Dehumidifying assembly, substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

A kind of dehumidification assembly, substrate processing device, inhibit in the exhaust duct of the equipment using the substrate processing device handled with liquid in dew. According to one embodiment, a kind of dehumidification assembly is disclosed, configure in the downstream side of the processing assembly handled with liquid, with: the cooling tank being connected with the downstream side of the processing assembly;Hot exchanger configured in the cooling tank;Ejector cooler;And the first cold air pipe of the refrigerant inlet of the hot exchanger and the cold air outlet of the ejector cooler is connected.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to dehumidification components and substrate processing apparatus including dehumidification components. In one example, this application relates to a substrate cleaning apparatus that performs cleaning while supplying a processing liquid to a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer, and a dehumidification component connected to the substrate cleaning apparatus. The substrate cleaning apparatus and dehumidification component described in one example are not only applied to the manufacturing processes of semiconductor memory elements and logic elements, but also to the manufacturing processes of flat panel displays, and the manufacturing processes of image sensors such as CMOS and CCD. Background Technology

[0002] In the semiconductor device manufacturing process, various films with different physical properties are formed on a silicon wafer substrate. These films are then processed in various ways to form fine wiring. For example, in the Damascus process, wiring trenches are formed in the films, and metals such as Cu are embedded in these trenches. Excess metal is then removed by chemical mechanical polishing (CMP), thereby forming metal wiring. Since the surface of the substrate after CMP treatment retains abrasive components and abrasive debris, these need to be removed by a substrate cleaning device. The substrate cleaning device (substrate cleaning unit) is configured to supply a chemical solution to the surface of a rotating substrate while simultaneously scrubbing the substrate surface with a roller-shaped or pen-shaped sponge component, and finally rinse the chemical solution with a rinsing solution such as pure water (Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2).

[0003] The substrate cleaning apparatuses described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are mainly used in the back-end of line (BEOL) process, where multilayer wiring is formed using Cu or similar materials. In recent years, due to the need for higher speeds of logic components and lower costs of memory components, the application of CMP has expanded to the transistor (front-end of line) process, where switching circuits are formed. Compared to BEOL, FEOL has smaller film thickness, wiring width, and inter-wiring space, thus requiring improved removal performance for particulate contamination, molecular contamination, and metallic contamination. As a means to achieve this, cleaning methods that utilize heating of the chemical solution to promote chemical action are highly anticipated. Cleaning apparatuses used for such cleaning are equipped with a gas-liquid separator (also called a gas-liquid separator) for separating gas and water during exhaust (Patent Documents 3, 4, and 5).

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-043267

[0007] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-074191

[0008] Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-124180

[0009] Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-222791

[0010] Patent document 5: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2024-65869.

[0011] (The problem the invention aims to solve)

[0012] In cleaning methods that utilize heating of a chemical solution to promote chemical action, vapor is generated within the cleaning assembly using the heated solution. When exhausting the gas containing this vapor, there is a concern that the gas-liquid separator may not be able to adequately separate the liquid from the exhaust, leading to condensation on the surface of the exhaust pipe. There is a risk of leakage due to this condensation at exhaust pipe joints (e.g., the connection between the exhaust pipe of the cleaning assembly and an external exhaust pipe, or the connection between the external exhaust pipe of the cleaning assembly and the main exhaust pipe of the equipment). It is also a concern that the vapor may sometimes contain chemical components, potentially causing adverse effects on human health if exposed to leaked liquid. Furthermore, if liquid accumulates in the exhaust pipe due to condensation, the exhaust pressure decreases, resulting in reduced exhaust volume from the cleaning assembly and potentially deteriorating cleaning performance. Summary of the Invention

[0013] One objective of this application is to suppress condensation in the exhaust pipes of equipment using a substrate processing apparatus that processes substrates with liquid.

[0014] (Methods used to solve problems)

[0015] According to one embodiment, a dehumidification assembly is disclosed, disposed downstream of a processing assembly using a liquid processing substrate, comprising: a cooling tank connected to the downstream side of the processing assembly; a heat exchanger disposed within the cooling tank; a jet cooler; and a first cold air pipe connecting the refrigerant inlet of the heat exchanger and the cold air outlet of the jet cooler. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic top view of a substrate processing apparatus having a substrate processing unit according to one embodiment.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a substrate processing unit according to an embodiment.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic side view of a substrate processing unit according to an embodiment.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating a structural example of a dehumidification assembly according to one embodiment.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating a structural example of a dehumidification assembly according to one embodiment.

