Substrate heat treatment apparatus and upper chamber therefor

Abstract

The application discloses a substrate heat treatment device and an upper cavity thereof. The upper cavity is arranged on a substrate to block the substrate from the outside space. The upper cavity comprises an inner cover, an air supply pipeline and a heating element. The inner cover comprises a flow guide wall and an outer wall. The flow guide wall and the outer wall are arranged to form a main cavity chamber for accommodating the substrate. The flow guide wall is provided with a gas blowing port surrounding the periphery of the main cavity chamber. The gas blowing port is in communication with the main cavity chamber. The outer wall is provided with a gas outlet. The gas in the main cavity chamber can be discharged from the gas outlet. The air supply pipeline is arranged around the periphery of the flow guide wall. The air supply pipeline is used for blowing air flow towards the gas blowing port to supply the main cavity chamber with the gas. The heating element is connected with the air supply pipeline and is used for heating the air flow in the air supply pipeline. The substrate heat treatment device and the upper cavity thereof are used for improving the temperature uniformity during the heat treatment of the substrate and improving the heat treatment effect of the substrate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of substrate heat treatment technology, and in particular to a substrate heat treatment apparatus and its upper cavity. Background Technology

[0002] In the manufacturing of display devices, semiconductor packaging, or solar cells, heat treatment equipment is typically used to heat-treat substrates. During the heat treatment of the substrate, the solvent in the wet film coated on the substrate evaporates. As the concentration of the evaporated solvent above the film gradually increases, it can adversely affect the subsequent heat treatment effect of the film.

[0003] Some existing heat treatment equipment can be used for batch heat treatment of substrates. The upper chamber of this equipment generally includes an inner shell and an outer shell. The inner shell houses the substrate, which is then heat-treated by heating elements such as hot plates. An external gas flow can be introduced between the outer and inner shells to reduce the concentration of solvents generated by the evaporation of the thin film on the substrate within the inner shell. Simultaneously, a clean circulating fan is positioned above the substrate, blowing ambient temperature gas downwards onto the thin film on the substrate. The gas in the heat treatment unit can be discharged through exhaust vents at the bottom of the substrate. This continuous gas flow prevents excessively high concentrations of evaporating solvents above the thin film.

[0004] When the cleanroom circulating fan generates airflow that blows towards the substrate, the airflow carries away heat from the thin film on the substrate. When the airflow directly blows onto a portion of the substrate and then diffuses, different areas of the substrate are carried away with varying amounts of heat, leading to reduced temperature uniformity and consequently affecting the uniformity of the heat treatment effect on the thin film. Furthermore, the use of heating elements such as hot plates within the inner shell creates a significant temperature difference between the inside and outside of the inner shell. This large temperature difference can easily cause gas condensation, contaminating the heat treatment equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a substrate heat treatment apparatus and its upper cavity, which improves the temperature uniformity during substrate heat treatment and enhances the heat treatment effect on the substrate.

[0006] The objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0007] An upper cavity of a substrate heat treatment apparatus, the upper cavity covering the substrate to be treated to isolate the substrate from the external space; the upper cavity includes:

[0008] The inner cover includes a guide wall and an outer wall, which together form a main chamber for accommodating the substrate to be processed. The guide wall is provided with an air blowing port surrounding the periphery of the main chamber, and the air blowing port is in communication with the main chamber. The outer wall is provided with an air outlet, through which gas in the main chamber can be discharged.

[0009] An air supply duct is arranged around the outer periphery of the guide wall, and the air supply duct is used to blow airflow toward the air outlet to supply gas to the main chamber.

[0010] A heating element is connected to the air supply duct and is used to heat the airflow within the air supply duct.

[0011] Preferably, a windproof component is provided inside the flow guide wall, the windproof component covers the air outlet, and the windproof component is located between the air outlet and the substrate.

[0012] Preferably, the windbreak assembly includes a plurality of windbreak panels;

[0013] The wind deflector is detachably connected to the air guide wall, and each wind deflector is used to block a portion of the air outlet. At least a portion of the wind deflectors can be removed to change the airflow path through the wind deflector assembly.

[0014] And / or, the wind deflector is movably installed inside the inner cover, and the position of the wind deflector is adjusted to change the airflow path through the wind deflector assembly.

[0015] Preferably, the air inlet is a vertically extending strip-shaped hole, and the wind baffle is a horizontally extending strip-shaped plate;

[0016] And / or, the guide wall and the outer wall are spaced apart, and the air supply duct is located between the guide wall and the outer wall.

[0017] Preferably, it further includes a branch pipe for connecting the heating element and the air supply duct; one end of the branch pipe is connected to the heating element to receive the airflow heated by the heating element, and the other end of the branch pipe forms multiple branches and communicates with multiple locations of the air supply duct to supply airflow to the air supply duct.

[0018] Preferably, a temperature measuring element is provided on the air supply duct and / or the branch duct, the temperature measuring element being used to measure the airflow temperature;

[0019] The airflow temperature is 0.95 to 1.05 times the substrate heating temperature.

