Dryer

Abstract

To provide a dryer capable of performing washing and drying treatment of an object to be dried smoothly and efficiently.SOLUTION: A dryer 1 includes a storage tank 14 that includes a flow path 15 sharing a bottom surface 14a of the storage tank 14 and a bottom part 15a, wherein the flow path 15 includes a flow inlet 15d provided so as to penetrate the bottom part 15a and a flow outlet 15e provided so as to be opened in the storage tank 14; a halogen lamp heater 16 is arranged along the flow path 15 below the bottom part 15a; and the bottom part 15a is made of transparent quartz glass and transmits near-infrared rays emitted from the halogen lamp heater 16.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a drying device comprising a storage tank for storing a processing liquid, a halogen lamp heater for heating and evaporating the processing liquid, and a drying chamber disposed above the storage tank and filled with vapor of the processing liquid, the drying device being configured to condense the vapor of the processing liquid onto an object to be dried within the drying chamber, thereby cleaning and drying the object. [Background technology]

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing plants, objects to be dried, such as semiconductor wafers, are cleaned in a cleaning device with a cleaning liquid such as hydrogen fluoride or a pure water rinse, and then dried in a drying device.

[0003] As such a drying apparatus, Patent Document 1 discloses a drying apparatus that includes a drying chamber into which semiconductor wafers can be loaded and removed, and a storage tank that stores isopropyl alcohol as a processing liquid, located below the drying chamber.

[0004] In this drying device, multiple semiconductor wafers are placed in a substantially vertical position and transported into a drying chamber, where isopropyl alcohol stored in the lower part of the chamber is heated and evaporated, causing the isopropyl alcohol vapor to come into contact with the surfaces of the semiconductor wafers, whereupon the vapor condenses on the surfaces of the semiconductor wafers.

[0005] The vapor condenses on the surface of the semiconductor wafer, producing droplets that fall from the semiconductor wafer, taking with them the cleaning liquid adhering to the semiconductor wafer, thereby removing the cleaning liquid from the surface of the semiconductor wafer.

[0006] The semiconductor wafer is cleaned in this way, and when the temperature of the semiconductor wafer becomes equal to the temperature of the isopropyl alcohol vapor, the condensation ends and the surface of the semiconductor wafer becomes dry. The dried semiconductor wafer is then removed from the drying device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-264690 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, the conventional drying apparatus described above requires a waiting time from when isopropyl alcohol is supplied to the storage tank until all of the isopropyl alcohol stored in the storage tank is heated and vapor is generated, leaving room for improvement in the efficiency of cleaning and drying semiconductor wafers.

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has as its object to provide a drying device that can smoothly and efficiently wash and dry objects to be dried. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the drying apparatus of the present invention comprises a storage tank in which a treatment liquid is stored, a halogen lamp heater that heats and evaporates the treatment liquid, and a drying chamber that is arranged above the storage tank and is filled with vapor of the treatment liquid, and is configured to condense the vapor of the treatment liquid on an object to be dried in the drying chamber to clean and dry the object, wherein the storage tank has a flow path that shares a bottom surface with the bottom portion, and the flow path has an inlet that is arranged to penetrate the storage tank and an outlet that is arranged to be open within the storage tank, the halogen lamp heater is arranged below the bottom portion along the flow path, and the bottom portion is made of transparent quartz glass and allows near-infrared rays emitted from the halogen lamp heater to pass through.

[0011] According to the above-described configuration, the halogen lamp heater is disposed along the flow path below the bottom surface of the flow path so as to face the bottom surface, and the bottom surface is made of transparent quartz glass, which allows near-infrared rays from the halogen lamp heater to pass through into the flow path. As a result, the treatment liquid passing through the flow path is efficiently radiantly heated by the halogen lamp heater from the inlet to the outlet, and reaches its boiling point and evaporates.

[0012] The treatment liquid thus brought to its boiling point by radiant heating remains in the storage tank and turns into vapor, which is then supplied to the drying chamber, where it cleans and dries the object to be dried in the drying chamber.

[0013] Halogen lamp heaters have excellent on / off response and controllability, and can heat up to a predetermined temperature in just a few seconds, thereby improving process speed and saving energy.

