Recycling unit and substrate treating apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9275847-B2
Application number	US-201414228731-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2014
Priority date	Mar 29, 2013
Publication date	Mar 1, 2016
Grant date	Mar 1, 2016

Abstract

The substrate treating apparatus includes a drying chamber in which an organic solvent remaining on a substrate is dissolved by using a fluid, and a recycling unit including a separator for separating the organic solvent from the fluid discharged from the drying chamber to recycle the fluid. The separator includes a distiller in which a fluid containing an organic solvent having a first concentration is introduced, a heating unit heating a fluid containing an organic solvent having a second concentration discharged from the distiller, and supplying an evaporated fluid containing an organic solvent having a third concentration into the distiller, and a condensation unit liquefying a fluid containing an organic solvent having a fourth concentration discharged from the distiller. The organic solvent has the second concentration, the first concentration, the third concentration, and the fourth concentration which are successively lowered in concentration.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate treating apparatus comprising:
a drying 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;
a supply unit supplying the fluid into the drying chamber; and
a recycling unit comprising a separator for separating the organic solvent from the fluid discharged from the drying chamber to recycle the fluid, the recycling unit supplying the recycled fluid into the supply unit,
wherein the separator comprises:
a distiller in which a fluid containing an organic solvent having a first concentration is flowed in;
a heating unit heating a fluid containing an organic solvent having a second concentration discharged from the distiller, the heating unit supplying an evaporated fluid containing an organic solvent having a third concentration into the distiller; and
a condensation unit liquefying a fluid containing an organic solvent having a fourth concentration discharged from the distiller,
wherein the organic solvent has the second concentration, the first concentration, the third concentration, and the fourth concentration which are successively lowered in concentration.

2. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the separator further comprises a liquefaction unit disposed between the drying chamber and the distiller to liquefy the fluid discharged from the drying chamber, and
the liquefaction unit supplies the fluid containing the organic solvent having the first concentration into the distiller.

3. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the heating unit comprises:
a heater;
a discharge tube connecting the heater to the distiller to supply the fluid containing the organic solvent having the second concentration from the distiller to the heater;
a recovery tube supplying the fluid containing the organic solvent having the third concentration, which is heated by the heater, into the distiller; and
an organic solvent discharge tube discharging the organic solvent separated from the fluid containing the organic solvent having the second concentration to the outside of the heater.

4. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the distiller further comprises:
a housing;
an inflow tube connecting the liquefaction unit to the housing to supply the fluid containing the organic solvent having the first concentration, which is liquefied by the liquefaction unit, to into the housing,
wherein the recovery tube is connected to the housing at a position that is lower than that of the inflow tube.

5. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 4 , wherein a lower packing member is disposed between the recovery tube and the inflow tube in the housing, and
the fluid containing the organic solvent having the first concentration and the fluid containing the organic solvent having the third concentration exchange heat by passing through the lower packing member in opposite directions to each other, respectively.

6. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the condensation unit comprises:
a condenser;
an exhaust tube connecting the distiller to the condenser to supply the fluid containing the organic solvent having the fourth concentration into the condenser; and
a fluid discharge tube discharging the fluid liquefied in the condenser into the outside of the condenser.

7. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the distiller further comprises a supply tube supplying a fluid containing an organic solvent having a fifth concentration into an upper portion of the distiller, and
the fifth concentration is less than the third concentration.

8. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the supply tube is branched from the fluid discharge tube, and
the fifth concentration is the same as the fourth concentration.

9. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the supply tube further comprises a pump supplying the fluid from the condenser to the distiller.

10. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the supply tube is connected to the housing at a position that is higher than that of the inflow tube.

11. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 7 , wherein an upper packing member is disposed between the inflow tube and the supply tube in the housing, and
the fluid containing the organic solvent having the third concentration and the fluid containing the organic solvent having the fifth concentration exchange heat by passing through the upper packing member in opposite directions to each other, respectively.

12. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the condensation unit comprises:
a condenser;
an exhaust tube connecting the distiller to the condenser to supply the fluid containing the organic solvent having the fourth concentration into the condenser; and
a fluid discharge tube discharging the fluid liquefied in the condenser into the outside of the condenser.

13. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the distiller comprises:
a housing;
an inflow tube supplying the fluid containing the organic solvent having the first concentration, which is liquefied through the liquefaction unit, into the housing; and
a supply tube supplying the fluid containing the organic solvent having the fifth concentration into the housing,
wherein the supply tube is connected to the housing at a position that is higher than that of the inflow tube.

14. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the supply tube is branched from the fluid discharge tube, and
the fifth concentration is the same as the fourth concentration.

15. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the supply tube further comprises a pump supplying the fluid from the condenser to the distiller.

16. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 13 , wherein an upper packing member is disposed between the inflow tube and the supply tube in the housing, and
the fluid containing the organic solvent having the third concentration and the fluid containing the organic solvent having the fifth concentration exchange heat by passing through the upper packing member in opposite directions to each other, respectively.

17. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the inflow tube further comprises:
a valve disposed in the inflow tube;
a first sensor measuring a pressure within the distiller;
a second sensor measuring a pressure within the liquefaction unit; and
a controller receiving signals measured by the first and second sensors to control the valve,
wherein the controller closes the valve when the pressure within the liquefaction unit is greater than or equal to that within the distiller.

18. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the organic solvent comprises isopropyl alcohol (IPA), and
the fluid comprises carbon dioxide (CO 2 ).

19. A recycling unit comprising:
a separator separating an organic solvent from a fluid discharged from a process chamber,
wherein the separator comprises:
a distiller in which a fluid containing an organic solvent having a first concentration is flowed in;
a heating unit heating a fluid containing an organic solvent having a second concentration discharged from the distiller, the heating unit supplying an evaporated fluid containing an organic solvent having a third concentration into the distiller; and
a condensation unit liquefying a fluid containing an organic solvent having a fourth concentration discharged from the distiller,

Assignees

• Semes Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jung In-Il
• Jung Eun-Sun
• Heo Chan-Young
• Park Jeong Seon
• Kim Seong-Soo

Classifications

• H10P72/0414

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

• H10P72/0408 Primary

  for drying · CPC title

• H10P72/0406 Primary

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

• H10P95/00 Primary

  Generic processes or apparatus for manufacture or treatments not covered by the other groups of this subclass · CPC title

• H01L21/00 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic