Vaccum drying apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10871325-B2
Application number	US-201816338708-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 24, 2018
Priority date	Nov 15, 2018
Publication date	Dec 22, 2020
Grant date	Dec 22, 2020

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention discloses a vacuum drying apparatus, including a sealing chamber, a gas pressure adjusting device, and a support platform in the sealed chamber; wherein the air pressure adjusting device includes a main air pipe and a branch air pipe connected to the main air pipe, and the main air pipe is symmetrically disposed at a portion and a lower portion of the side surface of the sealed chamber. An embodiment of the present invention provides a vacuum drying apparatus employing the main air pipe up and down symmetrically disposed, which shortens the distance of air supply of the branch air pipe, reduces the pressure drop of the airflow, and stabilizes upper and lower air pressure, thereby stabilizing the product characteristics.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vacuum drying apparatus for performing a vacuum drying treatment to a photoresist coated on a surface of a substrate, wherein the vacuum drying apparatus comprises a sealed chamber, a gas pressure adjusting device, and a support platform in the sealed chamber, wherein
the support platform is configured to support the substrate coated with the photoresist, the gas pressure adjusting device is disposed at a side of the sealed chamber, and the gas pressure adjusting device comprises a main air pipe and a branch air pipe for introducing a protection gas to the sealed chamber, wherein the branch air pipe is connected to the main air pipe, the branch air pipe extends in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the main air pipe extends, and the main air pipe is symmetrically disposed at an upper portion and a lower portion of the side surface of the sealed chamber;
the main air pipe comprises an upper main air pipe and a lower main air pipe which are symmetrically disposed at the upper portion and the lower portion of the side surface of the sealed chamber, the sealed chamber has a capacity of accommodating 2n pieces of the substrates, wherein the upper main air pipe is configured to supply air to upper n pieces of the substrates in the sealed chamber, and the lower main air pipe is configured to supply air to lower n pieces of the substrates in the sealed chamber, wherein n is a positive integer; and
the branch air pipe is a double-layered pipe.

2. The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the branch air pipe comprises an outer pipe and an inner pipe, and a first cavity is formed within the inner pipe, and a second cavity is formed between the outer pipe and the inner pipe.

3. The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the inner pipe is provided with a plurality of inner pipe outlets, and when intake air enters the branch air pipe through the main air pipe, the intake air fills the first cavity, and then fills the second cavity through the plurality of inner pipe outlets in the inner pipe.

4. The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the outer pipe is provided with a plurality of outer pipe air outlets for introducing the protection gas into the sealed chamber, so that the photoresist on every portion of the surface of the substrate in the sealed chamber is dried evenly.

5. The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the outer pipe and the inner pipe are both round pipes, and the outer pipe has a larger diameter than the inner pipe.

6. The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an intake pipe is disposed on the branch air pipe, and the branch air pipe introduces the protection gas to the sealed chamber through the intake pipe, wherein a butterfly valve for adjusting a gas flow volume is disposed on the intake pipe.

7. The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a temperature adjustment module disposed on the support platform and comprising at least a heating sub-module and a cooling sub-module, wherein the temperature adjustment module is configured to regulate a local temperature on the substrate in the sealed chamber, so that the photoresist on every region of the surface of the substrate in the sealed chamber is dried evenly.

8. The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the support platform is disposed at a substantially central position in the sealed chamber, such that a first gap is defined between opposite ends of the support platform and sidewalls of the sealed chamber, while a second gap is defined between the surface of the support platform and an upper cover and a lower cover of the sealed chamber, and an air passage is formed in the first gap between the opposite ends of the support platform and the sidewalls of the sealed chamber, as well as in the second gap between the surface of the support platform and the upper cover and the lower cover of the sealed chamber.

9. A vacuum drying apparatus for performing a vacuum drying treatment to a photoresist coated on a surface of a substrate, wherein the vacuum drying apparatus comprises a sealed chamber, a gas pressure adjusting device, and a support platform in the sealed chamber, wherein
the support platform is configured to support the substrate coated with the photoresist, the gas pressure adjusting device is disposed at a side of the sealed chamber, and the gas pressure adjusting device comprises a main air pipe and a branch air pipe which supply a protection gas to the sealed chamber, wherein the branch air pipe is connected to the main air pipe, the branch air pipe extends in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the main air pipe extends, and the main air pipe is symmetrically disposed at an upper portion and a lower portion of the side surface of the sealed chamber.

10. The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the main air pipe comprises an upper main air pipe and a lower main air pipe which are symmetrically disposed at the upper portion and the lower portion of the side surface of the sealed chamber, the sealed chamber has a capacity of accommodating 2n pieces of the substrates, wherein the upper main air pipe is configured to supply air to upper n pieces of the substrates in the sealed chamber, and the lower main air pipe is configured to supply air to lower n pieces of the substrates in the sealed chamber, wherein n is a positive integer.

11. The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the branch air pipe is a double-layered pipe.

12. The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the branch air pipe comprises an outer pipe and an inner pipe, and a first cavity is formed within the inner pipe, and a second cavity is formed between the outer pipe and the inner pipe.

13. The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the inner pipe is provided with a plurality of inner pipe outlets, and when intake air enters the branch air pipe through the main air pipe, the intake air fills the first cavity and then fills the second cavity through the plurality of inner pipe outlets in the inner pipe.

14. The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the outer pipe is provided with a plurality of outer pipe air outlets for introducing a protection gas into the sealed chamber, so that the photoresist on every region of the surface of the substrate in the sealed chamber is dried evenly.

15. The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the outer pipe and the inner pipe are both round tubes, and the outer pipe has a larger diameter than the inner pipe.

16. The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein an intake pipe is disposed on the branch air pipe, and the branch air pipe introduces the protection gas to the sealed chamber through the intake pipe, wherein a butterfly valve is for adjusting a gas flow volume is disposed on the intake pipe.

17. The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a temperature adjustment module disposed on the support platform and comprising at least a heating sub-module and a cooling sub-module, wherein the temperature adjustment module is configured to regulate a local temperature on the substrate in the sealed chamber, so that the photoresist on every region of the surface of the substrate in the sealed chamber is dried evenly.

18. The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the temperature adjustment module is embedded in the support platform, and the heating sub-module of the temperature

Assignees

• Wuhan China Star Optoelectronics Semiconductor Display Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Guan Yuan

Classifications

• H10P72/0408

  for drying · CPC title

• F26B21/35

  Temperature; Pressure · CPC title

• H10P72/0462 Primary

  characterised by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers · CPC title

• F26B5/04 Primary

  by evaporation or sublimation of moisture under reduced pressure, e.g. in a vacuum {(F26B11/049 and F26B17/128 take precedence)} · CPC title

• G02F1/1339

  Gaskets; Spacers; Sealing of cells · CPC title