[0014] Since the processing liquid supplied to the storage tank is directly heated and evaporated as it passes through the flow path, there is no need for the waiting time required for steam generation that was required in conventional configurations that heat the entire processing liquid in the storage tank, making it possible to provide a drying device that can smoothly and efficiently clean and dry objects to be dried.

[0015] In the drying device of the present invention, the top surface of the flow path may be inclined below the liquid level of the treatment liquid stored in the storage tank so that the distance from the bottom surface increases from the inlet to the outlet.

[0016] According to the above-described configuration, the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path on the inlet side is narrower than the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path on the outlet side, and therefore the heat capacity of the treatment liquid on the inlet side is relatively smaller than that on the outlet side, and therefore the treatment liquid is efficiently radiated and heated by the halogen lamp heater.

[0017] Furthermore, since the top surface is disposed below the liquid level of the treatment liquid stored in the storage tank, the amount of treatment liquid stored above the top surface on the inlet side inside the storage tank is greater than the amount of treatment liquid stored above the top surface on the outlet side, i.e., the heat capacity is relatively large. Therefore, even if a treatment liquid with a temperature lower than the boiling point is supplied to the inlet of the flow path, there is little risk that the treatment liquid will lower the temperature of the treatment liquid stored in the storage tank.

[0018] Furthermore, since the top surface is inclined so that the distance from the bottom surface increases from the inlet to the outlet, even if bubbles are generated in the flow path, the bubbles will flow along the top surface toward the outlet, and the bubbles will not accumulate in the flow path.

[0019] In the drying device according to the present invention, the top surface may be made of transparent quartz glass.

[0020] According to the above-described configuration, the processing liquid that leaves the flow path and remains in the storage tank is radiantly heated through the top surface by radiation from the halogen lamp heater, so that the liquid temperature is maintained and steam generation does not stagnate.

[0021] In the drying device according to the present invention, the thickness of the top surface portion may be greater than the thickness of the bottom surface portion.

[0022] When a processing liquid having a temperature lower than the boiling point is supplied to the inlet of the flow path, the temperature of the processing liquid stored in the storage tank is removed through the top surface portion. According to the above-described configuration, even when a processing liquid having a temperature lower than the boiling point is supplied to the inlet of the flow path, the thickness of the top surface portion is greater than that of the bottom surface portion, so that the temperature of the processing liquid stored in the storage tank is prevented from being removed through the top surface portion. Furthermore, because the thickness of the top surface portion is greater than that of the bottom surface portion, the transmittance of near-infrared rays is lower in the top surface portion than in the bottom surface portion, and the top surface portion is heated more by near-infrared rays than the bottom surface portion. The processing liquid can also be heated by heat transfer from the top surface portion.

[0023] In the drying device of the present invention, the entire surface of the storage tank may be made of transparent quartz glass, and the thickness of the bottom surface portion may be thinner than the thickness of at least the portion of the bottom surface of the storage tank other than the bottom surface portion.

[0024] According to the above-described configuration, the thickness of the bottom portion is thinner than at least the thickness of other portions of the bottom of the storage tank, so that the near-infrared rays of the halogen lamp heater are efficiently used for radiant heating of the processing liquid flowing through the flow path.

[0025] In the drying device according to the present invention, the flow path may be divided by a partition wall from the vicinity of the inlet to the outlet, and a plurality of the halogen lamp heaters may be arranged below the bottom portion along each of the divided flow paths.

[0026] According to the above-described configuration, the flow paths are divided by partition walls, so the cross-sectional area of ​​the processing liquid flow path for each flow path is small. Since a halogen lamp heater is provided in each flow path, the flow rate of the processing liquid per unit time for each flow path is reduced. Therefore, even if the halogen lamp heater consumes little power, it can still radiate heat the processing liquid flowing through each flow path sufficiently.

[0027] In the drying device according to the present invention, a reflective member may be provided around the lower periphery of the halogen lamp heater, which reflects near-infrared rays irradiated downward or to the side from the halogen lamp heater toward the flow path.

[0028] According to the above-described configuration, near-infrared rays irradiated downward can be reflected toward the bottom surface, thereby more efficiently radiating heat to the treatment liquid passing through the flow path. The reflecting member is preferably made of, for example, a stainless steel plate with a mirror finish.

[0029] In the drying apparatus of the present invention, a recovery section is provided between the drying chamber and the storage tank for recovering the processing liquid dripping from the object to be dried, and the recovery section is provided with an air vent that prevents the processing liquid dripping from the object to be dried from passing through the storage tank and allows vapor of the processing liquid generated from the storage tank to pass through to the drying chamber.