[0021] Symbol Explanation

[0022] 1 Grinding device

[0023] 10 Grinding section

[0024] 11 Grinding Components

[0025] 31, 32 Substrate Cleaning Unit

[0026] 40. Control device (controller)

[0027] 130 Exhaust Pipe

[0028] 132 Differential Pressure Gauge

[0029] 200 Cleaning Components

[0030] 300 dehumidification unit

[0031] 302 Cooling Tank

[0032] 304 heat exchanger

[0033] 304a Refrigerant Inlet

[0034] 304b Refrigerant Outlet

[0035] 306 jet cooler

[0036] 306a Cold air outlet

[0037] 306b Warm air outlet

[0038] 309 Solenoid Valve

[0039] 320 First Cold Air Piping

[0040] 322 Warm air piping

[0041] 324 Second Cooling Air Piping

[0042] 326 Connecting Pipe

[0043] 340 Heating Bath

[0044] 350 Heating Bath Outlet Piping

[0045] 360° thermometer

[0046] 362 Hygrometer

[0047] Wf substrate. Detailed Implementation

[0048] Hereinafter, embodiments of the substrate processing apparatus and dehumidification assembly according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same or similar elements are labeled with the same or similar reference numerals, and repeated descriptions of the same or similar elements are sometimes omitted in the description of each embodiment. Furthermore, the features shown in each embodiment can be applied to other embodiments as long as they do not contradict each other.

[0049] [Grinding device]

[0050] Figure 1 This is a schematic top view of a substrate processing apparatus having a substrate processing unit according to one embodiment. Here, as a substrate processing apparatus, a CMP apparatus, namely a polishing apparatus 1, will be described as an example. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to polishing apparatuses and can be applied to any substrate processing apparatus.

[0051] like Figure 1 As shown, the grinding apparatus 1 includes a grinding section 10 and a cleaning section 20. The grinding section 10 is equipped with a grinding assembly 11 and a workpiece transfer device 13 for transferring substrate Wf. The grinding assembly 11 has a structure with a centrally located turntable 12, a grinding head 14 with a top ring 41 mounted on one side, and a trimming unit 16 with a trimming tool 15 mounted on the other side. The cleaning section 20 has two transfer robots 23 and 24 at its center, capable of moving in the direction of arrow Z; a primary substrate cleaning unit 31, a secondary substrate cleaning unit 32, and a rotary drying device 33 with cleaning function are arranged side-by-side on one side; and two workpiece reversing machines 21 and 22 are arranged on the other side to reverse the substrate Wf.

[0052] Furthermore, the polishing apparatus 1 includes a control unit (controller) 40 configured as a control device for each component. The control unit 40 includes a memory storing a predetermined program and a CPU that executes the program in the memory. The storage medium constituting the memory can include non-volatile and / or volatile storage media. Some or all of the functions of the control unit 40 can be implemented using hardware such as an ASIC. Some or all of the functions of the control unit 40 can also be implemented using a sequencer. Some or all of the control unit 40 can be disposed inside and / or outside the housing of the polishing apparatus 1. Some or all of the control unit 40 can be communicatively connected to each component of the polishing apparatus 1 via wired and / or wireless means.

[0053] The transfer robot 24 removes the substrates Wf one by one from the box 25 containing the substrates Wf before grinding and delivers them to the workpiece reversing machine 22, so that the substrates Wf are reversed and the grinding surface (e.g., the circuit pattern forming surface) is facing down. Then, the substrates Wf are delivered from the workpiece reversing machine 22 to the transfer robot 23 and are transported to the workpiece transfer device 13 of the grinding section 10.

[0054] As indicated by arrow L, the substrate Wf on the workpiece transfer device 13 is held on the lower surface of the top ring 41 of the grinding head 14 and moved to the turntable 12. While rotating the top ring 41 and the turntable 12, the substrate Wf comes into contact with the grinding surface 17 (e.g., the grinding surface of the grinding pad on the turntable 12) and is ground. At this time, abrasive liquid (slurry) is supplied to the grinding surface 17 through an abrasive liquid supply pipe (not shown). After grinding, the substrate Wf returns to the workpiece transfer device 13 and is delivered by the transfer robot 23 to the workpiece reversing machine 21. After being reversed while being rinsed with rinsing liquid, it is transferred by the transfer robot 23 to the primary substrate cleaning unit 31.

