Drying equipment
The drying device addresses the challenge of forming a pressure-resistant sealed chamber by using a rotating mechanism to engage upper and lower chambers, ensuring reliable high-pressure supercritical fluid drying in semiconductor manufacturing.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- ACM RES (SHANGHAI) INC
- Filing Date
- 2024-05-07
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-08
AI Technical Summary
Existing drying devices in semiconductor manufacturing face challenges in forming a reliable, pressure-resistant sealed chamber for supercritical fluid drying processes, particularly in engaging the upper and lower chambers effectively.
A drying device with an upper chamber and a lower chamber, each equipped with locking portions, utilizes a rotating mechanism to tighten the chambers together, forming a pressure-resistant sealed chamber for supercritical fluid drying processes.
The solution ensures effective engagement of the chambers, maintaining high-pressure requirements for supercritical fluid drying, enhancing the reliability and efficiency of the drying process.
Smart Images
Figure 2026522712000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and particularly to a drying device.
Background Art
[0002] In the manufacturing process of integrated circuits, it is necessary to perform a drying process after performing a wet etching or cleaning process on a substrate. As a known technique, a drying process can be performed on a substrate using a supercritical fluid having a surface tension of zero. For example, a substrate covered with IPA (Isopropyl alcohol) is transferred from a cleaning chamber to a drying device, the upper chamber and the lower chamber of the drying device are closed to form a sealed chamber, and then a supercritical fluid is supplied to the sealed chamber to dissolve the IPA on the substrate surface in the supercritical fluid, thereby forming a mixture of IPA and the supercritical fluid. As the supercritical fluid is continuously supplied to the sealed chamber and the mixture of IPA and the supercritical fluid is continuously discharged, the replacement of the supercritical fluid and the IPA covering the substrate surface is completed, and the purpose of removing IPA from the substrate is achieved. Next, the supercritical fluid is vaporized and discharged. After the pressure in the sealed chamber returns to atmospheric pressure, the sealed chamber is opened, and finally the substrate after the drying process is taken out.
[0003] In view of the above description, the sealed chamber formed by clamping the upper chamber and the lower chamber so as to maintain the supercritical fluid in the supercritical state should be able to maintain the high pressure required during the drying process of the substrate. Therefore, how to engage the upper chamber and the lower chamber to form a pressure-resistant sealed chamber is particularly important.
Summary of the Invention
[0004] An object of the present invention is to solve the problem of engaging an upper chamber and a lower chamber in the prior art to form a sealed chamber.
[0005] To solve the above problems, an embodiment of the present invention provides a drying device, which An upper chamber having a first locking portion, A lower chamber is installed below the upper chamber and has a second locking portion for fitting the first locking portion, A substrate tray is installed in the lower chamber for placing substrates, A drying apparatus comprising: a rotating mechanism for rotating at least one of the upper chamber and the lower chamber together such that the upper chamber and the lower chamber are tightened by the first locking part and the second locking part to form a pressure-resistant sealed chamber.
[0006] In the drying apparatus provided in the present invention, the upper chamber has a first locking part, and the lower chamber has a second locking part that fits into the first locking part. After the upper chamber and the lower chamber are brought close to each other, a rotation mechanism rotates at least one of the upper chamber and the lower chamber together, thereby locking the first locking part and the second locking part together. The upper chamber and the lower chamber form a pressure-resistant sealed chamber, thereby satisfying the high-pressure requirements necessary during the drying process on the substrate, causing the supercritical fluid to reach a supercritical state and perform the drying process on the substrate.