[0020] Preferably, a heating plate is provided inside the inner cover, and the heating plate is used to heat the gas inside the main chamber.

[0021] Preferably, a flow equalization component is provided at the gas outlet, the flow equalization component includes a plurality of flow equalization plates arranged sequentially along the gas flow direction, and flow equalization holes are respectively provided on the plurality of flow equalization plates; along the gas flow direction, the density of flow equalization holes on the plurality of flow equalization plates gradually decreases and the space gradually increases;

[0022] The heating plate is located between the flow equalization component and the air outlet.

[0023] Preferably, it further includes an outer cover, which covers the inner cover, the outer cover and the inner cover are spaced apart and a space is formed between the outer cover and the inner cover, and the space is filled with a heat insulation layer.

[0024] A substrate heat treatment apparatus, comprising:

[0025] The upper cavity of any of the above;

[0026] A hot plate is used to heat the substrate to be processed, and the hot plate is covered by the inner cover of the upper cavity.

[0027] The air supply duct of the upper cavity is used to provide airflow with a temperature of 0.95 to 1.05 times that of the heating temperature of the hot plate.

[0028] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention include at least the following:

[0029] By using a heating element to heat the gas in the air supply duct, the gas flowing into the main chamber can be preheated. The gas heated by the heating element can form a hot airflow that is blown into the main chamber. The temperature difference between the hot airflow and the substrate is small, the hot airflow has little impact on the substrate temperature, and less heat is absorbed by the hot airflow at various points on the substrate, thereby improving the temperature uniformity and stability of the substrate. The gas flows from all sides of the main chamber to the main chamber and is discharged through the air outlet at the top center of the main chamber. The gas flowing in from all sides will flow along the substrate surface. When the gas flows, it pushes the organic solvent vapor evaporated from the thin film on the substrate to the entire substrate surface. The gas flow from all sides has a certain entrainment effect. When the airflow from all sides flows from the edge of the substrate to the center, it will carry the organic solvent evaporated from the edge of the substrate to the center and finally be drawn away by the air outlet at the top. This can prevent the evaporated organic solvent vapor from leaking from the edge of the substrate and effectively improve the heat treatment effect of the substrate.

[0030] Furthermore, by preheating the gas in the air supply duct, the gas temperature is higher, the temperature difference between the gas and the main chamber is smaller, and the gas is less likely to condense and thus contaminate the heat treatment equipment. In addition, when heat treating large-area substrates or multiple substrates at the same time, the inner and outer covers are large in volume, and the cost and difficulty of laying heating elements between the inner and outer covers are high. The mode of preheating the air supply duct by using heating elements in this application is lower in cost and easier to implement. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the upper cavity structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the upper cavity according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the upper cavity after the baffle assembly is removed according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the upper cavity after removing part of the baffle assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 5 This is a partial exploded view of the upper cavity structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 6 This is a partial structural diagram of the upper cavity according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the air supply duct structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 8 This is an exploded view of another part of the upper cavity structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the fourth side of the second flow equalization plate according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the third side of the second flow equalization plate according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the second side of the first flow equalization plate according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first surface of the first flow equalization plate in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] In the diagram: 1. Inner cover; 11. Guide wall; 111. Air outlet; 12. Outer wall; 121. Air outlet; 13. Main chamber; 14. Wind baffle assembly; 141. Wind baffle plate; 15. Heating plate; 151. Heating fixing plate; 2. Flow equalization assembly; 21. Flow equalization plate; 211. Flow equalization hole; 22. First flow equalization plate; 221. First surface; 2211. First flow equalization hole; 222. Second surface; 2221. First diversion channel; 23. Second flow equalization plate; 231. Third surface; 2311. Second diversion channel; 2312. Second flow equalization hole; 232. Fourth surface; 2321. Third diversion channel; 3. Air supply duct; 31. Air outlet; 32. Temperature measuring element; 4. Branch pipe; 5. Heating element; 6. Outer cover; 61. Spacing; 62. Insulation layer. Detailed Implementation

[0044] 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 embodiments set forth herein; rather, they are provided to make the invention more comprehensive and complete, and to fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar structures, and therefore repeated descriptions of them will be omitted.

[0045] The terms used to express position and direction in this invention are illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings, but changes can be made as needed, and all such changes are included within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0046] like Figures 1 to 12 As shown, this invention provides an upper cavity of a substrate heat treatment apparatus. The upper cavity covers the substrate to be treated to isolate the substrate from the external space. Gas around the substrate is discharged through vents in the upper cavity, and external gas can also be blown into the space where the substrate is located through vents in the upper cavity. By designing the structure of the upper cavity, the internal gas flow state can be controlled, thereby controlling the flow state of the gas around the substrate and ensuring temperature uniformity throughout the substrate when the gas flows around it. The substrate can be a substrate coated with a PI (Polyimide) wet film. The substrate undergoes heat treatment in the substrate heat treatment apparatus to cure the PI wet film. This PI-coated substrate can be used in flexible display panels. In other embodiments, the substrate can also be used in semiconductor packaging or solar cells, and the thin film on the substrate is a thin film with corresponding functions.

