Drying apparatus

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a drying apparatus, comprising: a drying chamber for accommodating a wafer assembly; a separation mechanism disposed within the drying chamber, the separation mechanism including a separation motion component and a support component, the support component being oriented relative to the bottom opening of a wafer frame to support the wafers, the separation motion component being connected to the wafer frame to drive the wafer frame to move vertically upwards and downwards; a rotation mechanism including a drive assembly and at least one roller, the drive assembly being connected to the roller and being used to drive the roller to move axially and to rotate the roller, the axial direction of the roller being parallel to the axial direction of the wafers; and a control mechanism connected to the drive assembly, used to control the drive assembly to drive the roller to move between the wafers and the wafer frame when the wafer frame descends to a first preset position separated from the wafers, and to control the drive assembly to drive the roller to rotate when the roller contacts the wafers, thereby causing the wafers to rotate. This solution can improve the wafer drying effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure belongs to the field of chip manufacturing technology, specifically relating to a drying device. Background Technology

[0002] During the wafer manufacturing process, contaminants can adsorb onto the wafer surface, resulting in numerous defects. Cleaning and drying processes are required to remove these defects and provide a smooth and clean wafer surface.

[0003] Currently, in order to achieve batch cleaning and drying of wafers, multiple wafers are usually loaded into a wafer frame and placed together in the equipment for cleaning and drying. However, this method has poor drying effect and easily leaves water stains on the wafers, affecting their subsequent use. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a drying apparatus that can improve the drying effect.

[0005] The drying apparatus provided in this disclosure is used to dry at least one wafer set, the wafer set including a frame and at least one wafer supported within the frame, wherein the drying apparatus includes:

[0006] A drying oven is used to house the wafer assembly;

[0007] A separation mechanism is provided inside the drying oven. The separation mechanism includes a separation moving component and a support component. The support component is able to face the bottom opening of the wafer frame to support the wafer. The separation moving component is used to connect with the wafer frame to drive the wafer frame to move up and down in the vertical direction.

[0008] A rotating mechanism includes a drive assembly and at least one roller. The drive assembly is connected to the roller and is used to drive the roller to move in the axial direction of the roller and to drive the roller to rotate. The axial direction of the roller is parallel to the axial direction of the wafer.

[0009] A control mechanism, connected to the drive assembly, is used to control the drive assembly to drive the roller to move between the wafer and the wafer frame when the wafer frame descends to a first preset position separated from the wafer, and to control the drive assembly to drive the roller to rotate when the roller contacts the wafer, so as to drive the wafer to rotate.

[0010] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the drive assembly includes a horizontal drive member connected to the roller and the control mechanism;

[0011] The drying equipment further includes a first position detector, which is installed in the drying chamber and connected to the control mechanism. The first position detector is used to detect the position of the sheet frame inside the drying chamber.

[0012] The first position detector is used to send a first horizontal movement command to the control mechanism when it detects that the wafer frame has descended to the first preset position. The control mechanism is used to respond to the first horizontal movement command to control the horizontal drive to drive the roller to move between the wafer and the wafer frame.

[0013] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the drive assembly includes a rotary drive member connected to the roller and the control mechanism;

[0014] The drying equipment further includes a second position detector, which is installed in the drying chamber or the roller and connected to the control mechanism. The second position detector is used to detect the positional relationship between the roller and the wafer.

[0015] The second position detector is used to send a rotation command to the control mechanism when it detects that the roller is in contact with the wafer; the control mechanism is used to control the rotation drive to drive the roller to rotate in response to the rotation command.

[0016] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the drive assembly further includes a vertical drive member connected to the roller and the control mechanism;

[0017] The second position detector is used to send a vertical movement command to the control mechanism when a gap is detected between the roller and the wafer. The control mechanism is used to respond to the vertical movement command to control the vertical drive to drive the roller to rise to a position in contact with the wafer.

[0018] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, at least two rollers are provided, including a first roller and a second roller. The first roller and the second roller are parallel to each other and spaced apart, and the first roller and the second roller can be located on opposite sides of the support member.