[0007] Other features of the present invention and corresponding beneficial effects are described in the latter part of the specification. Furthermore, it should be understood that at least some of the beneficial effects are evident from the description herein. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0008] The features and performance of the present invention can be further explained by the following embodiments and their drawings. [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of a perspective view of the drying apparatus provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic perspective view of the drying apparatus provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention when the sealed chamber is open. [Figure 3]This is a schematic perspective view of the drying apparatus provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention, showing the lower and upper chambers after they have been closed but not yet tightened. [Figure 4] This is a schematic perspective view of the drying apparatus provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention after the lower and upper chambers have been tightened together. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram of a drying apparatus provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the drying apparatus provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention after the lower and upper chambers have been tightened together. [Figure 7] This is a schematic perspective view of the drying apparatus provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram of the perspective configuration of the lower chamber provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 9] This is a schematic perspective view diagram of the lift mechanism, rotation mechanism, and support member provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 10] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the lift mechanism and rotation mechanism provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Figure 11] This is a schematic perspective view of the drying apparatus provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention after the lower and upper chambers have been tightened together. [Figure 12] This is a schematic diagram of the bottom configuration of the lower chamber provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Figure 13] This is a schematic perspective view of the drying apparatus provided in Embodiment 3 of the present invention after the lower and upper chambers have been tightened together. [Figure 14] This is a schematic diagram of the configuration of the lift mechanism and rotation mechanism provided in Embodiment 4 of the present invention. [Figure 15] This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the lift mechanism and rotation mechanism provided in Embodiment 4 of the present invention, viewed from another perspective. [Figure 16] This is a schematic perspective view of the drying apparatus provided in Embodiment 4 of the present invention when the sealed chamber is open. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below using specific examples. Those skilled in the art will readily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the disclosure herein. The description of the present invention will be given in conjunction with preferred embodiments, but this does not mean that the features of the present invention are limited to these embodiments. On the contrary, the purpose of introducing the invention in relation to embodiments is to cover other choices or modifications that may be extended based on the claims of the present invention. In order to gain a deeper understanding of the present invention, the following description will include many specific details. The present invention can also be carried out without using these details. In addition, there are specific details that will be omitted from the description in order to avoid confusing or obscuring the gist of the present invention. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the following embodiments and features in the embodiments may be combined with each other, provided that they do not conflict.
[0010] Note that similar symbols and letters represent similar terms in the following diagrams; therefore, once a term is defined in one diagram, there is no need to discuss it further in the following diagrams. The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings, but obviously the embodiments described are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained based on embodiments of the present invention, on the premise that those skilled in the art will not perform any creative work, are within the scope of the present invention.
[0011] In the description of the present invention, the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for the purpose of facilitating the description of the present invention and simplifying the description, and does not mean or imply that the indicated device or element must have a specific orientation, be configured and operated in a specific orientation, and should not be understood as a limitation to the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first", "second", "third" are used only for the purpose of description and should not be understood as meaning or implying relative importance.
[0012] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the terms "attach", "contact", "connect" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may be fixedly connected, removably connected, or integrally connected, mechanically connected, electrically connected, directly contacted, indirectly contacted through an intermediate medium, or the interiors of two elements may communicate. Those skilled in the art can specifically understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention.
[0013] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail below in connection with the accompanying drawings.
[0014] Embodiment 1 Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, Embodiment 1 provides a drying device for performing a drying process on a substrate after washing. In Embodiment 1, the surface of the washed substrate is covered with a layer of IPA (isopropyl alcohol).
[0015] The drying device includes a frame 100, an upper chamber 200, a lower chamber 300, a substrate tray 400, a lift mechanism 500, and a rotation mechanism 600. The upper chamber 200 is fixed to the frame 100, and the lower chamber 300 having a first locking portion 210 is disposed below the upper chamber 200 and has a second locking portion 310 for fitting with the first locking portion 210. The substrate tray 400 is disposed in the lower chamber 300 and is used for placing a substrate. The lower chamber 300 moves relatively to the upper chamber 200 along the vertical direction by being carried around by the lift mechanism 500, and the rotation mechanism 600 is used for rotating the lower chamber 300 around the axis direction O of the lower chamber 300, for example, in the clockwise direction R1, thereby locking the first locking portion 210 and the second locking portion 310 to each other, tightening the upper chamber 200 and the lower chamber 300 to form a sealed chamber 233 (see FIG. 6), and performing a drying process on the substrate whose surface is covered with IPA. The angular range in which the rotation mechanism 600 rotates the lower chamber 300 around is from 10° to 40°, and preferably, the angular range in which the rotation mechanism 600 rotates the lower chamber 300 around is from 20° to 30°.
[0016] When opening the sealed chamber 233, first, the rotation mechanism 600 rotates the lower chamber 300 around the axis direction O of the lower chamber 300, for example, in the counterclockwise direction R2, thereby releasing, that is, separating the locking between the first locking portion 210 and the second locking portion 310 from each other. Next, the lift mechanism 500 moves the lower chamber 300 downward along the vertical direction by being carried around, thereby separating the lower chamber 300 and the upper chamber 200 from each other and opening the sealed chamber 233.
