Drying apparatus and method based on supercritical fluids

Abstract

The present invention discloses a drying apparatus based on a supercritical fluid. The drying apparatus includes an upper cover (1), a base material (2) arranged below the upper cover (1) and capable of moving relative to the upper cover (1) in the vertical direction to close and form a pressure-resistant sealed chamber (120), a substrate tray (3) arranged on the base material (2) and configured to hold a substrate (w), a first fluid supply pipe (4) arranged on the top wall of the upper cover (1) and configured to supply a supercritical fluid to the inside of the sealed chamber (120) to make the sealed chamber (120) reach a supercritical state from an atmospheric pressure state, a fluid disturbance plate (5) arranged below the first fluid supply pipe (4), a second fluid supply pipe (6) arranged on a first side wall of the upper cover (1) and configured to supply the supercritical fluid to the inside of the sealed chamber (120), and a fluid discharge pipe (7) arranged on a second side wall of the upper cover (1). In addition, the internal space of the closed chamber (120) can be minimized by using the above-mentioned drying device, thereby reducing the amount of supercritical fluid used and the cost of using it.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor device manufacturing, and particularly to a drying apparatus and method based on supercritical fluid.

Background Art

[0002] In the manufacturing process of integrated circuits, wet processing of substrates such as wafers is an important process that affects the product yield. In current wet processing, usually, a wafer for wet etching or cleaning is held by a wafer chuck and rotated by the wafer chuck. Also, the surface of the wafer is processed by spraying a wet chemical solution. After wet etching or cleaning treatment, it is necessary to perform a drying treatment on the substrate.

[0003] Currently, in conventional drying treatment, it is almost always the case that nitrogen or isopropyl alcohol (IPA) is used to perform a drying treatment on the substrate. However, when performing a drying treatment on the substrate using nitrogen during the drying process of the substrate, the fine pattern structure on the substrate may be easily blown away, and the substrate may be damaged. Also, when performing a drying treatment on the substrate using nitrogen and IPA, the IPA adhering to the surface of the substrate may easily collapse the fine pattern structure on the substrate due to surface tension, and as a result, the substrate may be damaged.

[0004] In order to prevent the substrate from being damaged during the drying process, a drying treatment based on a supercritical fluid with zero surface tension is adopted. In this treatment, the surface of the substrate is covered with IPA, and the IPA on the surface of the substrate is replaced with a supercritical fluid so that the surface of the substrate is covered with the supercritical fluid. Even if the supercritical fluid with zero surface tension volatilizes, the fine pattern structure on the substrate will not collapse. Thereby, damage to the substrate can be avoided.

[0005] A drying apparatus disclosed in Chinese Patent Application No. 200710108454.0 on June 14, 2007, is configured to form a sealed chamber after a substrate is inserted from above, inject a supercritical fluid from the side of the sealed chamber to bring the environment in which the substrate is placed to a supercritical state, and then perform a drying process on the substrate in the supercritical state. Another drying apparatus disclosed in Chinese Patent Application No. 201711066490.5 on November 2, 2017, is configured to form a sealed chamber after a substrate is inserted from one side, inject a supercritical fluid from the bottom and the other side of the sealed chamber to perform a drying process on the substrate.

[0006] However, the two drying apparatuses described above, which are configured to load substrates into a sealed chamber from above or the side, have problems such as low processing efficiency and the large amount of supercritical fluid used due to the large internal space of the sealed chamber.

[0007] Therefore, to solve the above-mentioned problems, it is necessary to propose a new drying apparatus and method based on supercritical fluids. [Overview of the project]

[0008] Considering the shortcomings of the prior art described above, the object of the present invention is to provide a drying apparatus and method based on supercritical fluid that solves problems in the prior art, including low processing efficiency and the large amount of supercritical fluid used due to the large internal space of the sealed chamber.

[0009] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives and other related objectives, the present invention provides a drying apparatus based on a supercritical fluid. This drying apparatus is The top cover and A substrate positioned below the upper cover, which can be closed to form a pressure-resistant sealed chamber by moving relative to the upper cover in a vertical direction, A substrate tray is placed on the substrate and configured to hold the substrate, A first fluid supply pipe is positioned on the top wall of the upper cover and is configured to supply supercritical fluid into the sealed chamber, thereby bringing the sealed chamber from an atmospheric pressure state to a supercritical state. A fluid disturbance plate located below the first fluid supply pipe, A second fluid supply pipe is positioned on the first side wall of the upper cover and is configured to supply the supercritical fluid into the sealed chamber in a supercritical state, thereby performing a drying process on the substrate inside the sealed chamber. The system includes a fluid discharge pipe located on the second side wall of the upper cover.

[0010] The drying apparatus described above, characterized in that the gap between the fluid disturbance plate and the substrate is smaller than a set value.

[0011] The drying apparatus described above, characterized in that the set value is 0 to 10 mm.

[0012] The drying apparatus described above, characterized in that a plurality of first through-holes are evenly and horizontally arranged in the first side wall of the upper cover, the plurality of first through-holes are connected to the second fluid supply pipe, and the supercritical fluid is used to enter the sealed chamber evenly through them.

[0013] The drying apparatus described above, wherein a first cavity is provided in the first side wall of the upper cover, the lower surface of the first cavity is parallel to the upper surface of the substrate, and the supercritical fluid entering from the first through hole is used to pass through the first cavity and be evenly distributed on the upper surface of the substrate.

[0014] The drying apparatus described above, characterized in that the first through-hole is a conical hole.

[0015] The drying apparatus described above, characterized in that a plurality of second through-holes are evenly and horizontally arranged in the second side wall of the upper cover, and the plurality of second through-holes are connected to the fluid discharge pipe.

[0016] The drying apparatus described above, characterized in that a second cavity is provided in the second side wall of the upper cover, and the lower surface of the second cavity is parallel to the upper surface of the substrate.

[0017] The drying apparatus described above, characterized in that the second through-hole is a conical hole.

[0018] The drying apparatus described above, characterized in that the diameter of the second fluid supply pipe is larger than the diameter of the first fluid supply pipe.

[0019] The drying apparatus described above, characterized in that the upper cover is fixed, and the substrate is adjusted to rise vertically, thereby closing to form the sealed chamber.

[0020] The drying apparatus described above, characterized in that the substrate is fixed, and the upper cover is adjusted to descend vertically, thereby closing to form the sealed chamber.

[0021] The drying apparatus described above, wherein the upper cover is provided with a plurality of locks, and the plurality of locks are used to fasten the base material when the upper cover and the base material move relative to each other to form the sealed chamber, thereby locking the sealed chamber.

[0022] The drying apparatus described above, characterized in that the upper cover has a square appearance, the base material is a square plate, and the hollow portion of the sealed chamber is a circular chamber.

[0023] The drying apparatus described above, characterized in that the supercritical fluid is supercritical carbon dioxide.

[0024] The drying apparatus described above, characterized in that the substrate and the substrate tray are integrally formed.

[0025] Furthermore, the present invention provides a drying method based on supercritical fluid. This drying method is Place the substrate to be dried on the substrate tray, move the base material and the upper cover relative to each other in the vertical direction to close them, thereby forming a pressure-resistant closed chamber in step S1; Supply a supercritical fluid from above the closed chamber through a first fluid supply pipe. The fluid bypasses a fluid turbulence plate below the first fluid supply pipe and then reaches the upper surface of the substrate from the side of the substrate. After the closed chamber reaches the supercritical state, stop the supply of the supercritical fluid from above the closed chamber in step S2; Supply a supercritical fluid from the first side of the closed chamber through a second fluid supply pipe and perform a drying process on the substrate in step S3; After the drying process is completed, close the second fluid supply pipe, reduce the internal pressure of the closed chamber, convert the supercritical fluid into a gas, and discharge it from the second side of the closed chamber through a fluid discharge pipe in step S4; When the internal pressure of the closed chamber reaches the atmospheric pressure state, open the closed chamber and take out the substrate in step S5.

