Patent · US Expired

Apparatus for and method of cleaning object to be processed

US6131588A · kind A · utility

29Cited by
12References
39Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 22, 1998
Grant dateOct 17, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 22, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S134/902
  • WIPO fieldChemical engineering
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a cleaning apparatus and a cleaning method which can prevent the object to be processed being subjected to a bad influence caused by a chemical treatment, have a high degree of freedom in designing the apparatus, make the cleaning process rapid and be designed in smaller size. In this cleaning apparatus, a drying chamber 42 and a cleaning bath 41 are separated from each other up and down, respectively. Thus, a space in the drying chamber 42 can be insulated from a space of the cleaning bath 41 by a nitrogen-gas curtain 59c and a slide door 72. In the cleaning method, a cleaning process in the cleaning bath 41 is carried out while screening it by the nitrogen-gas curtain 59c. On the other hand, a drying process in the drying chamber 42 is accomplished while sealing and closing it by the slide door 72.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.