[0019] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the drying chamber is provided with a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet. The liquid inlet is used to allow cleaning fluid to enter the drying chamber to clean the wafer assembly, and the liquid outlet is used to discharge the cleaning fluid after cleaning.

[0020] The control mechanism is connected to the separating moving part. The control mechanism is used to control the separating moving part to descend during or after the cleaning fluid is discharged, so as to drive the frame to descend to the first preset position.

[0021] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the drying chamber is further provided with a gas inlet, which is used at least to allow drying gas to enter the drying chamber during or after the cleaning liquid is discharged, so as to dry the wafer and the wafer frame.

[0022] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the top of the drying oven is open to allow the wafer assembly to be placed inside the drying oven; the top of the drying oven is provided with a cover, and the bottom surface of the cover is provided with a slot corresponding to the wafer, the slot being at least used to limit the displacement of the wafer in the axial direction of the wafer;

[0023] The support includes a moving part and a supporting part. The supporting part is used to support the wafer, and the moving part is connected to the supporting part to drive the supporting part to move in the vertical direction.

[0024] The control mechanism is also connected to the moving part, and is used to control the moving part to rise during the process of controlling the separating moving part to descend to the first preset position, so as to drive the support part to rise from the initial position to the second preset position;

[0025] When the support is in the initial position, the top of the wafer supported on the support is located below the slot and has a preset distance from the slot;

[0026] When the support is in the second preset position, the top of the wafer supported on the support is located in the slot.

[0027] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the wafer frame has a plurality of limiting grooves arranged sequentially along the axial direction of the wafer, each wafer being supported in one of the limiting grooves, the limiting grooves being used at least to limit the displacement of the wafer in the axial direction of the wafer;

[0028] The wafer has multiple slots arranged sequentially along its axial direction, and the slots and the limiting slots are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence in the vertical direction.

[0029] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, when the support is in the second preset position, there is a gap between the top of the wafer supported on the support and the bottom of the slot.

[0030] The drying equipment disclosed herein has the following beneficial effects:

[0031] In this disclosure, the wafer in the wafer frame is supported by a support member, and then the wafer frame is lowered to a first preset position by a separation motion member. At this time, the wafer frame and the wafer are separated in the drying chamber. Compared with the solution where the wafer frame and the wafer are not separated, the wafer frame and the wafer are fully exposed in the drying chamber, thereby improving the drying effect of the wafer frame and the wafer in the drying chamber. Furthermore, after the wafer frame and the wafer are separated, the drive assembly can drive the roller to move from the side to the position between the wafer and the wafer frame, so that the roller contacts the wafer. Then the drive assembly drives the roller to rotate. Since the roller contacts the wafer, friction is generated between the roller and the wafer when the roller rotates, so as to drive the wafer to rotate. This allows all parts of the wafer to be fully exposed to the drying environment, thereby further improving the drying efficiency and drying effect of the wafer.

[0032] In addition, since the axis of the roller is parallel to the axis of the wafer, the roller can contact more wafers at the same time, thereby driving multiple wafers to rotate and dry simultaneously, which speeds up the drying efficiency.

[0033] Other features and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description, or may be learned in part from practice of this disclosure.

[0034] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0035] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this disclosure, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort.

[0036] Figure 1 A top view of the wafer assembly described in the embodiments of this disclosure is shown;

[0037] Figure 2 A perspective view of the wafer frame in the wafer assembly described in the embodiments of this disclosure is shown;

[0038] Figure 3 A schematic cross-sectional view of the wafer assembly described in the embodiments of this disclosure is shown;

[0039] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the assembly of the drying chamber and the separation mechanism in an embodiment of this disclosure is shown;

[0040] Figure 5 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the drying chamber and the separation mechanism after assembly is shown in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0041] Figure 6 It shows Figure 3 The wafer assembly shown is mounted on Figure 5 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the structure shown;

[0042] Figure 7 It shows Figure 6 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the structure shown, with a lid covering the top.

[0043] Figure 8 It shows Figure 7 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the wafer frame separated from the wafer phase.