[0030] There is a risk that the processing liquid that drips from the object to be dried and is collected may be contaminated with substances other than the processing liquid. If the processing liquid in the storage tank becomes contaminated, there is a concern that the quality of the object to be dried may deteriorate and work such as replacing the processing liquid may be necessary. In contrast, with the above-described configuration, the processing liquid that drips from the object to be dried can be collected, so there is no risk of the processing liquid in the storage tank becoming contaminated, and the above concerns and work are unnecessary. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a drying device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the drying device according to the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a front view of the main part of the drying device according to the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view of the main part of the drying device according to the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a plan view of the main part of the drying device according to the present invention, taken along the line AA in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0032] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a drying device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0033] 1 and 2, a housing 11 of a drying device 10 is provided with a cooling chamber 12 and a drying chamber 13 into which a semiconductor wafer 1 can be placed and removed, and a storage tank 14 for storing isopropyl alcohol, which is provided below the drying chamber 13. A shutter (not shown) for opening and closing the housing 11 is provided above the drying chamber 13. The housing 11 is also covered with an exterior member (not shown) made of stainless steel.

[0034] The semiconductor wafer 1 is an example of the "object to be dried" in the claims. Isopropyl alcohol is an example of the "processing liquid" in the claims. Isopropyl alcohol is a colorless, transparent liquid at room temperature with a melting point of -89.5°C and a boiling point of 82.4°C.

[0035] The semiconductor wafers 1 are arranged in a substantially vertical position by a handling machine 2 and are transported from the top of the drying device 10 through a cooling chamber 12 into a drying chamber 13, where they are washed and dried, and then transported from the drying chamber 13 through the cooling chamber 12 to the top of the drying device 10.

[0036] The housing 11 is made of transparent quartz glass. That is, the cooling chamber 12, drying chamber 13, and storage tank 14 are also made of transparent quartz glass. Since the drying device 10 uses isopropyl alcohol, transparent quartz glass is preferable because it is corrosion-resistant to this. Note that transparent quartz glass easily transmits near-infrared wavelengths, but easily absorbs wavelengths longer than that.

[0037] The isopropyl alcohol is heated using a halogen lamp heater 16 that mainly emits near-infrared rays. The halogen lamp heater 16 radiates near-infrared rays almost uniformly around the surrounding area. Details of the halogen lamp heater 16 will be explained later.

[0038] The cooling chamber 12 is a space for condensing the steam rising from the drying chamber 13, and cooling coils 12a are arranged along the inner wall of the cooling chamber 12. Cooling water is passed through the cooling coils 12a. When cooling water is passed through the cooling coils 12a, the surface temperature of the cooling coils 12a drops, and the steam on the surface condenses.

[0039] The drying chamber 13 is a space into which the semiconductor wafer 1 is carried, and a steam temperature sensor (not shown) is disposed in the drying chamber 13. The steam temperature sensor detects the steam filling level inside the drying chamber 13, and the detected level is sent to a control unit (not shown).

[0040] The reservoir 14 is a tank in which liquid isopropyl alcohol is stored, and a flow path 15 is disposed in the reservoir 14. The dimensions of the reservoir 14 in the left-right direction and the up-down direction of the paper in Fig. 5 are approximately 400 mm x 300 mm, and the distance from the upstream side to the downstream side of the flow path 15, i.e., the dimension in the left-right direction of the paper, is approximately 300 mm, and the width, i.e., the dimension in the up-down direction of the paper, is approximately 150 mm.

[0041] 3 to 5, flow path 15 is configured by being partitioned on bottom surface 14a of storage tank 14 by bottom surface portion 15a, top surface portion 15b, and side surface portion 15c. Bottom surface portion 15a of flow path 15 is configured from bottom surface 14a of storage tank 14. The hollow arrows shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 indicate the flow of isopropyl alcohol.

[0042] The bottom surface 15a, top surface 15b, and side surface 15c of the flow channel 15 are made of flat plates made of transparent quartz glass. In this embodiment, the thickness of the bottom surface 15a is 3 mm, and the thickness of the top surface 15b and side surface 15c is 5 mm.