[0026] The drying method described above, characterized in that before taking out the substrate in step S5, a plurality of repeated operations from step S2 to step S4 are performed.

[0027] The drying method described above, characterized in that the second fluid supply pipe supplies the supercritical fluid from the first side of the closed chamber at a flow angle parallel to the upper surface of the substrate.

[0028] The drying method described above, characterized in that the fluid discharge pipe discharges the supercritical fluid at a flow angle parallel to the upper surface of the base material.

[0029] The drying method described above, characterized in that the flow rate of the supercritical fluid supplied by the second fluid supply pipe is greater than the flow rate of the supercritical fluid supplied by the first fluid supply pipe.

[0030] In addition, the present invention provides cleaning and drying equipment. This cleaning and drying equipment includes A substrate loading port configured to place a substrate; Buffer device and A front-end robot configured to move the substrate between the substrate loading entrance and the buffer device, A cleaning chamber configured to perform a cleaning process on the aforementioned substrate, The system comprises a drying apparatus based on a supercritical fluid configured to perform a drying process on the washed substrate, and the drying apparatus is The top cover and A substrate positioned below the upper cover, which is adjusted to close and form a pressure-resistant sealed chamber by moving relative to the upper cover in a vertical direction, A substrate tray is placed on the substrate and configured to hold the substrate, A first fluid supply pipe is positioned on the top wall of the upper cover and is configured to supply supercritical fluid into the sealed chamber, thereby bringing the sealed chamber from an atmospheric pressure state to a supercritical state. A fluid disturbance plate located below the first fluid supply pipe, A second fluid supply pipe is positioned on the first side wall of the upper cover and is configured to supply the supercritical fluid into the sealed chamber in a supercritical state, thereby performing a drying process on the substrate inside the sealed chamber. A drying apparatus comprising a fluid discharge pipe located on the second side wall of the upper cover, A washing and drying apparatus comprising a processing robot configured to move the substrate between the buffer device, the washing chamber, and the drying device.

[0031] The cleaning and drying equipment described above, characterized in that there are a plurality of drying devices arranged symmetrically on both sides of the processing robot, and a plurality of cleaning chambers arranged above or below the plurality of drying devices and corresponding to each of the plurality of drying devices.

[0032] The cleaning and drying facility described above is characterized by having six drying units, three of which are located on one side of the process robot and the remaining three on the other side of the processing robot, and having six cleaning chambers corresponding to each of the six drying units.

[0033] The washing and drying equipment described above, characterized in that the plurality of drying devices are arranged on the first side of the processing robot, the plurality of washing chambers are arranged on the second side of the processing robot, and the plurality of drying devices correspond to each of the plurality of washing chambers.

[0034] The cleaning and drying apparatus described above, characterized in that the plurality of cleaning chambers are used for single-substrate cleaning or batch-type substrate cleaning.

[0035] The above-described cleaning and drying equipment, characterized in that, for batch-type substrate cleaning, the plurality of cleaning chambers are each equipped with one or more of the following: a chemical solution purification tank, a high-speed deionized water rinsing tank, an IPA tank, and a flipping IPA wetting mechanism.

[0036] The above-described washing and drying equipment is characterized by having multiple drying devices, which are distributed in multiple layers in the vertical direction on the first side of the processing robot, and having multiple washing chambers, which are distributed in multiple layers in the vertical direction on the second side of the processing robot.

[0037] The above-described washing and drying equipment is characterized by having six drying devices, the six drying devices being distributed in two vertical layers on the first side of the processing robot, and having six washing chambers, the six washing chambers being distributed in two vertical layers on the second side of the processing robot.

[0038] Furthermore, the present invention provides a washing and drying system. This washing and drying system is A circuit board loading entrance configured for placing circuit boards, Buffer device and A front-end robot configured to move the substrate between the substrate loading entrance and the buffer device, A cleaning chamber configured to perform a cleaning process on the aforementioned substrate, A drying apparatus based on a supercritical fluid configured to perform a drying process on the cleaned substrate, The system comprises a processing robot configured to move the substrate between the buffer device, the washing chamber, and the drying device, There are multiple drying devices arranged symmetrically on both sides of the aforementioned processing robot. A washing and drying facility characterized by having a plurality of washing chambers arranged above or below the plurality of drying devices and corresponding to each of the plurality of drying devices.

[0039] Furthermore, the present invention provides a washing and drying system. This washing and drying system is A circuit board loading entrance configured for placing circuit boards, Buffer device and A front-end robot configured to move the substrate between the substrate loading entrance and the buffer device, A cleaning chamber configured to perform a cleaning process on the aforementioned substrate, A drying apparatus based on a supercritical fluid configured to perform a drying process on the cleaned substrate, The system comprises a processing robot configured to move the substrate between the buffer device, the washing chamber, and the drying device, A washing and drying facility characterized in that the drying device is located on the first side of the processing robot, the washing chamber is located on the second side of the processing robot, and the drying device corresponds to the washing chamber.

[0040] The above-described washing and drying equipment is characterized by having multiple drying devices, which are distributed in multiple layers in the vertical direction on the first side of the processing robot, and having multiple washing chambers, which are distributed in multiple layers in the vertical direction on the second side of the processing robot.

[0041] The cleaning and drying apparatus described above, characterized in that the cleaning chamber is used for cleaning single substrates or batch-type substrates.

[0042] The above-described cleaning and drying equipment, characterized in that, for batch-type substrate cleaning, the cleaning chamber comprises one or more of the following: a chemical solution purification tank, a high-speed deionized water rinsing tank, an IPA tank, and a flipping IPA wetting mechanism.

[0043] As described above, the drying apparatus and method based on supercritical fluid proposed in the present invention have the following beneficial effects compared to the prior art. 1. In the supercritical fluid-based drying apparatus provided in the present invention, the substrate is placed on the base material, and the base material and the upper cover are moved relative to each other to form a sealed chamber, thereby minimizing the internal space of the sealed chamber. This reduces the amount of supercritical fluid used and lowers operating costs. 2. In the supercritical fluid-based drying apparatus provided in the present invention, a fluid disturbance plate is placed between the first fluid supply pipe and the substrate to prevent the supercritical fluid passing through the first fluid supply pipe from being directly sprayed onto the surface of the substrate, which would blow away the IPA on the substrate and cause damage to the substrate. 3. In the supercritical fluid-based drying apparatus provided in the present invention, a plurality of first and second through-holes are evenly provided in the side wall of the upper cover, and are connected to a second fluid supply pipe and a fluid discharge pipe, respectively. As a result, the circulation efficiency of the second fluid supply pipe and the fluid discharge pipe is improved, thereby effectively improving the processing efficiency of the drying process on the substrate. 4. In the supercritical fluid drying apparatus provided in the present invention, a first cavity and a second cavity, connected to a first through-hole and a second through-hole, respectively, are provided on the side wall of the upper cover. Since the first cavity and the second cavity are parallel to the upper surface of the substrate, the supercritical fluid entering from the first through-hole can be evenly distributed to the upper surface of the substrate via the first cavity. The supercritical fluid during the drying process and the fluid in the sealed chamber after the drying process are rapidly discharged from the sealed chamber through the second cavity and the second through-hole. This improves the processing speed of the supercritical fluid drying process, thereby effectively improving the drying efficiency of the substrate. The features and performance of the present invention are further described in the following embodiments and accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0044] [Figure 1A] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a supercritical fluid-based drying apparatus provided in a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 1B] Figure 1B is another schematic diagram showing the structure of a supercritical fluid-based drying apparatus provided in a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2A] Figure 2A is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the upper cover provided in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2B] Figure 2B is a bottom view of the upper cover provided in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view of a supercritical fluid-based drying apparatus provided in a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a drying apparatus based on a supercritical fluid provided in a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5A] Figure 5A is a cross-sectional view of a supercritical fluid-based drying apparatus provided in a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5B] Figure 5B is an enlarged view of the dotted box in Figure 5A, according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6]Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a substrate and substrate tray provided in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7A] Figure 7A is a schematic diagram showing how a substrate is placed on a substrate tray using the support member provided in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7B] Figure 7B is a top view of Figure 7A in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8A] Figure 8A is a schematic diagram of the support member provided in the first embodiment of the present invention when the substrate is pulled out after being placed on the substrate tray. [Figure 8B] Figure 8B is a top view of Figure 8A in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9A] Figure 9A is a top view of a washing and drying apparatus provided in the fourth and eighth embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 9B] Figure 9B is a front view of a washing and drying apparatus provided in the fourth and eighth embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 9C] Figure 9C is a front view of a washing and drying apparatus provided in the fifth and ninth embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 10A] Figure 10A is a top view of a washing and drying apparatus provided in the sixth and tenth embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 10B] Figure 10B is a front view of a washing and drying apparatus provided in the sixth and tenth embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a top view of a washing and drying apparatus provided in the seventh and eleventh embodiments of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0045] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below through specific examples. Those skilled in the art will readily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the disclosures herein. The present invention may also be carried out or applied through other specific embodiments. Various details herein may be modified or altered in various ways based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0046] Please refer to Figures 1A to 11. Note that the drawings in this embodiment are merely schematic representations of the basic concepts of the present invention. The drawings only show the parts related to the present invention and do not refer to the number, shape, and size of the parts when the present invention is actually implemented. When the invention is actually implemented, the shape, quantity, and proportion of each part can be arbitrarily changed, and the layout pattern of the parts may also be more complex.