[0047] The upper cavity includes an inner cover 1, an air supply duct, and a heating element 5. It may also include a branch duct 4 and an outer cover 6.

[0048] Reference Figures 1 to 5The inner cover 1 can be placed on the substrate, for example, the inner cover 1 can form a main chamber 13 inside. When the inner cover 1 needs to be placed on the substrate, the substrate and the hot plate for heating the substrate can be located on a support platform, and the inner cover 1 can be attached to the support platform so that the substrate and the hot plate are covered by the inner cover 1, and the substrate and the hot plate can be located in the main chamber 13 inside the inner cover 1.

[0049] The inner cover 1 may include a flow guide wall 11 and an outer wall 12. The flow guide wall 11 and the outer wall 12 of the inner cover 1 together form the main cavity 13. Specifically, the flow guide wall 11 is disposed inside the outer wall 12, and the upper end of the flow guide wall 11 is open. The flow guide wall 11 and the upper end of the outer wall 12 cooperate to form the main cavity 13.

[0050] The inner cover 1 may be provided with an air inlet 111 and an air outlet 121 communicating with the main chamber 13. External gas can be blown into the main chamber 13 of the inner cover 1 through the air inlet 111, and the gas in the main chamber 13 can be discharged through the air inlet 111. The gas flow between the air inlet 111 and the air outlet 121 causes the evaporated solvent generated during the heat treatment of the substrate to be continuously discharged from the main chamber 13 with the air flow, so as to prevent the concentration of evaporating solvent above the thin film of the substrate from being too high.

[0051] An air inlet 111 can be disposed on the guide wall 11 of the inner cover 1, penetrating the guide wall 11 along its thickness direction. Multiple air inlets 111 can be provided, evenly distributed on the guide wall 11. For example, the guide wall 11 can be arranged around the main chamber 13, with multiple air inlets 111 evenly distributed on it, arranged sequentially along the circumferential direction of the guide wall 11, thus surrounding the main chamber 13. External gas can be blown into the main chamber 13 from its periphery through the multiple air inlets 111.

[0052] The air outlet 111 can receive the airflow provided by the air supply duct 3. The air outlet 111 can be directly connected to the air supply duct 3, for example, the air outlet 31 of the air supply duct 3 can be connected to the air outlet 111; or, the air outlet 111 can be spaced apart from the air supply duct 3, and the air outlet 111 is located in front of the air blowing direction of the air supply duct 3. In this case, the airflow blown out of the air supply duct 3 flows towards the air outlet 111, so that the gas blown out of the air supply duct 3 can flow into the main chamber 13 through the air outlet 111.

[0053] An air outlet 121 is disposed on the outer wall 12, specifically at the top center of the outer wall 12, and the air outlet 121 can penetrate the outer wall 12 along its thickness direction. When external gas flows into the main body chamber 13 through the air inlet 111, the air pressure in the main body chamber 13 increases, forcing the gas in the main body chamber 13 to be discharged through the air outlet 121. The air outlet 121 can be located above the center portion of the substrate.

[0054] Reference Figure 2 , Figure 5 and Figure 7 The air supply duct 3 is provided with multiple air outlets 31, which are located on the side of the air supply duct 3 facing the guide wall 11. The air supply duct 3 can be arranged around the guide wall 11, and the multiple air outlets 31 on the air supply duct can also be arranged around the guide wall 11. By arranging the multiple air outlets 31 around the guide wall 11, the gas supplied by the air supply duct 3 can flow into the main chamber 13 through the air outlets 121 surrounding the main chamber 13. Among them, the air outlet 31 can correspond one-to-one with the air blowing port 111, that is, one air blowing port 111 is located downstream of the air outlet direction of the corresponding air outlet 31, and the air blowing port 111 is used for the airflow blown out by the corresponding air outlet 31 to pass through; or, one air outlet 31 can correspond to multiple air blowing ports 111, with the air outlet 31 and the air blowing port 111 arranged at intervals, and the airflow blown out by the air outlet 31 diffuses when flowing toward the air blowing port 111, so that the airflow blown out by one air outlet 31 can flow into the main body chamber 13 from multiple air blowing ports 111.

[0055] Specifically, the air supply duct 3 can be disposed between the guide wall 11 and the outer wall 12. Specifically, the guide wall 11 and the outer wall 12 are spaced apart and form a space surrounding the guide wall 11, and the air supply duct 3 is disposed within the space formed between the guide wall 11 and the outer wall 12.

