Substrate processing apparatus, substrate processing method, and method for manufacturing article

Abstract

The invention provides a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate processing method, and an article manufacturing method, which are beneficial to shortening the time required for drying the inner wall surface of an airtight container. The substrate processing apparatus includes: an airtight container; a substrate holding unit which is disposed inside the airtight container and is capable of holding a substrate to which a solution is applied; a gas introduction part capable of introducing a gas into the airtight container; and a gas discharge part capable of discharging gas from the inside of the airtight container, the gas introduction part having a first introduction port opening in the inside of the airtight container, and the gas discharge part having a first exhaust port opening in the inside of the airtight container. The upper surface of the substrate holding portion includes a first region and a second region outside the first region, the substrate is disposed in the first region, and the first introduction port injects gas into the airtight container so as to form a gas curtain between the top of the airtight container and the second region.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing device, a substrate processing method, and a method for manufacturing an article. Background Art

[0002] When manufacturing an article such as a panel (organic EL panel) having an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) as an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) element, it is known to apply a solution film to a desired portion on a substrate using an inkjet device. The solution film is a film composed of a solution containing a solute and a solvent. A film (layer) is formed on the substrate by drying the substrate, that is, evaporating the solvent contained in the solution film applied to the substrate. The substrate is dried using a reduced pressure drying device as a substrate processing device.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses that the flow rate and type of gas sprayed toward a substrate are changed while adjusting the pressure in an airtight container.

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-199805 Summary of the invention

[0007] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0008] Most of the solvent evaporated from the solution film on the substrate is pumped out to the outside of the airtight container, but a portion of the solvent evaporated from the solution film on the substrate adheres to the inner wall surface of the airtight container. If the substrate of the next process is dried inside the airtight container while the solvent of the previous process is adhered to the inner wall surface of the airtight container, it is possible that the film thickness of the substrate of the next process will be uneven. Therefore, after the drying process of the substrate is completed, the inner wall surface of the airtight container needs to be fully dried. The more the amount of solvent adhered to the inner wall surface of the airtight container, the longer it is necessary to extend the time to dry the inner wall surface of the airtight container.

[0009] Solutions for solving problems

[0010] A technical solution disclosed herein is a substrate processing device, characterized in that the substrate processing device includes: an airtight container; a substrate holding portion, which is arranged inside the airtight container and can hold a substrate coated with a solution; a gas inlet portion, which can introduce gas into the interior of the airtight container; and a gas exhaust portion, which can exhaust gas from the interior of the airtight container, the gas inlet portion has a first inlet port opened inside the airtight container, the gas exhaust portion has a first exhaust port opened inside the airtight container, the upper surface of the substrate holding portion includes a first area and a second area outside the first area, the substrate is arranged in the first area, and the first inlet port sprays gas into the interior of the airtight container in a manner of forming an air curtain between the top of the airtight container and the second area. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of a reduced-pressure drying apparatus as an example of the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment.

[0012] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the vacuum drying apparatus according to the first embodiment.

[0013] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the vacuum drying apparatus according to the first embodiment.

[0014] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of the substrate processing method according to the first embodiment.

[0015] Figure 5 It is an explanatory diagram of the substrate processing method according to the first embodiment.

[0016] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the reduced-pressure drying device of Modification Example 1.

[0017] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of a reduced-pressure drying apparatus as an example of a substrate processing apparatus according to the second embodiment.

[0018] Description of Reference Numerals

[0019] R1, region (region 1); R2, region (region 2); SP0, internal space; 10, airtight container; 20, substrate holding portion; 21, upper surface; 30, gas exhaust portion; 34, exhaust port; 50, gas inlet portion; 54, inlet port; 90, control device (control unit); 100, reduced pressure drying device (substrate processing device); 101, inner wall surface; 110, top; 111, top surface; 540, nozzle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] Hereinafter, the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in each figure, the same reference figure numerals are marked on the same components, and repeated descriptions are omitted. In addition, in each figure, the constituent elements are sometimes schematically illustrated, but the shapes, sizes, configurations, etc. of the constituent elements are not limited to being consistent with each other in the drawings.

[0021] In the following embodiments, directions are represented by an XYZ coordinate system which is a rectangular coordinate system. The X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction are orthogonal to each other. In the XYZ coordinate system, the XY plane is a horizontal plane, and the XZ plane and the YZ plane are vertical planes. The X direction and the Y direction are horizontal directions. The negative direction of the Z axis is the vertical direction (gravity direction), in other words, the downward direction. In addition, the positive direction of the Z axis is the upward direction.

[0022] <First embodiment>

[0023] Figure 1 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of a reduced pressure drying apparatus 100 as an example of a substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. The reduced pressure drying apparatus 100 is used in a part of a process of manufacturing an organic EL panel having an OLED as an organic EL element. The reduced pressure drying apparatus 100 forms a functional film such as an organic film on the substrate S by performing a drying process of evaporating the solvent contained in the solution film F applied to the main surface MS of the substrate S, that is, drying the substrate S.

[0024] The solution film F is composed of a solution containing a solute and a solvent for forming an organic film, for example. The solvent contained in the solution film F preferably has a property of promoting evaporation under a reduced pressure environment lower than atmospheric pressure. For example, evaporation of the solvent is preferably promoted at a temperature higher than normal temperature (25° C.).

[0025] The solute may be a functional material for forming a functional film such as an electrode, an optical filter, or a functional element such as an OLED. In other words, the solution film F may also contain a functional material of a functional film or a functional element.

[0026] The solvent is preferably an organic solvent. The solvent contains at least one organic solvent. Examples of the organic solvent include N,N-dimethylformamide, N,N-dimethylacetamide, N-methylpyrrolidone, 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether, cyclohexanone, N,N-dimethylisobutyramide, N-methylformamide, N-methylacetamide, N-diethylformamide, cyclohexanol, ethylene glycol, ethylene glycol glycidyl ether, 1,3-octanediol, diethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, triethylene glycol, Tripropylene glycol, 1,3-butanediol, 1,4-butanediol, propylene glycol, hexylene glycol, propylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, diethylene glycol diethyl ether, diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether acetate, dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether, propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, diacetone alcohol, γ-butyrolactone, ethyl lactate, N-hexyl acetate, ethyl cellosolve acetate, etc.

[0027] In the first embodiment, the solvent contained in the solution film F is a mixed solvent containing N types (N is an integer of 2 or more) of organic solvents having different vapor pressures, for example, two types of organic solvents.