[0055] In substrate cleaning unit 31, a rotating roller-type cleaning component abuts against the upper and lower surfaces of substrate Wf, which rotates via a chuck on a main shaft. Cleaning liquid is sprayed from a cleaning liquid nozzle to remove particles adhering to the upper and lower surfaces of substrate Wf, which then flow away with the cleaning liquid. After being cleaned in substrate cleaning unit 31, substrate Wf is transferred from substrate cleaning unit 31 to substrate cleaning unit 32 via transfer robot 23.

[0056] In the substrate cleaning unit 32, the outer periphery of the substrate Wf is held by the chuck of the rotary chuck mechanism, and the rotary chuck mechanism is rotated at high speed in this state. At this time, the rotating pen-shaped cleaning component abuts against the upper and / or lower surface of the rotating substrate Wf, and cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid nozzle to the upper and / or lower surface of the substrate Wf. At the same time, the pen-shaped cleaning component is oscillating to perform cleaning.

[0057] After being cleaned in the substrate cleaning unit 32, the substrate Wf is transported by the transfer robot 24 to the rotary drying unit 33 (rotary rinsing and drying machine) with a cleaning function. In the rotary drying unit 33, the substrate Wf is cleaned while rotating, and then rotated at high speed to perform rotary drying. The dried substrate Wf is returned to the box 25 by the transfer robot 24.

[0058] [Substrate Cleaning Unit]

[0059] Figure 2 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a substrate processing unit according to an embodiment. Figure 3This is a schematic side view of a substrate processing unit according to an embodiment. Here, substrate cleaning unit 31 will be described as an example of a substrate processing unit. Although the detailed structures within the cleaning assembly 200 differ between substrate cleaning unit 31 and substrate cleaning unit 32, the method for processing the exhaust gas from the cleaning assembly 200 is common. Therefore, the description of the embodiment using substrate cleaning unit 31 as an example can be easily applied to substrate cleaning unit 32 as well. Furthermore, the invention is not limited to substrate cleaning units; it can be applied to any substrate processing unit that uses liquid to process the substrate and exhausts gas containing liquid vapor.

[0060] exist Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the substrate cleaning unit 31 includes a cleaning assembly 200 and a gas-liquid separation tank 100. The cleaning assembly 200 includes: a tank body 201; a rotation mechanism (e.g., a plurality of spindles 220 having jaws 220A for holding the outer periphery of the substrate Wf) for rotating the substrate Wf within the tank body 201; a cleaning nozzle 210 for supplying cleaning fluid (medicinal solution, pure water, etc.) as a processing fluid to the upper and / or lower surface of the substrate Wf; and an exhaust outlet 230 for venting gas (including vapor of the cleaning fluid) from the tank body 201. Furthermore, in the case of the substrate cleaning unit 32, the rotation mechanism is a rotary chuck mechanism (described above) having a chuck that holds the outer periphery of the substrate Wf with a chuck of a rotary chuck mechanism. Line 210A represents the line / piping for supplying heated cleaning fluid or other cleaning fluid to the cleaning nozzle 210. Furthermore, for ease of explanation, in… Figure 2 The diagram only shows a portion of the structure of the cleaning assembly 200, omitting other detailed structures.

[0061] The gas-liquid separation tank 100 is installed on the bottom surface of the cleaning assembly 200 in such a way that the upstream side of the gas-liquid separation tank 100 is in fluid communication with the exhaust outlet 230 of the cleaning assembly 200. The exhaust pipe 130 is installed on the side of the cleaning assembly 200 in such a way that the downstream side of the gas-liquid separation tank 100 is in fluid communication with the upstream side of the exhaust pipe 130. Figure 2 Arrow 410 in the diagram indicates the flow of exhaust gas from the cleaning assembly 200. (Example) Figure 3 As shown, the downstream side of the exhaust pipe 130 is connected to the dehumidification assembly 300. The gas-liquid separation tank 100 can have any structure, and can be a gas-liquid separation tank 100 of the prior art. Alternatively, as an embodiment, the gas-liquid separation tank 100 may not be used.

