleaning tool is suitable for a bottom state of a cleaning area, and returning to and being docked on an exchange unit when the first cleaning tool is not suitable for the bottom state, and the exchange unit for exchanging the first cleaning tool currently mounted on the robot cleaner with a second cleaning tool suitable for the bottom state when the robot cleaner is docked.

Cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning head, a light source and a light guide. The cleaning head has a flexible contact member including photo-activating catalyst (photocatalyst). The light source emits short wave light rays to activate the photocatalyst. The light guide transmits the light rays from the light source to the contact member(brushes). The cleaning head may have a transparent brush supporter to support a group of brushes with many photocatalyst particles. The light guide may preferably include a transparent rod and/or an optical fiber. The cleaning apparatus may be applied for a vacuum cleaner. Therefore, such dirty component can be cleaned as bacteria, molds etc. by use of the cleaning apparatus of the invention.

There is provided a substrate processing apparatus, including at least: a substrate holder that holds a substrate; a processing furnace including a reaction tube in which the substrate holder is loaded, and is configured to apply a specific processing to the substrate held by the substrate holder in a state that the substrate holder is loaded in the reaction tube; an operation part configured to select a maintenance recipe for the reaction tube used for substrate processing, and a maintenance recipe for both of the reaction tube and the substrate holder loaded in the reaction tube; and a control part configured to execute the maintenance recipe selected by the operation part, when a maintenance timing of the reaction tube and/or the substrate holder arrives.

An autonomous surface treating appliance comprising a main body defining an outer plan profile, and having a drive arrangement mounted inboard of the outer plan profile of the main body and configured to propel the appliance in a direction of movement across a surface to be cleaned, a surface treating assembly associated with the main body and carried transversely to the direction of movement, the surface treating assembly being generally elongate in form and having side edges extending substantially at a tangent to respective circular portions of the outer plan profile of the main body.

A thermal process for cleaning equipment surfaces of undesired silicon nitride in semiconductor processing chamber with thermally activated source of pre-diluted fluorine is disclosed in the specification. The process comprising:

(a)flowing pre-diluted fluorine in an inert gas through the chamber;

(b)maintaining the chamber at an elevated temperature of 230° C. to 565° C. to thermally disassociate the fluorine;

(c)cleaning undesired silicon nitride from the surfaces by chemical reaction of thermally disassociated fluorine in (b) with the undesired silicon nitride to form volatile reaction products;

(d)removing the volatile reaction products from the chamber.

A degreasing jig according to the present invention is a degreasing jig for degreasing of a ceramic molded body containing a ceramic powder, a binder, and a dispersion medium, comprising a bottom plate for placing the ceramic molded body thereon, and an air-permeable cover member provided in a manner to cover the ceramic molded body.

A method and apparatus for cleaning the surfaces of a pool by a programmed robotic pool cleaner initially set at an arbitrary position in the poll. The pool can be of any standard or non-standard shapes, and the surfaced with any conventional materials. The robot is advanced until it encounters a first obstacle (1), then reverses direction and advances along the same path to an opposing second obstacle (2) to form a first path between the opposing first (1) and second (2) obstacles. At the second obstacle (2), the robot reverses and advances to a predetermined point (A) between the opposing obstacles along said first path. At the predetermined point (A), the robot stops and turns in a first direction at a predetermined angle of turn, and repeats the above steps along additional paths until the sum of the predetermined angle of turns generates a quantity of paths sufficient to substantially clean the pool surfaces.

A wet extraction floor cleaning device having a base assembly adapted for movement on a surface being cleaned, an operating handle pivotally attached to the base assembly, a supply tank having a supply tank outlet, and a recovery tank having a recovery tank inlet and a recovery tank outlet. The base assembly has an inlet nozzle that extends from an inlet slit proximal the surface being cleaned to a nozzle outlet. The device further includes a fluid deposition assembly that can be selectively placed in fluid communication with the supply tank outlet, a vacuum source, and first and second external pockets. The supply and recovery tanks are adapted to be selectively placed in the first and second external pockets, thereby placing the supply tank outlet in fluid communication with the fluid deposition system, the recovery tank inlet in fluid communication with the nozzle outlet, and the recovery tank outlet in fluid communication with the vacuum source inlet.