[0043] Top surface 15b is inclined so that the distance from bottom surface 15a increases from inlet 15d to outlet 15e. In this embodiment, the distance between the inner surface of top surface 15b on the inlet 15d side and bottom surface 15a is 6 mm, and the distance between the inner surface of top surface 15b on the outlet 15e side and bottom surface 15a is 15 mm.

[0044] The liquid level of the isopropyl alcohol stored in the storage tank 14 is adjusted to be higher than the highest outlet 15e side (i.e., 15 mm) of the top surface 15b. In this embodiment, the liquid level of the isopropyl alcohol is set to about 50 mm from the bottom surface 14a of the storage tank 14.

[0045] As a result, top surface 15b is generally positioned below the liquid level of the isopropyl alcohol stored in storage tank 14. Inside storage tank 14, the amount of isopropyl alcohol stored above top surface 15b on the inlet 15d side is greater than the amount of isopropyl alcohol stored above top surface 15b on the outlet 15e side, and therefore the heat capacity is relatively large.

[0046] Therefore, even if isopropyl alcohol having a temperature lower than the boiling point is supplied to the inlet 15d of the flow path 15, there is little risk that the isopropyl alcohol will lower the temperature of the isopropyl alcohol stored in the storage tank .

[0047] Since the top surface 15b of the flow path 15 is made of a flat plate made of transparent quartz glass, the isopropyl alcohol that leaves the flow path 15 and remains in the storage tank 14 is radiantly heated through the top surface 15b by radiation from the halogen lamp heater 16, and the liquid temperature is maintained, so that the generation of vapor does not stagnate.

[0048] Since the top surface 15b of the flow channel 15 is inclined, a complex flow occurs in the isopropyl alcohol in the reservoir 14, causing the isopropyl alcohol to be stirred thoroughly, and the liquid temperature becomes uniform.

[0049] The top surface 15b is inclined so that the distance from the bottom surface 15a increases from the inlet 15d to the outlet 15e. Therefore, even if bubbles are generated in the flow path 15, the bubbles flow along the top surface 15b toward the outlet 15e, and the bubbles do not accumulate in the flow path 15.

[0050] The flow path 15 is provided with an inlet 15d provided so as to penetrate the bottom surface portion 15a, and an outlet 15e provided so as to be open in the storage tank .

[0051] In this embodiment, a single partition wall 15f is provided in the flow path 15 from the vicinity of the inlet 15d to the outlet 15e. The partition wall 15f is also made of a flat plate made of transparent quartz glass. In this embodiment, the thickness of the partition wall 15f is 5 mm.

[0052] The partition wall 15f is provided from the bottom surface portion 15a to the top surface portion 15b, and divides the inside of the flow channel 15 into two portions, left and right.

[0053] The halogen lamp heater 16 is provided below the bottom surface 14a of the storage tank 14. In this embodiment, two halogen lamp heaters 16 (16L, 16R) are arranged below the bottom surface 15a along each of the two divided flow paths 15 (15L, 15R). Note that in places where it is not necessary to distinguish between the flow paths 15L, 15R and the halogen lamp heaters 16L, 16R, they will be simply referred to as the flow path 15 and the halogen lamp heater 16.

[0054] The flow paths 15 are divided by partition walls 15f, and halogen lamp heaters 16L and 16R are disposed in the flow paths 15L and 15R, respectively, so that the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path for isopropyl alcohol per each of the flow paths 15L and 15R is half of the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path when the partition walls 15f are not present.

[0055] A few liters of isopropyl alcohol is supplied to the inlet 15d per minute. The flow rate of isopropyl alcohol per unit time per flow path 15L, 15R is half the flow rate when the partition wall 15f is not present, so even if the halogen lamp heaters 16L, 16R have low power consumption (about half the capacity of the halogen lamp heater required to sufficiently radiate heat the isopropyl alcohol to a temperature at which it will evaporate when the partition wall 15f is not present), they can still sufficiently radiate heat the isopropyl alcohol flowing through each of the flow paths 15L, 15R.

[0056] In this embodiment, the halogen lamp heater 16 has a configuration in which a filament, which is a radiation source of near-infrared rays, is sealed inside a tube made of transparent quartz glass. In this embodiment, the tube of the halogen lamp heater 16 is a straight tube.

[0057] A power supply (not shown) is connected to the halogen lamp heater 16, and a desired power is required. In this embodiment, the halogen lamp heater 16 has a power consumption of 6 kW.