[0062] like Figure 3As shown, the dehumidification assembly 300 is disposed on the top side of the polishing unit 10. As long as the dehumidification assembly 300 is disposed on the top side of the polishing apparatus 1 or the substrate processing apparatus equipped with the dehumidification assembly 300, it does not necessarily have to be above the polishing unit 10; it can also be above the cleaning assembly 200, or above other processing components. In the illustrated embodiment, the dehumidification assembly 300 is connected to the exhaust pipe 130 of the gas-liquid separation tank 100, but it is also possible to connect the cleaning assembly 200 and the dehumidification assembly 300 by connecting the exhaust pipe 130 to the exhaust outlet 230 of the cleaning assembly 200 without passing through the gas-liquid separation tank 100. In one embodiment, as... Figure 3 As shown, a differential pressure gauge 132 is installed in the exhaust pipe 130. By detecting the pressure difference in the exhaust pipe 130 by the differential pressure gauge 132, backflow in the exhaust pipe 130 can be detected.

[0063] Dehumidification components

[0064] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating a structural example of a dehumidification assembly 300 according to one embodiment. In one embodiment, the dehumidification assembly 300 includes a cooling tank 302. As described above, the cooling tank 302 is connected downstream of the gas-liquid separation tank 100 via an exhaust pipe 130. Alternatively, as described above, in one embodiment, the gas-liquid separation tank 100 may be omitted, and the cleaning assembly 200 and the cooling tank 302 may be directly connected.

[0065] The dehumidification assembly 300 includes a heat exchanger 304 disposed inside the cooling tank 302. The heat exchanger 304 can be any device capable of using refrigerant to cool or heat the surrounding environment. As one embodiment, the heat exchanger 304 can be a device in which refrigerant passes through the interior of a metal coil with high thermal conductivity. By cooling the exhaust gas containing vapor from the cleaning assembly 200 with the heat exchanger 304, condensation can be promoted within the cooling tank 302, thereby removing liquid from the exhaust gas.

[0066] In one embodiment, the dehumidification assembly 300 includes a jet cooler 306. The jet cooler 306 is a cold air generator that utilizes the principle of eddy currents, has no moving parts, and does not use refrigerant or electricity. A compressed air source 308 is connected to the jet cooler 306, configured to supply dry compressed air to the jet cooler 306. In one embodiment, the jet cooler 306 is capable of generating cold air at approximately -30°C and warm air at approximately 50°C from compressed air at room temperature.

[0067] In one embodiment, a solenoid valve 309 may be installed on the piping connecting the compressed air source 308 and the jet cooler 306. The flow rate of compressed air supplied to the jet cooler 306 can be controlled by operating the solenoid valve 309 via the control device 40. In this embodiment, since cold air from the jet cooler 306 is used as the refrigerant for the heat exchanger 304, only dry compressed air is used as the refrigerant, eliminating the need for special refrigerants such as Freon. Furthermore, since compressed air is used as the refrigerant, a cooler is not required when using cooling water as the refrigerant, thus reducing power consumption. A drain pipe 303 is connected to the bottom of the cooling tank 302, allowing condensed liquid in the cooling tank 302 to be drained from it.

[0068] like Figure 4 As shown, the cold air outlet 306a of the jet cooler 306 and the refrigerant inlet 304a of the heat exchanger 304 are connected via a first cold air pipe 320. Additionally, the refrigerant outlet 304b of the heat exchanger 304 is connected to one end of a second cold air pipe 324. In one embodiment, the other end of the second cold air pipe 324 is connected to the interior of the cooling tank 302, allowing cold air used as refrigerant from the jet cooler 306 to be supplied into the cooling tank 302. By supplying dry cold air from the jet cooler 306 into the cooling tank 302, the humidity of the exhaust gas containing vapor can be reduced by diluting it. In one embodiment, the cold air passing through the second cold air pipe 324 may be discharged outside the cooling tank 302 instead of being supplied into it; alternatively, only a portion of the cold air passing through the second cold air pipe 324 may be supplied into the cooling tank 302, with the remainder discharged outside. Furthermore, in Figure 4 In the embodiment shown, two heat exchangers 304 and two jet coolers 306 are provided, but the number of heat exchangers 304 and jet coolers 306 is arbitrary, and they can be one or more.