[0047] First Embodiment Please refer to Figures 1A to 8B. The first embodiment provides a supercritical fluid-based drying apparatus used to perform a drying process on a cleaned substrate w. In this embodiment, the surface of the cleaned substrate w is covered with a layer of IPA.

[0048] As shown in Figures 1A to 4, the drying apparatus based on supercritical fluid comprises an upper cover 1, a substrate 2 positioned below the upper cover 1 which can be closed to form a pressure-resistant sealed chamber 120 by moving vertically relative to the upper cover 1, and a substrate tray 3 positioned on the substrate 2 and configured to hold a substrate w. When the upper cover 1 and the substrate 2 close to form the sealed chamber 120, the substrate w is located inside the sealed chamber 120, and the drying process is performed on the substrate w whose surface is covered with IPA. The drying apparatus also includes a first fluid supply pipe 4 positioned on the top wall of the upper cover 1 and configured to supply supercritical fluid into the sealed chamber 120. By continuously adding the drying fluid, the pressure inside the sealed chamber 120 continues to rise, and eventually the pressure inside the sealed chamber 120 exceeds the critical pressure of the drying fluid, causing the drying fluid to reach a supercritical state. The drying apparatus also includes a fluid disturbance plate 5 positioned below the first fluid supply pipe 4 and between the first fluid supply pipe 4 and the substrate w, which allows the supercritical fluid entering from the first fluid supply pipe 4 to pass through the fluid disturbance plate 5 before reaching the top surface of the substrate w from the side, effectively slowing down the force of the supercritical fluid and preventing the supercritical fluid, which flows too fast, from being directly sprayed onto the top surface of the substrate w and blowing away the IPA on the surface of the substrate w; a second fluid supply pipe 6 positioned on the first side wall of the upper cover 1, which is configured to supply the supercritical fluid into the supercritical sealed chamber 120, replace the IPA covering the surface of the substrate w with the supercritical fluid, and perform the drying process on the surface of the substrate w inside the sealed chamber 120; and a fluid discharge pipe 7 positioned on the second side wall of the upper cover 1.

[0049] In this drying apparatus, when the first fluid supply pipe 4 is open and supercritical fluid is being supplied, the air and fluid in the sealed chamber 120 are discharged from the sealed chamber 120 through the fluid discharge pipe 7, and all the air in the sealed chamber 120 is replaced with fluid. Then, the supply of supercritical fluid continues to increase, and the pressure inside the sealed chamber 120 exceeds the critical pressure. After the inside of the sealed chamber 120 reaches a supercritical state, the first fluid supply pipe 4 is closed, and the supply of supercritical fluid from above the sealed chamber 120 stops.

[0050] When the second fluid supply pipe 6 is open, the substrate inside the sealed chamber 120 is dried by the supercritical fluid. At this time, the fluid discharged from the fluid discharge pipe 7 is the supercritical fluid.

[0051] After the drying process is complete, the second fluid supply pipe 6 is closed, and the fluid in the sealed chamber 120 continues to be discharged through the fluid discharge pipe 7. This reduces the internal pressure of the sealed chamber 120, causing the supercritical fluid to be converted into a gas and discharged from the sealed chamber 120 through the fluid discharge pipe 7.

[0052] By placing the substrate w on the base material 2 and moving the base material 2 and the upper cover 1 relative to each other to form a sealed chamber 120, the internal space of the sealed chamber 120 can be minimized. This reduces the amount of supercritical fluid used and lowers operating costs.

[0053] As shown in Figures 1A to 2B, by placing a fluid disturbance plate 5 between the first fluid supply pipe 4 and the substrate w, the supercritical fluid passing through the first fluid supply pipe 4 is sprayed directly onto the surface of the substrate w, preventing the IPA on the surface of the substrate w from being blown away.

[0054] The gap between the fluid disturbance plate 5 and the substrate w is smaller than the set value, which is set in the range of 0-10 mm. In this embodiment, the optimal set value is 2 mm. To further reduce the internal space of the sealed chamber 120, the set value can be set to an even smaller value, such as 1 mm. The smaller the gap between the fluid disturbance plate 5 and the substrate w, the smaller the internal space of the sealed chamber 120 becomes, and the more efficient the substitution between the IPA and the supercritical fluid on the surface of the substrate w inside the sealed chamber 120 becomes. Therefore, the processing efficiency of the drying treatment on the surface of the substrate w can be effectively improved while reducing the amount of supercritical fluid used and thus reducing the cost.

[0055] As shown in Figures 1A and 1B, the base material 2 and the upper cover 1 close by moving relative to each other in the vertical direction to form a pressure-resistant sealed chamber 120. In this embodiment, the upper cover 1 is fixed, and the base material 2 closes by moving upward in the vertical direction to form a pressure-resistant sealed chamber 120. In one embodiment, the substrate tray 3 and the base material 2 are integrally formed.

[0056] As shown in Figures 1A, 1B, and 2A, the upper cover 1 is provided with a lock 110. The lock 110 is used to fasten the base material 2 when the upper cover 1 and the base material 2 move relative to each other to form a sealed chamber 120, thereby locking the sealed chamber 120. This improves the pressure resistance of the sealed chamber 120. In other embodiments, the base material 2 can also be provided with a lock to lock the sealed chamber 120.

[0057] As shown in Figures 1A and 1B, in this embodiment, the upper cover 1 has a square appearance, the base material 2 is a square plate, and the hollow portion of the sealed chamber 120 is circular and configured to accommodate the substrate w and the substrate tray 3. By making the hollow portion of the sealed chamber 120 circular, the internal space of the sealed chamber 120 can be reduced. This reduces the amount of supercritical fluid used and lowers the operating cost.

[0058] As shown in Figures 1A, 1B, and 2A, the diameter of the second fluid supply pipe 6 is larger than that of the first fluid supply pipe 4, so the flow rate of the supercritical fluid supplied from the second fluid supply pipe 6 is greater than the flow rate of the supercritical fluid supplied from the first fluid supply pipe 4. The small flow rate of the supercritical fluid supplied from the first fluid supply pipe 4 ensures that the IPA on the surface of the substrate w is not blown away when the supercritical fluid enters slowly through the first fluid supply pipe 4. The large flow rate of the supercritical fluid supplied from the second fluid supply pipe 6 improves the efficiency of the second fluid supply pipe 6 in supplying the supercritical fluid. This improves the speed of the supercritical fluid drying process and the efficiency of the supercritical fluid drying process on the substrate w.

