Patent · US Expired

Apparatus and method for drying substrates

US5443540A · kind A · utility

48Cited by
6References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignees

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateDec 22, 1993
Grant dateAug 22, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 22, 2013

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L21/67034
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An apparatus for drying substrates such as wafers while contacting IPA vapor with them to remove that solution, which adheres to them when they are washed, includes a vessel in which IPA is stored, a unit for supplying the IPA into the vessel, a unit for draining the IPA from the vessel, heater block arranged contactable with the underside of the vessel to heat the IPA in the vessel by heat conduction, a boat elevator for positioning the substrates in a steam existing space in which steam generated from the heated process solution and a water cooling system arranged in the vessel to exchanged heat between the IPA and cooling water so as to cool the IPA, which is to be drained from the vessel, by the cooling water.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.