[0056] Reference Figure 5 and Figure 6To facilitate gas supply to the air supply duct 3, the air supply duct 3 can be connected to a branch pipe 4. One end of the branch pipe 4 is a confluence end and is used to connect to an external gas supply device, which can supply gas into the branch pipe 4. The end of the branch pipe 4 used to connect to the air supply duct 3 can form multiple branches. The gas in the branch pipe 4 is distributed through multiple branches. Each branch can be connected to a point in the air supply duct 3 to supply gas into the air supply duct 3. By connecting multiple branches to the air supply duct 3, the gas can flow in and out of the air supply duct 3 from multiple points through multiple branches. By supplying airflow to the air supply duct 3 from different positions in the air supply duct 3, it is possible to facilitate the uniform diffusion of airflow within the air supply duct 3, thereby enabling the air outlets 31 at all points in the air supply duct 3 to blow out a uniform flow of air. Among them, the branch of the branch pipe 4 can pass through the outer wall 12, enter the inner side of the outer wall 12 and connect with the air supply pipe 3. The confluence end of the branch pipe 4 is located on the outer side of the outer wall 12 and is used to connect with the external air supply equipment.

[0057] When room temperature gas is blown directly onto the substrate located in the main chamber 13 through the air outlet 111, the temperature difference between the room temperature gas and the substrate is large. The room temperature gas will absorb heat from the substrate, and the temperature of the substrate will change due to the influence of the room temperature gas, thereby reducing the temperature stability of the substrate. Furthermore, the part of the substrate that comes into contact with the room temperature air first will absorb more heat from the room temperature air, while the part of the substrate that comes into contact with the room temperature air later will absorb less heat from the room temperature air, thereby reducing the temperature uniformity of the substrate.

[0058] To improve the temperature uniformity and stability of the substrate, the gas flowing into the main chamber 13 can be heated by the heating element 5 first. The heated gas can then form a hot airflow that is blown into the main chamber 13. Compared to room temperature airflow, the temperature difference between the hot airflow and the substrate is smaller, the hot airflow has less impact on the substrate temperature, and less heat is absorbed by the hot airflow at various points on the substrate, thereby improving the temperature uniformity and stability of the substrate.

[0059] Furthermore, by preheating the gas in the air supply duct 3, the gas temperature flowing into the main chamber 13 is higher, the temperature difference between the gas and the main chamber is smaller, and the gas is less likely to condense and contaminate the heat treatment equipment. Also, when heat treating large-area substrates or multiple substrates simultaneously, the inner cover 1 and outer cover 6 are large in volume, and the cost and difficulty of laying heating elements between the inner cover 1 and outer cover 6 are high. The method of using heating elements 5 to preheat the gas in the air supply duct 3 in this application is lower in cost and easier to implement. The inner cover 1 can be divided into multiple spaces by partitions or other means, and each space can be heated by a hot plate. Alternatively, the inner cover 1 can be used only for heat treating one substrate, and the substrate in the inner cover 1 can be a large-area substrate.

[0060] The heating element 5 can be installed on the air supply duct 3 or the branch pipe 4, or it can be installed at the end of the air supply duct 3 or the branch pipe 4. Specifically, in this embodiment, the heating element 5 can be installed at the confluence end of the branch pipe 4. The branch pipe 4 is located between the heating element 5 and the air supply duct 3. After being heated by the heating element 5, the airflow flows into the branch pipe 4, which splits the gas and sends it into the air supply duct 3 from multiple locations.

[0061] Preferably, the temperature of the gas heated by the heating element 5 can be the same as or close to the heating temperature of the substrate. For example, the temperature of the gas heated by the heating element 5 can be 0.95 to 1.05 times the heating temperature of the substrate. The heating temperature of the substrate is the temperature to which the substrate needs to be heated during heat treatment, and the heating temperature of the substrate is the same as or substantially the same as the temperature of the hot plate. The temperature of the gas heated by the heating element 5, the heating temperature of the substrate, and the temperature of the hot plate can all be 150°C.

[0062] When the heating element 5 heats the gas to the same or similar temperature as the substrate, the temperature of the gas blown into the main chamber 13 through the air blowing port 111 will be the same or similar to the heating temperature of the substrate. Therefore, there is essentially no temperature difference between the gas flowing from the air blowing port 111 to the substrate and the substrate, so that the gas blown from the air blowing port 111 to the substrate will have virtually no impact on the temperature of the substrate, thereby improving the temperature uniformity and stability of the substrate during heat treatment.

[0063] Furthermore, the air inlet 111 is located on the guide wall 11, and the air outlet 121 is located at the center of the top of the outer wall 12. Therefore, within the inner cover 1, gas flows into the main chamber 13 through the surrounding guide walls 11, then flows towards the center of the main chamber 13 and exits from the main chamber 13 through the air outlet 121 on the outer wall 12. As the gas flows from the periphery towards the central region, it accelerates heat exchange within the main chamber 13. Specifically, when the temperature is uneven across the substrate, the airflow promotes the diffusion of heat from the high-temperature area towards the low-temperature area, thereby improving the temperature uniformity across the substrate.