[0059] As shown in Figures 2B to 3, multiple first through-holes 101 are evenly and horizontally arranged in the first side wall of the upper cover 1. These multiple first through-holes 101 are connected to the second fluid supply pipe 6. Since the supercritical fluid enters the sealed chamber 120 evenly through the multiple first through-holes 101, it can enter the sealed chamber 120 quickly and evenly. This effectively improves the supply efficiency of the supercritical fluid, increases the speed of the supercritical fluid drying process, and improves the drying efficiency on the surface of the substrate w.

[0060] As shown in Figures 2B to 5B, a first cavity 102 is also provided in the first side wall of the upper cover 1. The first cavity 102 is connected to a plurality of first through holes 101. The supercritical fluid entering through the plurality of first through holes 101 is dispersed inside the first cavity 102 and can be distributed more evenly on the upper surface of the substrate w. This avoids the phenomenon of non-uniform distribution of the supercritical fluid on the surface of the substrate w. As shown in Figure 5B, which is an enlarged view of the dotted box in Figure 5A, the lower surface of the first cavity 102 is parallel to the upper surface of the substrate w. It is more preferable that the lower surface of the first cavity 102 is located on the same plane as the upper surface of the substrate w. Therefore, the supercritical fluid entering from the first through holes 101 can act parallel to the upper surface of the substrate w through the first cavity 102. This reduces the amount of supercritical fluid used and avoids waste of supercritical fluid.

[0061] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5B, the first through-hole 101 is a conical hole. One end of the first through-hole 101 is widely open to the first cavity 102, and is configured to improve the efficiency of the supercritical fluid passing through the first through-hole 101 and the processing speed of the drying treatment on the surface of the substrate w.

[0062] Similarly, as shown in Figures 2B to 5B, multiple second through-holes 103 are evenly and horizontally arranged in the second side wall of the upper cover 1. The second through-holes 103 are also connected to the fluid discharge pipe 7. This allows the fluid to be quickly discharged from the sealed chamber 120 through the multiple second through-holes 103, thereby improving the fluid discharge rate, the speed of the supercritical fluid drying process, and the processing efficiency of the drying process on the surface of the substrate w.

[0063] As shown in Figure 5A, a second cavity 104 is provided in the second side wall of the upper cover 1. The lower surface of the second cavity 104 is parallel to the upper surface of the substrate w. It is more preferable that the lower surface of the second cavity 104 is located on the same plane as the upper surface of the substrate w, so that the fluid in the sealed chamber 120 can be quickly and evenly discharged from the sealed chamber 120 through the second cavity 104 and the plurality of second through holes 103. This speeds up the drying process of the supercritical fluid and improves the processing efficiency.

[0064] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5B, the second through-hole 103 is a conical hole. One end of the second through-hole 103 is widely open to the second cavity 104, and is configured to improve the efficiency of the supercritical fluid discharged from the second through-hole 103 and the processing speed of the drying treatment on the surface of the substrate w.

[0065] In this embodiment, multiple first through-holes 101 and second through-holes 103 are evenly provided on both side walls of the upper cover 1, and are connected to a second fluid supply pipe 6 and a fluid discharge pipe 7, respectively. This effectively improves the circulation efficiency of the second fluid supply pipe 6 and the fluid discharge pipe 7, and the supercritical fluid and the treated fluid enter and exit the sealed chamber 120 quickly, thereby improving the processing speed of the drying process of the supercritical fluid and the processing efficiency of the drying process on the surface of the substrate w.

[0066] In this embodiment, a first cavity 102 and a second cavity 104 are provided, the bottom surfaces of which are parallel to the top surface of the substrate w. The supercritical fluid entering from the first through hole 101 can be evenly and reliably distributed to the top surface of the substrate w through the first cavity 102. In addition, the supercritical fluid can be evenly and reliably discharged from the second through hole 103 through the second cavity 104. This improves the processing speed of the supercritical fluid drying process and the processing efficiency of the drying process on the surface of the substrate w.

[0067] The thicknesses of the first cavity 102 and the second cavity 104 (vertical dimensions in the figure) are approximately equal to the gap between the fluid disturbance plate 5 and the substrate w. When the gap between the fluid disturbance plate 5 and the substrate w is narrowed, the thicknesses of the first cavity 102 and the second cavity 104 can be reduced accordingly, thereby reducing the internal space of the sealed chamber 120. This reduces the amount of supercritical fluid used and lowers the operating cost.

[0068] As shown in Figures 1 to 5, multiple connecting parts 105 are provided between the upper cover 1 and the fluid disturbance plate 5 to connect the upper cover 1 and the fluid disturbance plate 5. In this embodiment, there are four connecting parts 105, which are evenly arranged around the first fluid supply pipe 4.

[0069] As shown in Figure 6, the substrate tray 3 is provided with multiple grooves 301, which facilitate the lifting of the substrate w from the substrate tray 3 or the stacking of substrate w onto the substrate tray 3 by the multiple support members 9. The number of grooves 301 corresponds to the number of support members 9. In this embodiment, there are four grooves 301. As shown in Figures 7B and 8B, there are also four support members 9.

[0070] Specifically, as shown in Figures 7A and 8A, the four support members 9 lift the substrate w under the action of a first drive unit 801, such as a motor, and place it on the substrate tray 3. As shown in Figures 7B and 8B, after the substrate w is placed on the substrate tray 3, the second drive unit 802 drives the support members 9 to pull them out of the grooves 301 in the substrate tray 3. Next, the third drive unit 803 raises the base material 2 vertically and closes it together with the upper cover 1 to form a sealed chamber 120. Then, the lock 110 is inserted under the base material 2 so that the substrate w is inside the pressure-resistant sealed chamber 120 for the subsequent drying process.

[0071] After the drying process on the substrate w is complete, the second drive unit 802 drives the support member 9 to insert it into the groove 301 of the substrate tray 3, positioning the support member 9 at the bottom of the substrate w. The first drive unit 801 drives the support member 9 to raise the substrate w, thereby removing the substrate w from the substrate tray 3. In this embodiment, the support member 9 may be a support pin or an ejector pin.

[0072] As shown in Figures 7A to 8B, the drying apparatus based on supercritical fluid further includes an IPA replenishment mechanism 10. This IPA replenishment mechanism 10 is configured to replenish IPA when the amount of IPA covering the surface of the substrate w is no longer sufficient to cover the surface, so that the IPA on the surface of the substrate w completely covers the surface and reaches a certain thickness. As shown in Figures 7B and 8B, the nozzle 1011 of the IPA replenishment mechanism 10 can be adjusted to be rotatable. When it is necessary to replenish IPA on the surface of the substrate w, the nozzle 1011 of the IPA replenishment mechanism 10 rotates from its initial position upwards on the substrate w. After the replenishment of IPA is complete, the nozzle 1011 of the IPA replenishment mechanism 10 rotates back to its initial position.

[0073] As shown in Figures 1A to 6, the base material 2 further has a plurality of sealing rings 201 for sealing the sealed chamber 120 when the base material 2 and the upper cover 1 move relative to each other to close the sealed chamber 120.

[0074] As shown in Figures 1A, 1B, and 2, the supercritical fluid-based drying apparatus further includes a heating device 11. This heating device 11 is located at the edge of the upper cover 1 and heats the sealed chamber 120, the first fluid supply pipe 4, and the second fluid supply pipe 6 to raise the temperature of the entire sealed chamber 120 above critical temperature during the drying process of the substrate w.

[0075] In this embodiment, the supercritical fluid is supercritical carbon dioxide.