[0017] In some embodiments, the lower chamber 300 may be fixed to a frame, and a lift mechanism may rotate the upper chamber 200 along the vertical direction. When the upper chamber 200 and the lower chamber 300 are closed, a rotation mechanism 600 rotates the upper chamber 200 along its axis. In some embodiments, two lift mechanisms and two rotation mechanisms may be provided, where one lift mechanism rotates the upper chamber 200 along the vertical direction, and the other lift mechanism rotates the lower chamber 300 along the vertical direction, thereby causing the upper chamber 200 and the lower chamber 300 to move relative to each other in the vertical direction. One rotation mechanism rotates the upper chamber 200 in a first direction, and the other rotation mechanism rotates the lower chamber 300 in a second direction, with the first and second directions being opposite to each other, thereby causing the upper chamber 200 and the lower chamber 300 to rotate and tighten simultaneously to form a sealed chamber.
[0018] Referring to Figures 7 and 8, the drying apparatus provided in the present invention has an upper chamber 200 and a lower chamber 300, each with a circular shape, a circular hollow portion of the sealed chamber 233, a first locking portion 210 integrally molded with the upper chamber 200, and a second locking portion 310 integrally molded with the lower chamber 300.
[0019] Specifically, as shown in Figure 7, the first locking portion 210 of the upper chamber 200 includes a plurality of upper teeth arranged at equal intervals along the outer circumference of the upper chamber 200. As shown in Figure 8, the second locking portion 310 includes a plurality of lower teeth arranged at equal intervals along the outer circumference of the lower chamber 300, and the plurality of upper teeth and plurality of lower teeth fit together and correspond to each other. Here, the plurality of lower teeth extend outward along the radial direction of the lower chamber 300 on the side wall of the lower chamber 300 and have a protruding shape. The upper surface of the lower teeth is on the same plane as the upper surface of the lower chamber 300 and is lower than the upper surface of the substrate tray 400. The plurality of upper teeth extend downward along the side wall of the upper chamber 200 and are provided with recesses 211 for fitting together with the lower teeth. The upper teeth have an "L" shape. When the upper and lower teeth are tightened together (see Figure 5), a sealed chamber 233 is formed between the upper chamber 200 and the lower chamber 300 (see Figure 6). To open the sealed chamber 233, first the lower chamber 300 is rotated to unscrew the lower teeth from the grooves 211 of the upper teeth, that is, the locks between the lower and upper teeth are released from each other. Then the lower chamber 300 is moved downward along the vertical direction, separating it from the upper chamber 200, and the sealed chamber 233 is opened. When the sealed chamber 233 is open (see Figure 2), the distance between the upper chamber 200 and the lower chamber 300 should be sufficient to accommodate the insertion and removal of the substrate.
[0020] In other embodiments, the shapes of the upper and lower teeth can be swapped. Specifically, the upper teeth are set to extend outward along the radial direction of the upper chamber 200, forming a projection, and the lower teeth are provided with a recess to fit the upper teeth. The upper chamber 200 and the lower chamber 300 can then be tightened by these upper and lower teeth to form a sealed chamber.
[0021] The drying apparatus provided in this application preferably has an upper chamber 200 and a lower chamber 300, each with a circular external shape, and multiple upper teeth and multiple lower teeth distributed evenly along the circumferential direction of the upper chamber 200 and the lower chamber 300, respectively. Therefore, the upper chamber 200 and the lower chamber 300 in this application have a longer service life as pressure vessels that are frequently opened and closed and subjected to more uniform forces under high temperature and high pressure conditions, and are more compliant with the design standards for pressure vessels.
[0022] Furthermore, in this invention, multiple upper teeth are integrally molded with the upper chamber 200, and multiple lower teeth are integrally molded with the lower chamber 300. This clamping structure between the upper and lower teeth is simple and simplifies the clamping process. Compared to a sealed chamber 233 of the same volume, this clamping structure between the upper and lower teeth also has the advantage of reducing the overall weight of the upper chamber 200 and lower chamber 300 after clamping.
[0023] Referring to Figure 9, the lift mechanism 500 includes a lift platform 510, a drive unit 520, and a transmission. The drive unit 520 moves the lift platform 510 up and down along the vertical direction via the transmission. The transmission includes a ball screw 531, a timing pulley, and a timing belt 532. The drive unit 520 may be a servo motor. Specifically, the output terminal of the servo motor is connected to the timing pulley, which is connected to the timing pulley at one end of the ball screw 531 via the timing belt 532. The other end of the ball screw 531 is connected to the lift platform 510. The servo motor moves the ball screw 531 linearly via the timing pulley and the timing belt 532, thereby achieving the raising and lowering of the lift platform 510.
