Accelerating Filter Cartridge Wetting via Purging Gas Displacement
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing method of wetting filter cartridges used in semiconductor device manufacturing is inefficient due to residual gas in the cartridges dissolving slowly into liquid solvents, leading to increased costs and waste of photoresist fluids.
Innovation Solution
A process involving the use of a purging gas to displace residual gas in filter cartridges before introducing liquid solvents, where the purging gas is selected to readily dissolve into the solvent, thereby accelerating the wetting process and reducing solvent waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If liquid solvent is flowed through the filter cartridge to fill void spaces and wet the filter, then the filter is fully wetted and contaminants are flushed, but the process takes excessive time and liquid solvent is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The filter cartridge is pre-flushed with liquid solvent before actual use to wet the filter membrane and flush out manufacturing residues and leachables. This preliminary action ensures the filter is properly prepared for service, preventing contamination of the main liquid solvent supply while minimizing waste by establishing proper wetting before production use begins
Solution Approach 2:
The wetting and flushing function is extracted as a separate preliminary step from the main filtration operation. A dedicated flush volume is used to perform the wetting function, allowing the main filtration system to operate efficiently without being burdened by the time-consuming wetting process
2Reliability
If liquid solvent is flowed through the filter cartridge to flush out air bubbles and wet the filter, then the filter is properly prepared, but increased costs result from discarded liquid solvent
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid solvent used for flushing and wetting the filter is deliberately discarded rather than recovered or reused. This is because the flushed solvent contains manufacturing residues, leachables, and potential contaminants that would compromise product quality if reintroduced into the system. The loss is accepted as necessary to ensure product purity
Solution Approach 2:
A dedicated preliminary flushing step is performed using a specific volume of liquid solvent that is then discarded. This preliminary action removes contaminants from the filter before the main production process begins, preventing contamination of valuable product material while accepting the loss of the flush solvent
3Ease of operation
If residual gas in the filter cartridge is allowed to dissolve slowly into the liquid solvent, then the wetting process occurs naturally, but inefficiency and liquid solvent loss increase
Solution Approach 1:
The wetting process parameters are optimized by controlling the flush volume and flow rate. The system uses a predetermined flush volume that is sufficient to wet the filter and remove contaminants, and controls the flow rate to allow proper gas dissolution and bubble removal, achieving efficient wetting without excessive solvent consumption
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method significantly reduces the time required to fully wet the filter cartridges and decreases the initial particle count in the solvent exiting the cartridges, minimizing solvent waste and operational costs.
Implementation Method 1
the purging gas dissolves more readily in a given liquid solvent than the residual gas in the filter cartridge as received from a manufacturer
Data Source
AI summary
A process is disclosed for wetting a filter cartridge used to treat a liquid solvent used in semiconductor manufacture. In the process, a filter cartridge having void spaces wherein the void spaces contain residual gas from the manufacturing process used to make the filter cartridge is connected to a source of purging gas. The purging gas is flowed through the filter cartridge to at least partially displace at least a portion of the residual gas from the manufacturing process used to make the filter cartridge. Next, liquid solvent is pumped through the filter cartridge so that the purging gas dissolves into the liquid solvent and to at least partially fill the void spaces to thereby at least partially wet out the filter cartridge with the liquid solvent.