The invention discloses a metallic surface dirt laser cleaning system and method. The metallic surface dirt laser cleaning system comprises a computer control system, a laser system and a light beam adjustment system. The computer control system controls the laser system to enable light beams to be emitted from a laser of the laser system and enable the light beams to enter the light beam adjustment system through optical fiber transmission. Meanwhile, the computer control system is also used for controlling the light beam adjustment system and adjusting the spot diameter of the light beams so that the adjusted light beams can be shot regularly onto the surface of a metal part to be cleaned and carry out cleaning on dirt on the surface of the metal part to be cleaned.

Caps can be used to cover and disinfect a male protrusion portion of a medical connector. Some caps can create a seal with the male protrusion to prevent antiseptic from entering a lumen the protrusion. A biasing element can aid in creating or maintaining the seal.

An apparatus for providing control for the access to a building or a portion of a building based upon a user washing or disinfecting their hands comprises a hand cleaning apparatus and an output module wherein the output module controls the operation of automatic doors or provides an access card or an authorization badge, or any combination thereof, to permit entry to a building. A method of using the hand cleaning apparatus as part of a system to control entrance to a building is also provided. A method of using the hand cleaning apparatus as part of a system to control entrance to certain parts of a building only is also provided. A hand cleaning apparatus, and a method of use thereof, to check the health of a person or to dispense a mask and/or gloves is also provided.

A lithographic projection apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a support structure constructed to support a patterning structure. The patterning structure is adapted to pattern a beam of radiation according to a desired pattern. The apparatus also includes a substrate holder that is constructed to hold a substrate, a projection system that is constructed and arranged to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate, and a downstream radical source that is connected to a gas supply and is configured to provide a beam of radicals onto a surface to be cleaned.

Process solutions comprising one or more surfactants are used to reduce the number of defects in the manufacture of semiconductor devices. In certain preferred embodiments, the process solution of the present invention may reduce post-development defects such as pattern collapse when employed as a rinse solution either during or after the development of the patterned photoresist layer. Also disclosed is a method for reducing the number of pattern collapse defects on a plurality of photoresist coated substrates employing the process solution of the present invention.

A cleaner of this invention is a cleaner for inspecting projections and removes any substance, e.g., aluminum oxide, which attaches to needle points of probe needles, when the probe needles pierce into the cleaner. The cleaner has a cleaner layer and a substrate. The cleaner layer is constituted by an elastic material layer, and a filler having a surface state improving function of the inspecting projections and dispersed in the elastic material layer. As the filler having a surface state improving function, a powder including at least one of ceramic materials, e.g., sand, glass, alumina, Carborundum (trade name), and the like, or a fiber layer made of an inorganic fiber or organic fiber can be employed.

A cleaning robot a dirt recognition device thereof and a cleaning method of the robot are disclosed. The recognition device includes an image collecting module and an image processing module. The image collecting module may be used for collecting the image information of the surface to be treated by the cleaning robot and sending the image information to the image processing module. The image processing module may divide the collected image information of the surface to be treated into N blocks, extract the image information of each block and process the image information in order to determine the dirtiest surface to be treated that corresponds to one of the N blocks. Through the solution provided by the present invention, the cleaning robot can make an active recognition to the dirt such as dust, so that it can get into the working area accurately and rapidly.

An apparatus and method of using an automatic washing machine to determine a concentration of a wash aid in a wash liquid, and implementing a controlled flushing of the wash aid in response to the determined concentration.

A robot cleaner provided with a shutter to open or close an inlet of a dust box when the dust box is separated from a body of the robot cleaner. Another robot cleaner, which docks with an automatic exhaust station, is also disclosed, together with the automatic exhaust station. The latter robot cleaner includes a shutter to be automatically opened by air discharged from the automatic exhaust station in a docked state of the robot cleaner to exhaust dust from the dust box, in order to allow even heavy dust to be easily exhausted.