[0028] The organic film is an organic layer, for example, any one of the hole injection layer, hole transport layer, light emitting layer, electron transport layer or electron injection layer of an OLED. The manufacture of an organic EL element includes the steps of forming each organic film of a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, a light emitting layer, an electron transport layer and an electron injection layer on a substrate S. Before the substrate S is fed into the reduced pressure drying device 100, a solution film F is applied to a required portion of the substrate S by a coating device.

[0029] The reduced pressure drying device 100 includes: an airtight container 10; a substrate holding portion 20, which is disposed inside the airtight container 10 and can hold a substrate S; a gas introduction portion 50, which can introduce gas into the inside of the airtight container 10; and a gas exhaust portion 30, which can exhaust gas from the inside of the airtight container 10 and can exhaust gas from the inside of the airtight container 10 to reduce the pressure inside the airtight container 10. In addition, the reduced pressure drying device 100 includes a control device 90 that controls various parts of the entire device.

[0030] The pressure of the external environment of the airtight container 10 is atmospheric pressure. The airtight container 10 is a member that defines an internal space SP0. The internal space SP0 is a space inside the airtight container 10. The airtight container 10 has a top 110, a side wall portion 120, and a bottom 130. The inner wall surface 101 of the airtight container 10 includes a top surface 111 of the top 110, a side surface 121 of the side wall portion 120, and a bottom surface 131 of the bottom 130.

[0031] The gas introduced into the interior of the airtight container 10 by the gas introduction part 50 is an inert gas. The inert gas is, for example, nitrogen. In addition, the gas supplied from the gas introduction part 50 to the interior of the airtight container 10 is preferably an inert gas, but as long as it is a gas having a component different from the solvent of the solution film F, it can also be a gas other than an inert gas, for example, it can also be clean dry air.

[0032] The pressure of the internal space SP0 of the airtight container 10 is adjusted by supplying gas to the internal space SP0 through the gas introduction part 50. The pressure of the internal space SP0 during the drying process is adjusted by balancing the discharge of the solvent vapor, inert gas, etc. by the gas discharge part 30 and the supply of the inert gas, etc. from the gas introduction part 50. The gas introduction part 50 includes a main introduction part 51 and a sub-introduction part 52.

[0033] The main inlet 51 has a plurality of valves 55 capable of adjusting the flow rate of the gas and a plurality of inlet ports 53 opening in the internal space SP0 of the airtight container 10. The inlet port 53 is an example of a second inlet port. The plurality of inlet ports 53 are connected to corresponding valves 55 among the plurality of valves 55 by piping, respectively. The inlet ports 53 are arranged on the downstream side of the flow direction of the gas relative to the corresponding valve 55. The inlet port 53 is provided in the airtight container 10, and the gas that has passed through the corresponding valve 55 is ejected from the inlet port 53 toward the substrate holding portion 20 into the interior of the airtight container 10.

[0034] A plurality of inlet ports 53 are disposed at the top 110 of the airtight container 10. In the first embodiment, the inlet ports 53 are through holes formed at the top 110. The injection direction of the gas injected from each inlet port 53 into the airtight container 10 is the negative direction of the Z axis, that is, the direction perpendicular to the upper surface 21 of the substrate holding portion 20.

[0035] The secondary inlet 52 has a plurality of valves 56 as at least one valve capable of adjusting the flow rate of the gas and a plurality of nozzles 540 as at least one nozzle. The plurality of nozzles 540 are arranged inside the airtight container 10. The plurality of nozzles 540 each have an inlet 54 as an injection port. The inlet 54 is an example of a first inlet. The inlet 54 opens in the internal space SP0 of the airtight container 10.

[0036] The nozzle 540 is connected to a corresponding valve 56 among the plurality of valves 56 by a pipe. The nozzle 540 is arranged on the downstream side of the flow direction of the gas relative to the corresponding valve 56. The nozzle 540 is provided in the airtight container 10, and the gas having passed through the corresponding valve 56 is ejected from the inlet 54 of the nozzle 540 toward the substrate holding portion 20 into the interior of the airtight container 10. The plurality of nozzles 540 are arranged at the top 110 of the airtight container 10.

[0037] Each of the valves 55 and 56 is preferably a mass flow controller capable of finely adjusting a flow rate. In addition, any one of the plurality of inlets 53 may be an injection port of a nozzle.

[0038] The gas discharge section 30 includes a main decompression mechanism 31 and a sub-decompression mechanism 32. The main decompression mechanism 31 and the sub-decompression mechanism 32 each have a pump. In addition, the gas discharge section 30 may also have one pump. That is, the gas discharge section 30 includes at least one pump, for example, a plurality of pumps. The plurality of pumps include, for example, at least one of a dry vacuum pump and a diaphragm vacuum pump. In addition, the plurality of pumps may also include, for example, at least one of a turbomolecular pump, a cryogenic pump, an adsorption pump, an oil diffusion pump, a mechanical booster pump, a jet pump, and an oil rotary vacuum pump.

[0039] The gas exhaust portion 30 has a plurality of exhaust ports 33 connected to the main decompression mechanism 31 by piping. The exhaust port 33 is an example of a second exhaust port. The exhaust port 33 is arranged on the upstream side of the flow direction of the gas relative to the main decompression mechanism 31. The exhaust port 33 is provided in the airtight container 10 and opens inside the airtight container 10. The main decompression mechanism 31 is used to discharge the gas inside the airtight container 10 from the exhaust port 33 to the outside of the airtight container 10. A plurality of exhaust ports 33 are arranged at the top 110 of the airtight container 10.

[0040] In addition, the gas exhaust portion 30 has a plurality of exhaust ports 34 connected to the auxiliary pressure reducing mechanism 32 by piping. The exhaust port 34 is an example of a first exhaust port. The exhaust port 34 is arranged on the upstream side of the flow direction of the gas relative to the auxiliary pressure reducing mechanism 32. The exhaust port 34 is provided in the airtight container 10 and opens inside the airtight container 10. The auxiliary pressure reducing mechanism 32 is used to discharge the gas inside the airtight container 10 from the exhaust port 34 to the outside of the airtight container 10. A plurality of exhaust ports 34 are arranged at the top 110 of the airtight container 10.

[0041] In the first embodiment, the main decompression mechanism 31 and the sub-decompression mechanism 32 each include one pump, but the main decompression mechanism 31 and the sub-decompression mechanism 32 may each include two or more pumps.

[0042] In addition, the reduced pressure drying device 100 further includes a gate valve 12 provided in the airtight container 10. The substrate S coated with the solution film F to be dried is fed from the external space of the airtight container 10 to the internal space SP0 through the gate valve 12. In addition, the substrate S that has been dried is fed from the internal space SP0 to the external space through the gate valve 12. The substrate S is fed in and out by a conveying device RB placed outside the airtight container 10.

[0043] Furthermore, the reduced pressure drying apparatus 100 further includes a temperature control unit 70 . The temperature control unit 70 controls the temperature of the substrate S or the solution film F on the substrate S by controlling the temperature of the substrate holder 20 . The temperature control unit 70 preferably includes a heater for heating the substrate holder 20 .

[0044] In addition, the temperature control unit 70 may include a cooler for cooling the substrate holding unit 20. The temperature control unit 70 controls the temperature of the substrate holding unit 20 by performing at least one of heating and cooling the substrate holding unit 20.

[0045] The temperature control unit 70 controls the multiple areas of the substrate holding unit 20 to be the same temperature or different temperatures from each other so that the substrate S has the same temperature distribution. Preferably, the temperature control unit 70 controls the temperature difference between the multiple areas of the substrate S held in the substrate holding unit 20 to be within 10°C. More preferably, the temperature control unit 70 controls the temperature difference between the multiple areas of the substrate S held in the substrate holding unit 20 to be within 5°C. The temperature control unit 70 controls the temperature of the substrate holding unit 20 so that the temperature of the substrate S becomes a predetermined temperature within the range of 0°C to 100°C. By heating the substrate holding unit 20, the drying speed of the solution film F applied on the substrate S can be increased.

[0046] Figure 2 and Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a vacuum drying device 100 according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a portion of the reduced pressure drying device 100 when the top 110 of the airtight container 10 is viewed from the substrate S in the positive direction of the Z axis. Figure 3 Schematically illustrates a part of the reduced-pressure drying apparatus 100 when the bottom 130 of the airtight container 10 is viewed from the substrate S in the negative direction of the Z axis.

[0047] In addition, for the sake of convenience, Figure 2 The substrate holding portion 20 is shown in FIG. Figure 2 4 shows preferred examples of the number, shape, size and arrangement of the inlet 53, the inlet 54, the exhaust port 33 and the exhaust port 34, but these are not limited to Figure 2 Examples may be changed.

[0048] like Figure 2 As shown, the upper surface 21 of the substrate holding portion 20 includes a region R1 where the substrate S is arranged and a region R2 outside the region R1. The region R1 is an example of the first region, and the region R2 is an example of the second region. When viewed from above, that is, when viewed along the Z direction, the outer shape of the region R1 is a rectangle, and the outer shape of the region R2 is a rectangle.

[0049] When viewed from above, that is, when viewed along the Z direction, the inlet 53 and the exhaust port 33 are arranged at a position overlapping with the upper surface 21 of the substrate holding portion 20. A partition wall 57 is provided at the top 110, and a plurality of small spaces SP1 to SP3 are demarcated by the partition wall 57. Each of the small spaces SP1 to SP3 is connected to the large space SP10 by an opening formed at the bottom of the partition wall 57. The internal space SP0 is composed of the plurality of small spaces SP1 to SP3 and the large space SP10. Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the example of , the plurality of small spaces SP1 to SP3 are three small spaces. At least one introduction port 53 and at least one exhaust port 33 are disposed in each of the small spaces SP1 to SP3.

[0050] In the first embodiment, as Figure 2 As shown, a small space SP1 in the center, a small space SP2 around the small space SP1, and a small space SP3 around the small space SP2 are demarcated by a partition wall 57. In addition, one introduction port 53 is correspondingly arranged in the small space SP1, four introduction ports 53 are correspondingly arranged in the small space SP2, and eight introduction ports 53 are correspondingly arranged in the small space SP3. The gas injected into each of the small spaces SP1 to SP3 diffuses into the large space SP10 through each opening.

[0051] In the first embodiment, one inlet 53 corresponding to the small space SP1 is connected to one valve 55, four inlet 53 corresponding to the small space SP2 are connected to one valve 55, and eight inlet 53 corresponding to the small space SP3 are connected to one valve 55. In this way, the injection amount of the gas injected from one inlet 53 can be adjusted by one valve 55, and the injection amount of the gas injected from two or more inlet 53 can also be adjusted by one valve 55.

[0052] As described above, the partition wall 57 divides the plurality of small spaces SP1 to SP3, and the corresponding valves 55 adjust the flow rates of the gases injected from the small spaces SP1 to SP3 to the large space SP10, thereby effectively adjusting the pressure distribution of the internal space SP0 to be uniform.

[0053] In addition, the reduced pressure drying device 100 further includes a plurality of guide plates 61, a plurality of guide plates 62, a plurality of drive units 63, and a plurality of drive units 64. The plurality of drive units 63 drive at least one of the plurality of guide plates 61, respectively. In the first embodiment, one drive unit 63 drives one guide plate 61. The plurality of drive units 64 drive at least one of the plurality of guide plates 62, respectively. In the first embodiment, one drive unit 64 drives one guide plate 62. The guide plate 61 is an example of a first guide member, the guide plate 62 is an example of a second guide member, the drive unit 63 is an example of a first drive unit, and the drive unit 64 is an example of a second drive unit. The drive unit 63 and the drive unit 64 each have an electric motor, for example. In addition, one drive unit 63 may drive two or more guide plates 61, or one drive unit 64 may drive two or more guide plates 62.

[0054] The guide plate 61 is arranged at the top 110 of the airtight container 10 in such a manner that the gas ejected from the nozzle 540 into the interior of the airtight container 10 is guided to the region R2. When viewed from above, that is, when viewed along the Z direction, the guide plate 61 is arranged at a position between the region R1 and the nozzle 540. The guide plate 62 is arranged in the region R2 in such a manner that the gas ejected from the nozzle 540 into the interior of the airtight container 10 and reflected by the region R2 is guided to the top 110 of the airtight container 10. When viewed from above, that is, when viewed along the Z direction, the nozzle 540 is arranged at a position between the guide plate 61 and the guide plate 62. That is, when viewed along the Z direction, the guide plate 61, the inlet 54 of the nozzle 540 and the guide plate 62 are arranged in sequence in a direction away from the region R1 to the outside. The drive unit 63 is controlled by the control device 90 and can drive the guide plate 61 to adjust the angle of the guide plate 61. The drive unit 64 is controlled by the control device 90 and can drive the guide plate 62 to adjust the angle of the guide plate 62.

[0055] When viewed along the Z direction, the plurality of nozzles 540 (plurality of introduction ports 54) are arranged outside the outer shape of the substrate S, that is, outside the outer shape of the region R1, and are arranged at intervals along the four sides of the region R1. That is, when viewed along the Z direction, the plurality of introduction ports 54 are arranged along the outer periphery of the region R1.

[0056] When viewed in the Z direction, the plurality of exhaust ports 34 are arranged outside the outer shape of the upper surface 21 of the substrate holding portion 20. Specifically, when viewed in the Z direction, the plurality of exhaust ports 34 are arranged at intervals along the outer periphery of the upper surface 21.

[0057] In a plan view, that is, when viewed along the Z direction, each guide plate 61 is disposed outside the outer shape of the substrate S, that is, outside the outer shape of the region R1, and is a skylight extending along and parallel to a corresponding side among the four sides of the region R1. In a plan view, that is, when viewed along the Z direction, each guide plate 62 is disposed outside the outer shape of the substrate S, that is, outside the outer shape of the region R1, and is a skylight extending along and parallel to a corresponding side among the four sides of the region R1.

[0058] In addition, the reduced pressure drying device 100 further includes a gas analyzer 81 for detecting a specific gas in the atmosphere of the internal space SP0. The gas of the internal space SP0 is introduced into the gas analyzer 81 via the connecting member 82. The gas analyzer 81 is, for example, a residual gas analyzer (RGA) such as a mass analyzer. The specific gas detected by the gas analyzer 81 is the gas of the solvent evaporated from the solution film F on the substrate S.

[0059] In addition, the reduced pressure drying device 100 also includes a pressure gauge 83 for detecting the pressure of the internal space SP0 of the airtight container 10. The pressure gauge 83 is arranged near the substrate S, for example, on the upper surface 21 of the substrate holding portion 20. In addition, the installation location of the pressure gauge 83 is not limited to the vicinity of the substrate S. The pressure gauge 83 can also be arranged in the airtight container 10, for example, at the top 110, and can also be arranged at the top of the piping extending above the substrate S.

[0060] The control device 90 is an example of a control unit. The control device 90 is composed of, for example, a computer. The control device 90 includes a CPU as an example of a processor, a RAM as a transient storage device, a ROM and an SSD as non-transient storage devices (recording media), an I / O as an interface, and the like. In the non-transient storage device, a control program is stored that enables the CPU of the control device 90 to execute the control of each part of the entire device in the manufacturing process described later. The control device 90 controls the pressure inside the airtight container 10 by controlling the main decompression mechanism 31 and the auxiliary decompression mechanism 32 of the gas discharge part 30, and the valve 55 and the valve 56 of the gas inlet part 50. At this time, the control device 90 controls the supply and stop of the gas to the inside of the airtight container 10, as well as the flow rate of the gas by controlling the valve 55 and the valve 56. In addition, the control device 90 also controls the angles of the guide plates 61 and 62.

[0061] In addition, in addition to the above-mentioned structure, the control device 90 is composed of, for example, a PLD (abbreviation of Programmable Logic Device) such as FPGA (abbreviation of Field Programmable Gate Array), an ASIC (abbreviation of Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a general or dedicated computer loaded with a program, or a combination of all or part of these devices.

[0062] Hereinafter, a part of the steps including the drying step (drying treatment) among the multiple steps of the method for producing an organic EL panel as an example of an article will be described. Figure 4 This is a flowchart of the substrate processing method of the first embodiment. The substrate processing method corresponds to the drying process of the method for manufacturing an organic EL panel. In the substrate processing method, a process of evaporating the solvent contained in the solution film F applied on the substrate S is performed using the reduced pressure drying device 100 . Figure 5 It is an explanatory diagram of the substrate processing method according to the first embodiment. Figure 5 The horizontal axis is time. The vertical axis represents the pressure of the internal space SP0 and the flow rate of the gas introduced into the airtight container 10 by the secondary introduction part 52. In addition, in the following description, the case where the solution film F includes two organic solvents with different vapor pressures, namely, the first solvent and the second solvent is described. The vapor pressure of the first solvent is higher than the vapor pressure of the second solvent.

[0063] The solution film F is applied to a desired portion on the main surface MS of the substrate S by using a coating device such as an inkjet device. Then, the substrate S coated with the solution film F is fed to the substrate holding portion 20 by using the conveying device RB. Then, under the control of the control device 90, the first drying process A1 for evaporating the solvent contained in the solution film F on the substrate S and the second drying process A2 for evaporating the solvent attached to the inner wall surface 101 of the airtight container 10 are performed. The first drying process A1 is an example of the first process, and is a process for drying the substrate S. The second drying process A2 is an example of the second process, and is a process for drying the inner wall surface 101 of the airtight container 10.

[0064] The more the amount of solvent attached to the inner wall surface 101 of the airtight container 10, the longer the time required to dry the inner wall surface 101 of the airtight container 10. Therefore, in the first embodiment, gas is ejected into the interior of the airtight container 10 from the inlet 54 of the nozzle 540 in such a manner that an air curtain is formed between the top surface 111 of the top 110 in the inner wall surface 101 of the airtight container 10 and the region R2 of the upper surface 21 of the substrate holding portion 20. With the air curtain, the solvent evaporated from the solution film F on the substrate S is not easily attached to the inner wall surface 101 of the airtight container 10. Therefore, the time required for the second drying process A2 described later can be shortened.

[0065] In step S1 , the control device 90 controls the transport device RB to transport the substrate S coated with the solution film F into the airtight container 10 and place the substrate S on the substrate holding portion 20 .

[0066] Next, in step S2, the control device 90 performs a drying process. The drying process includes a first drying process A1 and a second drying process A2. First, the control device 90 performs the first drying process A1. In the drying process, the control device 90 controls the valves 55 and 56 of the gas inlet portion 50, the main decompression mechanism 31 and the auxiliary decompression mechanism 32 of the gas discharge portion 30 so that the value of the pressure detected by the pressure gauge 83 is close to the pressure command value. At this time, the control device 90 also controls the drive unit 63 that drives the guide plate 61 and the drive unit 64 that drives the guide plate 62, and adjusts the angle of the guide plate 61 and the angle of the guide plate 62.

