Patent ID: 9698029
Date: 2017-07-04
CPC Classifications: H01L

Claim:
1. Device for processing wafer-shaped articles, comprising: a spin chuck for holding and rotating a wafer-shaped article about a rotation axis; at least one dispenser for dispensing a liquid onto at least one surface of a wafer-shaped article; and a collector surrounding the spin chuck for collecting process liquids, with at least two collector levels for separately collecting liquids in different collector levels; wherein each of the at least two collector levels comprises an exhaust gas collecting chamber and an exhaust gas conduit; wherein at least one of the exhaust gas conduits comprises a valve mechanism to selectively (i) fluidly connect a chamber side of the at least one of the exhaust gas conduits to an exhaust unit side of the at least one of the exhaust gas conduits, and (ii) restrict the chamber side of the at least one of the exhaust gas conduits and fluidly connect an ambient environment to the exhaust unit side of the at least one of the exhaust gas conduits; and wherein one of the exhaust gas conduits comprises a bypass valve operable to route exhaust gas from the one of the exhaust pas conduits to another one of the exhaust gas conduits.