Patent ID: 7255115
Filing Date: 2007-08-14
Classification: B08B,H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for cleaning semiconductor wafers, comprising: a chamber having a bath, and a lid that covers said bath; a source of liquid alcohol, and a source of a carrier gas; a bubbler having a vapor generating part comprising a housing in which alcohol vapor used to dry wafers in said chamber is generated, and a spray pipe connected to the housing of said vapor generating part; and a second supply pipe connecting said source of liquid alcohol to said housing and through which liquid alcohol is supplied into the housing such that a lower portion of the housing becomes filled with the liquid alcohol, wherein the vapor generating part of said bubbler further comprises a third supply pipe in fluid communication with said source of carrier gas so as to receive carrier gas from said source of the carrier gas, and said third supply pipe having an end disposed in said lower portion of the housing such that said end of the third supply pipe will be submerged in the liquid alcohol that fills the lower portion of said housing, the end of said third supply pipe having an outlet in open fluid communication with said lower portion of the housing and through which outlet the carrier gas is supplied into liquid alcohol filling the lower portion of said housing so that the carrier gas will bubble through the liquid alcohol and thereby generate alcohol vapor from the liquid alcohol, and said spray pipe extends into said chamber and has an exit end from which the alcohol vapor and the carrier gas issue in said chamber, and liquid retention means for preventing condensate of alcohol vapor, formed at the interior of said spray pipe within the chamber, from issuing from the exit end of the spray pipe.