The present invention is a system for and method of providing an autonomously mobile air purifier and surface cleaner in combination with a source of air fragrance in a single device for home or office use. The autonomously mobile air and surface cleaner and fragrancing system includes an air purifier, a fragrancer, a floor cleaner, an input means, a power system, operational and auxiliary sensors, robotics that drive and steer the device, and a central controller operatively connected to each of the aforementioned items to control the operation of the device. The present invention also provides a method for the operation of the device using the air purifier, fragrancer, floor cleaner and robotics to clean a room, and for modifying the operation of the device in response to signals sent from the sensors or from the input means.

Provided is a cleaner that can easily and efficiently remove organic dirt accumulated on a flat plate surface such as a display-input member (touch panel member) in a portable device. The cleaner (10) provided by the present invention is a pressure-sensitive adhesive plate surface cleaner (10) that comprises a pressure-sensitive adhesive body (30) having a removable pressure-sensitive adhesive and is used so as to allow the pressure-sensitive adhesive body (30) to contact a flat plate surface (2) of a plate such as a portable device (1) having a flat surface in order to remove organic dirt accumulated on the plate surface (2).

A process for continuously extracting oil from a solid or liquid oil-bearing material comprises (a) removing air from the extraction system, (b) introducing an inert gas into the extraction system at a pressure sufficient to maintain a normally gaseous solvent in liquid state, (c) introducing an oil-bearing material into a silo, (d) passing the oil-bearing material from the to a jet pump mixing device, (e) introducing a liquified normally gaseous solvent into the jet pump mixing device, (f) mixing the oil-bearing material and the solvent in the jet pump mixing device for a time sufficient to permit complete wetting of oil-bearing material by the solvent to form a mixture, (g) heating the mixture to near supercritical conditions; (h) passing the mixture through an extractor having a screw conveyor adapted to rotate at a first rpm range and a centrifugal drum adapted to rotate at a second rpm range, (i) treating the mixture within the extractor in such a manner that supercritical temperature and pressure are attained, wherein treating the mixture includes a combination of increasing the rpms of the centrifugal drum, increasing the temperature inside the extractor and increasing the inert gas pressure inside the extractor, (j) extracting oil from the mixture by pressure diffusion provided by the combination of increased rpms, increased temperatures and increased inert gas pressures at supercritical conditions, (j) removing liquids extracted from the mixture through a liquids exit port, and (k) removing solids extracted from the mixture through a solids exit port.

The present invention relates to, inter alia, a composition for stripping photoresist from substrates comprising: about 5% to about 50% by weight of an alkyl substituted pyrrolidone, an alkyl substituted piperidone, or a mixture thereof, about 0.2% to about 20% of one or more alkanolamines, and about 50% to about 94% of a sulfoxide, sulfoxone, or mixture thereof. Advantageously, the composition can remove copper from a copper substrate at a rate of less than about 10 Å per minute when the substrate is immersed in the composition which is held at 70° C. for 30 minutes and rotated relative to the composition at about 200 revolutions per minute.

A film formation method includes a film formation process for forming an SiO₂ film on a surface of a target object inside a process container by use of an Si source gas and an oxidizing agent, and an oxidation purge process for performing oxidation on films deposited inside the process container while exhausting gas from inside the process container after unloading the target object from the process container, wherein the film formation process and the oxidation purge process are alternately repeated a plurality of times without, interposed therebetween, a process for removing the films deposited inside the process container.

The invention discloses a laser cleaning system based on robot control and a cleaning method thereof. The laser cleaning system comprises a computer system, a laser, a protective cover, a sensing system, a light beam shaping system, a waste processor, an optical spectrum analyzer and a workpiece to be cleaned, and further comprises a robot, wherein the laser and the robot are both connected with the computer system; the light beam shaping system is connected with the laser through an optical fiber; the sensing system and the light beam shaping system are both fixed in the protective cover; the sensing system is connected with the computer system; the protective cover is fixed on a robot arm; and the optical spectrum analyzer is connected with the computer system. The laser cleaning system and cleaning method can clean workpieces to be cleaned with any size and random shapes, can analyze cleaning results in real time to realize closed-loop control, judge the cleaning effect through image processing and optical spectrum analysis, and are accurate in judgment and excellent in cleaning effect; and the robot automated control improves the system adaptability and stability.