Cleaning apparatus and high pressure cleaner for use therein

Abstract

A cleaning apparatus in which a cleaning process is simplified, a time required for the cleaning process is reduced and which has an excellent cleaning effect, and a high pressure cleaner for use therein are provided. The cleaning apparatus comprises a liquid carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) supply source and a gaseous CO 2 supply source, a high pressure pump changing CO 2 supplied from the liquid CO 2 supply source to CO 2 having high pressure, a cleaning additive supply source and a rinsing additive supply source, a homogeneous transparent phase mixer forming a supercritical homogeneous transparent phase mixture by mixing a cleaning additive supplied from the cleaning additive supply source and supercritical CO 2 supplied from the liquid CO 2 supply source, or forming a supercritical rinsing mixture by mixing a rinsing additive supplied from the rinsing additive supply source and supercritical CO 2 supplied from the liquid CO 2 supply source, a high pressure cleaner cleaning using the supercritical homogeneous transparent phase mixture supplied from the homogeneous transparent phase mixer and performing rinsing using the supercritical rinsing mixture supplied from the homogeneous transparent phase mixer, a separator separating gaseous CO 2 from a mixture discharged from the high pressure cleaner, and a CO 2 condenser condensing the separated CO 2 .

1 . A cleaning apparatus comprising:
 a liquid carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) supply source and a gaseous CO 2  supply source;   a high pressure pump changing CO 2  supplied from the liquid CO 2  supply source to CO 2  having high pressure;   a cleaning additive supply source and a rinsing additive supply source;   a homogeneous transparent phase mixer forming a supercritical homogeneous transparent phase mixture by mixing a cleaning additive supplied from the cleaning additive supply source and supercritical CO 2  supplied from the liquid CO 2  supply source, or forming a supercritical rinsing mixture by mixing a rinsing additive supplied from the rinsing additive supply source and supercritical CO 2  supplied from the liquid CO 2  supply source;   a high pressure cleaner cleaning using the supercritical homogeneous transparent phase mixture supplied from the homogeneous transparent phase mixer and performing rinsing using the supercritical rinsing mixture supplied from the homogeneous transparent phase mixer;   a separator separating gaseous CO 2  from a mixture discharged from the high pressure cleaner; and   a CO 2  condenser condensing the separated CO 2 .   
   
   
       2 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a cleaning column and an adsorption column for purifying CO 2  separated by the separator. 
   
   
       3 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein CO 2  condensed in the CO 2  condenser is provided to the liquid CO 2  supply source and is re-used. 
   
   
       4 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a heater heating CO 2  supplied from the liquid CO 2  supply source, the cleaning additive supplied from the cleaning additive supply source, and the rinsing additive supplied from the rinsing additive supply source. 
   
   
       5 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the homogeneous transparent phase mixer forms the supercritical homogeneous transparent phase mixture by mixing the cleaning additive supplied having atmospheric pressure or a low pressure less than 10 bar with the supercritical CO 2  having high pressure of 120 to 300 bar, using a large pressure difference therebetween. 
   
   
       6 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a pressure regulating valve connected to the high pressure cleaner and regulating pressure inside the high pressure cleaner. 
   
   
       7 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a circulation line connecting an outlet of the high pressure cleaner to a middle point between the high pressure cleaner and the homogeneous transparent phase mixer; and   a circulation pump connected to the circulation line.   
   
   
       8 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein an internal or external circulation unit is provided to the homogeneous transparent phase mixer. 
   
   
       9 . A high pressure cleaner comprising:
 a wafer loading device on which a wafer to be cleaned is loaded and which includes a protrusion;   an upper element including an inlet through which a mixture is injected in a downward direction, a wafer loading device fixing unit in which the protrusion of the wafer loading device is inserted and which enables the wafer loading device to be fixed therein, and a pneumatic cylinder insertion unit in which a pneumatic cylinder sliding from a side is inserted;   an ascending and descending pneumatic cylinder moving the upper element in upward and downward directions;   a lower element including a pneumatic cylinder insertion unit in which a pneumatic cylinder sliding from a side is inserted and an outlet through which a mixture is discharged and forming a space between the lower element and the upper element in which the wafer loading device can be disposed; and   an adherent type pneumatic cylinder sliding into the pneumatic cylinder insertion unit of the upper element and the pneumatic cylinder insertion unit of the lower element and combining the upper element and the lower element when the upper element descends and is engaged with the lower element.   
   
   
       10 . The high pressure cleaner of  claim 9 , further comprising a sealant disposed between an edge of a surface of the upper element in a direction of the lower element and an edge of a surface of the lower element in a direction of the upper element and sealing a space between the upper element and the lower element from the outside. 
   
   
       11 . The high pressure cleaner of  claim 10 , further comprising a first bended portion disposed at an edge of a surface of the upper element in a direction of the lower element, and a second bended portion disposed at an edge of a surface of the lower element in a direction of the upper element, and a first sealant and a second sealant disposed in the first bended portion and the second bended portion, respectively. 
   
   
       12 . The high pressure cleaner of  claim 9 , wherein a groove is formed in a circumferential direction of the wafer loading device on a surface of the wafer loading device in a direction of the upper element, and a plurality of spray outlets are provided along the groove. 
   
   
       13 . The high pressure cleaner of  claim 12 , wherein the inlet of the upper element is provided so that a material injected through the inlet of the upper element is injected in a direction of the groove of the wafer loading device. 
   
   
       14 . The high pressure cleaner of  claim 9 , wherein the upper element further comprises an upper element guide pin and the lower element further comprises a guide pin insertion portion in which the upper element guide pin is inserted. 
   
   
       15 . The high pressure cleaner of  claim 9 , wherein the inlet and the outlet are provided in opposite directions. 
   
   
       16 . The high pressure cleaner of  claim 9 , further comprising a heating source and a cooling source controlling temperature of the high pressure cleaner.