Drying Chamber Discharge Device for Uniform Gas Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate cleaning and drying apparatuses face inefficiencies due to gas flow irregularities and pressure differences between cleaning and drying chambers, leading to prolonged drying times and reduced drying efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus incorporates a discharge device with multiple discharge blocks and an actuator system that allows for controlled gas evacuation from the drying chamber, ensuring uniform gas flow and maintaining equal pressure between chambers, utilizing a vacuum pump and controller to manage pressure and position the discharge blocks for efficient gas flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If discharge openings are formed on both sides of the drying chamber, then gas evacuation capability is improved, but gas flow becomes weaker at the center region due to flow irregularity
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge device is divided into multiple discharge blocks (first discharge block and second discharge block) with multiple discharge holes distributed across their surfaces. This segmentation allows gas to be evacuated from multiple locations simultaneously, improving overall evacuation capability while maintaining flow uniformity through strategic hole distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the discharge blocks have different densities of discharge holes. The discharge holes are strategically positioned to create localized flow patterns that compensate for the natural tendency of gas to converge at edges, ensuring uniform flow across the entire drying chamber including the center region.
2Force
If the drying chamber pressure is higher than the cleaning chamber pressure, then gas flow direction control is improved, but it becomes hard to induce strong gas flow along the substrate surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge blocks are made movable rather than fixed, allowing their positions to be dynamically adjusted. During substrate transfer, the discharge blocks are retracted to allow easy access. During drying, they are positioned to optimize gas flow along the substrate surfaces, adapting to different operational requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The discharge blocks act as intermediary elements between the drying chamber and the vacuum system. They control and mediate the gas flow, creating a pressure gradient that drives strong gas flow along the substrate surfaces while maintaining overall pressure differential control.
3Productivity
If the discharge blocks are positioned close to the substrate, then gas evacuation efficiency is improved, but substrate transfer accessibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge blocks are designed to be movable, allowing them to be positioned close to substrates during drying operations for efficient gas evacuation, and retracted during substrate transfer operations for easy accessibility. This dynamic positioning resolves the contradiction between evacuation efficiency and transfer accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The discharge blocks undergo periodic positioning changes: positioned close to substrates during drying phases for efficient evacuation, and retracted during transfer phases for accessibility. This periodic action between different operational states resolves the spatial conflict.
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
This configuration enhances drying efficiency by ensuring uniform gas flow and rapid evacuation, reducing drying time and maintaining consistent pressure, thereby improving the overall cleaning and drying process.
Implementation Method 1
a discharge device that is located between the cleaning chamber and the drying chamber, the discharge device for evacuating the gas forcibly from the drying chamber such that the gas is vertically driven down in the drying chamber
Implementation Method 2
vapors of volatile organic chemical such as isopropyl alcohol are provided toward the substrate such that the vapors, being condensed and deposited on the surface of the substrate, remove waters thereon, hence drying the substrate
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides an apparatus and method for cleaning substrates such as semiconductor wafers by sinking the substrates into cleaning fluids such as cleaning chemicals or rinsing liquids and then drying the substrates. The substrate clean and dry apparatus of present invention includes a process chamber comprising a cleaning chamber that carries the cleaning fluid and discharges at bottom the cleaning fluid; and a drying chamber above the cleaning chamber. The process chamber further includes a discharge device for evacuating the gas from the drying chamber, the gas supplied into the drying chamber. The discharge device is located between the cleaning chamber and the drying chamber, and evacuates the gas by force such that the gas is driven down vertically in the drying chamber. The substrate clean and dry apparatus of the present invention generates fairly vertical and uniform gas flows over the surfaces of substrates in the drying chamber, and also evacuates the gas rapidly from the drying chamber, thereby enhancing efficiency of the drying process.