[0069] In one implementation, such as Figure 4As shown, the dehumidification assembly 300 includes a heating tank 340. As shown, the cooling tank 302 and the heating tank 340 are interconnected via a connecting pipe 326. As shown, the warm air outlet 306b of the jet cooler 306 is connected to one end of the warm air pipe 322, and the other end of the warm air pipe 322 is connected to the heating tank 340. Therefore, warm air from the jet cooler 306 can be supplied to the heating tank 340. By supplying the dried warm air from the jet cooler 306 to the heating tank 340, the exhaust gas can be diluted, thereby further reducing humidity. Additionally, by increasing the exhaust gas temperature with warm air, the amount of saturated water vapor can be increased, thus reducing the humidity of the exhaust gas. As one embodiment, it can also be configured to supply only a portion of the warm air from the jet cooler 306 to the heating tank 340. In the illustrated embodiment, the heating tank 340 is connected to the heating tank outlet pipe 350. The downstream side of the heating tank outlet piping 350 is connected, for example, to the main exhaust pipe of the equipment using the grinding device 1 or the substrate processing device via an exhaust pipe (not shown) through a flexible pipe.

[0070] In one implementation, such as Figure 4 As shown, a thermometer 360 and / or a hygrometer 362 are provided at the outlet pipe 350 of the heating tank. Furthermore, the thermometer 360 and / or hygrometer 362 are connected to a control device 40. In one embodiment, the control device 40 can control the operation of the jet cooler 306 based on the measurements taken by the thermometer 360 and / or hygrometer 362. For example, the control device 40 can control the flow rate of compressed air supplied to the jet cooler 306 via a solenoid valve 309 based on the measurements taken by the thermometer 360 and / or hygrometer 362. As an example, if the humidity of the exhaust gas through the outlet pipe 350 is higher than a predetermined value, feedback control can be performed to increase the flow rate of compressed air supplied to the jet cooler 306 to promote dehumidification of the exhaust gas.

[0071] In one embodiment, the dehumidification assembly 300 may also omit the heating tank 340 described above, and instead connect the outlet of the cooling tank 302 to the outlet piping 350. Additionally, in one embodiment, the dehumidification assembly 300 is provided for any assembly in the cleaning assembly 200 or the substrate processing apparatus that uses liquid to process the substrate. As an example, Figure 1 The grinding apparatus 1 shown is equipped with a primary substrate cleaning unit 31, a secondary substrate cleaning unit 32, and a rotary drying device 33 with a cleaning function, and a dehumidification component 300 can be provided for each of them.

[0072] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating a structural example of a dehumidification assembly 300 according to one embodiment. However, in Figure 5 For clarity, a portion of the structure of the dehumidification component 300 shown in the illustration is omitted, but references may be included. Figure 4 The arbitrary structure mentioned above.

[0073] Figure 5 The illustrated embodiment includes two cooling tanks 302. A heat exchanger 304 is disposed in each cooling tank 302. The two cooling tanks 302 are respectively connected to exhaust pipes 130 from different cleaning components 200. As an example, the two cooling tanks 302 can be connected to exhaust pipes 130 from the primary substrate cleaning unit 31 and the secondary substrate cleaning unit 32, respectively.

[0074] Figure 5 The dehumidification assembly 300 shown includes two jet coolers 306. It is configured to supply cool air from the jet coolers 306 to the heat exchangers 304 of each cooling tank 302. Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, the cooling tank 302, heat exchanger 304, and jet cooler 306 can be adopted as shown in the reference. Figure 4 The description can be any structure.

[0075] Figure 5 The dehumidification unit 300 shown includes a heating tank 340. For example... Figure 5 As shown, the two cooling tanks 302 are interconnected to a heating tank 340 via connecting pipes 326. Additionally, as... Figure 5 As shown, the heating tank 340 is configured to supply warm air from the jet cooler 306 to the heating tank 340. The heating tank 340 is connected to the outlet pipe 350, and the other end of the outlet pipe 350 is connected to the main exhaust pipe of the equipment using the polishing device 1 or the substrate processing device.