[0058] The power supply is controlled by a control unit (not shown), which is configured to adjust the amount of power supplied from the power supply, thereby controlling the amount of near-infrared radiation.

[0059] The halogen lamp heater 16 has a filament sealed inside the tube, so it is less susceptible to disturbances such as air currents, and has good temperature rise and rise response in response to the amount of power supplied from the power source.

[0060] In this embodiment, a reflecting member 17 is provided around the lower periphery of the halogen lamp heater 16. The reflecting member 17 has a bottom surface 17a and side surfaces 17b extending obliquely upward and outward from both ends of the bottom surface. The reflecting member 17 is made of, for example, a stainless steel plate with a mirror finish.

[0061] With this configuration, near-infrared rays emitted downward or to the side from the halogen lamp heater 16 are reflected toward the flow path 15. This allows for more efficient radiant heating of the isopropyl alcohol passing through the flow path 15.

[0062] Furthermore, in this embodiment, above the halogen lamp heater 16, a cover member 19 made of transparent quartz glass is provided to cover the upper surface of the halogen lamp heater 16.

[0063] The bottom surface portion 15a faces the halogen lamp heater 16 and is made of transparent quartz glass so as to easily transmit near-infrared rays emitted from the halogen lamp heater 16.

[0064] The halogen lamp heater 16 is arranged along the flow path 15 below the bottom surface 15a of the flow path 15 so as to face the bottom surface 15a, and the area of ​​the bottom surface 15a that transmits the near-infrared rays of the halogen lamp heater 16 into the flow path 15 is made of transparent quartz glass, so that the isopropyl alcohol passing through the flow path 15 is efficiently radiantly heated by the halogen lamp heater 16 and reaches its boiling point before reaching the flow path 15 from the inlet 15d to the outlet 15e.

[0065] In this embodiment, the thickness of the bottom surface portion 15a is configured to be thinner than at least the thickness of the portion of the bottom surface 14a of the storage tank 14 other than the bottom surface portion 15a.

[0066] As described above, in this embodiment, the thickness of bottom surface 15a is 3 mm. However, the thickness of the portion of bottom surface 14a of storage tank 14 other than bottom surface 15a is 5 mm. The near-infrared rays of halogen lamp heater 16 are used to efficiently radiate heating of isopropyl alcohol flowing through flow path 15.

[0067] As described above, in this embodiment, the thickness of the top surface portion 15b is 5 mm, and the thickness of the bottom surface portion 15a is 3 mm. That is, the thickness of the top surface portion 15b is thicker than the bottom surface portion 15a. When isopropyl alcohol at a temperature lower than the boiling point is supplied to the inlet 15d of the flow path 15, the temperature of the isopropyl alcohol stored in the storage tank 14 is removed through the top surface portion 15b. Even when isopropyl alcohol at a temperature lower than the boiling point is supplied to the inlet 15d of the flow path 15, the thickness of the top surface portion 15b is thicker than the bottom surface portion 15a, so that the temperature of the isopropyl alcohol stored in the storage tank 14 is prevented from being removed through the top surface portion 15b. Furthermore, the thickness of the top surface portion 15b is thicker than the thickness of the bottom surface portion 15a, so that the transmittance of near-infrared rays is lower in the top surface portion 15b than in the bottom surface portion 15a, and the top surface portion 15b is heated more by near-infrared rays than the bottom surface portion 15a. The isopropyl alcohol can also be heated by heat transfer from the top surface portion 15b.

[0068] Furthermore, since the thickness of top surface portion 15b is greater than that of bottom surface portion 15a, near-infrared rays from halogen lamp heater 16 are less likely to pass through top surface portion 15b than through bottom surface portion 15a. In other words, top surface portion 15b is more likely to be heated. Heat transfer from top surface portion 15b also heats the isopropyl alcohol in storage tank 14.

[0069] The near-infrared radiation emitted from the halogen lamp heater 16 passes through the transparent quartz glass and acts directly on the isopropyl alcohol. The irradiated near-infrared radiation causes vibrational motion between molecules in the isopropyl alcohol, which is converted into heat and is efficiently heated by radiation.