[0044] Figure 9 A plan view is shown of the drying apparatus described in an embodiment of this disclosure, in which the rollers do not extend from the side to the spacer between the wafer and the wafer.

[0045] Figure 10 A schematic plan view is shown of the drying apparatus described in one embodiment of this disclosure, in which rollers extend from the side to the space between the wafer frame and the wafer.

[0046] Figure 11 A schematic cross-sectional view of the contact between the roller and the wafer in the drying apparatus described in Embodiment 1 or Embodiment 2 of this disclosure is shown.

[0047] Figure 12 This is a schematic plan view showing the drying apparatus described in Embodiment 2 of this disclosure, in which the rollers do not extend from the side to the spacer between the wafer and the wafer.

[0048] Figure 13 A schematic plan view is shown of the drying apparatus described in Embodiment 2 of this disclosure, in which the roller extends from the side to the space between the wafer frame and the wafer.

[0049] Figure 14 A schematic cross-sectional view is shown of the drying apparatus described in Embodiment 2 of this disclosure, in which the roller extends from the side to the spacer between the wafer and the wafer.

[0050] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0051] 10. Wafer frame; 101. Limiting groove; 101a. Limiting area; 101b. Opening area; 11. Base plate; 111. Bottom opening; 20. Wafer; 30. Drying oven; 301. Gas inlet; 302. Liquid inlet; 303. Liquid outlet; 40. Separation mechanism; 401. Separation moving part; 402. Support part; 4021. Moving part; 4022. Support part; 501. Drive assembly; 501a. Horizontal drive part; 501b. Rotary drive part; 501c. Vertical drive part; 502. Roller; 502a. First roller; 502b. Second roller; 60. Box cover; 601. Slot. Detailed Implementation

[0052] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be more thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art.

[0053] Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Numerous specific details are provided in the following description to give a thorough understanding of embodiments of this disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the technical solutions of this disclosure can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or other methods, components, apparatuses, steps, etc., can be employed. In other instances, well-known methods, apparatuses, implementations, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring various aspects of this disclosure.

[0054] The present disclosure will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that the technical features involved in the various embodiments of the present disclosure described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the present disclosure, and should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure.

[0055] Example 1

[0056] This disclosure provides a drying apparatus for drying at least one wafer group.

[0057] refer to Figures 1 to 3 As can be seen, the wafer set mentioned in this embodiment may include a wafer frame 10 and at least one wafer 20 supported within the wafer frame 10. Specifically, the wafer frame 10 may be a rectangular frame, and multiple wafers 20 may be supported within the wafer frame 10.

[0058] In this embodiment, the top of the wafer frame 10 is open to allow the wafer 20 to be inserted into the wafer frame 10. The bottom of the wafer frame 10 is provided with a base plate 11 for supporting the wafer 20. This base plate 11 has a bottom opening 111 for exposing the bottom of the wafer 20.

[0059] Furthermore, to ensure that each wafer 20 within the wafer frame 10 is independently supported, the wafer frame 10 may also have multiple locating grooves 101 arranged sequentially along the axial direction of the wafers 20. Each wafer 20 is supported within one locating groove 101. These locating grooves 101 at least limit the displacement of the wafers 20 along the wafer axial direction. In other words, the wafers 20 are spaced apart and upright within the wafer frame 10, which facilitates drying and cleaning of each wafer 20. It should be understood that these locating grooves 101 can also limit the displacement of the wafers 20 in the wafer radial direction.

[0060] It should be understood that, while ensuring that wafer 20 is supported within the wafer frame 10, in order to mitigate the scratching of wafer 20 surface by the wafer frame 10, combined with... Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the limiting groove 101 of the frame 10 can be divided into an opening area 101b and two limiting areas 101a. The two limiting areas 101a are located on opposite sides of the opening area 101b in the wafer radial direction. Adjacent limiting grooves 101 are interconnected through the opening area 101b. The limiting area 101a is used to limit the displacement of the wafer 20 in the wafer axial direction to ensure that the wafer 20 is stably limited within the frame 10. In addition, since the middle area of ​​the limiting groove 101 is designed to be open, it can also alleviate the wear between the wafer 20 and the limiting groove 101.