[0067] First, the control device 90 controls the main decompression mechanism 31 and the auxiliary decompression mechanism 32 of the gas discharge part 30, and the valves 55 and 56 of the gas introduction part 50, so that the pressure of the internal space SP0 of the airtight container 10, that is, the pressure displayed by the pressure gauge 83, drops from the atmospheric pressure to the first pressure P1 (period D1). As a result, the interior of the airtight container 10 is decompressed to the first pressure P1.

[0068] Period D1 is a process of reducing pressure from atmospheric pressure to a first pressure P1. The first pressure P1 is a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure and higher than the vapor pressure of the first solvent and the vapor pressure of the second solvent. The control device 90 controls the main pressure reducing mechanism 31 and the auxiliary pressure reducing mechanism 32 of the gas discharge part 30, and the valve 55 and the valve 56 of the gas inlet part 50, so that after the pressure displayed by the pressure gauge 83 reaches the first pressure P1, the pressure of the internal space SP0, that is, the pressure displayed by the pressure gauge 83 is maintained at the first pressure P1 during period D2. During periods D1 and D2, the flow rate of the gas introduced from the auxiliary inlet part 52 into the interior of the airtight container 10 is controlled at the first flow rate Q1. Period D2 is a pre-set first time.

[0069] During the period D2 , the control device 90 controls the supply of inert gas from the gas introduction part 50 to the internal space SP0 while operating the gas discharge part 30 so that the pressure indicated by the pressure gauge 83 becomes higher than the vapor pressure of the first solvent, that is, becomes the first pressure P1 .

[0070] During the period D1, the pressure of the internal space SP0 drops from the atmospheric pressure to the first pressure P1, and during the period D2, the pressure of the internal space SP0 is maintained at the first pressure P1, so that the first solvent and the second solvent, especially the first solvent, evaporate uniformly from the solution film F. However, it is difficult to maintain the space above the substrate S in a uniform pressure distribution only by the exhaust control of the gas exhaust unit 30. The reason is that the drying speed of the solution film F is not uniform at each position of the upper surface 21. Generally speaking, the solvent applied to the central part of the substrate is not easy to evaporate compared with the end of the substrate. In addition, when the solution film F contains a plurality of solvents, the drying speed of each solvent is different.

[0071] Therefore, the control device 90 controls the plurality of valves 55 respectively to control the amount of gas injected from each inlet 53 to the internal space SP0, so that the pressure distribution of the internal space SP0, especially the space above the substrate S, becomes uniform. For example, when the amount of solvent evaporated at the end of the substrate S is greater than that at the central portion of the substrate S, the control device 90 controls each valve 55 so that the amount of gas injected to the central portion of the substrate S is greater than that injected to the end of the substrate S. As a result, the amount of gas in the internal space SP0 becomes uniform, that is, the pressure distribution of the internal space SP0 becomes uniform.

[0072] During period D2, most of the solvent evaporated from the solution film F is recovered by the main decompression mechanism 31 from each exhaust port 33 of the gas exhaust section 30, but a part of the solvent evaporated from the solution film F is not recovered and adheres to the inner wall surface 101 of the airtight container 10. The solvent adhered to the inner wall surface 101 during periods D1 and D2 evaporates again after the subsequent period D3. The more the amount of solvent adhered to the inner wall surface 101 increases, the more it is necessary to extend period D4 and period D6. The area of ​​the inner wall surface 101 of the airtight container 10 is larger than the area of ​​the main surface MS of the substrate S, and the distance from the inner wall surface 101 to the exhaust port 33 is farther than the distance from the main surface MS of the substrate S to the exhaust port 33. Therefore, it usually takes more time to dry the inner wall surface 101 than to dry the substrate S.

[0073] In the first embodiment, the nozzle 540 is arranged on the top surface 111 of the top 110 of the airtight container 10. Moreover, during the periods D1 and D2, the nozzle 540 ejects gas into the inside of the airtight container 10 in a manner of blowing gas toward the region R2 of the upper surface 21 of the substrate holding part 20. That is, during the periods D1 and D2, in order to prevent the solvent from adhering to the inner wall surface 101 of the airtight container 10, the gas controlled to the flow rate Q1 is ejected from the nozzle 540 toward the region R2 of the substrate holding part 20. By ejecting gas from the nozzle 540 toward the region R2 of the substrate holding part 20, an air curtain is formed between the top surface 111 of the top 110 and the region R2 of the substrate holding part 20, and even if a part of the solvent evaporated from the solution film F is directed toward the side 121 of the airtight container 10, most of the solvent directed toward the side 121 is drawn into the flow of the air curtain formed between the nozzle 540 and the exhaust port 34 and recovered from the exhaust port 34. Due to the shielding effect of the air curtain, the adhesion of the solvent to the inner wall surface 101 is reduced.

[0074] At this time, the control device 90 controls the exhaust volume of the main decompression mechanism 31 and the exhaust volume of the auxiliary decompression mechanism 32 in accordance with the injection volume of the gas of the main inlet portion 51 and the injection volume of the gas of the auxiliary inlet portion 52. In other words, the control device 90 controls the exhaust volume of the gas discharged from the inside of the airtight container 10 through the exhaust port 34 and the exhaust port 33 in accordance with the flow rate of the gas introduced into the inside of the airtight container 10 through the inlet port 54 and the inlet port 53.

[0075] In addition, an exhaust port 34 is arranged between the nozzle 540 and the side surface 121 of the airtight container 10 in such a manner that a large amount of gas ejected from the nozzle 540 does not flow toward the substrate S. Thus, the gas ejected from the nozzle 540 is actively directed toward the exhaust port 34, and the pressure distribution disorder in the space above the substrate S in the internal space SP0 can be reduced. Thus, the uneven drying of the substrate S can be reduced.

[0076] Preferably, if Figure 1 As shown, the injection direction of the gas from the inlet 54 is oblique with respect to the upper surface 21 of the substrate holding portion 20. In addition, preferably, in the horizontal plane, the gas is injected toward the outside of the region R1 when viewed along the Z direction, that is, toward the inside of the airtight container 10 in a direction opposite to the direction toward the region R1. Thus, the situation where the gas forming the air curtain is blown toward the substrate S can be more effectively reduced.

[0077] It is also preferred that Figure 2 As shown, the inlet 54 and the exhaust port 34 are arranged at positions that do not overlap with the region R1 when viewed from above, that is, when viewed in the Z direction. This can more effectively reduce the situation where the gas forming the air curtain is blown toward the substrate S.

