A method of displacing a supercritical fluid from a pressure vessel (e.g., in
a
microelectronic manufacturing process), with the steps of: providing an enclosed
pressure vessel containing a first supercritical fluid (said supercritical fluid
preferably comprising carbon dioxide); adding a second fluid (typically also a
supercritical fluid) to said vessel, with said second fluid being added at a pressure
greater than the pressure of the first supercritical fluid, and with said second
fluid having a density less than that of the first supercritical fluid; forming
an interface between the first supercritical fluid and the second fluid; and displacing
at least a portion of the first supercritical fluid from the vessel with the pressure
of the second, preferably fluid while maintaining the interface therebetween.