[0061] In this embodiment, in order to improve the drying efficiency of the above-mentioned wafer group, combined with Figures 4 to 10 As shown, the drying equipment mentioned in this embodiment may include a drying chamber 30, a separation mechanism 40, a rotating mechanism, and a control mechanism (not shown in the figure).

[0062] The drying oven 30 can be used to house the aforementioned wafer set. This drying oven 30 can provide a drying environment for the wafer set, for example, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the drying oven 30 may have a gas inlet 301, which allows drying gas to enter the drying oven 30 for drying the wafers 20 and frame 10 in the wafer assembly. For example, the drying gas may be a hot gas mixture of IPA (isopropanol) and N2 (nitrogen) to achieve the purpose of drying the wafers 20 and frame 10.

[0063] For example, the number of gas inlets 301 is not limited to one as shown in the figure, but can be multiple, depending on the specific circumstances, and their locations are not limited to those shown in the figure.

[0064] It should be understood that this embodiment is not limited to using the drying gas entering through the gas inlet 301 to provide a drying environment for the drying chamber 30. It may also be possible to install a heating element inside the drying chamber 30 and provide a drying environment by heating through the heating element, depending on the specific circumstances.

[0065] In this embodiment, the drying oven 30 can provide a drying environment for the wafer assembly, and also a cleaning environment for the wafer assembly; for example: Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the drying chamber 30 may be provided with a liquid inlet 302, which can be used to allow cleaning fluid to enter the drying chamber 30. That is, when the wafer assembly is placed into the drying chamber 30, this liquid inlet 302 can allow cleaning fluid to enter the drying chamber 30 for cleaning the wafer 20.

[0066] In order to facilitate the drainage of liquid from the drying oven 30, such as Figure 4 As shown, the drying oven 30 may also be provided with a drain port 303. This drain port 303 is set independently from the inlet port 302. This drain port 303 is used to facilitate the discharge of cleaning solution after cleaning. That is, after cleaning the wafer assembly, the drain port 303 can be opened to discharge the cleaning solution in the drying oven 30.

[0067] It should be understood that in this embodiment, the cleaning process can be performed first using the drying chamber 30, and then the drying process can be performed. The drying process can be performed after the cleaning liquid is drained from the drain port 303, or it can be performed during the draining process of the drain port 303. That is to say, the gas inlet 301 can supply drying gas into the drying chamber 30 during or after the cleaning liquid is drained, so as to dry the wafer 20 and the frame 10.

[0068] For example, combined Figures 4 to 7 As shown, the top of the drying oven 30 can be open to allow wafer assemblies to be placed inside the drying oven 30. In this case, in order to ensure the drying and cleaning environment of the drying oven 30, the lid 60 can be moved to the top of the drying oven 30 during the drying and cleaning process to seal the drying oven 30. That is, the top of the drying oven 30 is provided with a lid 60.

[0069] It should be noted that the top opening of the drying oven 30 allows both the wafer assembly and the cleaning solution to enter the drying oven 30. In other words, the top opening of the drying oven 30 can serve as a liquid inlet 302. Furthermore, during the cleaning process using the drying oven 30, the cleaning solution level can be higher than the top of the wafer 20. This means the wafer 20 is completely immersed in the cleaning solution for cleaning. It should be understood that during the cleaning process, while the cleaning solution level is higher than the top of the wafer 20, it is located below the oven lid 60. This means the cleaning solution essentially does not come into contact with the oven lid 60, ensuring the lid remains dry.

[0070] Combination Figures 4 to 7As shown, the separation mechanism 40 can be located inside the drying oven 30. This separation mechanism 40 may include a separation motion member 401 and a support member 402. The support member 402 can be opposite to the bottom opening 111 of the wafer frame 10 to support the wafer 20. The separation motion member 401 is used to connect with the wafer frame 10 to drive the wafer frame 10 to move up and down in the vertical direction Z.