[0070] In this case, the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path 15 on the inlet 15d side is narrower than the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path on the outlet 15e side, and therefore the heat capacity of isopropyl alcohol on the inlet 15d side is relatively smaller than that on the outlet 15e side, and therefore the halogen lamp heater 16 radiates and heats the isopropyl alcohol more efficiently.

[0071] As described above, the isopropyl alcohol flowing through the flow path 15 reaches its boiling point due to radiant heating from the halogen lamp heater 16, and turns into vapor while remaining in the reservoir 14, filling the drying chamber 13.

[0072] The temperature of the semiconductor wafer 1 before it is carried into the predetermined position in the drying chamber 13 is close to room temperature. Since the temperature of the surface of the semiconductor wafer 1 immediately after it is carried into the drying chamber 13 is lower than the temperature of the isopropyl alcohol vapor, the vapor condenses on the surface of the semiconductor wafer 1.

[0073] As this condensed isopropyl alcohol flows down the surface of the semiconductor wafer 1, foreign matter adhering to the surface (residues of the cleaning liquid used to clean the semiconductor wafer 1 in the cleaning device before it was transported into the drying device 10) also flows down, and the surface of the semiconductor wafer 1 is cleaned.

[0074] As the isopropyl alcohol vapor in the drying chamber 13 repeatedly condenses on the surface of the semiconductor wafer 1, the temperature of the surface gradually rises. When the temperature of the surface reaches the temperature of the vapor, the vapor stops condensing, and cleaning of the surface is completed. At this point, the surface of the semiconductor wafer 1 is in a dry state.

[0075] Thereafter, the semiconductor wafer 1 is carried out by the handling machine 2 from the drying chamber 13 through the cooling chamber 12 to the outside of the drying apparatus 10 .

[0076] The isopropyl alcohol vapor in the drying chamber 13 is cooled in the cooling chamber 12 and condenses and liquefies on the inner wall of the housing 11 and on the surface of the cooling coil 12a, thereby preventing leakage to the outside of the drying device 10. This liquefied isopropyl alcohol is collected in the collection gutter 12b and then guided to the flow path 15 via a liquid supply pipe (not shown) and supplied to the storage tank 14.

[0077] The storage tank 14 is equipped with a level gauge that measures the liquid level of the stored isopropyl alcohol, a thermometer that measures the temperature, etc. The measurements of the level gauge and thermometer are sent to a control unit, which controls the amount of isopropyl alcohol supplied to the storage tank 14 and the on / off of the halogen lamp heater 16 based on these measurements.

[0078] For example, when the liquid level of isopropyl alcohol stored in the reservoir 14 reaches a predetermined lower limit level, isopropyl alcohol is supplied to the reservoir 14 through the flow path 15, and when the liquid level reaches a predetermined upper limit level, the supply is stopped.

[0079] Furthermore, when the temperature of the isopropyl alcohol stored in the storage tank 14 reaches a predetermined lower limit level, the halogen lamp heater 16 is turned on to heat the isopropyl alcohol in the flow path 15, and when it reaches a predetermined upper limit level, the halogen lamp heater 16 is turned off.

[0080] A recovery unit 18 that recovers isopropyl alcohol dripping from the semiconductor wafer 1 is provided between the drying chamber 13 and the storage tank 14. A drain pipe 18b is connected to the recovery unit 18. The drain pipe 18b passes through the housing 11 and communicates with the outside of the drying apparatus 10. The isopropyl alcohol recovered in the recovery unit 18 is drained to the outside of the drying apparatus 10 through the drain pipe 18b. A gate valve (not shown) is provided in the drain pipe 18b.

[0081] In this embodiment, the collection section 18 is provided with a plurality of vents 18a all over the surface. The vents 18a are so-called louvers, and are configured to prevent isopropyl alcohol dripping from the semiconductor wafers 1 from passing through the storage tank 14, but to allow isopropyl alcohol vapor generated from the storage tank 14 to pass through to the drying chamber 13. The isopropyl alcohol vapor can be quickly and stably filled inside the drying chamber 13 via the vents 18a.

[0082] There is a risk that substances other than isopropyl alcohol may be mixed into the isopropyl alcohol that drips from the semiconductor wafer 1 and is collected. If the isopropyl alcohol in the reservoir 14 becomes contaminated, there is a risk of a deterioration in the quality of the semiconductor wafer 1, and work such as replacing the isopropyl alcohol may be required.