[0076] exist Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, there are two cooling tanks 302, but the number of cooling tanks 302 is arbitrary, and any number of cooling tanks 302 can be connected to a heating tank 340. For example, the number of cooling tanks 302 can be determined according to the number of substrate processing units in the substrate processing apparatus or polishing apparatus 1 that use liquid to process the substrate and exhaust the gas containing liquid vapor. Furthermore, in Figure 5 Although omitted for clarity of illustration, in Figure 5 In the implementation method, it can also be combined with Figure 4 Similarly, in the implementation method, a thermometer 360 and / or a hygrometer 362 are used, and the dehumidification of the exhaust gas is controlled by the control device 40.

[0077] Next, the dehumidification process utilizing the dehumidification assembly 300 will be described. The exhaust gas containing vapor discharged from the cleaning assembly 200 enters the gas-liquid separation tank 100 through the exhaust outlet 230, where the liquid and gas are separated. The exhaust gas then enters the cooling tank 302 through the exhaust pipe 130. Furthermore, even after passing through the gas-liquid separation tank 100, vapor may not be sufficiently removed. Therefore, in this embodiment, the exhaust gas is sufficiently dehumidified by the downstream dehumidification assembly 300. Alternatively, without the gas-liquid separation tank 100, the air discharged from the cleaning assembly 200 enters the cooling tank 302 through the exhaust pipe 130.

[0078] The exhaust gas entering the cooling tank 302 is cooled by the heat exchanger 304. Cold air is supplied to the heat exchanger 304 from the jet cooler 306 via the first cold air pipe 320. The cold air supplied from the jet cooler 306 is, for example, around -30°C. When the exhaust gas containing vapor in the cooling tank 302 is cooled, condensation occurs, removing moisture from the exhaust gas. The liquid condensed in the cooling tank 302 is discharged from the drain pipe 303. In another embodiment, part or all of the dried cold air from the jet cooler 306 that has passed through the heat exchanger 304 is supplied to the cooling tank 302, diluting the humid exhaust gas from the cleaning assembly 200 and further reducing its humidity. The dehumidified exhaust gas in the cooling tank 302 enters the heating tank 340 via the connecting pipe 326.

[0079] A portion or all of the dried warm air from the jet cooler 306 is supplied to the heating bath 340 via the warm air piping 322. Therefore, the exhaust gas entering the heating bath 340 is further diluted, and its humidity is further reduced by heating. The exhaust gas heated in the heating bath 340 is discharged to the main exhaust pipe of the equipment using the substrate processing apparatus via the heating bath outlet piping 350. In one embodiment, the temperature and humidity of the exhaust gas discharged from the heating bath 340 via the outlet piping 350 are measured by a thermometer 360 and a hygrometer 362. In one embodiment, the dehumidification assembly 300 can be controlled based on the measurements of the thermometer 360 and the hygrometer 362. For example, the amount of compressed air supplied to the jet cooler 306 can be controlled based on the measurements of the thermometer 360 and the hygrometer 362, and the degree of dehumidification of the exhaust gas by the dehumidification assembly 300 can be controlled by varying the amounts of cold air supplied to the heat exchanger 304 and warm air supplied to the heating bath 340.

[0080] As described above, by using the dehumidification assembly 300 disclosed in this specification, liquid can be removed from the exhaust gas in the substrate processing apparatus, thereby reducing the risk of condensation in the exhaust pipes of equipment using the substrate processing apparatus. Typically, the overall exhaust structure of equipment using the substrate processing apparatus includes a main pipe and branch pipes branching from the main pipe. The outlet pipe 350 of the dehumidification assembly 300 disclosed in this specification is connected to a branch pipe branching from the main pipe. Since the connection between the main pipe and the branch pipe may not be perfectly sealed, if exhaust gas containing vapor enters the branch pipe, there is a risk of condensation forming in the branch pipe or the main pipe. By using the dehumidification assembly of this disclosure, liquid can be removed from the exhaust gas in the substrate processing apparatus, thereby reducing the risk of condensation forming in downstream piping.

[0081] While several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are for the purpose of facilitating understanding of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention. Modifications and improvements can be made to the present invention without departing from its spirit, and the present invention naturally includes its equivalents. Furthermore, within the scope of solving at least some of the above-mentioned problems or achieving at least some of the effects, the scope of protection of the invention and the structural elements described in the specification can be arbitrarily combined or omitted.