[0064] To facilitate the detection of the gas heated by the heating element 5, a temperature measuring element 32 is installed on the air supply duct 3 and / or branch duct 4. The temperature measuring element 32 can be used to measure the gas temperature. The temperature measuring element 32 can be a thermocouple. When the temperature measuring element 32 is installed on the air supply duct 3, it can measure the gas temperature within the air supply duct 3; when the temperature measuring element 32 is installed on the branch duct 4, it can measure the gas temperature within the branch duct 4. The power of the heating element 5 can be controlled by the temperature measured by the temperature measuring element 32. When the temperature measured by the temperature measuring element 32 is lower than the minimum value of the required temperature range, the power of the heating element 5 can be increased to raise the gas temperature; when the temperature measured by the temperature measuring element 32 is higher than the maximum value of the required temperature range, the power of the heating element 5 can be decreased to lower the gas temperature. The required temperature range can be 0.95 to 1.05 times the substrate heating temperature.

[0065] When gas is blown directly from the air outlet 111 of the guide wall 11 onto the thin film on the substrate surface, the blowing force of the airflow may affect the thin film. (Refer to...) Figures 1 to 5 To prevent airflow from directly hitting the thin film on the substrate surface, a windbreak component 14 can be provided inside the flow guide wall 11. The windbreak component 14 is located between the air outlet 111 and the substrate, and can cover the air outlet 111. The airflow from the air outlet 111 flows to the substrate after passing through the windbreak component 14. The windbreak component 14 can restrict the flow path of the airflow so that the airflow passing through the windbreak component 14 will not directly hit the thin film on the substrate. Furthermore, the windbreak component 14 can reduce the impact force of the airflow after blocking it. Therefore, even if the gas passing through the windbreak component 14 flows to the substrate, it is difficult to affect the thin film on the substrate surface.

[0066] The wind deflector assembly 14 may include multiple wind deflectors 141, which can be used to block the air inlets 111. When the air inlets 111 are distributed around the flow guide wall 11, the multiple wind deflectors 141 can be distributed around the flow guide wall 11. For example, the flow guide wall 11 includes four sides, and each side of the flow guide wall 11 is provided with multiple wind deflectors 141. The multiple wind deflectors 141 corresponding to the flow guide wall 11 are used to cover the air inlets 111 opened on the corresponding side of the flow guide wall 11. The air inlets 111 on the flow guide wall 11 can be vertically extending strip-shaped holes, and the multiple air inlets 111 on one side of the flow guide wall 11 are arranged sequentially and spaced apart in the horizontal direction. The wind deflectors 141 corresponding to one side of the flow guide wall 11 can be horizontally extending strip-shaped plates, and the multiple wind deflectors 141 are arranged sequentially in the vertical direction.

[0067] The baffle plate 141 can be detachably connected to the guide wall 11. Each baffle plate 141 can be used to block a portion of the air outlet 111. When a portion of the baffle plates 141 are removed, the remaining baffle plates 141 block the air outlet 111; at this time, part of the airflow blowing out of the air outlet 111 is blocked by the baffle plate 141, while another part is not blocked by the baffle plate 141. By removing different positions and different numbers of baffle plates 141, the position of the air outlet 111 that is not blocked by the baffle plate 141 can be changed, thereby changing the flow path of the gas after passing through the baffle assembly 14.

[0068] The baffle 141 can be movably mounted on the guide wall 11, for example, the baffle 141 is hinged to the guide wall 11, so that the baffle 141 can rotate relative to the guide wall 11. By changing the rotation angle of the baffle 141, the flow path of the airflow after passing through the baffle 141 can be changed.

[0069] A baffle 141 may be detachably connected to the guide wall 11 but not rotatable relative to the guide wall 11; or, a baffle 141 may be rotatable relative to the guide wall 11 but not detachable or difficult to detach relative to the guide wall 11; or, a baffle 141 may be detachably connected to the guide wall 11 and rotatable relative to the guide wall 11. The hinge structure between the baffle 141 and the guide wall 11 can be an existing hinge structure, which includes structures that are easy to assemble and disassemble as well as those that are difficult to assemble and disassemble. When the baffle 141 needs to be hinged to the guide wall 11 and is detachable, the baffle 141 and the guide wall 11 adopt a hinge structure that is easy to assemble and disassemble; when the baffle 141 and the guide wall 11 are hinged and cannot or are difficult to detach relative to the guide wall 11, the baffle 141 and the guide wall 11 adopt a hinge structure that is difficult to assemble and disassemble.

[0070] Before heat treatment, the temperature inside the main chamber 13 is at room temperature. During heat treatment, the hot plate generates heat, and the air supply duct 3 supplies hot air into the main chamber 13. The temperature of the hot plate and the hot air is much higher than the temperature of the original gas inside the main chamber 13. The heat from the hot plate and the hot air diffuses into the main chamber 13, causing the temperature inside the main chamber 13 to gradually increase. However, there will be temperature differences in different parts of the main chamber 13. Due to differences in heat dissipation effect and the location of the heat source, local low-temperature zones can easily form inside the main chamber 13. This causes the heat in the corresponding local low-temperature zones of the hot plate to dissipate faster, which in turn reduces the uniformity of heating the substrate by the hot plate.

