System and method for delivering chemicals
View Patent ↗Systems and method for delivering materials to a tool are disclosed. A material delivery system utilizes two or more sources of the material to be delivered to the tool. One or more of the sources of the tool may be a batch mixer. The material delivery system also includes at least two material delivery recirculation lines providing material to at tool. The material delivery system may be manually or automatically controlled to switch supply of the material from one source to another, and/or to switch from one material delivery recirculation line to another.
1. A method of providing a material to a semiconductor tool comprising:
providing a first source of a material fluidly connected via an inlet and an outlet to a first recirculating material supply line, said first recirculating material supply line fluidly connected to a tool;
passing material from the first source of the material through the first recirculating material supply line so that a first portion of the material is delivered to the tool and the remaining portion of the material is returned to the first source;
providing a second source of the material fluidly connected to a recirculation line and passing material from the second source of the material through the recirculation line and back to the second source, said second source of the material also fluidly connected via an inlet and an outlet to a second recirculating material supply line, and said second recirculating material supply line fluidly connected to the tool; and
changing the source of the material supplied to the tool by interrupting the flow from the second source through the recirculation line and passing the material from the second source through the second recirculating material supply line so that a first portion of the material is delivered to the tool and the remaining portion of the material is returned to the second source;
interrupting the flow through the portion of the first recirculating material supply line returning the material to the first source and passing any remaining portion of material through the first recirculating material supply line to the second source; and
once a desired portion of the material has been emptied from the first source, interrupting the flow from the first source through the portion of the first recirculating material supply line connected to the tool so that all of the material delivered to the tool is from the second source.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising purging the first recirculating material supply line after the portion of the first recirculating material supply line connected to the tool has been closed.
3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:
providing a recirculation line fluidly connected to the first source of a material;
after the first recirculating material supply line has been purged, adding material to the first source of a material and passing material from the first source of material through the recirculation line and back to the first source; and
changing the source of the material supplied to the tool by closing the recirculation line connected to the first source of a material and passing material from the first source through the first recirculating material supply line so that a first portion of the material is delivered to the tool and the remaining portion of the material is returned to the first source;
closing the portion of the second recirculating material supply line returning the material to the second source and passing any remaining portion of material through the first recirculating material supply line to the first source; and
once a desired portion of the material has been emptied from the second source, closing the portion of the second recirculating material supply line connected to the tool so that all of the material delivered to the tool is from the first source.
4. The method of claim 3 further comprising purging the second recirculating material supply line after the portion of the second recirculating material supply line connected to the tool has been closed.
5. The method of claim 4 further comprising after the second recirculating material supply line has been purged, adding material to the second source of a material and passing material from the second source of material through the recirculation line connected to the second source and back to the second source.
6. The method of claim 4 further comprising providing a source of a purging material fluidly connected to the second recirculating material supply line and in which purging the second recirculating material supply line comprises isolating a portion of the second material supply line from the tool and from the second source of a material and passing a purging material through the isolated portion of the second recirculating material supply line.
7. The method of claim 2 further comprising providing a source of a purging material fluidly connected to the first recirculating material supply line and in which purging the first recirculating material supply line comprises isolating a portion of the first material supply line from the tool and from the first source of a material and passing a purging material through the isolated portion of the first recirculating material supply line.
8. The method of claim 7 in which the purging material comprises deionized water, KOH, or gas.
9. The method of claim 7 in which passing a purging material through the isolated portion of the first recirculating material supply line comprises passing a plurality of different purging materials material through the isolated portion of the first recirculating material supply line.