[0071] It should be understood that the separating motion component 401 can be a robotic arm that clamps the frame 10 to drive it to move up and down in the vertical direction Z. However, it is not limited to this. The separating motion component 401 can also be connected to the frame 10 in other ways to drive it to move, depending on the specific situation.

[0072] Before all procedures begin, the lid 60 can be removed from the drying oven 30. To automate this process, a robotic arm can be used to remove the lid 60 from the drying oven 30. Then, the wafer assembly is supported on the support member 402. Specifically, as shown... Figure 6 As shown, wafer 20 is supported on support member 402, and wafer frame 10 is supported on separation movement member 401. At this time, the wafer assembly is in its initial position. When the wafer assembly is in its initial position, cleaning fluid can be injected into the drying oven 30. Then, when the level of the cleaning fluid reaches a set height, for example, above the top of wafer 20, the oven cover 60 can be moved onto the drying oven 30. Figure 7 As shown, a sealed drying oven 30 is used; then the wafer 20 and wafer frame 10 of the wafer assembly are cleaned to ensure a safe cleaning environment. After the cleaning process is completed, the drying equipment can enter the drainage process. The separating moving part 401 can drive the wafer frame 10 from the initial position to the first preset position during or after the drainage process. Figure 8 As shown, the wafer frame 10 is separated from the wafer 20 in the first preset position to facilitate subsequent drying processes. It should be understood that there is a gap between the wafer frame 10 and the bottom of the wafer 20 in the first preset position to facilitate subsequent roller movement between the wafer frame 10 and the wafer 20.

[0073] After the drying process is completed, the separation motion component 401 can drive the dried wafer frame 10 to rise to the initial position so that the dried wafer 20 is supported in the wafer frame 10.

[0074] For example, after the separating motion component 401 drives the dried wafer frame 10 to the initial position, it can continue to drive the entire wafer assembly to rise, making it easier to remove the entire wafer assembly from the drying chamber 30 later.

[0075] In this embodiment, the wafer 20 in the frame 10 is supported by the support member 402, and then the frame 10 is lowered to the first preset position by the separation motion member 401. At this time, the frame 10 and the wafer 20 are separated in the drying oven 30. Compared with the solution where the frame 10 and the wafer 20 are not separated, the frame 10 and the wafer 20 can be fully exposed in the drying oven 30, thereby improving the drying effect of the frame 10 and the wafer 20 in the drying oven 30.

[0076] To achieve automation of the entire drying equipment, the separating motion component 401 can be connected to the control mechanism. During or after the discharge of the cleaning liquid, the separating motion component 401 can descend under the control of the control mechanism to lower the sheet frame 10 to a first preset position; after the drying process is completed, the separating motion component 401 can rise under the control of the control mechanism to raise the sheet frame 10 to the initial position.

[0077] In this embodiment, to ensure that the wafer 20 is stably supported on the support member 402, a slot 601 corresponding to the wafer 20 can be provided on the bottom surface of the cover 60, such as... Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the slot 601 is at least used to limit the displacement of the wafer 20 in the axial direction of the wafer 20; and the support member 402 may include a moving part 4021 and a supporting part 4022. The supporting part 4022 is used to support the wafer 20. The moving part 4021 is connected to the supporting part 4022 to drive the supporting part 4022 to move in the vertical direction Z, thereby driving the wafer 20 supported on the supporting part 4022 to move in the vertical direction Z.

[0078] Specifically, the moving part 4021 can be connected to the control mechanism. During the process of the control mechanism controlling the detachable moving part 401 to descend to the first preset position, the control mechanism can also control the moving part 4021 to rise, thereby causing the support part 4022 to rise from the initial position to the second preset position. The position after movement is as follows: Figure 8 As shown; when the support part 4022 is in the initial position, as Figure 7 As shown, the top of the wafer 20 supported on the support portion 4022 is located below the slot 601 and has a preset distance from the slot 601, meaning that the wafer 20 does not contact the cover 60; when the support portion 4022 is in the second preset position, as Figure 8 As shown, the top of the wafer 20 supported on the support part 4022 is located inside the slot 601. The slot 601 restricts the axial displacement of the wafer 20. It should be understood that this slot 601 can restrict not only the axial displacement of the wafer, but also the radial displacement of the wafer.

