Patent ID: 6926798

Claim:
An apparatus for supercritical processing of a workpiece, the apparatus comprising: a. a transfer module; b. a first supercritical processing module with a wafer cavity having a constant volume for holding the workpiece during processing, the first supercritical processing module configured to cycle a pressure within the wafer cavity; c. an antechamber coupling the transfer module to a single processing module, wherein the single processing module is the first supercritical processing module and the antechamber is configured to withstand pressures above 1,000 psi; d. a first gate valve coupling the antechamber to the first supercritical processing module; e. a second processing module coupled to the transfer module, wherein the second processing module is one of a second supercritical processing module, a vacuum processing module, and an atmospheric processing module; f. a first transfer mechanism coupled to the transfer module, the transfer mechanism configured to move the workpiece between the transfer module and the antechamber; and g. a second transfer mechanism coupled to the antechamber and configured to move the workpiece between the antechamber and the first supercritical processing module.