[0071] Reference Figure 8To further improve the heating uniformity of the substrate, a heating plate 15 can be provided inside the inner cover 1. The heating plate 15 can be used to heat the gas in the main chamber 13. After the gas temperature in the main chamber 13 is increased by the heating element 5, the temperature difference between the initial temperature of the gas in the main chamber 13 and the hot air flow supplied by the hot plate and the air supply duct 3 is reduced. This reduces the diffusion of heat from the hot plate and the hot air flow towards the main chamber 13, and reduces the temperature difference in various parts of the main chamber 13, ensuring the temperature uniformity when the hot plate heats the substrate.

[0072] The heating plate 15 can be activated before heat treatment. The heating plate 15 first heats the gas in the main chamber 13, raising its temperature to the same or similar level as the heating temperature of the heating plate. For example, the gas temperature in the main chamber 13 can be raised to 0.95 to 1.05 times the heating temperature of the heating plate. Specifically, the gas temperature in the main chamber 13 can be raised to 150°C. A temperature detection device can be installed at the heating plate 15 to measure its heating temperature, or a temperature detection device can be installed inside the main chamber 13 to detect its temperature.

[0073] Before heat treatment, the main chamber 13 can be sealed. The heating plate 15 heats the gas inside the main chamber 13. When the gas inside the main chamber 13 reaches the same or similar heating temperature as the heating plate, the heating plate begins to heat, thereby achieving heat treatment of the substrate. During heat treatment, the initial temperature of the main chamber 13 is the same as or basically the same as the heating temperature of the substrate and the temperature of the hot air flowing in from the air outlet 111. At this time, the temperature in the main chamber 13 can remain basically constant, and there can be no local low temperature zone in the main chamber 13, thus ensuring the uniformity of heating by the heating plate.

[0074] To ensure that the gas in the main chamber 13 flows out of the outlet 121 evenly, a flow equalization component 2 can be installed at the outlet 121. The gas in the main chamber 13 is evenly distributed through the flow equalization component 2 before being discharged from the outlet 121. By equalizing the flow from the main chamber 13 to the outlet 121 through the flow equalization component 2, it can be ensured that the gas in the main chamber 13 flows evenly to the outlet 121.

[0075] The flow equalization assembly 2 may include multiple flow equalization plates 21 arranged sequentially along the gas flow direction. Each flow equalization plate 21 has flow equalization holes 211, and the density of these holes gradually decreases while the hole diameter gradually increases along the gas flow direction. When gas flows between the multiple flow equalization plates 21, the gas first passes through the flow equalization plate 21 with a higher density and smaller hole diameter for flow equalization, resulting in better flow equalization. Then, the gas flows to the flow equalization plate 21 with reduced density and larger hole diameter. This flow equalization plate 21 promotes uniform gas flow and also facilitates gas convergence. As the gas continuously flows through the multiple flow equalization plates 21, it is gradually converged. Finally, the gas can converge to an external pipeline and be discharged through the external pipeline.

[0076] Reference Figures 8 to 12 The flow equalization assembly 2 may include two flow equalization plates 21, namely a first flow equalization plate 22 and a second flow equalization plate 23. The first flow equalization plate 22 is disposed on the side of the flow equalization assembly 2 facing the substrate, and the second flow equalization plate 23 is disposed on the side of the first flow equalization plate 22 away from the substrate. The first flow equalization plate 22 includes a first surface 221 facing the substrate and a second surface 222 away from the substrate. The first surface 221 of the first flow equalization plate 22 is provided with a plurality of first flow equalization holes 2211. The plurality of first flow equalization holes 2211 are evenly distributed on the first surface 221 of the first flow equalization plate 22. The plurality of first flow equalization holes 2211 can be divided into multiple groups. The second surface 222 of the first flow equalization plate 22 is provided with a plurality of first flow diversion channels 2221. The first flow diversion channels 2221 can communicate with a corresponding group of first flow equalization holes 2211. The path length from the center of the first flow diversion channel 2221 to each corresponding first flow equalization hole 2211 is the same. The plurality of first flow diversion channels 2221 can be divided into multiple groups.

[0077] The second flow equalization plate 23 includes a third surface 231 facing the first flow equalization plate 22 and a fourth surface 232 facing away from the substrate. The third surface 231 of the second flow equalization plate 23 is provided with a plurality of second flow distribution channels 2311, which are connected to a corresponding set of first flow distribution channels 2221. Specifically, the second flow distribution channels 2311 are connected to the center positions of the plurality of corresponding first flow distribution channels 2221, and the path length from the center position of the second flow distribution channel 2311 to the center position of each corresponding first flow distribution channel 2221 is the same. A second flow equalization hole 2312 is provided at the center position of the second flow distribution channel 2311, and the second flow equalization hole 2312 penetrates the second flow equalization plate 23. The fourth surface 232 of the second flow equalization plate 23 is provided with a third flow distribution channel 2321. The third flow distribution channel 2321 can be connected to the second flow equalization hole 2312. The path length from the center of the third diversion channel 2321 to each corresponding second flow equalizer 2312 is the same.