[0076] Second Embodiment Please refer to Figures 1A to 8B. The second embodiment also provides a drying apparatus based on a supercritical fluid. The differences compared to the first embodiment are as follows.

[0077] As shown in Figures 1A and 1B, the base material 2 and the upper cover 1 close by moving relative to each other in the vertical direction to form a pressure-resistant sealed chamber 120. However, the base material 2 remains fixed, and the upper cover 1 closes by moving downward in the vertical direction to form a pressure-resistant sealed chamber 120.

[0078] The remaining configurations in this embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment, so we will not repeat the explanation here.

[0079] Third Embodiment Please refer to Figures 1 to 8B. The third embodiment provides a drying method based on a supercritical fluid. This drying method is carried out by the supercritical fluid-based drying apparatus of the first or second embodiment described above, and comprises the following steps. S1: Multiple support members 9 lift the substrate w to be dried under the action of the first drive unit 801 and place it on the substrate tray 3. After the substrate w is placed, the support members 9 are withdrawn from the grooves 301 in the substrate tray 3. Then, the base material 2 and the upper cover 1 are moved relative to each other in the vertical direction to close them, forming a pressure-resistant sealed chamber 120, so that the substrate w is inside the pressure-resistant sealed chamber 120. The sealed chamber 120, the first fluid supply pipe 4, and the second fluid supply pipe 6 are heated so that the temperature inside the sealed chamber 120 reaches a temperature above the critical temperature. S2: Supercritical fluid is supplied into the sealed chamber 120 from above through the first fluid supply pipe 4. The fluid passes through the fluid disturbance plate 5 below the first fluid supply pipe 4 and then reaches the upper surface of the substrate w from the side. By continuing to supply the supercritical fluid, the pressure inside the sealed chamber 120 is continuously increased to exceed the critical pressure, causing the sealed chamber 120 to reach a supercritical state. After the sealed chamber 120 reaches a supercritical state, the supply of supercritical fluid from above the sealed chamber 120 through the first fluid supply pipe 4 is stopped. S3: Supercritical fluid is supplied to the inside of the sealed chamber 120 from the first side through the second fluid supply pipe 6 to perform a drying treatment on the substrate w.

[0080] The flow rate of supercritical fluid entering through the second fluid supply pipe 6 is greater than the flow rate of supercritical fluid entering through the first fluid supply pipe 4.

[0081] As shown in Figures 3 to 5B, the second fluid supply pipe 6 supplies supercritical fluid from the first side of the sealed chamber 120 through a plurality of first through-holes 101 and a first cavity 102 in sequence. The plurality of first through-holes 101 and the first cavity 102 are connected to the second fluid supply pipe 6. At the outlet of the first cavity 102, the flow angle of the supercritical fluid remains parallel to the upper surface of the substrate w. The supercritical fluid is discharged sequentially from the second side of the sealed chamber 120 through the second cavity 104, a plurality of second through-holes 103, and the fluid discharge pipe 7. The flow angle of the supercritical fluid discharged from the second cavity 104 is also parallel to the upper surface of the substrate w. This reduces the amount of supercritical fluid used and avoids waste of supercritical fluid.

[0082] S4: After the drying process is complete, the second fluid supply pipe 6 is closed to stop the supply of supercritical fluid from the first side of the closed chamber 120, reducing the internal pressure of the closed chamber 120 to convert the supercritical fluid into a gas, which is then discharged from the second side of the sealed chamber 120 through the fluid discharge pipe 7. S5: When the internal pressure of the closed chamber 120 reaches atmospheric pressure, the upper cover 1 and the substrate 2 are moved relative to each other in the vertical direction to open the sealed chamber 120, and the substrate w is lifted and removed using the support member 9.

[0083] Before removing the substrate w in step S5, multiple repeating operations from steps S2 to S4 can be performed according to process requirements to ensure complete drying of the substrate w in the sealed chamber 120.

[0084] As shown in Figures 4 to 5B, the supercritical fluid is converted into a gas and sequentially discharged from the second side of the sealed chamber 120 through the second cavity 104, a plurality of second through holes 103, and the fluid discharge pipe 7. This improves the discharge rate of the fluid discharge pipe 7 and the processing efficiency of the drying treatment on the substrate w.

[0085] Fourth Embodiment Refer to Figures 9A and 9B. The fourth embodiment provides a cleaning and drying apparatus. This cleaning and drying apparatus comprises a substrate entrance 001 configured for placing a substrate w, a buffer device 002, a front-end robot 005 configured to move the substrate w between the substrate entrance 001 and the buffer device 002, a cleaning chamber 003 configured for cleaning the substrate w, and a supercritical fluid-based drying apparatus 004, as disclosed in the first or second embodiment described above, configured to perform a drying process on the cleaned substrate w. As shown in Figures 1A to 8B, the supercritical fluid drying apparatus 004 comprises an upper cover 1, a substrate 2 positioned below the upper cover 1 and capable of closing to form a pressure-resistant sealed chamber 120 by moving relative to the upper cover 1 in the vertical direction, a substrate tray 3 positioned on the substrate 2 and configured to hold the substrate w, a first fluid supply pipe 4 positioned on the top wall of the upper cover 1 and configured to supply supercritical fluid into the sealed chamber 120, and a fluid disturbance plate 5 positioned below the first fluid supply pipe 4 and between the first fluid supply pipe 4 and the substrate w, which disturbs the supercritical fluid that enters from the first fluid supply pipe 4. The system includes a fluid disturbance plate 5 that passes the supercritical fluid through to the side of the substrate w and then reaches the top surface of the substrate w, effectively slowing down the force of the supercritical fluid and preventing the supercritical fluid, which is flowing too fast, from being directly sprayed onto the top surface of the substrate w; a second fluid supply pipe 6 located on the first side wall of the upper cover 1, configured to supply the supercritical fluid into the supercritical sealed chamber 120 and to perform a drying process on the surface of the substrate w inside the sealed chamber 120; a fluid discharge pipe 7 located on the second side wall of the upper cover 1; and a processing robot 006 configured to move the substrate w between the buffer device 002, the washing chamber 003, and the drying device 004. Furthermore, when the upper cover 1 and the substrate 2 close to form the sealed chamber 120, the substrate w is located inside the sealed chamber 120. Furthermore, by continuously supplying supercritical fluid, the pressure inside the closed chamber 120 continues to rise, and eventually the pressure inside the closed chamber 120 exceeds the critical pressure of the fluid supplied to the sealed chamber 120 via the first fluid supply pipe 4, causing the fluid to reach a supercritical state.

[0086] Specifically, the front robot 005 removes the substrate w to be cleaned from the substrate loading entrance 001 and places it in the buffer device 002. The processing robot 006 removes the substrate w to be cleaned from the buffer device 002 and places it in the cleaning chamber 003, and performs the cleaning process on the substrate w. After the cleaning process is completed, the processing robot 006 removes the cleaned substrate w from the cleaning chamber 003 and places it on the support member 9 in the first or second embodiment described above. The cleaned substrate w is placed on the substrate tray 3 via the support member 9 and subjected to a drying process. After the drying process is completed, the processing robot 006 removes the dried substrate w from the support member 9 and places it in the buffer device 002. Subsequently, the front robot 005 removes the dried substrate w from the buffer device 002 and places it in the substrate loading entrance 001.

[0087] As shown in Figure 9A, multiple drying devices 004 are arranged symmetrically on both sides of the processing robot 006. As shown in Figure 9B, multiple washing chambers 003 are arranged below the drying devices 004, corresponding to each of the drying devices 004.

[0088] In this embodiment, there are six drying devices 004 and six washing chambers 003. As shown in Figure 9A, the six drying devices 004 are arranged symmetrically, three on each side of the processing robot 006, along the processing robot 006. The washing chambers 003 and drying devices 004 correspond to each other. As shown in Figure 9B, the drying devices 004 are positioned above the corresponding washing chambers 003. In addition, a plurality of first piping systems 007 are positioned above the drying devices 004 to supply supercritical fluid into the drying devices 004. A plurality of second piping systems 008 are positioned below the washing chambers 003 to supply chemical liquid into the washing chambers 003.