[0078] It is also preferred that Figure 2 As shown, the exhaust port 34 is arranged at a position that does not overlap with the upper surface 21 of the substrate holding portion 20 when viewed from above, that is, when viewed in the Z direction. This can more effectively reduce the situation where the gas forming the air curtain is blown toward the substrate S.

[0079] It is also preferable that the exhaust port 34 is disposed at the top portion 110 of the airtight container 10. Thereby, an air curtain can be formed more effectively between the top surface 111 of the top portion 110 and the region R2.

[0080] Furthermore, the nozzle 540 , namely, the introduction port 54 , is arranged at a position overlapping with the region R2 in a plan view, that is, when viewed in the Z direction. Thus, an air curtain can be more effectively formed between the top surface 111 of the top portion 110 and the region R2.

[0081] Furthermore, the gas ejected from the nozzle 540 is smoothed by the guide plates 61 and 62 from the nozzle 540 to the exhaust port 34 , thereby increasing the efficiency of recovering the solvent toward the side surface 121 and further reducing the adhesion of the solvent to the inner wall surface 101 .

[0082] Furthermore, the control device 90 controls the valve 56, the auxiliary pressure reducing mechanism 32, and the guide plates 61 and 62 according to the elapsed time from the start of the first drying process A1, and controls the injection amount of the gas injected from the inlet 54 of the plurality of nozzles 540 into the interior of the airtight container 10. The injection amount of the gas is, for example, an amount obtained in advance by experiments.

[0083] In addition, the control device 90 may also control the valve 56, the auxiliary pressure reducing mechanism 32 and the guide plates 61 and 62 based on the analysis result of the gas analyzer 81. That is, the control device 90 may also control the injection amount of the gas injected from the inlet 54 to the inside of the airtight container 10 in accordance with the amount of the solvent in the atmosphere inside the airtight container 10. For example, the control device 90 may also control the valve 56 to increase the gas introduction flow rate and control the auxiliary pressure reducing mechanism 32 to increase the gas exhaust volume in accordance with the increase in the amount of solvent detected by the gas analyzer 81. Subsequently, the control device 90 causes the guide plates 61 and 62 to move in a direction close to parallel with the angle between the guide plates 61 and 62 and the side 121 in accordance with the increase in the gas introduction amount, so as to reduce the gas toward the side 121. Thus, the solvent can be effectively reduced from adhering to the side 121. In addition, the control device 90 may also cause the guide plates 61 and 62 to move in a direction close to parallel without changing the opening of the valve 56 and the auxiliary pressure reducing mechanism 32.

[0084] After the period D2, the control device 90 controls the main pressure reducing mechanism 31 and the auxiliary pressure reducing mechanism 32 of the gas discharge part 30, and the valve 55 and the valve 56 of the gas inlet part 50 in the closing direction, so that the pressure of the internal space SP0 of the airtight container 10, that is, the pressure displayed by the pressure gauge 83, drops from the first pressure P1 to the second pressure P2 (period D3). As a result, the interior of the airtight container 10 is decompressed to the second pressure P2. The flow rate of the gas introduced from the auxiliary inlet part 52 into the interior of the airtight container 10 is controlled from the first flow rate Q1 to the second flow rate Q2. The second flow rate Q2 is a flow rate less than the first flow rate Q1.

[0085] Period D3 is a process of reducing pressure from the first pressure P1 to the second pressure P2. The second pressure P2 is a pressure that is lower than the first pressure P1, lower than the vapor pressure of the first solvent, and higher than the vapor pressure of the second solvent. The control device 90 controls the main pressure reducing mechanism 31 and the auxiliary pressure reducing mechanism 32 of the gas discharge part 30, and the valve 55 and the valve 56 of the gas inlet part 50, so that after the pressure displayed by the pressure gauge 83 reaches the second pressure P2, the pressure of the internal space SP0, that is, the pressure displayed by the pressure gauge 83 is maintained at the second pressure P2 during period D4. During period D4, the flow rate of the gas introduced from the auxiliary inlet part 52 into the interior of the airtight container 10 is maintained at the second flow rate Q2. Period D4 is a pre-set second time. In this way, the control device 90 controls the injection amount of the gas injected from the inlet 54 of the plurality of nozzles 540 into the interior of the airtight container 10 in the first drying process A1.

[0086] During the period D3 , the pressure of the internal space SP0 decreases from the first pressure P1 to the second pressure P2 . During the period D4 , the pressure of the internal space SP0 is maintained at the second pressure P2 , so that the solvent, particularly the second solvent, evaporates from the solution film F.

[0087] In the first embodiment, since the solution film F includes two solvents having different vapor pressures, the substrate S is dried by two-stage pressure control. When the solution film F includes N solvents having different vapor pressures, it is preferred to dry the substrate S by N-stage pressure control. In this way, the control device 90 controls the main decompression mechanism 31 and the valve 55 in each period D1, D2, D3, and D4 so that the pressure of the internal space SP0 becomes the set pressure.

[0088] During the periods D3 and D4 , the solvent also evaporates from the substrate S. Since a gas curtain is formed by injecting gas from the nozzle 540 into the airtight container 10 , the solvent is less likely to adhere to the inner wall surface 101 due to the shielding effect of the gas curtain.

[0089] In addition, during the periods D3 and D4, the solvent attached to the inner wall surface 101 of the airtight container 10 during the periods D1 and D2 evaporates again. Since the amount of solvent attached to the inner wall surface 101 during the periods D1 and D2 is reduced, the time required for drying the inner wall surface 101 of the airtight container 10 can be shortened, and the period D4 can be shortened. Therefore, the productivity of the reduced pressure drying device 100 can be improved.

[0090] In addition, the control device 90 controls the main pressure reducing mechanism 31 and the auxiliary pressure reducing mechanism 32 of the gas discharge part 30, the valve 55 and the valve 56 of the gas introduction part 50, and the guide plates 61 and 62 in the periods D3 and D4 as in the periods D1 and D2. As a result, the adhesion of the solvent to the inner wall surface 101 of the airtight container 10 is reduced.

[0091] As described above, the control device 90 performs the first drying process A1 of controlling the pressure inside the airtight container 10 to be lower than the atmospheric pressure and higher than the vapor pressure of the solvent (e.g., the second solvent) contained in the solution. In addition, the control device 90 sprays gas from the inlet 54 of the plurality of nozzles 540 into the interior of the airtight container 10 in the first drying process A1 to form an air curtain.