[0078] As a specific example, the first surface 221 of the first flow equalization plate 22 may be provided with 64 first flow equalization holes 2211, forming a group of 4 first flow equalization holes 2211. The second surface 222 of the first flow equalization plate 22 may be provided with 16 first flow distribution channels 2221, each of which is connected to the corresponding 4 first flow equalization holes 2211. The third surface 231 of the second flow equalization plate 23 may be provided with 4 second flow distribution channels 2311, each of which is connected to the center of the corresponding 4 first flow distribution channels 2221. The second flow equalization plate 23 may be provided with 4 second flow equalization holes 2312, each of which is located at the center of the corresponding second flow distribution channel 2311. The 4 second flow equalization holes 2312 converge through the third flow distribution channel 2321.

[0079] When the gas in the main chamber 13 flows out through the flow equalization component 2, the gas first flows to multiple first flow equalization holes 2211, then the gas converges for the first time through the first diversion channel 2221, and then the gas converges for the second time through the second diversion channel 2311. After the second convergence, the gas flows through the second flow equalization hole 2312 to the third diversion channel 2321 and converges for the third time. After the third convergence, the converged gas can be discharged through the connecting pipe. Specifically, the gas can first form 64 gas paths through the first flow equalization holes 2211, then the 64 gas paths converge into 16 gas paths through the first diversion channel 2221, the 16 gas paths converge into 4 gas paths through the second diversion channel 2311, and the 4 gas paths converge into 1 gas path through the third diversion channel 2321. Finally, the converged gas flow can be connected to the outside through the connecting pipe, allowing the gas in the main chamber 13 to be discharged to the outside.

[0080] To prevent the heating plate 15 from affecting the gas flow within the main chamber 13, the heating plate 15 can be positioned on the side of the flow equalization assembly 2 away from the substrate. Specifically, a heating fixing plate 151 is provided on the side of the flow equalization assembly 2 away from the substrate, and the heating plate 15 is fixedly mounted on the heating fixing plate 151. The heating fixing plate 151 and the heating plate 15 are located between the air outlet 121 and the flow equalization assembly 2. The heating plate 15 and the heating fixing plate 151 are each provided with a clearance hole that communicates with the third diversion channel 2321 of the flow equalization assembly 2. Specifically, the clearance hole communicates with the center of the third diversion channel 2321 and also communicates with the air outlet 121. By positioning the heating plate 15 on the side of the flow equalization assembly 2 away from the substrate, the heating plate 15 will not affect the placement of the hot plate located below the main chamber 13. At the same time, the heating plate 15 will also have virtually no impact on the flow of the air outlet 111 located on the side of the main chamber 13 or on the gas flow towards the flow equalization assembly 2.

[0081] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2An outer cover 6 is disposed over an inner cover 1, and the outer cover 6 and the inner cover 1 can be spaced apart to form a space 61 between them. Thermal insulation material can be filled in the space 61 to form a thermal insulation layer 62.

[0082] By employing a heat insulation layer 62, heat exchange between the main chamber 13 and the outside environment can be blocked, thereby reducing the heat loss to the outside environment when the heating plate 15 and the hot plate are heating. Furthermore, before heat treatment, the air inlet 111 connected to the main chamber 13 is blocked because no air supply is required, while the air outlet 121 connected to the main chamber 13 can remain connected to the outside environment or be blocked. The small aperture of the air outlet 121 creates a relatively sealed environment within the main chamber 13, allowing the heating plate 15 to heat the main chamber 13 to a high temperature. The heated gas inside the main chamber 13 forms a static or weakly convective hot air layer. The heat dissipation of the heating plate 15 and the hot plate is mainly converted into heat circulation of the gas inside the main chamber 13, effectively reducing the impact of the external environment on the heating plate 15 and the hot plate.

[0083] In this application, gas flows from all sides of the main chamber 13 into the main chamber 13 and exits through the gas outlet 121 at the center of the upper part of the main chamber 13. The gas flowing in from all sides flows along the substrate surface, forming a laminar or weakly turbulent circulation along the substrate surface. During gas flow, the organic solvent vapor evaporated from the thin film on the substrate is pushed to the entire substrate surface. The surrounding gas flow has a certain entrainment effect; as the airflow from the edge of the substrate to the center, it carries the organic solvent vapor evaporated at the substrate edge towards the center, which is eventually drawn away by the top gas outlet 121, preventing leakage of the evaporated organic solvent vapor from the substrate edge. Furthermore, when there are slight temperature fluctuations in the hot plate body, such as a local temperature difference of ±1~2 degrees Celsius, the gas flow can transfer heat to the slightly cooler area of ​​the substrate through forced convection, achieving a "heat equalization" effect.

[0084] By using top air outlet and cooperating with the flow equalization component 2, the gas above the substrate can be drawn out evenly, ensuring that the vapor in each area of ​​the substrate surface can be captured in equal amounts, and preventing local vapor residue due to uneven air extraction.