[0089] In the washing and drying equipment provided in the fourth embodiment, the drying device 004 is positioned above the washing chamber 003, allowing the processing robot 006 to directly lift the washed substrate into the drying device 004. This increases the processing speed and prevents the IPA from dripping off the surface of the substrate.

[0090] Fifth Embodiment Please refer to Figures 9A and 9C. This embodiment also provides a washing and drying system. The differences compared to the fourth embodiment are as follows.

[0091] As shown in Figure 9A, multiple drying units 004 based on supercritical fluid are arranged symmetrically on both sides of the processing robot 006. As shown in Figure 9C, multiple washing chambers 003 are arranged above the drying units 004, corresponding to each of the drying units 004.

[0092] In the fifth embodiment, as shown in Figure 9C, there are six drying devices 004 and six washing chambers 003. The six washing chambers 003 are located above the drying devices 004. As shown in Figure 9A, the six drying devices 004 are arranged symmetrically along the processing robot 006, with three on each side of the processing robot 006. The washing chambers 003 and drying devices 004 correspond to each other.

[0093] In the fifth embodiment, since the drying apparatus 004 is located below the corresponding washing chamber 003, the processing robot 006 can directly lower the washed substrate w into the drying apparatus 004.

[0094] The remaining configuration in this embodiment is the same as in the fourth embodiment, so we will not repeat the explanation here.

[0095] Sixth Embodiment Please refer to Figures 10A and 10B. The sixth embodiment also provides a washing and drying system. The differences compared to the fourth embodiment are as follows.

[0096] As shown in Figure 10A, multiple drying devices 004 are arranged on the first side of the processing robot 006. Multiple washing chambers 003 are arranged on the second side of the processing robot 006. The drying devices 004 and washing chambers 003 correspond to each other. However, the multiple drying devices 004 are distributed in several layers along the vertical direction on the first side of the processing robot 006. Also, the multiple washing chambers 003 are distributed in several layers along the vertical direction on the second side of the processing robot 006. In the fifth embodiment, as shown in Figures 10A and 10B, six drying devices 004 are distributed in two layers along the vertical direction on the first side of the processing robot 006. Also, multiple first piping systems 007 are arranged below each layer of drying devices 004 to supply supercritical fluid into the drying devices 004. Although not shown in Figure 10B, six washing chambers 003 are distributed in two layers along the vertical direction on the second side of the processing robot 006.

[0097] The remaining configuration in this embodiment is the same as in the fourth embodiment, so we will not repeat the explanation here.

[0098] Seventh Embodiment Please refer to Figure 11. The seventh embodiment also provides a washing and drying system. The differences compared to the sixth embodiment are as follows:

[0099] Multiple drying devices 004 are arranged on the first side of the processing robot 006. Multiple washing chambers 003 are arranged on the second side of the processing robot 006. However, the multiple drying devices 004 are distributed in several layers along the vertical direction on the first side of the processing robot 006. Similarly, the multiple washing chambers 003 are distributed in several layers along the vertical direction on the second side of the processing robot 006.

[0100] The cleaning chamber 003 can perform single-substrate cleaning or batch-type substrate cleaning. Specifically, as shown in Figure 11, the cleaning chamber 003 includes one or more of the following for batch-type substrate cleaning: a chemical solution purification tank 0031, a high-speed deionized water rinsing tank (DI-QDR) 0032, an IPA tank 0033, and a flipping IPA wetting mechanism 0034.

[0101] The chemical solution in the chemical solution purification tank 0031 is one or more of the following: HF, DHF, SC1, SPM, phosphoric acid, and SC2. Depending on the treatment requirements, the chemical solution purification tank 0031 may include multiple purification tanks. In this case, each purification tank may contain a different chemical solution. The high-speed deionized water rinsing tank (DI-QDR) 0032 is configured to keep the substrate surface clean by removing particulate impurities and residual chemical solution from the substrate surface. After the washing process, the IPA tank 0033 removes moisture from the substrate surface using the principle of mutual dissolution between isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and water. The flipping IPA wetting mechanism 0034 is configured to keep the substrate surface covered with IPA during the process of moving the substrate from the IPA tank 0033 to the drying device 004.

[0102] Specifically, the front robot 005 takes the substrate w to be cleaned from the substrate input 001 and places it in the buffer device 002. The processing robot 006 takes the substrate w to be cleaned from the buffer device 002. Chemical liquid septic tank The substrate w is sequentially placed in the 0031, high-speed deionized water rinsing tank (DI-QDR) 0032, IPA tank 0033, and flipping IPA wetting mechanism 0034, and a cleaning process is performed on the substrate w. After the cleaning process is complete, the processing robot 006 removes the cleaned substrate w from the cleaning chamber 003 and places it in the drying device 004, where the substrate w is dried. After the drying process is complete, the processing robot 006 removes the dried substrate w from the drying device 004 and places it in the buffer device 002. Then, the front end robot 005 removes the dried substrate w from the buffer device 002 and places it in the substrate loading entrance 001.

[0103] In the seventh embodiment, there are six drying devices 004, which are distributed in two layers along the vertical direction on the first side of the processing robot 006. There are also two washing chambers 003, which are distributed in two layers along the vertical direction on the second side of the processing robot 006.

[0104] The remaining configuration in this embodiment is the same as in the sixth embodiment, so we will not repeat the explanation here.

[0105] Eighth Embodiment Please refer to Figures 9A and 9B. The eighth embodiment also provides a cleaning and drying apparatus. This cleaning and drying apparatus comprises a substrate entrance 001 configured for placing a substrate w, a buffer device 002, a front-end robot 005 configured to move the substrate w between the substrate entrance 001 and the buffer device 002, a cleaning chamber 003 configured for cleaning the substrate w, a supercritical fluid-based drying apparatus 004 configured to perform a drying process on the cleaned substrate w, and a processing robot 006 configured to move the substrate w between the buffer device 002, the cleaning chamber 003, and the drying apparatus 004.

[0106] Specifically, the front robot 005 takes the substrate w to be cleaned from the substrate loading entrance 001 and places it in the buffer device 002. The processing robot 006 takes the substrate w to be cleaned from the buffer device 002 and places it in the cleaning chamber 003, and performs the cleaning process on the substrate w. After the cleaning process is complete, the processing robot 006 takes the cleaned substrate w from the cleaning chamber 003 and places it in the drying device 004, and performs the drying process on the substrate w. After the drying process is complete, the processing robot 006 takes the dried substrate w from the drying device 004 and places it in the buffer device 002. Then, the front robot 005 takes the substrate w from the buffer device 002 and places it in the substrate loading entrance 001.

[0107] As shown in Figure 9A, multiple drying devices 004 are arranged symmetrically on both sides of the processing robot 006. As shown in Figure 9B, multiple washing chambers 003 are arranged below the drying devices 004, corresponding to each of the drying devices 004.

[0108] In the eighth embodiment, there are six drying devices 004 and six washing chambers 003. As shown in Figure 9A, the six drying devices 004 are arranged symmetrically, three on each side of the processing robot 006, along the processing robot 006. The washing chambers 003 and drying devices 004 correspond to each other. As shown in Figure 9B, the drying devices 004 are positioned above the corresponding washing chambers 003. In addition, a plurality of first piping systems 007 are positioned above the drying devices 004 to supply supercritical fluid into the drying devices 004. A plurality of second piping systems 008 are positioned below the washing chambers 003 to supply chemical liquid into the washing chambers 003.

[0109] In the washing and drying equipment provided in the eighth embodiment, the drying device 004 is positioned above the washing chamber 003, allowing the processing robot 006 to directly lift the washed substrate into the drying device 004. This increases the processing speed and prevents the IPA from dripping off the surface of the substrate.

