Vacuum dryer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11460247-B2
Application number	US-202016795109-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 19, 2020
Priority date	Mar 28, 2019
Publication date	Oct 4, 2022
Grant date	Oct 4, 2022

Abstract

A vacuum dryer including a chamber configured to provide an interior space, support pins in the interior space proximate to a bottom of the chamber, a power supply configured to supply power to the support pins, and a pump coupled to the interior space in the chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vacuum dryer comprising:
a chamber configured to provide an interior space;
support pins in the interior space proximate to a bottom of the chamber;
a power supply configured to supply power to the support pins to electrify the support pins; and
a pump coupled to the interior space in the chamber.

2. The vacuum dryer according to claim 1 , further comprising a substrate in the interior space to be dried, wherein the support pins directly support the substrate.

3. The vacuum dryer according to claim 2 , further comprising a photoresist is on the substrate,
wherein the photoresist includes a solvent having a polarity.

4. The vacuum dryer according to claim 3 , wherein a voltage level of the power is based on a magnitude of the polarity of the solvent, and wherein the voltage level of the power is configured to decrease as the polarity of the solvent increases.

5. The vacuum dryer according to claim 3 , wherein a temperature of a contact portion of the substrate that contacts one of the support pins is higher than a temperature of a non-contact portion spaced apart from each of the support pins.

6. The vacuum dryer according to claim 1 , wherein each of the support pins has one shape of a cylindrical shape, a hemispherical shape, a conical shape, or a needle shape.

7. The vacuum dryer according to claim 1 , wherein each of the support pins comprises a core and a shell configured to enclose the core,
wherein the core includes conductive material, and
wherein the shell includes insulating material.

8. The vacuum dryer according to claim 7 , wherein a thermal conductivity of at least one of the support pins is approximately 0.3 W/mK or less.

9. The vacuum dryer according to claim 8 , wherein a voltage level of the power is based on the thermal conductivity, and wherein the voltage level of the power is configured to increase as the thermal conductivity increases.

10. The vacuum dryer according to claim 4 , wherein the power supply comprises:
a power generation circuit configured to generate the power; and
a switching circuit configured to couple an output terminal of the power generation circuit to the support pins in response to a first control signal.

11. The vacuum dryer according to claim 10 , wherein the switching circuit is configured to couple the support pins to a ground in response to a second control signal.

12. The vacuum dryer according to claim 11 , wherein the switching circuit is configured to couple the support pins to the ground before the interior space is decompressed.

13. The vacuum dryer according to claim 11 , wherein the switching circuit is configured to couple the output terminal of the power supply to the support pins when the interior space is decompressed.

14. The vacuum dryer according to claim 13 ,
wherein, when each of the support pins is electrified by the power from the power supply, a thickness of the photoresist in a first area of the substrate becomes greater than a thickness of the photoresist in a second area of the substrate, the first area of the substrate overlapping one of the support pins, and the second area of the substrate being spaced apart from the support pins.

15. The vacuum dryer according to claim 14 , wherein while the interior space is decompressed, the thickness of the photoresist in the first area is reduced to be substantially identical to the thickness of the photoresist in the second area.

16. The vacuum dryer according to claim 1 ,
wherein the chamber comprises a base plate and a cover, and
wherein the power supply is configured to apply the power having a first voltage level to the support pins when the cover comes into close contact with the base plate.

17. The vacuum dryer according to claim 16 , wherein the power supply is configured to adjust a voltage level of the power to a ground voltage level when the cover is spaced apart from the base plate.

18. The vacuum dryer according to claim 16 , further comprising:
a support plate over the base plate; and
a lifter coupled to the support plate and configured to adjust a height of the support plate in the interior space, and
wherein the support pins are distributed on the support plate.

19. The vacuum dryer according to claim 18 , wherein the support pins are electrically coupled to each other through a power line in the support plate.

20. The vacuum dryer according to claim 18 , wherein the support pins are coupled independently of each other to the power supply.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Jung Wook
• Kwon Yeon Ju
• Kim Do Hyun
• Kim Jung Soo
• Park Ga Hee
• Song Ha Jun
• Lee Do Yoon
• Im Hun Hyeon

Classifications

• H10P72/7614

  characterised by a plurality of individual support members, e.g. support posts or protrusions · CPC title

• H10P72/0462

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

• H10P72/0408

  for drying · CPC title

• H10P72/0402

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

• F26B23/04

  using electric heating (F26B23/10 takes precedence) · CPC title