[0024] The rotating mechanism 600 includes a first rotating mechanism 610 and a second rotating mechanism 620. The first rotating mechanism 610 is installed on the lift mechanism 500, and the second rotating mechanism 620 is used to drive the first rotating mechanism 610 to rotate the lower chamber 300. Specifically, the first rotating mechanism 610 includes a guide rail 611, a slider 612, and a driven gear 613 (see Figure 8). The guide rail 611 is fixed to the lift platform 510 of the lift mechanism 500 and extends around the axial direction O of the lower chamber 300. The slider 612 is slidably connected to the guide rail 611 and is also fixedly connected to the bottom of the lower chamber 300 (see Figure 4). The slider 612 can be fixed to the lower chamber 300 via fixing members, such as screws or bolts. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 9, the first rotation mechanism 610 includes two symmetrically positioned guide rails 611, each guide rail 611 having two sliders 612, each slider 612 being fixedly connected to the bottom of the lower chamber 300. The guide rails 611 have an arch shape, and limit blocks can be attached to both ends of each guide rail 611 to limit the sliders 612 and restrict the rotation angle of the lower chamber 300 to a predetermined range of rotation angles. In other embodiments, the guide rails 611 may be perfectly circular, as long as they satisfy the rotation direction and rotation angle of the lower chamber 300.
[0025] Referring to Figures 8 and 9, the driven gear 613 is fixedly connected to the lower chamber 300. The driven gear 613 has a partially arc-shaped section, and it is sufficient that its circumference allows the lower chamber 300 to rotate at a predetermined rotation angle. As shown in Figure 9, the second rotation mechanism 620 includes a rotary drive unit 621 and a drive gear 622. The rotary drive unit 621 includes a servo motor 6211 and a reduction gear 6212. The servo motor 6211 rotates the drive gear 622 via the reduction gear 6212, and the drive gear 622 rotates the driven gear 613 by using its meshing mechanism. The driven gear 613 is fixedly connected to the lower chamber 300, and the lower chamber 300 is fixedly connected to the slider 612. Therefore, when the driven gear 613 rotates, it moves the lower chamber 300 on the slider 612, causing it to rotate along the direction of the guide rail 611, and the lower chamber 300 and the upper chamber 200 are tightened together to form a sealed chamber.
[0026] As shown in Figure 9, the rotating mechanism 600 further includes a fixed frame 630, a mounting plate 640, and adjustment components. The rotary drive unit 621 and drive gear 622 of the second rotating mechanism 620 are both fixed to the mounting plate 640. The mounting plate 640 is movably attached to the fixed frame 630 using fasteners 641. The fixed frame 630 is fixedly connected to the lift platform 510 of the lift mechanism 500. The mounting plate 640 and drive gear 622 are located above the fixed frame 630, and the rotary drive unit 621 is located below the fixed frame 630 and is connected to the drive gear 622 using the fixed frame 630 and the mounting plate 640. When the lift platform 510 moves up and down along the vertical direction, the fixed frame 630 moves up and down simultaneously with the lift platform 510, along with the rotary drive unit 621 and drive gear 622, and during this up and down process, the rotary drive unit 621 is suspended. The adjustment component and mounting plate 640 are mounted on the same mounting surface of the fixed frame 630. The adjustment component is used to adjust the displacement of the mounting plate 640 on the fixed frame 630, thereby decreasing or increasing the center-to-center distance between the drive gear 622 and the driven gear 613. The adjustment component includes an adjustment block 651 and a screw (not shown), the adjustment block 651 having a screw hole 652 inside which the screw engages. If it is necessary to reduce the distance between the centers of the drive gear 622 and the driven gear 613, the fastener 641 is loosened to allow the mounting plate 640 to move, and then the screw in the adjustment block 651 is rotated to increase the length of the screw protruding from the adjustment block 651, thereby pressing the screw against the mounting plate 640, and further moving the mounting plate 640, along with the drive gear 622 and the rotary drive unit 621, toward the driven gear 613 fixed to the lower chamber 300, reducing the distance between the centers until the drive gear 622 and the driven gear 613 mesh.If it is necessary to increase the distance between the centers of the drive gear 622 and the driven gear 613, the fastener 641 on the mounting plate 640 is loosened to make the mounting plate 640 movable, then the screw in the adjustment block 651 is rotated to return the screw to the adjustment block 651 to its predetermined position, and then the mounting plate 640 is manually pulled back, causing the mounting plate 640 to move away from the driven gear 613 along with the drive gear 622 and the rotary drive unit 621, thereby increasing the distance between the centers of the drive gear 622 and the driven gear 613. When the mounting plate 640 moves on the fixed frame 630, the fixed frame 630 is provided with guide grooves for the mounting plate 640 to move along with the rotary drive unit 621 and the drive gear 622.