[0085] The temperature of the airflow flowing into the self-blowing port 111 is the same as or basically the same as the temperature of the substrate and the hot plate. The substrate will not experience localized cooling due to the impact of cold air, and it can replenish the small amount of latent heat consumed by the substrate due to the evaporation of organic solvents, thus maintaining overall temperature stability. Furthermore, the organic solvent vapors formed by the evaporation of the substrate will not condense due to encountering low-temperature surfaces during diffusion and extraction, preventing the vapors from condensing on the inner wall of the main chamber 13 and dripping back onto the substrate, causing contamination or localized concentration fluctuations.

[0086] The present invention also provides a heat treatment apparatus, including a hot plate and the aforementioned upper cavity. The upper cavity may cover the hot plate. The hot plate is used to heat the substrate to be treated for heat treatment, specifically for heat treatment of a thin film on the substrate. The air supply duct 3 of the upper cavity is used to provide airflow with a temperature that is the same as or substantially the same as the heating temperature of the hot plate. For example, the air supply duct 3 of the upper cavity is used to provide airflow with a temperature that is 0.95 to 1.05 times the heating temperature of the hot plate. The heating temperature of the hot plate 15, the gas temperature provided by the air supply duct 3, and the temperature inside the main cavity 13 after heating by the hot plate 15 can all be 150 degrees Celsius.

[0087] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the invention without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, and all such changes should fall within the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An upper cavity of a substrate heat treatment apparatus, characterized in that, The upper cavity covers the substrate to be processed to isolate the substrate from the external space; the upper cavity includes: The inner cover (1) includes a guide wall (11) and an outer wall (12). The guide wall (11) and the outer wall (12) enclose a main chamber (13) for accommodating the substrate to be processed. The guide wall (11) is provided with an air inlet (111) surrounding the main chamber (13) and the air inlet (111) is in communication with the main chamber (13). The outer wall (12) is provided with an air outlet (121) through which the gas in the main chamber (13) can be discharged. An air supply duct (3) is arranged around the outer periphery of the guide wall (11). The air supply duct (3) is used to blow airflow toward the air outlet (111) to supply gas to the main chamber (13). The heating element (5) is connected to the air supply duct (3) and is used to heat the airflow in the air supply duct (3).

2. The upper cavity of the substrate heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide wall (11) is provided with a windproof component (14) inside, the windproof component (14) covers the air outlet (111), and the windproof component (14) is located between the air outlet (111) and the substrate.

3. The upper cavity of the substrate heat treatment apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The windbreak assembly (14) includes a plurality of windbreak panels (141). The wind deflector (141) is detachably connected to the guide wall (11), and each wind deflector (141) is used to block a portion of the air outlet (111). At least a portion of the number of wind deflectors (141) can be removed to change the airflow path through the wind deflector assembly (14). And / or, the wind deflector (141) is movably installed inside the inner cover (1), and the position of the wind deflector (141) is adjusted to change the airflow path through the wind deflector assembly (14).

4. The upper cavity of the substrate heat treatment apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The air inlet (111) is a vertically extending strip-shaped hole, and the wind deflector (141) is a horizontally extending strip-shaped plate; And / or, the guide wall (11) and the outer wall (12) are spaced apart, and the air supply duct (3) is located between the guide wall (11) and the outer wall (12).

5. The upper cavity of the substrate heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a branch pipe (4) for connecting the heating element (5) and the air supply pipe (3); one end of the branch pipe (4) is connected to the heating element (5) to receive the airflow heated by the heating element (5), and the other end of the branch pipe (4) forms multiple branches and communicates with multiple locations of the air supply pipe (3) to supply airflow to the air supply pipe (3).

6. The upper cavity of the substrate heat treatment apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, Temperature measuring elements (32) are provided on the air supply duct (3) and / or the branch duct (4), and the temperature measuring elements (32) are used to measure the airflow temperature; The airflow temperature is 0.95 to 1.05 times the substrate heating temperature.

7. The upper cavity of the substrate heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, A heating plate (15) is provided inside the inner cover (1), and the heating plate (15) is used to heat the gas inside the main chamber (13).

8. The upper cavity of the substrate heat treatment apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, A flow equalization component (2) is provided at the gas outlet (121). The flow equalization component (2) includes multiple flow equalization plates (21) arranged sequentially along the gas flow direction. Each of the multiple flow equalization plates (21) is provided with a flow equalization hole (211). Along the gas flow direction, the density of the flow equalization holes (211) on the multiple flow equalization plates (21) gradually decreases and the space gradually increases. The heating plate (15) is located between the flow equalization component (2) and the air outlet (121).

9. The upper cavity of the substrate heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an outer cover (6), which covers the inner cover (1). The outer cover (6) and the inner cover (1) are spaced apart and a space (6) is formed between the outer cover (6) and the inner cover (1). The space (6) is filled with a heat insulation layer.

10. A substrate heat treatment apparatus, characterized in that, include: The upper cavity as described in any one of claims 1 to 9; A hot plate for heating the substrate to be processed, the hot plate being covered by the inner cover (1) of the upper cavity; The air supply duct (3) of the upper cavity is used to provide airflow to the main cavity (13) at a temperature of 0.95 to 1.05 times the heating temperature of the hot plate.

Images