[0083] In contrast, with the above-described configuration, the isopropyl alcohol recovered in the recovery unit 18 can be discharged outside the drying device 10 without being returned to the storage tank 14. Since new isopropyl alcohol supplied to the storage tank 14 from the flow path 15 is not mixed with isopropyl alcohol dropped from the semiconductor wafer 1, there is no concern about deterioration in the quality of the semiconductor wafer 1, and the replacement work described above is not necessary.

[0084] A drain pipe 14b is connected to the bottom surface 14a of the storage tank 14. The isopropyl alcohol in the storage tank 14 is drained through the drain pipe 14b. The drain pipe 14b is equipped with a gate valve (not shown).

[0085] As described above, it is possible to provide the drying apparatus 10 that can smoothly and efficiently perform the cleaning and drying process of the semiconductor wafer 1.

[0086] In the above-described embodiment, the object to be dried is a semiconductor wafer 1, but this is not a limitation. The object to be dried may be any object that can be cleaned and dried with isopropyl alcohol vapor, such as a semiconductor substrate or a precision optical component.

[0087] In the above embodiment, the processing liquid is isopropyl alcohol, but this is not a limitation. The processing liquid may be any liquid that can be vaporized by radiant heating from the halogen lamp heater 16.

[0088] In the above-described embodiment, the dimensions of the storage tank 14 are approximately 400 mm × 300 mm, and the liquid level of the isopropyl alcohol is set to approximately 50 mm from the bottom surface 14a of the storage tank 14, but this is not a limitation. An appropriate liquid level is set depending on the dimensions of the storage tank 14.

[0089] In the above-described embodiment, the thickness of the top surface portion 15b, the side surface portion 15c, and the partition wall 15f is 5 mm, but this is not limitative. For example, the thickness of the top surface portion 15b, the side surface portion 15c, and the partition wall 15f may be approximately 3 mm to 8 mm. Furthermore, the top surface portion 15b, the side surface portion 15c, and the partition wall 15f may have a thickness that is different from that of the other portions or may be different from each other.

[0090] In the above embodiment, the thickness of bottom surface portion 15a is 3 mm, and the thickness of the portion of bottom surface 14a of storage tank 14 other than bottom surface portion 15a is 5 mm, but this is not limited to this. For example, the thickness of the portion of bottom surface 14a other than bottom surface portion 15a may be approximately 3 to 8 mm, and bottom surface 14a and bottom surface portion 15a may have a uniform thickness.

[0091] In the above embodiment, the halogen lamp heater 16 is a straight tube, but this is not limitative. The tube of the halogen lamp heater 16 may be, for example, a curved tube.

[0092] In the above embodiment, the halogen lamp heater 16 has a power consumption of 6 kW, but this is not limited to this. Any heater may be used as long as it can radiate heat until the isopropyl alcohol reaches its boiling point before passing through the flow path 15, depending on the dimensions and flow rate of the flow path 15.

[0093] In the above-described embodiment, a case has been described in which a reflecting member 17 is provided around the lower periphery of the halogen lamp heater 16 in order to efficiently use the radiation from the halogen lamp heater 16, but this is not limited to this. For example, without providing the reflecting member 17, a configuration in which radiation is emitted in a fixed direction may be adopted in which the transparent quartz glass tube of the halogen lamp heater 16 is partially subjected to mirror finishing by vapor deposition or sputtering of aluminum, gold, copper, etc., or by coating with a reflective film.

[0094] In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which a cover member 19 made of transparent quartz glass is provided above the halogen lamp heater 16 to cover the upper surface of the halogen lamp heater 16, but this is not limited to this. The cover member 19 does not have to be provided. Also, a configuration in which ribs are provided on the bottom surface portion 15a may be used.

[0095] In the above-described embodiment, the case where two halogen lamp heaters 16 (16L, 16R) are arranged along each of the two divided flow paths 15 (15L, 15R) has been described, but this is not limitative. A configuration in which one large halogen lamp heater 16 is arranged below the two divided flow paths 15 (15L, 15R) may also be used.

[0096] In the above-described embodiment, a single partition wall 15f is provided in the flow path 15 from the vicinity of the inlet 15d to the outlet 15e, but this is not limited to this. Two or more partition walls 15f may be provided to divide the flow path 15, or no partition wall 15f may be provided. In this case, the capacity of the halogen lamp heater 16 is selected depending on the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path 15 and the flow rate of isopropyl alcohol per unit time.