[0092] After the period D4, that is, after the first drying process A1 is completed, the control device 90 controls the gas discharge part 30 so that the pressure of the internal space SP0 of the airtight container 10, that is, the pressure displayed by the pressure gauge 83, drops from the second pressure P2 to the third pressure P3 (period D5). At this time, the control device 90 controls the closing valve 56 so that the flow rate of the gas introduced from the auxiliary introduction part 52 into the interior of the airtight container 10 becomes 0. As a result, the interior of the airtight container 10 is depressurized to the third pressure P3.

[0093] The period D5 is a process of reducing pressure from the second pressure P2 to the third pressure P3. The third pressure P3 is a pressure lower than the first pressure P1 and the second pressure P2 and lower than the vapor pressure of the first solvent and the second solvent. In other words, the third pressure P3 is a pressure lower than the minimum vapor pressure of the solvent. The control device 90 controls the main pressure reducing mechanism 31 and the auxiliary pressure reducing mechanism 32 of the gas discharge part 30 so that after the pressure displayed by the pressure gauge 83 reaches the third pressure P3, the pressure of the internal space SP0, that is, the pressure displayed by the pressure gauge 83, is maintained at the third pressure P3 during the period D6. The period D6 is a pre-set third time.

[0094] In the periods D5 and D6, the substrate S is further dried and the inner wall surface 101 of the airtight container 10 is dried (refreshed). Since the amount of solvent adhering to the inner wall surface of the airtight container 10 is reduced by the air curtain formed in the periods D1 to D4, the time required for the second drying process A2 in the periods D5 and D6 can be shortened, and the productivity of the reduced pressure drying device 100 can be improved.

[0095] As described above, the control device 90 performs the second drying process A2 of controlling the pressure inside the airtight container 10 to be lower than the vapor pressure of the solvent (e.g., the second solvent). Furthermore, the control device 90 stops the injection of gas from the inlet 54 of the plurality of nozzles 540 into the interior of the airtight container 10 during the second drying process A2, and stops the formation of the air curtain. In this way, the second drying process A2 is performed in a state where the formation of the air curtain is stopped, so that the inner wall surface 101 is effectively dried.

[0096] Then, in Figure 4 In step S3 shown, the control device 90 determines whether the drying process is completed. Whether the drying process is completed is determined based on the output value of the gas analyzer 81 or the pre-set processing time. In addition, when the drying process includes multiple drying processes, the control device 90 can also implement the determination process of step S3 when the last drying process among the multiple drying processes starts.

[0097] If the answer to step S3 is "yes", that is, the drying process is finished, the control device 90 executes the next step S4. If the answer to step S3 is "no", that is, the drying process is not finished, the control device 90 returns to the process of step S2 again and continues the drying process. In step S4, the control device 90 controls the conveying device RB to deliver the substrate S held by the substrate holding portion 20 to the outside of the airtight container 10.

[0098] In another process, the substrate that has undergone the drying process is processed, thereby manufacturing an organic EL panel as an article. As described above, according to the first embodiment, since the solvent is reduced from adhering to the inner wall surface 101 of the airtight container 10, the time required for drying the inner wall surface 101 can be shortened, thereby improving the productivity of the second drying process A2.

[0099] In addition, the case where the solution film F contains a plurality of solvents having different vapor pressures is described as an example, but it may also contain a single solvent. In addition, the inert gas introduced from the secondary introduction portion 52 into the internal space SP0 is not limited to the periods D1 to D4, and the inert gas may be introduced from the secondary introduction portion 52 into the internal space SP0 during the period D5 or the period D6. In addition, the guide plate 61 and / or the guide plate 62 may be fixed in a manner inclined relative to the horizontal plane.

[0100] <Modification 1 of the first embodiment>

[0101] Next, a modification example 1 of the first embodiment will be described. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, elements denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment have substantially the same structure and function as those described in the first embodiment, and mainly the parts different from the first embodiment will be described.

[0102] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of a vacuum drying device 100A according to Modification 1. Figure 6 FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a portion of the reduced pressure drying device 100A when the top 110 of the airtight container 10 is viewed from the substrate S in the positive direction of the Z axis. Figure 6 As shown, the reduced pressure drying device 100A may also include a plurality of (4) nozzles 540A instead of the plurality of nozzles 540. The four nozzles 540A are respectively arranged outside the outer shape of the substrate S, that is, outside the outer shape of the region R1, and are nozzles having an inlet 54A extending along and parallel to the corresponding sides of the four sides of the region R1. In this way, the inlet 54A of the nozzle 540A is not limited to a circular shape, but may also be a slit shape.

[0103] <Second embodiment>

[0104] Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, elements denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment have substantially the same structure and function as those described in the first embodiment, and the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

[0105] Figure 7 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of a reduced pressure drying apparatus 100B as an example of a substrate processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. In the reduced pressure drying apparatus 100B according to the second embodiment, the arrangement position of the nozzle 540 is changed. In addition, the reduced pressure drying apparatus 100B includes a guide plate 61B as an example of a guide member instead of the guide plates 61 and 62. The gas exhaust unit 30 further includes an exhaust port 34B.

[0106] In the second embodiment, the nozzle 540 is arranged on the region R2. The nozzle 540 sprays gas into the interior of the airtight container 10 in a manner of blowing gas toward the top 110 of the airtight container 10. Preferably, the spraying direction of the gas of the inlet 54 is an oblique direction relative to the upper surface 21 of the substrate holding portion 20. Moreover, preferably, in the horizontal plane, the gas is sprayed into the interior of the airtight container 10 in a manner of facing the outside of the region R1 when viewed along the Z direction, that is, in a direction opposite to the direction toward the region R1. Thereby, the blowing of the gas forming the air curtain toward the substrate S can be more effectively reduced.

[0107] The guide plate 61B is arranged in the region R2 in such a manner as to guide the gas ejected from the nozzle 540 into the interior of the airtight container 10 toward the top 110 of the airtight container 10. When viewed along the Z direction, the nozzle 540 is arranged between the region R1 and the guide plate 61B. The reduced pressure drying device 100B may also include a device capable of driving the guide plate 61B. Figure 3 The driving portion 64 is shown to adjust the angle of the guide plate 61B.

[0108] In the second embodiment, the nozzle 540 is provided in the region R2 of the substrate holding portion 20, and the angle of the nozzle 540 is set so as to eject the gas toward the side surface 121 of the airtight container 10. In addition, a guide plate 61B is provided near the nozzle 540. In addition, an exhaust port 34B is provided in the side wall portion 120 in front of the ejection direction of the gas of the inlet 54 of the nozzle 540. The exhaust port 34 is provided in the top portion 110. In addition, either the exhaust port 34 or the exhaust port 34B may be omitted.