[0079] The vertical distance between the second preset position and the initial position can be less than or equal to the vertical distance between the first preset position and the initial position, so as to ensure that the top of the wafer 20 is located in the slot 601 of the cover 60 before the wafer frame 10 is completely separated from the wafer 20, thereby ensuring that the wafer 20 is stably supported on the support part 4022.

[0080] For example, multiple card slots 601 are provided and arranged sequentially along the axial direction of the wafer 20, and the card slots 601 and the limiting slots 101 are set one-to-one in the vertical direction Z.

[0081] When the support portion 4022 is in the second preset position, there is a gap between the top of the wafer 20 supported on the support portion 4022 and the bottom of the slot 601, which alleviates the wear of the wafer 20. It should be understood that the bottom of the slot 601 mentioned in this embodiment refers to the surface opposite to the support portion 4022 in the vertical direction Z.

[0082] like Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the rotating mechanism may include a drive assembly 501 and at least one roller 502, the axis of which is parallel to the axis of the wafer 20. The drive assembly 501 may be connected to the roller 502 for driving the roller 502 to move in the axial direction of the roller 502 and for driving the roller 502 to rotate.

[0083] Specifically, this drive assembly 501 can be connected to a control mechanism. When the wafer frame 10 descends to a first preset position separated from the wafer 20, the drive assembly 501 can drive the roller 502 to move between the wafer 20 and the wafer frame 10 under the control of the control mechanism. Figures 9 to 11 As shown.

[0084] It should be understood that when the wafer 20 is limited by the slot 601 of the aforementioned box cover 60, the drive assembly 501 can drive the roller 502 to move between the wafer 20 and the frame 10 under the control of the control mechanism when the frame 10 descends to the first preset position separated from the wafer 20 and the moving part 4021 rises to the second preset position.

[0085] Specifically, when the roller 502 moves between the wafer 20 and the wafer frame 10, and the roller 502 contacts the wafer 20, such as Figure 11 As shown, the drive assembly 501 can also drive the roller 502 to rotate under the control of the control mechanism. Since the roller 502 is in contact with the wafer 20, when the roller 502 rotates, the roller 502 can generate friction between itself and the wafer 20 to drive the wafer 20 to rotate. This allows all parts of the wafer 20 to be fully exposed to the dry environment, heat evenly, and reduce drying time.

[0086] In addition, since the axis of the roller 502 is parallel to the axis of the wafer 20, the roller 502 can contact more wafers 20 at the same time, thereby driving multiple wafers 20 to rotate and dry simultaneously, thus accelerating the drying efficiency.

[0087] It should be understood that after the drying process is completed, the drive assembly 501 can drive the roller 502 to reset under the control of the control mechanism, and then the separation motion component 401 will drive the dried wafer frame 10 to rise to the initial position so that the dried wafer 20 is supported in the wafer frame 10, which facilitates the subsequent removal of the entire wafer assembly from the drying chamber 30.

[0088] For example, such as Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, the drive assembly 501 may include a horizontal drive member 501a, which is connected to the roller 502 and also to the control mechanism. The drying equipment also includes a first position detector (not shown in the figure), which is installed in the drying chamber 30 and connected to the control mechanism. The first position detector is used to detect the position of the wafer frame 10 in the drying chamber 30. The first position detector is used to send a first horizontal movement command to the control mechanism when it detects that the wafer frame 10 has descended to a first preset position. The control mechanism is used to respond to the first horizontal movement command to control the horizontal drive member 501a to drive the roller 502 to move between the wafer 20 and the wafer frame 10.

[0089] In this embodiment, by setting a first position detector to accurately sense the position of the sheet frame 10, the roller 502 is prevented from colliding with the sheet frame 10 during its extension, thus ensuring the working stability of the drying equipment.

