Apparatus and method for drying substrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12308255-B2
Application number	US-202217582620-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2022
Priority date	Jul 9, 2021
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

Provided is a substrate drying apparatus. The substrate drying apparatus may include an upper chamber body including an inlet configured to introduce a supercritical fluid into a chamber space, a lower chamber body including an outlet configured to discharge the supercritical fluid outside the chamber space, and a stage configured to be loaded with a wet substrate and arranged in the chamber space, wherein the upper chamber body and the lower chamber body are configured such that the chamber space is closed by bringing the upper chamber body into contact with the lower chamber body, and the chamber space is opened by separating the upper chamber body from the lower chamber body, and the stage comprises a heater configured to heat the substrate and the supercritical fluid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate drying apparatus comprising:
an upper chamber body including an inlet configured to introduce a supercritical fluid into a chamber space;
a lower chamber body including an outlet configured to discharge the supercritical fluid outside the chamber space; and
a stage in the chamber space and configured to receive a wet substrate, wherein
the upper chamber body and the lower chamber body are configured such that the chamber space is closed by bringing the upper chamber body into contact with the lower chamber body, and the chamber space is opened by separating the upper chamber body from the lower chamber body, and
the stage comprises a heater in the stage configured to heat the substrate and the supercritical fluid.

2. The substrate drying apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the substrate drying apparatus is configured such that a pressure and a temperature in the chamber space is greater than or equal to a critical pressure and a critical temperature of the supercritical fluid, respectively.

3. The substrate drying apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the stage further comprises:
a battery supplying power to the heater; and
a wireless charging module for wirelessly charging the battery.

4. The substrate drying apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the stage further comprises:
a temperature sensor; and
a heater controller for controlling the heater according to the temperature sensor.

5. The substrate drying apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the heater includes a plurality of heating zones arranged in a first direction and a second direction, wherein the first direction and the second direction intersect each other, and
the stage further includes a heater controller which independently controls the plurality of heating zones.

6. The substrate drying apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the heater comprises a plurality of heating zones arranged in a radial direction of the heater, and
the stage further comprises a heater controller which independently controls the plurality of heating zones.

7. The substrate drying apparatus of claim 6 , wherein
the heater controller controls a central heating zone and an outermost heating zone among the plurality of heating zones such that power consumed by the central heating zone is greater than power consumed by the outermost heating zone.

8. The substrate drying apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the lower chamber body comprises a floor and a lower wall extending from the floor toward the upper chamber body, and
the substrate drying apparatus further comprises a first lower heater in the floor and a second lower heater in the lower wall.

9. The substrate drying apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the upper chamber body comprises a ceiling and an upper wall extending from the ceiling toward the lower chamber body, and
the substrate drying apparatus further comprises a first upper heater in the ceiling and a second upper heater in the upper wall.

10. The substrate drying apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the lower chamber body comprises a floor and a lower wall extending from the floor toward the upper chamber body and forming a lower inclined portion;
the upper chamber body comprises a ceiling and an upper wall extending from the ceiling toward the lower chamber body and forming an upper inclined portion; the substrate drying apparatus further comprising:
a plurality of coupling units configured to bring the upper chamber body into contact with the lower chamber body by contacting the lower inclined portion of the lower chamber body and the upper inclined portion of the upper chamber body.

11. The substrate drying apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the stage further comprises:
an insulating structure surrounding the heater; and
a coating layer surrounding the insulating structure, wherein
the coating layer comprises polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

12. A substrate drying apparatus comprising:
an upper chamber body including an inlet configured to introduce a supercritical fluid into a chamber space;
a lower chamber body including an outlet configured to discharge the supercritical fluid outside the chamber space;
a plurality of coupling units configured to bring the upper chamber body into contact with the lower chamber body; and
a stage configured to be loaded with a wet substrate and arranged in the chamber space, wherein
the stage comprises:
an insulating structure;
a heater, a heater controller, a battery, and a wireless charging module in the insulating structure; and
a coating layer surrounding the insulating structure.

13. The substrate drying apparatus of claim 12 , wherein
the substrate drying apparatus is configured such that a pressure and a temperature in the chamber space is greater than or equal to a critical pressure and a critical temperature of the supercritical fluid, respectively.

14. The substrate drying apparatus of claim 12 , wherein
the stage further comprises:
a battery supplying power to the heater; and
a wireless charging module for wirelessly charging the battery.

15. The substrate drying apparatus of claim 12 , wherein
the stage further comprises:
a temperature sensor; and
a heater controller for controlling the heater according to the temperature sensor.

16. The substrate drying apparatus of claim 12 , wherein
the heater includes a plurality of heating zones arranged in a first direction and a second direction, wherein the first direction and the second direction intersect each other, and
the stage further includes a heater controller which independently controls the plurality of heating zones.

17. The substrate drying apparatus of claim 12 , wherein
the heater comprises a plurality of heating zones arranged in a radial direction of the heater, and
the stage further comprises a heater controller which independently controls the plurality of heating zones.

18. The substrate drying apparatus of claim 17 , wherein
the heater controller controls a central heating zone and an outermost heating zone among the plurality of heating zones such that power consumed by the central heating zone is greater than power consumed by the outermost heating zone.

19. The substrate drying apparatus of claim 12 , wherein
the lower chamber body comprises a floor and a lower wall extending from the floor toward the upper chamber body, and
the substrate drying apparatus further comprises a first lower heater in the floor and a second lower heater in the lower wall.

20. The substrate drying apparatus of claim 12 , wherein
the upper chamber body comprises a ceiling and an upper wall extending from the ceiling toward the lower chamber body, and
the substrate drying apparatus further comprises a first upper heater in the ceiling and a second upper heater in the upper wall.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Sangjine
• Jeong Jihoon
• Kim Younghoo
• Lee Kuntack

Classifications

• H10P14/6508

  by exposure to a liquid · CPC title

• H10P72/7612

  characterised by lifting arrangements, e.g. lift pins · CPC title

• H10P72/7604

  the wafers being placed on a susceptor, stage or support · CPC title

• H10P72/0602

  Temperature monitoring · CPC title

• H10P72/0462 Primary

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