[0110] Ninth Embodiment Please refer to Figures 9A and 9C. The ninth embodiment also provides a washing and drying system. The differences compared to the eighth embodiment are as follows:

[0111] As shown in Figure 9A, multiple drying units 004 based on supercritical fluid are arranged symmetrically on both sides of the processing robot 006. As shown in Figure 9C, multiple washing chambers 003 are arranged above the drying units 004, corresponding to each of the drying units 004.

[0112] In the ninth embodiment, as shown in Figure 9C, there are six drying devices 004 and six washing chambers 003. The six washing chambers 003 are located above the drying devices 004. As shown in Figure 9A, the six drying devices 004 are arranged symmetrically along the processing robot 006, with three on each side of the processing robot 006. The washing chambers 003 and drying devices 004 correspond to each other.

[0113] The remaining configuration in this embodiment is the same as in the eighth embodiment, so we will not repeat the explanation here.

[0114] Tenth Embodiment Please refer to Figures 10A and 10B. The tenth embodiment also provides a cleaning and drying apparatus. This cleaning and drying apparatus comprises a substrate entrance 001 configured for placing a substrate w, a buffer device 002, a front-end robot 005 configured to move the substrate w between the substrate entrance 001 and the buffer device 002, a cleaning chamber 003 configured for cleaning the substrate w, a supercritical fluid-based drying apparatus 004 configured to perform a drying process on the cleaned substrate w, and a processing robot 006 configured to move the substrate w between the buffer device 002, the cleaning chamber 003, and the drying apparatus 004.

[0115] Specifically, the front robot 005 takes the substrate w to be cleaned from the substrate loading entrance 001 and places it in the buffer device 002. The processing robot 006 takes the substrate w to be cleaned from the buffer device 002 and places it in the cleaning chamber 003, and performs the cleaning process on the substrate w. After the cleaning process is complete, the processing robot 006 takes the cleaned substrate w from the cleaning chamber 003 and places it in the drying device 004, and performs the drying process on the substrate w. After the drying process is complete, the processing robot 006 takes the dried substrate w from the drying device 004 and places it in the buffer device 002. Then, the front robot 005 takes the substrate w from the buffer device 002 and places it in the substrate loading entrance 001.

[0116] As shown in Figure 10A, multiple drying devices 004 are arranged on the first side of the processing robot 006. Multiple washing chambers 003 are arranged on the second side of the processing robot 006. The drying devices 004 and washing chambers 003 correspond to each other. The multiple drying devices 004 are distributed in several layers along the vertical direction on the first side of the processing robot 006. The multiple washing chambers 003 are distributed in several layers along the vertical direction on the second side of the processing robot 006.

[0117] In the tenth embodiment, as shown in Figures 10A and 10B, six drying devices 004 are distributed in two layers along the vertical direction on the first side of the processing robot 006. In addition, a plurality of first pipeline systems 007 are arranged below each layer of drying devices 004 to supply supercritical fluid into the drying devices 004. On the second side of the processing robot 006, six washing chambers 003 are distributed in two layers along the vertical direction.

[0118] Eleventh Embodiment Please refer to Figure 11. The 11th embodiment also provides a washing and drying system. The differences compared to the 10th embodiment are as follows:

[0119] Multiple drying devices 004 are located on the first side of the processing robot 006. In addition, multiple washing chambers 003 are located on the second side of the processing robot 006.

[0120] The cleaning chamber 003 can perform single-substrate cleaning or batch-type substrate cleaning. Specifically, as shown in Figure 11, the cleaning chamber 003 includes one or more of the following for batch-type substrate cleaning: a chemical solution purification tank 0031, a high-speed deionized water rinsing tank (DI-QDR) 0032, an IPA tank 0033, and a flipping IPA wetting mechanism 0034.

[0121] The chemical solution in the chemical solution purification tank 0031 is one or more of the following: HF, DHF, SC1, SPM, phosphoric acid, and SC2. Depending on the treatment requirements, the chemical solution purification tank 0031 may include multiple purification tanks. In this case, each purification tank may contain a different chemical solution. The high-speed deionized water rinsing tank (DI-QDR) 0032 is configured to keep the substrate surface clean by removing particulate impurities and residual chemical solution from the substrate surface. After the washing process, the IPA tank 0033 removes moisture from the substrate surface using the principle of mutual dissolution between isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and water. The flipping IPA wetting mechanism 0034 is configured to keep the substrate surface covered with IPA during the process of moving the substrate from the IPA tank 0033 to the drying device 004.

[0122] Specifically, the front-end robot 005 removes the substrate w to be cleaned from the substrate loading port 001 and places it in the buffer device 002. The processing robot 006 removes the substrate w from the buffer device 002 and sequentially places it in the phosphate purification tank 0031, the high-speed deionized water rinsing tank (DI-QDR) 0032, the IPA tank 0033, and the flipping IPA wetting mechanism 0034, and performs a cleaning process on the substrate w. After the cleaning process is complete, the processing robot 006 removes the cleaned substrate w from the cleaning chamber 003 and places it in the drying device 004, and performs a drying process on the substrate w. After the drying process is complete, the processing robot 006 removes the dried substrate w from the drying device 004 and places it in the buffer device 002. Subsequently, the front-end robot 005 removes the dried substrate w from the buffer device 002 and places it in the substrate loading port 001.

[0123] In the 11th embodiment, there are six drying devices 004, which are distributed in two layers along the vertical direction on the first side of the processing robot 006. There are also two washing chambers 003, which are distributed in two layers along the vertical direction on the second side of the processing robot 006.

[0124] The remaining configuration in this embodiment is the same as in the tenth embodiment, so we will not repeat the explanation here.

[0125] The scope of the present invention has been described in detail through the above preferred embodiments, but it should be recognized that the above description should not be considered as limiting the invention. Various modifications and alternatives to the present invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art who have referred to the above description. Therefore, the scope of patent protection for the present invention should be determined by the claims.

Claims

1. A drying apparatus based on supercritical fluid, The top cover and A substrate positioned below the upper cover, which can be closed to form a pressure-resistant sealed chamber by moving relative to the upper cover in a vertical direction, A substrate tray is placed on the substrate and configured to hold the substrate, A first fluid supply pipe is positioned on the top wall of the upper cover and is configured to supply supercritical fluid into the sealed chamber, thereby bringing the sealed chamber from an atmospheric pressure state to a supercritical state. A fluid disturbance plate located below the first fluid supply pipe, A second fluid supply pipe is positioned on the first side wall of the upper cover and is configured to supply the supercritical fluid into the sealed chamber in a supercritical state, thereby performing a drying process on the substrate inside the sealed chamber. The upper cover comprises a fluid discharge pipe located on the second side wall, A plurality of first through-holes are evenly and horizontally arranged in the first side wall of the upper cover, and the plurality of first through-holes are connected to the second fluid supply pipe and are used to allow the supercritical fluid to enter the sealed chamber evenly through them. A drying apparatus is provided in the first side wall of the upper cover, the lower surface of the first cavity is parallel to the upper surface of the substrate, and the supercritical fluid entering through the first through hole passes through the first cavity and is evenly distributed on the upper surface of the substrate.

2. The drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the gap between the fluid disturbance plate and the substrate is smaller than a set value.

3. The drying apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the aforementioned setting value is greater than 0 and 10 mm or less.

4. The drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the first through-hole is a conical hole.

5. The drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that a plurality of second through-holes are evenly and horizontally arranged in the second side wall of the upper cover, and the plurality of second through-holes are connected to the fluid discharge pipe.

6. The drying apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that a second cavity is provided in the second side wall of the upper cover, and the lower surface of the second cavity is parallel to the upper surface of the substrate.