[0109] The drying process is performed as in the first embodiment. Figure 4 and Figure 5 As described above, according to the second embodiment, an air curtain is formed in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and the solvent is reduced from adhering to the inner wall surface 101 of the airtight container 10, thereby shortening the time required for drying the inner wall surface 101, thereby improving the productivity of the second drying process A2.

[0110] Furthermore, the second embodiment may be combined with at least one of the first embodiment and its modified examples.

[0111] <Embodiment of the method for manufacturing an article>

[0112] The manufacturing method of the article of the embodiment of the present disclosure is suitable for manufacturing articles such as organic EL (OLED) panels using an inkjet printing device. The manufacturing method of the article of the present embodiment includes a process (coating process) of configuring or coating a solution film (a solution containing a solute and a solvent for forming an organic film) on a substrate by a printing method using an inkjet printing device, etc. to obtain a coated substrate. It also includes a process (drying process) of drying the solution film on the coated substrate using the above-mentioned reduced pressure drying device to obtain a dry substrate formed with a dry film. The manufacturing method also includes other well-known processes (baking, cooling, dehumidification, dry cleaning, formation of electrodes, formation of sealing films, etc.). The manufacturing method of the article of the present embodiment is advantageous in at least one of the performance, quality, productivity, and production cost of the article compared to previous methods.

[0113] As described above, according to the present disclosure, a technique is provided which is advantageous in shortening the time required to dry the inner wall surface of an airtight container.

[0114] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the embodiments can be modified in many ways within the technical concept of the present disclosure. In addition, the effects described in the present embodiment are merely the best effects produced by the embodiments of the present disclosure, and the effects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the contents described in the present embodiment.

Claims

1. A substrate processing device, characterized in that: The substrate processing device comprises: Airtight container; a substrate holding portion, which is disposed inside the airtight container and is capable of holding the substrate coated with the solution; a gas introduction portion capable of introducing gas into the interior of the airtight container; and a gas exhaust portion capable of exhausting gas from the interior of the airtight container, The gas introduction portion has a first introduction port opened inside the airtight container, The gas exhaust portion has a first exhaust port opened inside the airtight container, The upper surface of the substrate holding portion includes a first area and a second area outside the first area, and the substrate is arranged in the first area. The first introduction port injects gas into the interior of the airtight container so as to form an air curtain between the top of the airtight container and the second region.

2. The substrate processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The jetting direction of the gas from the first inlet is an oblique direction with respect to the upper surface of the substrate holding portion.

3. The substrate processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first introduction port and the first exhaust port are arranged at positions not overlapping with the first region in a plan view.

4. The substrate processing device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first exhaust port is arranged at a position not overlapping with the upper surface of the substrate holding portion in the plan view.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The first exhaust port is disposed at the top portion of the airtight container.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The first introduction port is a jet port of a nozzle disposed inside the airtight container.

7. The substrate processing device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The nozzle is disposed at the top of the airtight container.

8. The substrate processing device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The nozzle injects gas into the interior of the airtight container so as to blow the gas toward the second region.

9. The substrate processing device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The nozzle is arranged at a position overlapping with the second region in a plan view.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein: The substrate processing apparatus further includes a first guide member disposed at the top portion of the airtight container and guiding the gas injected from the nozzle into the interior of the airtight container toward the second region.

11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: The first guide member is disposed at a position between the first region and the nozzle in a plan view.

12. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: The substrate processing apparatus further includes a first driving unit capable of driving the first guide member to adjust an angle of the first guide member.

13. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: The substrate processing apparatus further includes a second guide member disposed in the second region and guiding the gas injected from the nozzle into the interior of the airtight container toward the top of the airtight container.

14. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein: The nozzle is disposed at a position between the first guide member and the second guide member in a plan view.

15. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein: The substrate processing apparatus further includes a second driving unit capable of driving the second guide member to adjust an angle of the second guide member.

16. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein: The nozzle is arranged in the second area.

17. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein: The nozzle sprays gas into the interior of the airtight container in a manner of blowing the gas toward the top of the airtight container.

18. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein: The substrate processing apparatus further includes a guide member disposed in the second region and guiding the gas injected from the nozzle into the interior of the airtight container toward the top of the airtight container.

19. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein: The nozzle is arranged between the first region and the guide member in a plan view.

20. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein: The substrate processing apparatus further includes a driving unit capable of driving the guide member to adjust an angle of the guide member.

21. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The substrate processing apparatus further includes a control unit that performs a first process and a second process, wherein the first process controls the pressure inside the airtight container to a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure and higher than the vapor pressure of the solvent contained in the solution, and the second process controls the pressure inside the airtight container to a pressure lower than the vapor pressure of the solvent. The control unit injects gas from the first introduction port into the interior of the airtight container in the first process.

22. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 21, characterized in that: The control unit stops ejecting the gas from the first introduction port into the interior of the airtight container in the second process.

23. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 21, characterized in that: The control unit controls the injection amount of the gas injected from the first introduction port into the interior of the airtight container in the first process.

24. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 23, characterized in that: The control unit controls the amount of gas injected from the first introduction port into the interior of the airtight container according to the amount of the solvent in the atmosphere inside the airtight container.

25. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 23, characterized in that: The control unit controls the injection amount of the gas injected from the first introduction port into the interior of the airtight container according to the elapsed time from the start of the first process.

26. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein: The gas introduction portion has a second introduction port opened inside the airtight container, The gas exhaust portion has a second exhaust port opened inside the airtight container, The second introduction port and the second exhaust port are arranged at positions overlapping with the upper surface of the substrate holding portion in a plan view. The control unit controls the exhaust amount of the gas exhausted from the interior of the airtight container through the first exhaust port and the second exhaust port according to the flow rate of the gas introduced into the interior of the airtight container through the first introduction port and the second introduction port.

27. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gas introduction part has a plurality of first introduction ports. The plurality of first introduction ports are arranged along the outer periphery of the first region in a plan view.

28. A substrate processing method, characterized in that: This substrate processing method uses the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 27 to perform a process of evaporating a solvent included in a solution applied to a substrate.

29. A method for manufacturing an article, characterized in that: The method for manufacturing an article uses the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 27 to perform a process of evaporating a solvent included in a solution containing a functional material of a functional thin film or a functional element applied on a substrate.

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