Recycling unit, substrate treating apparatus and recycling method using the recycling unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10046371-B2
Application number	US-201414228562-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2014
Priority date	Mar 29, 2013
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

The substrate treating apparatus includes a process chamber in which an organic solvent remaining on a substrate is dissolved by using a fluid, that is provided as a supercritical fluid, to dry the substrate and a recycling unit including a recycler separating the organic solvent from the fluid discharged from the process chamber to recycle the fluid. The recycler includes a column having a space in which an absorbent for absorbing the organic solvent is stored, a supply tube supplying the fluid discharged from the process chamber into the space of the column, a discharge tube discharging the fluid from which the organic solvent is separated in the column, a gas supply tube supplying a purge gas into the column so that the organic solvent is separated from the absorbent, and an exhaust tube exhausting the purge gas containing the organic solvent to the outside of the column.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A recycling unit comprising:
a column having a space in which an absorbent configured to absorb an organic solvent is stored;
a supply tube configured to supply a fluid discharged from a process chamber into the space of the column;
a discharge tube configured to discharge the fluid from which the organic solvent is separated in the column;
a concentration sensor in the discharge tube, the concentration sensor configured to measure a concentration of the organic solvent contained in the fluid discharged from the discharge tube;
a gas supply tube configured to supply a purge gas into the column so that the organic solvent is separated from the absorbent; and
an exhaust tube configured to exhaust the purge gas containing the organic solvent to the outside of the column,
wherein the organic solvent is separated from the fluid discharged from the process chamber to recycle the fluid,
the supply tube and the discharge tube face each other and the column is between the supply tube and the discharge tube,
the gas supply tube and the exhaust tube face each other and the column is between the gas supply tube and the exhaust tube,
the supply tube extending through a first wall of the column, the gas supply tube extending through a second wall of the column, and the first wall being substantially perpendicular to the second wall, and
the exhaust tube extending through a third wall of the column, the third wall substantially parallel to the second wall and substantially perpendicular to the first wall, the gas supply tube being at a first end of the column and the exhaust tube being at a second end of the column.

2. The recycling unit of claim 1 , further comprising a heater configured to heat the purge gas supplied into the column.

3. The recycling unit of claim 1 , further comprising:
a valve in the gas supply tube, the valve configured to adjust a supply amount of the purge gas; and
a controller configured to control the valve so that the purge gas is non-uniformly supplied by lapse of time.

4. The recycling unit of claim 1 , wherein the organic solvent comprises isopropyl alcohol (IPA), and
the fluid comprises carbon dioxide (CO 2 ).

5. The recycling unit of claim 1 , wherein the absorbent comprises zeolite.

6. A substrate treating apparatus comprising:
a process chamber in which an organic solvent remaining on a substrate is dissolved by using a fluid, that is provided as a supercritical fluid, to dry the substrate; and
a recycling unit comprising a recycler configured to separate the organic solvent from the fluid discharged from the process chamber to recycle the fluid, the recycler including,
a column having a space in which an absorbent configured to absorb the organic solvent is stored,
a supply tube configured to supply the fluid discharged from the process chamber into the space of the column,
a discharge tube configured to discharge the fluid from which the organic solvent is separated in the column,
a concentration sensor in the discharge tube, the concentration sensor configured to measure a concentration of the organic solvent contained in the fluid discharged from the discharge tube,
a gas supply tube configured to supply a purge gas into the column so that the organic solvent is separated from the absorbent, and
an exhaust tube configured to exhaust the purge gas containing the organic solvent to the outside of the column,
wherein the supply tube and the discharge tube face each other and the column is between the supply tube and the discharge tube,
the gas supply tube and the exhaust tube face each other and the column is between the gas supply tube and the exhaust tube,
the supply tube extending through a first wall of the column, the gas supply tube extending through a second wall of the column, and the first wall being substantially perpendicular to the second wall, and
the exhaust tube extending through a third wall of the column, the third wall substantially parallel to the second wall and substantially perpendicular to the first wall, the gas supply tube being at a first end of the column and the exhaust tube being at a second end of the column.

7. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising a heater configured to heat the purge gas supplied into the column.

8. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising:
a valve in the gas supply tube, the valve configured to adjust a supply amount of the purge gas; and
a controller configured to control the valve so that the purge gas is non-uniformly supplied by lapse of time.

9. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to supply the purge gas by a first amount for one hour and by a second amount for two hours,
wherein the first amount is greater than the second amount, and the one hour and the two hours are continuously repeated.

10. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the second amount is zero.

11. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to control the valve so that the purge gas is supplied in a pulse-like manner.

12. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 8 ,
wherein, when a measured concentration value reaches a preset value, the controller controls the purge gas so that the purge gas is supplied into the column to recycle the absorbent.

13. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the organic solvent comprises isopropyl alcohol (IPA), and
the fluid comprises carbon dioxide (CO 2 ).

14. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the absorbent comprises zeolite.

15. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the recycling unit further comprises a separator between the process chamber and the recycler,
wherein the separator is configured to cool the fluid discharged from the process chamber to separate the organic solvent from the fluid, thereby supplying the fluid into the recycler.

16. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the column is provided in plurality, and
the plurality of columns are connected to each other in series.

Assignees

• Semes Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jung Eun-Sun
• Kim Woo-Young
• Heo Chan-Youn

Classifications

• H10P72/0448

  Apparatus for applying a liquid, a resin, an ink or the like · CPC title

• H10P72/0414

  using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles · CPC title

• H10P72/0402 Primary

  Apparatus for fluid treatment (H10P72/0441, H10P72/0448 take precedence) · CPC title

• F26B21/40

  using gases other than air · CPC title

• B01D53/0454

  Controlling adsorption (controlling temperature swing adsorption B01D53/0462, controlling pressure swing adsorption B01D53/047) · CPC title