Patent · US Expired

Semiconductor wafer processing apparatus including localized humidification between coating and heat treatment sections

US5725664A · kind A · utility

54Cited by
2References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignees

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 5, 1996
Grant dateMar 10, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 5, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S414/141
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An apparatus for subjecting a plurality of wafers to coating and heating treatments, including a coating section for subjecting the wafers to a coating treatment one by one, a heating section for subjecting wafers which have undergone the coating treatment to a heating treatment all together, and an interface section arranged between the coating section and the heating section. The wafers are heat-treated in the heat treatment section while the wafers are stacked at intervals in a vertical direction in a boat. The wafers which have undergone the coating treatment are loaded into the boat by a conveying member in the interface section. The conveying member and the boat are surrounded by a surrounding space formed by a casing at the interface section. A circulation line is combined with an air supply and exhaust system, for circulating air in the surrounding space. A dehumidifier is arranged on the circulation line for dehumidifying air in the circulation line to provide localized dehumidification of the surrounding space formed by the casing.

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