[0027] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the drying apparatus further includes two sets of symmetrically positioned support members 700. The two sets of support members 700 can move vertically and horizontally and are used to lift the substrate and place it on the substrate tray 400, or to remove the substrate from the substrate tray 400. Each of the two sets of support members 700 is equipped with a weight sensor 710 to measure the weight of the substrate and determine whether or not the amount of IPA on the substrate surface needs to be replenished. If replenishment is necessary, IPA can be replenished on the substrate surface using the IPA replenishment device of the drying apparatus. The device for replenishing IPA can be an existing IPA replenishment device of the drying apparatus.
[0028] The drying apparatus further includes a first fluid supply pipe 810, a second fluid supply pipe 820, a fluid discharge pipe 830, and a vacuum piping 840. The first fluid supply pipe 810 and the vacuum piping 840 are installed at intervals on the ceiling wall of the upper chamber 200, while the second fluid supply pipe 820 and the fluid discharge pipe 830 are installed on two opposing side walls of the upper chamber 200, respectively. The vacuum piping 840 is used to create a vacuum through the vacuum groove 240 (see Figure 7) of the upper chamber 200. Two annular grooves 320 and 330 (see Figure 8) are sequentially provided around the substrate tray 400 of the lower chamber 300 for holding the seal ring. When the upper chamber 200 and the lower chamber are tightened to form a sealed chamber, the vacuum groove 240 is located between the two annular grooves 320 and 330.
[0029] The workflow for the drying apparatus provided in this embodiment to perform drying on a substrate is as follows.
[0030] When the drying apparatus starts operation, the two sets of support members 700 first rise from their initial position to a predetermined height, and then the two sets of support members 700 move relative to the substrate tray 400 to a minimum stroke. Next, the robot arm transfers the substrate between the upper chamber 200 and the lower chamber 300, places the substrate on the support members 700, and then retracts it. A weight sensor 710 on the support members 700 measures the weight of the substrate and detects the amount of IPA on the substrate surface. Then, the two sets of support members 700, along with the substrate, descend to their initial position, leave the substrate on the substrate tray 400, and then move in the reverse direction to the maximum stroke and exit from the lower chamber 300.
[0031] Next, the lift mechanism 500 supports the lower chamber 300 and moves it upward along the vertical direction until the lower chamber 300 and the upper chamber 200 are closed, and the rotation mechanism 600 rotates the lower chamber 300 along with it at a predetermined angle, so that the space between the upper chamber 200 and the lower chamber 300 is tightened by the upper teeth and lower teeth to form a sealed chamber 233. In this embodiment, since the slider 612 and the lower chamber 300 are fixedly connected by a fixing member, after the upper chamber 200 and the lower chamber 300 are tightened to form a sealed chamber 233, the lift platform 510 of the lift mechanism 500 does not need to detach from the lower chamber 300 during the operation of the drying apparatus.
[0032] After the sealed chamber 233 is formed, vacuum is applied to the vacuum groove 240 of the upper chamber 200 using the vacuum piping 840. When it is detected that the pressure in the vacuum piping 840 is within the target pressure range, it means that the sealing is complete and supercritical fluid can be supplied into the sealed chamber 233.
[0033] The first fluid supply pipe 810 is opened, and supercritical fluid is supplied from above the sealed chamber 233. As the supercritical fluid is supplied, the air and fluid inside the sealed chamber 233 are discharged from the sealed chamber 233 through the fluid discharge pipe 830, and all the air inside the sealed chamber 233 is replaced with fluid. The supply rate of supercritical fluid is then increased, raising the pressure inside the sealed chamber 233 above the critical pressure.
[0034] After the inside of the sealed chamber 233 reaches a supercritical state, the first fluid supply pipe 810 is closed to stop the supply of supercritical fluid from above the sealed chamber 233. Supercritical fluid is supplied from one side of the sealed chamber 233 via the second fluid supply pipe 820, and the supercritical fluid dries the substrate inside the sealed chamber 233. At this time, the fluid discharged from the fluid discharge pipe 830 is supercritical fluid.