[0090] It should be understood that the drying equipment may also include a third position detector (not shown in the figure), which may be installed inside the drying chamber 30 or on the support 4022 and connected to the control mechanism. This third position detector can be used to detect the position of the support 4022 inside the drying chamber 30, and the third position detector is used to send a second horizontal movement command to the control mechanism when it detects that the support 4022 has risen to a second preset position.

[0091] When the control mechanism receives the first horizontal movement command and the second horizontal movement command, it controls the horizontal drive 501a to drive the roller 502 to move between the wafer 20 and the frame 10.

[0092] In this embodiment, when the horizontal drive member 501a drives the roller 502 to extend horizontally along the axial direction of the roller 502 to a position between the wafer frame 10 and the wafer 20, there is a gap between the lowest point of the roller 502 and the wafer frame 10, and the roller 502 can directly contact the wafer 20, for example: Figure 11 The state shown.

[0093] Among them, combined Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, the drive assembly 501 may also include a rotary drive 501b, which is connected to the roller 502 and also to the control mechanism. When the roller 502 is in contact with the wafer 20, the rotary drive 501b can respond to the rotation command issued by the control mechanism to drive the roller 502 to rotate.

[0094] In this embodiment, combined with Figures 9 to 11 As shown, at least two rollers 502 are provided, including a first roller 502a and a second roller 502b. The first roller 502a and the second roller 502b are parallel to each other and spaced apart. The first roller 502a and the second roller 502b can be located on opposite sides of the support member 402 to contact the two sides of the wafer 20. While driving the wafer 20 to rotate, the rotational stability of the wafer 20 can also be guaranteed.

[0095] It should be understood that the first roller 502a and the second roller 502b may share the rotary drive 501b and the horizontal drive 501a, but are not limited thereto, such as... Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, the first roller 502a and the second roller 502b may share only the horizontal drive component 501a, while the rotation drive component 501b may be configured independently. Alternatively, the rotation drive component 501b and the horizontal drive component 501a may be configured independently, as long as the rotation and movement of the first roller 502a and the second roller 502b can be synchronized.

[0096] Example 2

[0097] The main difference between Embodiment 2 and Embodiment 1 is that in Embodiment 2, when the horizontal drive member 501a drives the roller 502 to extend horizontally along the axial direction of the roller 502 to the position between the wafer frame 10 and the wafer 20, there is also a gap between the roller 502 and the wafer 20. Furthermore, the drying equipment in Embodiment 2 also includes a second position detector (not shown in the figure) and... Figure 12 and Figure 13 The vertical drive unit 501c shown can be mounted on the drying oven 30 or the roller 502 and connected to the control mechanism. The vertical drive unit 501c can be connected to the roller 502 and the control mechanism.

[0098] The second position detector is used to detect the positional relationship between the roller 502 and the wafer 20. Specifically, when a gap is detected between the roller 502 and the wafer 20, the second position detector sends a vertical movement command to the control mechanism. The control mechanism responds to the vertical movement command by controlling the vertical drive 501c to drive the roller 502 to rise to a position in contact with the wafer 20, i.e., from... Figure 14 The position shown rises to Figure 11 The position shown is indicated; the second position detector is used to send a rotation command to the control mechanism when it detects that the roller 502 is in contact with the wafer 20; the control mechanism is used to respond to the rotation command to control the rotary drive 501b to drive the roller 502 to rotate.

[0099] In this embodiment, while ensuring that the roller 502 can contact the wafer 20, the wafer 20 can be stably supported on the support member 402, which can ensure that the wafer 20 rotates stably during the drying process.

[0100] It should be understood that, apart from the differences mentioned above, the design of this second embodiment can be referred to the design of the first embodiment, and this embodiment will not repeat the limitation.

[0101] Furthermore, the wafer frame 10 mentioned in Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2 can be part of the entire drying equipment. That is, when cleaning and drying some wafers 20, these wafers 20 can be placed in the wafer frame 10 first, and then placed in the drying oven 30 for the cleaning and drying process.