7. The drying apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the second through-hole is a conical hole.

8. The drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the diameter of the second fluid supply pipe is larger than the diameter of the first fluid supply pipe.

9. The drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper cover is fixed, and the substrate is adjusted to rise vertically, thereby closing to form the sealed chamber.

10. The drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the substrate is fixed, and the upper cover is adjusted to descend vertically, thereby closing to form the sealed chamber.

11. The drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the upper cover is provided with a plurality of locks, and the plurality of locks are used to fasten the base material when the upper cover and the base material move relative to each other to form the sealed chamber, thereby locking the sealed chamber.

12. The drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper cover has a square appearance, the base material is a square plate, and the hollow portion of the sealed chamber is a circular chamber.

13. The drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the supercritical fluid is supercritical carbon dioxide.

14. The drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the substrate and the substrate tray are integrally molded.

15. A drying method based on a supercritical fluid, which is carried out in the drying apparatus described in claim 1, Step S1 involves placing the substrate to be dried on a substrate tray, moving the substrate and the upper cover relative to each other in the vertical direction to close them, thereby forming a pressure-resistant sealed chamber. Step S2 involves supplying supercritical fluid from above the sealed chamber via a first fluid supply pipe, the fluid bypassing a fluid disturbance plate below the first fluid supply pipe, reaching the upper surface of the substrate from the side, and stopping the supply of the supercritical fluid from above the sealed chamber after the sealed chamber has reached a supercritical state. Step S3 involves supplying supercritical fluid from the first side of the sealed chamber via a second fluid supply pipe to perform a drying process on the substrate, Step S4 involves closing the second fluid supply pipe after the drying process is completed, reducing the internal pressure of the sealed chamber, converting the supercritical fluid into a gas, and discharging it from the second side of the sealed chamber via the fluid discharge pipe. A drying method characterized by comprising step S5, which involves opening the sealed chamber and removing the substrate when the internal pressure of the sealed chamber becomes atmospheric pressure.

16. The drying method according to claim 15, characterized in that a plurality of repeating operations from step S2 to step S4 are performed before the substrate is removed in step S5.

17. The drying method according to claim 15, characterized in that the second fluid supply pipe supplies the supercritical fluid from the first side of the sealed chamber at a flow angle parallel to the upper surface of the substrate.

18. The drying method according to claim 15, characterized in that the fluid discharge pipe discharges the supercritical fluid at a flow angle parallel to the upper surface of the substrate.

19. The drying method according to claim 15, characterized in that the flow rate of the supercritical fluid supplied by the second fluid supply pipe is greater than the flow rate of the supercritical fluid supplied by the first fluid supply pipe.

20. Washing and drying equipment, A circuit board loading entrance configured for placing circuit boards, Buffer device and A front-end robot configured to move the substrate between the substrate loading entrance and the buffer device, A cleaning chamber configured to perform a cleaning process on the aforementioned substrate, The system comprises a drying apparatus based on a supercritical fluid configured to perform a drying process on the washed substrate, and the drying apparatus is The top cover and A substrate positioned below the upper cover, which can be closed to form a pressure-resistant sealed chamber by moving relative to the upper cover in a vertical direction, A substrate tray is placed on the substrate and configured to hold the substrate, A first fluid supply pipe is positioned on the top wall of the upper cover and is configured to supply supercritical fluid into the sealed chamber, thereby bringing the sealed chamber from an atmospheric pressure state to a supercritical state. A fluid disturbance plate located below the first fluid supply pipe, A second fluid supply pipe is positioned on the first side wall of the upper cover and is configured to supply the supercritical fluid into the sealed chamber in a supercritical state, thereby performing a drying process on the substrate inside the sealed chamber. A drying apparatus comprising a fluid discharge pipe located on the second side wall of the upper cover, The system comprises a processing robot configured to move the substrate between the buffer device, the washing chamber, and the drying device, A plurality of first through-holes are evenly and horizontally arranged in the first side wall of the upper cover, and the plurality of first through-holes are connected to the second fluid supply pipe and are used to allow the supercritical fluid to enter the sealed chamber evenly through them. A washing and drying apparatus is provided in which a first cavity is provided in the first side wall of the upper cover, the lower surface of the first cavity is parallel to the upper surface of the substrate, and the supercritical fluid entering from the first through hole passes through the first cavity and is evenly distributed on the upper surface of the substrate.

21. The washing and drying equipment according to claim 20, characterized in that there are a plurality of drying devices arranged symmetrically on both sides of the processing robot, and a plurality of washing chambers arranged above or below the plurality of drying devices and corresponding to each of the plurality of drying devices.

22. The washing and drying equipment according to claim 21, characterized in that it has six drying devices, three of which are arranged on each side of the processing robot, and six washing chambers, each corresponding to one of the six drying devices.

23. The washing and drying equipment according to claim 20, characterized in that the plurality of drying devices are arranged on the first side of the processing robot, the plurality of washing chambers are arranged on the second side of the processing robot, and the plurality of drying devices correspond to each of the plurality of washing chambers.

24. The cleaning and drying apparatus according to claim 23, characterized in that the plurality of cleaning chambers are used for single substrate cleaning or batch substrate cleaning.

25. The washing and drying apparatus according to claim 24, characterized in that, for batch-type substrate washing, the plurality of washing chambers are provided with one or more of the following: a chemical solution purification tank, a high-speed deionized water rinsing tank, an IPA tank, and a flipping IPA wetting mechanism.

26. The washing and drying equipment according to claim 23, characterized in that there are multiple drying devices, the multiple drying devices are distributed in multiple layers in the vertical direction on the first side of the processing robot, and there are multiple washing chambers, the multiple washing chambers are distributed in multiple layers in the vertical direction on the second side of the processing robot.

27. The washing and drying equipment according to claim 26, characterized in that it has six drying devices, the six drying devices are distributed in two vertical layers on the first side of the processing robot, and six washing chambers, the six washing chambers are distributed in two vertical layers on the second side of the processing robot.

28. Washing and drying equipment, A circuit board loading entrance configured for placing circuit boards, Buffer device and A front-end robot configured to move the substrate between the substrate loading entrance and the buffer device, A plurality of cleaning chambers configured to perform a cleaning process on the aforementioned substrate, A plurality of drying apparatuses according to claim 1, which are configured to perform a drying process on the washed substrate and are based on a supercritical fluid, The system comprises a buffer device, a plurality of washing chambers, and a processing robot configured to move the substrate between the plurality of drying devices, There are multiple drying devices arranged symmetrically on both sides of the aforementioned processing robot. A washing and drying facility characterized by having a plurality of washing chambers arranged above or below the plurality of drying devices and corresponding to each of the plurality of drying devices.

29. Washing and drying equipment, A circuit board loading entrance configured for placing circuit boards, Buffer device and A front-end robot configured to move the substrate between the substrate loading entrance and the buffer device, A cleaning chamber configured to perform a cleaning process on the aforementioned substrate, A drying apparatus according to claim 1, which is configured to perform a drying process on the washed substrate and is based on a supercritical fluid, The system comprises a processing robot configured to move the substrate between the buffer device, the washing chamber, and the drying device, The drying device is located on the first side of the processing robot, the washing chamber is located on the second side of the processing robot, and the drying device corresponds to the washing chamber. A washing and drying facility characterized by having multiple drying devices, which are distributed in multiple layers in the vertical direction on the first side of the processing robot, and having multiple washing chambers, which are distributed in multiple layers in the vertical direction on the second side of the processing robot.

30. The cleaning and drying apparatus according to claim 29, characterized in that the cleaning chamber is used for single-substrate cleaning or batch-type substrate cleaning.

31. The cleaning and drying apparatus according to claim 29, characterized in that, for batch-type substrate cleaning, the cleaning chamber comprises one or more of the following: a chemical solution purification tank, a high-speed deionized water rinsing tank, an IPA tank, and a flipping IPA wetting mechanism.

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