[0035] After the drying process is complete, the second fluid supply pipe 820 is closed. The fluid inside the sealed chamber 233 is continuously discharged using the fluid discharge pipe 830, the internal pressure of the sealed chamber 233 decreases, the supercritical fluid inside the sealed chamber 233 turns into a gas and is discharged from the sealed chamber 233 using the fluid discharge pipe 830. The vacuum piping 840 is closed, and a vacuum is maintained in the vacuum groove 240 of the upper chamber 200. When the pressure inside the sealed chamber 233 reaches atmospheric pressure, the rotating mechanism 600 rotates the lower chamber 300 in the opposite direction by a predetermined angle, and the locks between the upper and lower teeth are released from each other. The lift mechanism 500 rotates the lower chamber 300 and moves it downward along the vertical direction, and the sealed chamber 233 is opened.
[0036] Finally, the two sets of support members 700 move in opposite directions from the maximum stroke to the minimum stroke, lifting the dried substrate from the substrate tray 400, and finally being removed from the drying apparatus by a robotic arm.
[0037] In this embodiment, the supercritical fluid is supercritical carbon dioxide.
[0038] Embodiment 2 Referring to Figures 10 to 12, Embodiment 2 provides another drying apparatus. The differences between Embodiment 2 and Embodiment 1 are the structure of the driven gear and the connection relationship between the driven gear, the lower chamber, and the slider.
[0039] Referring to Figures 10 and 11, in this embodiment, the driven gear 613A of the first rotating mechanism 610A is disc-shaped. The driven gear 613A connects the slider 612A and the lower chamber 300A, with the bottom of the driven gear 613A fixedly connected to the slider 612A and the top of the driven gear 613A detachably connected to the lower chamber 300A. Specifically, as shown in Figure 10, the driven gear 613A includes a gear body 6101A, an upper support plate 6102A, and a lower support plate 6103A. The upper support plate 6102A is fixed to the upper side of the gear body 6101A. The lower support plate 6103A is fixed to the lower side of the gear body 6101A and is fixedly connected to the slider 612A. Multiple fixing pins 6104A are installed on the ceiling of the upper support plate 6102A, and the driven gear 613A uses the fixing pins 6104A to lift the lower chamber 300A. A fixing groove 340A (see Figure 12) is provided at the bottom of the lower chamber 300A, and the fixing groove 340A fits into the fixing pins 6104A. By inserting the fixing pins 6104A into the fixing groove 340A at the bottom of the lower chamber 300A, the lower chamber 300A is mounted on the upper support plate 6102A, and the driven gear 613A rotates the lower chamber 300 together with it, tightening it with the upper chamber 200 to form a sealed chamber.
[0040] When the second rotating mechanism 620A rotates the driven gear 613A, the driven gear 613A, which is fixed to the slider 612A, rotates the lower chamber 300A together with it, and the lower chamber 300A and the upper chamber 200A are tightened together to form a sealed chamber (see sealed chamber 233 in Figure 6 of Embodiment 1). After the sealed chamber is formed, the lift platform 510A moves downward and the fixing pin 6104A disengages from the fixing groove 340A at the bottom of the lower chamber 300A. The lift platform 510A and the rotating mechanism 600A retract from the lower chamber 300A. As a result, when drying the substrate in the sealed chamber, the deformation force generated by the upper chamber 200A and the lower chamber 300A is not applied to the rotating mechanism 600A and the lift mechanism 500A. After the lift platform 510A and the rotating mechanism 600A are retracted from the lower chamber 300A, the upper chamber 200A remains fixed to the frame (see frame 100 in Embodiment 1), and the lower chamber 300A is suspended and suspended from the upper chamber 200A.
[0041] Embodiment 3 Referring to Figure 13, Embodiment 3 provides another drying apparatus. The difference between Embodiment 3 and Embodiment 2 is that the lift mechanism includes a 6-degree-of-freedom robot platform.
[0042] In this embodiment, the 6-degree-of-freedom robot platform includes an upper platform 510B, a lower platform 541B, a telescopic cylinder 542B, and a hook joint 543B. The second rotating mechanism 620B is fixed to the upper platform 510B using a fixed frame 630B and moves up and down in sync with the upper platform 510B. The method for mounting the second rotating mechanism 620B onto the fixed frame 630B is the same as the method for mounting the second rotating mechanism 620 onto the fixed frame 630 in Embodiment 1, and is therefore omitted from this description.