[0082] [Method 1] According to Method 1, a dehumidification assembly is provided, disposed downstream of a processing assembly using a liquid processing substrate. The dehumidification assembly includes: a cooling tank connected to the downstream side of the processing assembly; a heat exchanger disposed within the cooling tank; a jet cooler; and a first cold air pipe connecting the refrigerant inlet of the heat exchanger and the cold air outlet of the jet cooler.

[0083] [Method 2] According to Method 2, the dehumidification assembly of Method 1 has a second cold air piping that connects the refrigerant outlet of the heat exchanger to the interior of the cooling tank.

[0084] [Method 3] According to Method 3, the dehumidification assembly of Method 1 also includes a heating tank connected to the downstream side of the cooling tank, and a warm air pipe connected to the warm air outlet of the jet cooler and the heating tank.

[0085] [Method 4] According to Method 4, the dehumidification assembly of Method 3 further includes: a heating tank outlet pipe connected to the outlet of the heating tank; and a thermometer and a hygrometer disposed on the heating tank outlet pipe.

[0086] [Method 5] According to Method 5, the dehumidification assembly of Method 4 has a control device for controlling the operation of the jet cooler. The control device is connected to the thermometer and hygrometer and controls the operation of the jet cooler based on the measured values ​​of the thermometer and hygrometer.

[0087] [Method 6] According to Method 6, in the dehumidification assembly of Method 1, a differential pressure gauge is provided in the piping connecting the processing assembly and the cooling tank.

[0088] [Method 7] According to Method 7, the dehumidification assembly of Method 1 further comprises: a second cooling tank connected to the downstream side of the second processing assembly; a second heat exchanger disposed within the second cooling tank; a second jet cooler; a second first cold air pipe connected to the refrigerant inlet of the second heat exchanger and the cold air outlet of the second jet cooler; a heating tank connected to the downstream side of the cooling tank and the second cooling tank; a first warm air pipe connected to the warm air outlet of the jet cooler and the heating tank; and a second warm air pipe connected to the warm air outlet of the second jet cooler and the heating tank.

[0089] [Method 8] According to Method 8, a substrate processing apparatus is provided, the substrate processing apparatus having: a cleaning assembly for cleaning a substrate; and a dehumidification assembly of any one of Methods 1 to 7.

Claims

1. A dehumidification assembly disposed downstream of a processing assembly using a liquid processing substrate, characterized in that, have: A cooling tank, which is connected to the downstream side of the processing component; A heat exchanger disposed within the cooling tank; Jet cooler; as well as A first cold air piping connects the refrigerant inlet of the heat exchanger to the cold air outlet of the jet cooler.

2. The dehumidification component as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It has a second cold air piping that connects the refrigerant outlet of the heat exchanger to the interior of the cooling tank.

3. The dehumidification component as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a heating tank, which is connected to the downstream side of the cooling tank. It also has a warm air piping that connects the warm air outlet of the jet cooler to the heating tank.

4. The dehumidification component as described in claim 3, characterized in that, It also has: A heating tank outlet piping, which is connected to the outlet of the heating tank; and A thermometer and a hygrometer are installed in the outlet piping of the heating tank.

5. The dehumidification component as described in claim 4, characterized in that, It has a control device for controlling the operation of the jet cooler. The control device is connected to the thermometer and hygrometer, and the control device controls the operation of the jet cooler based on the measured values ​​of the thermometer and hygrometer.

6. The dehumidification component as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Differential pressure gauges are installed in the piping connecting the processing component and the cooling tank.

7. The dehumidification component as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also has: A second cooling tank is connected to the downstream side of the second processing unit; A second heat exchanger is disposed within the second cooling tank; Second jet cooler; The second first cold air piping connects the refrigerant inlet of the second heat exchanger and the cold air outlet of the second jet cooler; A heating tank, which is connected to the downstream side of the cooling tank and the second cooling tank; A first warm air piping is provided, which connects the warm air outlet of the jet cooler to the heating tank; as well as The second warm air piping connects the warm air outlet of the second jet cooler to the heating tank.

8. A substrate processing apparatus, characterized in that, have: Cleaning components for cleaning substrates; and The dehumidification component according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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