[0097] In the above-described embodiment, the thickness of bottom surface portion 15a is configured to be thinner than at least the thickness of the portion of bottom surface 14a of storage tank 14 other than bottom surface portion 15a, but this is not limited to this. The thickness of bottom surface portion 15a and the thickness of the portion of bottom surface 14a of storage tank 14 other than bottom surface portion 15a may be the same. In this case, quartz glass of the same thickness can be used, which makes manufacturing easier.

[0098] In the above-described embodiment, the thickness of the top surface portion 15b is greater than the thickness of the bottom surface portion 15a, but this is not limited to this. For example, the thickness of the top surface portion 15b and the thickness of the bottom surface portion 15a may be the same. In this case, quartz glass of the same thickness can be used, making manufacturing easier. Furthermore, the thickness of the top surface portion 15b may be thinner than the thickness of the bottom surface portion 15a. In this case, near-infrared rays from the halogen lamp heater 16 can be more easily transmitted into the storage tank 14.

[0099] In the above-described embodiment, the collection unit 18 is provided with a plurality of ventilation holes 18a all over the surface thereof, but this is not limited thereto. The collection unit 18 may be configured such that the ventilation holes 18a are provided only on the outer periphery thereof.

[0100] The configuration disclosed in any of the above-described implementation forms can be applied in combination with the configuration disclosed in other implementation forms, as long as no contradiction arises. Furthermore, the implementation forms disclosed in this specification are examples, and the implementation forms of the present invention are not limited to these and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of not departing from the purpose of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0101] 1: Semiconductor wafer 2: Handling machine 10:Drying equipment 11: Housing 12: Cooling room 12a: Cooling coil 13: Drying room 14: Reservoir 14a: bottom 14b: Drainage tube 15: Flow path 15L: Flow path 15R: Flow path 15a: Bottom part 15b:Top section 15c: Side part 15d: Inlet 15e: Outlet 15f: Bulkhead 16: Halogen lamp heater 16L: Halogen lamp heater 16R: Halogen lamp heater 17: Reflective material 17a: Bottom part 17b: Side part 18: Collection Department 18a: Ventilation hole 18b: Drainage tube 19: Cover member

Claims

1. a storage tank for storing a treatment liquid, a halogen lamp heater for heating and evaporating the treatment liquid, and a drying chamber disposed above the storage tank and filled with vapor of the treatment liquid; A drying apparatus configured to condense vapor of the processing liquid onto an object to be dried in the drying chamber, thereby cleaning and drying the object to be dried, The storage tank includes a flow path that shares a bottom surface and a bottom portion of the storage tank, the flow path includes an inlet provided to penetrate the storage tank and an outlet provided to be open within the storage tank, the halogen lamp heater is disposed below the bottom surface portion along the flow path, The drying device is characterized in that the bottom portion is made of transparent quartz glass and transmits near-infrared rays radiated from the halogen lamp heater.

2. 2. The drying device according to claim 1, wherein the top surface of the flow path is inclined so that the distance from the bottom surface increases from the inlet to the outlet below the liquid level of the treatment liquid stored in the storage tank.

3. 3. The drying device according to claim 2, wherein the top surface is made of transparent quartz glass.

4. The drying device according to claim 3 , wherein the thickness of the top surface portion is greater than the thickness of the bottom surface portion.

5. The entire surface of the storage tank is made of transparent quartz glass, 2. The drying device according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the bottom portion is thinner than the thickness of at least a portion of the bottom surface of the storage tank other than the bottom portion.

6. the flow path is divided by a partition wall from the vicinity of the inlet to the outlet, 2. The drying device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the halogen lamp heaters are arranged below the bottom portion along each of the divided flow paths.

7. 7. The drying device according to claim 1, wherein a reflective member is provided around the lower periphery of the halogen lamp heater to reflect near-infrared rays emitted downward or to the side from the halogen lamp heater toward the flow path.

8. a recovery unit that recovers the treatment liquid dripping from the object to be dried, the recovery unit being provided between the drying chamber and the storage tank; 2. The drying device according to claim 1, wherein the recovery section is provided with an air vent that prevents the processing liquid dripping from the object to be dried from passing through the storage tank and allows the vapor of the processing liquid generated from the storage tank to pass through the drying chamber.

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