[0043] The guide rail 611B of the first rotating mechanism 610B is fixed to the upper platform 510B. In some embodiments, the guide rail 611B may be fixed to the upper platform 510B using the base 670B. In some embodiments, the guide rail 611B can be fixed directly to the upper platform 510B. The upper platform 510B and the lower platform 541B are connected using six telescopic cylinders 542B and hook joints 543B. The hook joints 543B are located at the connection points where the telescopic cylinders 542B connect the upper platform 510B and the lower platform 541B. The coordinated operation of the six telescopic cylinders 542B enables the vertical raising and lowering of the lower chamber 300B. After the lower chamber 300B and the upper chamber 200B are tightened to form a sealed chamber, the 6-degree-of-freedom robot and the rotating mechanism 600B retract from the lower chamber 300B.
[0044] Embodiment 4 Referring to Figures 14 to 16, Embodiment 4 provides another drying apparatus. The differences between Embodiment 4 and Embodiment 2 are that the structure and installation method of the first rotating mechanism and lift mechanism are different, and the fixing method between the second rotating mechanism and the lift mechanism is different.
[0045] In this embodiment, the first rotating mechanism 610C of the rotating mechanism includes a driven gear 613C, which is cylindrical in shape. The second rotating mechanism 620C of the rotating mechanism includes a rotary drive unit 621C and a drive gear 622C. The rotary drive unit 621C includes a servo motor and a reduction gear. The servo motor uses the reduction gear to drive the drive gear 622C to rotate it, and the drive gear 622C rotates the driven gear 613C by meshing with it.
[0046] The structure and installation method of the driven gear 613C will be described below, with reference to the structure and installation method of the lift mechanism 500C.
[0047] Referring to Figures 14 and 15, the lift mechanism 500C is a gear ball screw drive mechanism, which includes a lift platform 510C, a drive unit 520C, a lifting drive gear 521C, a lifting driven gear 522C, a ball screw 523C, a nut 524C, and a base 525C. The drive unit 520C is connected to the lifting drive gear 521C, the lifting drive gear 521C meshes with the lifting driven gear 522C, the lifting driven gear 522C is fixedly connected to the ball screw 523C, the ball screw 523C is screwed with the nut 524C, the nut 524C is fixedly connected to the lower part of the driven gear 613C, and the lift platform 510C is fixed to the upper part of the driven gear 613C. The lift platform 510C has a fixing pin 511C that is inserted into a fixing groove at the bottom of the lower chamber 300C (see fixing groove 340A in Figure 12 of Embodiment 2) so that the lower chamber 300C is fixed onto the lift platform 510C (see Figure 16). Furthermore, the second rotating mechanism 620C is attached to the fixed frame 630C, and the fixed frame 630C is fixed to the base 525C. The second rotating mechanism 620C does not move as the lift platform 510C is raised or lowered.
[0048] The following describes the operating principle by which the gear ball screw transmission mechanism and the second rotating mechanism 620C move along with the lower chamber 300C, causing it to rise and rotate.
[0049] When the gear ball screw transmission mechanism drives the lower chamber 300 upward, the drive unit 520C of the gear ball screw transmission mechanism drives the lifting drive gear 521C to rotate, and the lifting drive gear 521C, through meshing, rotates together with the lifting driven gear 522C. The ball screw 523C rotates in conjunction with the lifting driven gear 522C, and the driven gear 613C moves linearly upward at the ball screw 523C in conjunction with the nut 524C. The lift platform 510C rises in conjunction with the driven gear 613C.
[0050] When the lower chamber 300C on the lift platform 510C comes into contact with the upper chamber 200C, the rotation drive unit 621C of the second rotation mechanism 620C drives the drive gear 622C to rotate. The drive gear 622C, through meshing, rotates the driven gear 613C along with it. The lift platform 510C rotates along with the driven gear 613C and also rotates the lower chamber 300C, causing the first locking part 210C and the second locking part 310C to lock together, and the upper chamber 200C and the lower chamber 300C to be tightened together, forming a sealed chamber. Subsequently, the gear ball screw transmission mechanism drives the lift mechanism 500C down, retracting it from the lower chamber 300C.
[0051] Finally, it should be noted that the embodiments described above are used solely to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and do not limit the invention. Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to the embodiments described above, those skilled in the art should understand that it is still possible to modify the technical solutions described in each of the embodiments described above, or to equally replace some of their technical features. These modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of each embodiment of the present invention.