[0102] The terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this disclosure, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0103] In this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "assembly," "connection," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this disclosure according to the specific circumstances.

[0104] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "some embodiments," "exemplarily," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this disclosure. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0105] Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, any changes or modifications made in accordance with the claims and description of the present disclosure should fall within the scope of the patent coverage of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A drying apparatus for drying a wafer assembly, the wafer assembly comprising a frame and wafers supported within the frame, characterized in that, The drying equipment includes: A drying oven, the top of which is open to allow the wafer assembly to be placed inside the drying oven; A lid is disposed at the top of the drying oven, and the bottom surface of the lid is provided with a slot corresponding to the wafer. The slot is at least used to limit the displacement of the wafer in the axial direction of the wafer. A separation mechanism is provided inside the drying oven. The separation mechanism includes a separation moving part and a support part. The support part is oriented opposite to the bottom opening of the wafer frame. The support part includes a moving part and a supporting part. The supporting part is used to support the wafer. The moving part is connected to the supporting part to drive the supporting part to move in the vertical direction. The separation moving part is used to connect to the wafer frame to drive the wafer frame to move up and down in the vertical direction. A rotating mechanism includes a drive assembly and at least one roller. The drive assembly includes a horizontal drive member, a rotating drive member, and a vertical drive member connected to the roller. The axial direction of the roller is parallel to the axial direction of the wafer. A control mechanism is connected to the motion unit, the horizontal drive member, the rotary drive member, and the vertical drive member; A first position detector is installed in the drying oven and connected to the control mechanism. The first position detector is used to detect the position of the sheet frame inside the drying oven. A second position detector is installed in the drying oven or the roller and connected to the control mechanism. The second position detector is used to detect the positional relationship between the roller and the wafer. The first position detector sends a first horizontal movement command to the control mechanism when it detects that the wafer frame has descended to a first preset position. The control mechanism, in response to the first horizontal movement command, controls the horizontal drive to move the roller between the wafer and the wafer frame, so that the roller corresponds to multiple wafer groups. The second position detector sends a vertical movement command to the control mechanism when it detects a gap between the roller and the wafer. The control mechanism, in response to the vertical movement command, controls the vertical drive to raise the roller to a position contacting the wafer. The second position detector sends a rotation command to the control mechanism when it detects that the roller is in contact with the wafer. The control mechanism, in response to the rotation command, controls the rotation drive to rotate the roller, thereby causing the wafer to rotate. The control mechanism is also used to control the moving part to rise during the process of controlling the frame to descend to the first preset position, so as to drive the support part to rise from the initial position to the second preset position; When the support is in the initial position, the top of the wafer supported on the support is located below the slot and has a preset distance from the slot; When the support is in the second preset position, the top of the wafer supported on the support is located in the slot.

2. The drying equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rollers are provided in at least two configurations, including a first roller and a second roller. The first roller and the second roller are parallel to each other and spaced apart. The first roller and the second roller can be located on opposite sides of the support member.

3. The drying equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drying chamber is provided with a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet. The liquid inlet is used to allow cleaning solution to enter the drying chamber to clean the wafer assembly, and the liquid outlet is used to discharge the cleaning solution after cleaning. The control mechanism is connected to the separating moving part. The control mechanism is used to control the separating moving part to descend during or after the cleaning fluid is discharged, so as to drive the frame to descend to the first preset position.

4. The drying equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The drying chamber is also provided with a gas inlet, which is used at least to supply drying gas into the drying chamber during or after the cleaning liquid is discharged, so as to dry the wafer and the wafer frame.

5. The drying equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wafer frame has a plurality of limiting grooves arranged sequentially along the axial direction of the wafer, and each wafer is supported in one of the limiting grooves. The limiting grooves are used to limit the displacement of the wafer in the axial direction of the wafer. The wafer has multiple slots arranged sequentially along its axial direction, and the slots and the limiting slots are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence in the vertical direction.

6. The drying equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the support is in the second preset position, there is a gap between the top of the wafer supported on the support and the bottom of the slot.

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