Angled Air-Slot Drying Heads for High-Speed Substrate Drying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drying technologies for sheet-like substrates, such as semiconductor wafers, fail to achieve satisfactory drying results at high transport speeds in continuous systems, leading to residual liquid droplets and damp regions.
Innovation Solution
A drying device with upper and lower drying heads featuring air outlet slots oriented at angles greater than 0° and less than 90° relative to the transport direction, forming continuous air jet fronts, and optionally using stabilizing slots to stabilize the substrates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional air drying through perforated plates is used, then the drying process is simple, but satisfactory drying results cannot be achieved at high transport speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a new spatial dimension by orienting air outlet slots at angles greater than 0° and less than 90° relative to the transport direction. This angular orientation creates a component of air flow perpendicular to the substrate surface, enhancing the drying effect. The slot planes intersect the transport plane at these specific angles, transforming the conventional parallel air flow into a multi-directional flow pattern that effectively removes liquid droplets even at high transport speeds.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the air outlet slots, specifically the orientation angle relative to the transport direction. By adjusting this parameter to be greater than 0° and less than 90°, the air jet direction is optimized to create effective drying action. This parameter change allows the system to maintain reliable drying results while operating at high productivity levels.
2Productivity
If high transport speeds are used to increase productivity, then output increases, but liquid droplets and damp regions remain on substrates
Solution Approach 1:
By orienting air outlet slots at angles greater than 0° and less than 90° to the transport direction, the patent creates a multi-component air flow that includes a perpendicular component effective for drying. This angular configuration ensures uniform drying across the substrate surface even when transport speed is increased for higher productivity.
3Reliability
If multiple sequential drying stages are used to improve drying results, then drying effectiveness increases, but system complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the air outlet slots multi-functional by orienting them at angles greater than 0° and less than 90° to the transport direction. This single structural feature simultaneously achieves effective liquid removal, creates uniform drying across the substrate, and maintains system compactness. The angled slots serve multiple drying functions in one configuration, eliminating the need for multiple sequential drying stages.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device enables reliable drying of sheet-like substrates at high transport speeds, effectively removing liquid from the entire substrate surface while minimizing vibrations and breakage risks.
Implementation Method 1
By means of said air outlet slots, advantageously continuous air jet fronts may be formed
Data Source
AI summary
A drying device contains an upper drying head and a lower drying head. The upper drying head is arranged above a transport plane, in which objects to be dried can be transported in a transport direction through the drying device. The lower drying head is arranged below the transport plane. The upper drying head and the lower drying head contain in each case at least one air outlet slot and the longitudinal directions of the air outlet slots essentially extending parallel to the transport plane and transversely to the transport direction, and in which slot planes, in which the air outlet slots extend, intersect the transport plane at angles which are greater than 0° and less than 90°.