Substrate drying apparatus and substrate drying method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025218810-A1
Application number	US-202519008381-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 2, 2025
Priority date	Jan 3, 2024
Publication date	Jul 3, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A substrate drying apparatus includes a process chamber including a processing space for drying a residual liquid remaining on a surface of a substrate, a first fluid supply device configured to supply a first fluid to the processing space, wherein the solubility of the residual liquid in the first fluid is a first solubility, a second fluid supply device configured to supply a second fluid in a supercritical state to the processing space, wherein the solubility of the residual liquid in the second fluid is a second solubility that is greater than the first solubility, and an exhaust device configured to discharge a waste fluid within the processing space of the process chamber to the outside of the process chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A substrate drying apparatus comprising:
a process chamber comprising a processing space for drying a residual liquid located on a surface of a substrate; a substrate support configured to support the substrate within the process chamber; a first fluid supply device configured to supply a first fluid to the processing space through a first supply pipe penetrating the process chamber, wherein the solubility of the residual liquid in the first fluid is a first solubility; a second fluid supply device configured to supply a second fluid in a supercritical state to the processing space through a second supply pipe penetrating the process chamber, wherein the solubility of the residual liquid in the second fluid is a second solubility that is greater than the first solubility; and an exhaust device configured to discharge a waste fluid within the processing space of the process chamber to outside the process chamber through an exhaust pipe penetrating the process chamber.

2 . The substrate drying apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a critical temperature of the first fluid is less than a critical temperature of the second fluid.

3 . The substrate drying apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a temperature of the first fluid when the first fluid supply device supplies the first fluid to the processing space is less than or equal to a temperature of the second fluid when the second fluid supply device supplies the second fluid to the processing space.

4 . The substrate drying apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first supply pipe penetrates a lower wall of the process chamber and is located below the substrate support.

5 . The substrate drying apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the second supply pipe is located above the substrate support and penetrates an upper wall of the process chamber, and
wherein the exhaust pipe penetrates a lower wall of the process chamber.

6 . The substrate drying apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to control the first fluid supply device and the second fluid supply device,
wherein the controller is configured to: control the first fluid supply device to supply the first fluid to the processing space of the process chamber until a pressure of the processing space of the process chamber changes from an initial pressure to a process pressure that is greater than the initial pressure; and control the second fluid supply device to supply the second fluid to the processing space of the process chamber when the pressure of the processing space of the process chamber reaches the process pressure.

7 . A substrate drying method comprising:
loading a substrate with a residual liquid located on its surface onto a substrate support within a process chamber; supplying a first fluid to a processing space within the process chamber and increasing a pressure of the processing space; supplying a second fluid in a supercritical state to the processing space within the process chamber and dissolving the residual liquid located on the surface of the substrate; and discharging a waste fluid within the processing space to outside the process chamber, wherein the solubility of the residual liquid in the first fluid is less than the solubility of the residual liquid in the second fluid.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein a temperature of the first fluid supplied to the processing space in an operation of increasing the pressure of the processing space is less than or equal to a temperature of the second fluid supplied to the processing space in an operation of dissolving the residual liquid.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the substrate comprises a plurality of fine patterns protruding upward from an upper face of the substrate, and
wherein in an operation of loading the substrate to the processing space, the residual liquid covers the plurality of fine patterns of the substrate.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein in an operation of increasing the pressure of the processing space, the residual liquid covers the plurality of fine patterns of the substrate even if part of the residual liquid is dissolved in the first fluid.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein in an operation of increasing the pressure of the processing space, the second fluid is not supplied to the processing space and only the first fluid is supplied to the processing space.

12 . The method of claim 7 , wherein in an operation of dissolving the residual liquid, the first fluid is not supplied to the processing space and only the second fluid is supplied to the processing space.

13 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the first fluid is supplied to the processing space through a first supply pipe that is located below the substrate support and penetrates a lower wall of the process chamber.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the second fluid is supplied to the processing space through a second supply pipe that is located above the substrate support and penetrates a side wall of the process chamber, and
wherein the waste fluid is exhausted to outside the process chamber through an exhaust pipe that penetrates a side wall of the process chamber and is located below the substrate.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the second fluid is supplied to the processing space through a second supply pipe that is located above the substrate support and penetrates an upper wall of the process chamber, and
wherein the waste fluid is exhausted to outside the process chamber through an exhaust pipe that penetrates a lower wall of the process chamber.

16 . The method of claim 7 , wherein a critical point of the first fluid is different from a critical point of the second fluid.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein a critical temperature of the first fluid is less than a critical temperature of the second fluid.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the residual liquid comprises isopropyl alcohol (C 3 H 8 O),
wherein the first fluid comprises at least one of nitrogen (N 2 ) and argon (Ar), and wherein the second fluid comprises at least one of hydrofluoroether (HFE) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ).

19 . A substrate drying method comprising:
loading a substrate with a residual liquid located on its surface onto a substrate support within a process chamber; supplying, by a first fluid supply device, a first fluid in a supercritical state to a processing space within the process chamber and increasing a pressure of the processing space; supplying, by a second fluid supply device, a second fluid in a supercritical state to the processing space within the process chamber and dissolving the residual liquid located on the surface of the substrate in the second fluid; and discharging a waste fluid within the processing space to outside the process chamber, wherein the substrate comprises a plurality of fine patterns protruding upward from an upper face of the substrate, wherein in an operation of increasing the pressure of the processing space, the residual liquid covers the plurality of fine patterns of the substrate, wherein the second fluid is supplied to the processing space when the pressure of the processing space reaches a process pressure, wherein the first fluid and the second fluid have different constituent materials, and wherein the solubility of the residual liquid in the first fluid is less than the solubility of the residual liquid in the second fluid.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the residual liquid comprises isopropyl alcohol (C 3 H 8 O),

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yoon Junho
• Jeong Jihoon
• Kim Taeheon
• Lee Junho
• Kim Younghoo
• Lee Jongwon
• Jung Jiwoong

Classifications

• H10P72/0408 Primary

  for drying · CPC title

• H10P72/0414

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

• H10P72/0406

  for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like · CPC title

• F26B25/00

  Details of general application not covered by group F26B21/00 or F26B23/00 (loading, conveying, and unloading in general B65G) · CPC title

• F26B5/16

  by contact with sorbent bodies, e.g. absorbent mould; by admixture with sorbent materials · CPC title