Claims
1. An upper chamber having a first locking portion, A lower chamber is installed below the upper chamber and has a second locking portion for fitting the first locking portion, A substrate tray installed in the lower chamber and used for placing substrates, A drying apparatus comprising a rotating mechanism for rotating at least one of the upper chamber and the lower chamber together such that the upper chamber and the lower chamber are tightened by the first locking part and the second locking part to form a pressure-resistant sealed chamber.
2. The first locking portion includes a plurality of upper teeth distributed at intervals along the outer circumference of the upper chamber, The second locking portion includes a plurality of lower teeth distributed at intervals along the outer circumference of the lower chamber, The drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the plurality of upper teeth correspond to and fit each of the plurality of lower teeth.
3. The aforementioned plurality of lower teeth extend outward along the radial direction of the lower chamber and have a protruding shape. The drying apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the plurality of upper teeth are provided with recessed compartments to fit the plurality of lower teeth.
4. The drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the angular range in which the rotating mechanism rotates at least one of the upper chamber and the lower chamber together is from 10° to 40°.
5. The shapes of the upper chamber and the lower chamber are each circular. The drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the hollow portion of the sealed chamber is circular.
6. The first locking portion is integrally molded with the upper chamber. The drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the second locking portion is integrally molded with the lower chamber.
7. The system further includes a lift mechanism for moving at least one of the upper chamber and the lower chamber along the vertical direction, thereby causing the upper chamber and the lower chamber to move relative to each other. The drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that when the upper chamber and the lower chamber approach each other, the rotating mechanism rotates at least one of the upper chamber and the lower chamber together so that the upper chamber and the lower chamber are tightened by the first locking part and the second locking part to form the sealed chamber.
8. The lift mechanism is used to move the lower chamber along the vertical direction by guiding it. The drying apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that the rotation mechanism is used to rotate the lower chamber together with it.
9. The lift mechanism includes a lift platform, a drive unit, and a transmission unit. The lift platform is used to support the lower chamber, The drying apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the drive device uses the transmission device to drive the lift platform and move it along the vertical direction.
10. The drying apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the lift mechanism comprises a six-degree-of-freedom robot platform or a gear ball screw transmission mechanism.
11. The aforementioned rotating mechanism is A first rotating mechanism installed in the lift mechanism, The drying apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a second rotating mechanism used to drive the first rotating mechanism to rotate the lower chamber along with it.
12. The first rotating mechanism is, A guide rail fixed to the aforementioned lift mechanism, A slider is slidably connected to the guide rail and fixedly connected to the lower chamber, It comprises a driven gear fixedly connected to the lower chamber, The drying apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that when the second rotating mechanism drives the first rotating mechanism to rotate the lower chamber, the second rotating mechanism drives the driven gear to rotate, and the driven gear rotates the lower chamber along the guide rail in the slider.
13. The first rotating mechanism is, A guide rail fixed to the aforementioned lift mechanism, A slider slidably connected to the aforementioned guide rail, A driven gear is connected between the slider and the lower chamber, The drying apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that when the second rotating mechanism drives the first rotating mechanism to rotate the lower chamber, the second rotating mechanism drives the driven gear to rotate, and the driven gear rotates the lower chamber along the guide rail in the slider.
14. The bottom of the driven gear is fixedly connected to the slider, and a fixing pin is provided on the top of the driven gear. A fixing groove is provided at the bottom of the lower chamber. The drying apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that the fixing pin is inserted into the fixing groove and used to mount the lower chamber onto the driven gear.
15. The first rotating mechanism is, The lift mechanism is equipped with a driven gear that is rotatably mounted, The drying apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that the second rotating mechanism drives the driven gear to rotate the lower chamber together with it.
16. The second rotating mechanism comprises a rotating drive unit and a drive gear, The drying apparatus according to any one of claims 12 to 15, characterized in that the rotary drive unit is driven to rotate the drive gear, thereby causing the drive gear to rotate along with the driven gear.
17. The rotating mechanism further comprises a fixed frame that is permanently connected to the lifting mechanism. The drying apparatus according to claim 16, characterized in that both the rotary drive unit and the drive gear are attached to the fixed frame.
18. The aforementioned rotating mechanism is A mounting plate is movably attached to the fixed frame, and both the rotary drive unit and the drive gear are attached to the fixed frame. The drying apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising an adjustment component for reducing or increasing the distance between the centers of the drive gear and the driven gear by adjusting the displacement of the mounting plate in the fixed frame.